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INDIANAPOLIS – Some mornings it doesn't pay to get up.

Your back pain becomes a minor irritant because the toothache is worse. The car won't start because the dome light was left on. Back at work, the gremlins are in your computer. Then somebody pushes you in the face.

That was Bo Ryan and his Wisconsin Badgers Friday. For 38 minutes, they couldn't buy a basket if they hit the lottery. All-Big Ten senior Trevon Hughes missed his first 11 shots. The conference's most improved player, Jason Bohannon, went 1 for 10. The Badgers missed 16 of their first 19 field attempts, 27 of 33 through halftime (that's 18 percent accuracy), and 43 of 56 going into the last two minutes.

If you thought the first half was the low point, Wisconsin scored six points in nearly the first 10 minutes of the second half. When the spread reached 46-30, someone asked if this resembled a London blackout in World War II.

And Illinois, operating with a pick-and-pop duo of Demetri McCamey (13 points, eight assists) and Mike Tisdale (21 points on 8-for-10 shooting) that approached Stockton-Malone efficiency, held off the Badgers' belated rally to advance, 58-54, in the Big Ten tournament.

"Our coaches gave us a scouting report," said Wisconsin junior Jon Leuer, "but we allowed too many easy looks and he (Tisdale) knocked them down. On the other end, our shots weren't falling and we missed some bunnies."

So the Illini accomplished what some experts believe will put them in the NCAA tournament. And yet there are still those who think an unconvinced selection committee might want more proof as the Illini tackle Ohio State in the semifinals today.

On the defensive

Bruce Weber's scheme in using a switching man-to-man defense Friday deserves an A. Let me repeat. The defense was excellent, forcing Wisconsin to take some tough shots.

That said, it must be reported that the only UI wins in the last eight games came when Wisconsin (twice) and Michigan were searching for a lead dog and a white cane. Illinois played better in several recent losses, particularly at Purdue, than in the three victories. Wisconsin scored 56 and 54 in the losses (and 72 in Sunday's win), and Michigan managed 44. So yes, Illinois' defense contributed ... but not to the extent that these rivals shouldn't have scored in the 60s. What we saw was the freakish and unpredictable nature of the game.

For all the planning and strategies, it always boils down to putting the ball in the basket. And by shooting 52.5 percent from the field, Illinois overcame glaring deficiencies in turnovers (a 17-5 deficit), offensive rebounding (two all day) and free throwing (seven misses).

"We try to keep our turnovers to a minimum," said Wisconsin's Ryan, "and when we have a 12-turnover advantage, we should be on the other side of the ledger. But you still have to make shots. Sometimes you just have to tip your cap and go on."

Last gasp?

McCamey was good. Really good. He was in Peyton Manning's town and he ran the operation like an all-pro quarterback. Time after time, he saved the Illini as the shot clock dwindled, and his desperate, falling-down trey led to a 50-38 cushion with 1:52 showing. The final two minutes proved to be an eternity with Hughes bagging four Hail Mary bombs that bordered on the miraculous.

These games never make any sense in the final minutes. Wisconsin actually got within 56-54 before Jeff Jordan and Mike Davis hit a free throw apiece as Hughes fouled out.

But in the greater portion of the game when there was a degree of order, McCamey was the game's dominant performer. And that's important because he caught so much flak in Sunday's late-game debacle, igniting scuttlebutt that he and Weber were estranged.

If they aren't seeing eye-to-eye, it wasn't apparent Friday. A calmer McCamey was under control and pulling the strings even as the load was heavier than ever.

The pressure will double today in this final confrontation with Evan Turner, his prep teammate and last-shot miracle worker against Michigan. The comparison is unfair because Turner has so much more to work with, but it's an opportunity and that's all the 19-13 Illini can ask at this point.

Loren Tate writes for The News-Gazette. He can be reached at ltate@news-gazette.com.