COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Brandon Paul is older now, wiser than his previous two seasons at Illinois.

That showed not in the box score after Tuesday's 71-62 win against Maryland at Comcast Center. It was apparent in how he responded from a slump to start his junior season, when he is expected to be a breakout scorer.

In Cancun against Illinois State, he couldn't hit the Gulf from a row boat. Yet he was a big reason Illinois escaped with a win against the Redbirds.

And in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge — in which Paul and the other juniors are undefeated (3-0) — he inspired his teammates with a 12-point first half. He finished with a season-high 17.

"I haven't been making shots," he said. "All that means is I have to get in the gym and get more shots up."

The coaches were riding Paul to bring his big-boy game into the ACC arena. Jerrance Howard had a talk in Paul's hotel room. And Bruce Weber relayed a message to the junior prior to tipoff.

"The first thing I told him was not to shoot a three on the first shot. Right away he went to the basket and got a dunk," Weber said.

Without an effective Paul, Illinois can slip past the also-rans that make up the majority of the nonconference schedule. But to beat the better teams, the Illini need him to be a difference-maker.

"Coming on the road and getting a win shows how much toughness this team has," Paul said.

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On the latest Washington D.C., swing, the Illini were without their best tour guides.

Chester Frazier (Baltimore) wasn't there to grapple with the Terrapin mascot like he did before a game in 2007. Presumably, Testudo the Turtle was grateful that Frazier has returned to Germany to resume his playing career. He had eight points, three boards and three assists in 17 minutes in his first game back in Germany.

And Mike Davis (Arlington, Va.) wasn't there to spread his DMV pride, either. He's averaging 10.7 points and a team-high 7.8 rebounds in the Ukraine. His parents — Steve and Tangie Davis — were in attendance to support the Illini.

"With these guys (playing) so close, we couldn't miss it," Steve Davis said, adding of his son, "He's off to a good start. He was leading the league in rebounding for a while."

Ibrahima Djimde had the biggest responsibility with tickets. The UI freshman had roughly 15 acquaintances in attendance. He played two seasons at Huntington (W.Va.) Prep.

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At least on the Illinois schedule, there isn't another arena that trumps the Comcast Center.

Maryland's 9-year-old facility was built with basketball in mind. And the best part of the Comcast Center is something Illinois would be wise to replicate. Located on the upper concourse, the Wall of Fame honors Terrapin greats from the late Len Bias to Juan Dixon. A fan can fill an hour simply scouring the program's history.

Weber's dream blueprint for Assembly Hall renovations would include a similar type of ode to Illini basketball history. If Illinois needs a model, Maryland's is ideal.

"Think of our tradition, our history," Howard said before the game. "That's huge for recruiting. It's huge for these guys (the current players) to know where we come from."

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Next up: No. 18 Gonzaga at the Assembly Hall on Saturday (2:15 p.m., ESPN2).

College basketball has gotten to know the Zags during a run of 13 straight NCAA tournament berths.

But the current Zags have a different makeup than their predecessors. Their strength used to be in the backcourt, from Matt Santangelo to Dan Dickau to Matt Bouldin to arguably their best guard, Blake Stepp. But these Zags start a pair of freshmen in the backcourt — point guard Kevin Pangos and scoring guard Gary Bell Jr.

(On a sidenote, Illinois was one of the teams that attempted to recruit Pangos before it became clear Gonzaga had the inside track on the Canadian national team member.)

Now their strength is in the frontcourt. The Zags have enough beef inside they could afford to redshirt 7-foot junior Kelly Olynyk. Despite its national ranking, Gonzaga hasn't looked sharp in November. The News-Gazette's Top 25 ballot dropped them to No. 25.

Looking ahead, there are two keys for the Illini: making three-point shots and limiting foul trouble.

Gonzaga's Kryptonite has always been a porous defense against the three. Illinois will game plan to find open shots for D.J. Richardson, Sam Maniscalco and Paul.

And Illinois will have to keep 7-foot Robert Sacre and 6-7 Elias Harris off the foul line. Gonzaga's starting big men shot 58 free throws through four games; Illinois' big men shot 37 free throws through six games.

"It's always a challenge when there's someone on the other roster that's getting looked at by the NBA," Illinois center Meyers Leonard said after Tuesday's game.

This change in recruiting philosophy can be traced, in part, to a Big Ten team. Gonzaga reached the Elite Eight and two Sweet 16s from 1999 to 2001.

But after Michigan State beat up Gonzaga in the 2001 Sweet 16, the Zags complemented their scorers with more size.

As part of the cross-country series, Illinois will host WCC officials Saturday. Next year on Gonzaga's campus at the McCarthey Athletic Center, there will be Big Ten referees.

UI ticket director Jason Heggemeyer said Tuesday there are roughly 1,000 tickets remaining for Saturday's game.

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U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson, R-Urbana, was among those supporting the Illini on Tuesday at the Comcast Center.

"I'm just here to support my team. I bleed orange and blue to my gut," Johnson said at halftime. "I had the opportunity to be here in D.C., and we're in session (today). I couldn't miss the opportunity to be here and support the Illini. I was able to combine business with pleasure."

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It didn't take long for Deron Williams to make an impression in Turkey.

"They already retired his jersey!" exclaimed his close friend, Howard.

The Besiktas franchise retired D-Will's No. 8 jersey on Tuesday — after he played just 15 games in Turkey. With the end of the NBA lockout, the Illini great will return for his second season with the New Jersey Nets.

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The ACC and Big Ten were represented in the stands at the Comcast Center, too.

Former NBA point guard Sam Cassell (Florida State) sat behind the Maryland bench. And Navy coach Ed DeChellis (Penn State) sat behind the Illinois bench. DeChellis, a close friend of Weber's, is 3-4 in his first season down the road in Annapolis.

And with 7:05 remaining in regulation, the familiar "I-L-L" chant rang out from the upper level. One Maryland student responded with, "Shut the (expletive) up."

* * *

Tracy Abrams played a big role in Tuesday's game. He was the only reserve to play double-digit minutes. But the rookie made his presence felt.

With 8:57 remaining, the 6-foot guard made like a forward, securing an offensive rebound in traffic. He completed a key three-point play.

The hustle play typified a revitalized effort from the Illini in the second half. Prior to halftime, Maryland won most of the loose balls and grabbed most of the tough rebounds. The second half was much different as Illinois took the lead during a 16-4 run.

"Tracy gave us great energy off the bench," Weber said. "All those little things add up to a big win."

* * *

The Illini rotation was trimmed to six players Tuesday. That's not the approach vowed by the coaches, but Weber said the bench would grow deeper as the season moves forward.

"If we're playing well, it's easy for Myke Henry (for example) to go in against Chicago State," Weber said. "It's just figuring out who can play what."

He added, "We still have a long way to go. I think we still have very good potential. We've got some nice pieces. As things kind of unfold ... we have a chance to be pretty good."

* * *

Illini freshman Devin Langford got some good news when he was cleared to return to contact drills Monday. He didn't play Tuesday, leaving open the possibility of a redshirt season. Look for coaches to have that conversation in the near future.

"Now he's got to practice a while," Weber said. "He practiced Monday. It was the day before a game so he maybe got 10 reps or something."