Tate: Illini, freshmen show potential in loss
INDIANAPOLIS – There were stretches during an epic Illini loss Saturday when the fuzzy picture of the basketball future cleared.
Tyler Griffey, filling for foul-troubled Mike Tisdale, made an impressive, 13-point impact. D.J. Richardson drew plaudits (15 points, no turnovers) in the face of an impossible defensive assignment against Ohio State great Evan Turner. Brandon Paul again showed flashes of a game that will someday come together.
Regardless of what happens Sunday in the crap-shoot NCAA selection business, two gritty performances in Conseco – who said Bruce Weber's Illini were soft? – demonstrated that the Illini are in better shape than it appeared last Sunday when Wisconsin ruled the Assembly Hall, 72-57.
"We had three freshmen on the court at times," Weber said. "This was a new experience for them."
For these three freshmen, Saturday was 50 pressurized minutes in a jam-packed arena against one of the nation's premier teams, and with an NCAA berth on the line. This was a knock-down, drag-out battle that saw Illinois somehow regather itself and rally after the Buckeyes made a 20-0 run that put the underdogs on the ropes.
Trailing 59-50 after a debilitating eight-minute dry spell, Illinois had possession at the end of regular and overtime with a chance to win. In both cases, the Illini failed to get off a shot in time as the Buckeyes doubled up and fought off Demetri McCamey's attempts to penetrate.
Close doesn't count
"We guarded well for most of the game," Weber said, "but they drove it down our throat in the stretch."
Actually, Turner did most of the driving. The likely National Player of the Year – it's becoming more likely even though the Illini harassed him into 10 turnovers Saturday – weaved along the baseline to tie the game 66-66 in regulation. He added seven points as the first overtime ended 75-75. And he exploded for two more layups before fouling out with 31 points. He scored even though the Illini and everyone else knew what was coming.
The amazing aspect is that Illinois, shooting a mediocre 41 percent for the game, hung in so long with Turner virtually unstoppable. And this wasn't just a case of the Illini hanging on. They were in the driver's seat at the end of regulation. And they led 75-71 on Bill Cole's tipin – his only basket in two days – with 1:27 left in the first OT. They had the Buckeyes backed into a corner. Richardson, in particular, had them in his sights with two open chances from his favorite corner.
The Illini couldn't close the deal but they left an impression.
What's next?
Weber said the Illini can "do some damage" in the tournament if the selection committee favors them Sunday.
"We made a tremendous effort to beat Wisconsin Friday, and maybe an even better effort against Ohio State," he said. "We made a good showing here, and hopefully it will work out."
If the Illini are chosen as a 12, as a possible example, that would pit them against a five seed, which would be teams ranked 17 through 20 in the seeding. That's roughly the quality of teams that the Illini have been facing in nine of the last 10 games (yes, in case you hadn't noticed, Minnesota deserves inclusion in this group).
Nobody in the country has played so many good teams in the last 10 games. There was no letup. The team's weaknesses were exploited at times, and yet Illinois grinded its way into Indianapolis, overcame some shoddy ballhandling (34 turnovers in two games), outrebounded both Top 25 rivals and gave the selection committee something to think about.
It's Sunday, a good day for prayer.
Loren Tate writes for The News-Gazette. He can be reached at ltate<@>news-gazette.com.
gummy bears are better. no matter what they are always good, unlike this underacheiving basketball team. the fact that this team lost at home against minnesota is what will keep them from go to the ncaa tourney.
next year, next year, wake up z
it's always next year!!!!
It's sad that in March we are still talking about Paul, Griffey, and DJ as freshman. They should have been brought along enough by now that they shouldn't be playing like freshman anymore. Weber is too stubborn when it comes to playing young players. He'd rather upper classmen with marginal talent. I'd be interested to see what a coach who trusted freshman could have done with this squad.
Only a real loser goes to another teams website designed for its fans and does his best to make everyone miserable possible. Show some class and stay on your own team website. We are not on your teams acting like a jerk as you are here. Be a good fan and show some class sir.
Since some starters took until the last two games to play their full effort games . . Davis said "These past couple of games, we've played our butts off," Illinois junior forward Mike Davis said in the Daily Herald. "This is the hardest we've played the whole season. You know, if we play like this in the beginning of the season, we're not in this position, obviously." Bruce might as well have let Griffey and Paul play more if the upperclassmen didn't care enough to play all out and win all season long.
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