Illinois

2008-09 Illinois Basketball Preview: #66

Joel Welser — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 06:53:47 -0700

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Illinois Fighting Illini

Overall Rank: #67

Conference Rank: #6 Big Ten

2007-08: 16-19, 5-13, 9^th

2007-08 postseason: none

Illinois has been slipping down the Big Ten standings lately. Last year, when the team finished with a 5-13 conference record, might be as low as the team is going to get in the near future. There are some major holes to fill in the frontcourt, but the Illini still have more talent than a five win team. However, they did last year too and look what happened. The good news is that the experience is now on the perimeter and that is where a team needs leadership if they hope to play consistently.

Who’s Out:

Shaun Pruitt, Brian Randle and Rodney Alexander handled a majority of the minutes in the frontcourt last season. Pruitt led the team with 12.6 points and 7.3 rebounds and Randle was the team’s best overall player and leader. Alexander would not put up big numbers like Pruitt and Randle, but he did start 15 games and played some very important minutes. Brian Carlwell, Chris Hicks and Steve Holdren have also wrapped up their collegiate careers after seeing limited playing time during the 2007-2008 campaign. (Shooting guard Jamar Smith was also dismissed from the program. He didn't play last year.. so isn't technically a loss from last year.)

Who’s In:

The recruiting class is nothing special, but power forwards Dominique Keller and Stan Simpson at least fill a need. Keller, a junior college transfer, is a good scorer, rebounder and shotblocker. If he can fit well in the system and find his role on the team, Keller could make a big impact for the Illini. He also has enough versatility to fill in and the four and five spots and that is a big bonus for a team that does not have a lot of big bodies. Simpson is a great rebounder and should at least help in that department as a freshman. C.J. Jackson is also back on the team after spending last year playing football. Yet, it is Alex Legion who has the Illini faithful the most excited. In the few games he played in for Kentucky last year before opting to transfer, he averaged 6.7 points per game and showed off his ability to score from anywhere on the floor. In a group that lacks a consistent scorer, Legion will get an opportunity to become a leader once he is eligible to play in December.

Who to Watch:

But Legion will have trouble cracking the starting lineup in a backcourt that features Demetri McCamey, Chester Frazier, Trent Meacham and Calvin Brock. McCamey and Frazier give Coach Bruce Weber a couple of capable playmakers. McCamey had a strong freshman campaign and averaged 8.2 points and 3.3 assists. Understandably the turnovers were an issue, but that is to be expected from a freshman. With both McCamey and Frazier, there are options even if McCamey cannot get past the turnover issue. Meacham is the outside shooter of the bunch and hit 40 percent his attempts from beyond the arc. Unless the new faces in the paint can develop into consistent scorers, Meacham will not get as many open looks this year. Brock is the underappreciated man on the perimeter. The 6-5 wing can be a decent scorer when the team needs him to be, but it is his defense and athleticism that make him stand out.

Final Projection:

The big question is replacing the production in the frontcourt. Mike Tisdale and Mike Davis are the likely new starters. Both only averaged 10.4 minutes per game as freshmen, but their roles will increase dramatically as sophomores. Tisdale, at 7-1, brings some size to the unit, but has he gained enough strength to battle day in and day out against Big Ten opponents? Illinois better hope so or the team could lack the big man they need on both sides of the floor.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NIT

Projected Starting Five:

Demetri McCamey, Sophomore, Guard, 8.2 points per game

Trent Meacham, Senior, Guard, 10.1 points per game

Calvin Brock, Senior, Guard, 7.4 points per game

Mike Davis, Sophomore, Forward, 2.6 points per game

Mike Tisdale, Sophomore, Center, 3.6 points per game

Complete Top 144 Ranking | 2008-09 Preview & Awards | Coach Interviews | Discuss the Preview

State of '08: Illinois

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 10:40:02 -0700

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Duke or Carolina? BC or UMASS? Gonzaga or Washington.. or Washington State? What is the best program in each state? While there's not much competition in Hawaii.. there are great debates to be had in loaded regions like California, North Carolina, and Texas. The State of '08 is a ranking of every program in every state.. based mostly on recent success (the last five years) mixed in with subjective factors such as conference prestige, historical success, and overall program direction.

Up today: Illinois. For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

ILLINOIS

ILLINOIS - In 2005, Bruce Weber led Illinois to the National Title game behind the amazing backcourt duo of Deron Williams and Dee Brown. But those were Bill Self's guys, and Weber's teams have gotten worse every season. Last year the Illini missed out on the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999.. and have little shot of making it this year as well. While Illinois is still the class of the state, SIU continues to the close the gap. The Illini's 2010 class can't get on to campus quickly enough.

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS - Before last season, SIU had made 6 NCAA Tournaments in a row, including two Sweet Sixteen runs along the way. Even last year, despite the mediocre 11-7 MVC record, the Salukis were better than many think.. as they knocked off Top 40 foes like Mississippi State, Saint Mary's, and Western Kentucky.. all of whom made the Big Dance.

BRADLEY - In 2006, Bradley made a name for itself, shocking many pundits by making the Sweet Sixteen. 2007 was arguably an equally successful regular season (an RPI of 38 vs 33 the previous season), but the Braves ended up in the NIT. Bradley has topped DePaul in the RPI each of the last 3 seasons (also beating them 3 times in a row), and should accomplish that feat again in 2009

DEPAUL - Still trying to find its groove in the Big East, DePaul should most likely finish in the conference's bottom 3 in 08-09. The program has made just 2 NCAA Tourney trips in the last decade, in 2000 & 2004. Fourth year coach Jerry Wainright has some work to do getting DePaul back to that level.

UIC - Veteran coach Jimmy Collins has led UIC to 3 NCAA Tournaments since taking over in 1996. Since their last trip in 2004, the Flames have been mired in mediocrity, going 32-34 in Horizon League games in that period. Another similar middle of the pack finish is expected in 08-09.

6. ILLINOIS STATE - 1998 was the last time the Redbirds made the Big dance, but 07-08 was the best since then. First year Tim Jankovich led his team to a 13-5 MVC record, and an RPI of 34. Illinois State had the 2nd highest RPI of any team that didn't make the Big Dance.. and got screwed by playing the only higher team (Dayton) in the 2nd round of the NIT. Another NIT is possible this season, but the NCAA Tournament will have to wait.

7. NORTHWESTERN - The Wildcats' futility is known to all fans, as the program has yet to reach the NCAA Tournament in its 100+ year existence. The last postseason trip (one of 3 ever) was in 1999, a first round loss in the NIT. From 02-04, BIll Carmody supplied some hope as NU finished with a .500 Big Ten record in '04 for the first time since 1968. But the hope has mostly fizzled out with just 3 wins in their last 34 conference games.

8. LOYOLA - Coming off a down season, Loyola is hoping to repeat the success they had in 06 & 07 when Blake Schilb led the Ramblers to 19 & 21 win seasons. Jim Whitesell's crew should most likely improve on last year's RPI of 222.

9. NORTHERN ILLINOIS - The Huskies are coming off two brutal seasons (just 12 D1 wins combined), and should once again be one of the worst teams in the MAC this season. But every couple years NIU has a decent run: In 2006, they upset DePaul (for the 2nd year in a row), as well as Kansas State, and Ohio. In 2003, they finished 3rd in the MAC and won two conference tourney games

10. CHICAGO STATE - From 2001 to 2003, Chicago State may have been the country's worst program. Now CSU is simply bad, and lacks a conference affiliation since leaving the Summit League after 2006. (2006 was oddly one of CSU's best ever D1 seasons, as they finished on a tear and went to the conference title game). Its hard to expect much from the Cougars any time soon.

11. WESTERN ILLINOIS* - One of the country's usual doormats, WIU is arguably coming off its best season since 1999. Which isn't saying too much considering the Leathernecks won just 10 D1 games and only beat one Top 200 team all season (North Dakota State). There's every reason to expect another 290-300 RPI this year.

12. EASTERN ILLINOIS* - In 2004, EIU went from being a run of the mill sub par program to one of the worst in the country. With an RPI of 337 last year, the Panthers were the 3rd worst full-time D1 team, only edging out UMES and fellow OVC team Jacksonville State.

* WIU and EIU have had very similar success recently, and have even split their meetings in the past 4 years. I give WIU the edge for being in the Summit League, which has outperformed the OVC for the last handful of seasons.

Last: Indiana (Yes, I know I reversed the order of Indiana & Illinois by mistake..) - Next: Iowa

State of '08: The Introduction (& State list/links)

Illinois Basketball Schedule: 2008-09

Press Release — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 08:20:49 -0700

Another challenging collection of non-conference games followed by the rigorous Big Ten slate highlight the 2008-09 Illinois men's basketball schedule. A total of 19 home games will be played at the Assembly Hall (17 regular season and two exhibition), and the Illini will play at least 12 games during the regular season against teams that participated in last year's NCAA Tournament.

Season ticket renewals have been mailed and sent via e-mail. Season ticket holders can renew online, or by mail, phone (1-866-ILLINI1 or 217-333-3470) or fax (217-244-4170). The deadline for renewals is Friday, Sept. 5.

"We feel good about our schedule and are looking forward to the upcoming season," head coach Bruce Weber said. "We have a mixture of some very challenging games against teams that made it to the NCAA Tournament and should be strong again, to go along with some early home games that can give us the opportunity to identify our roles and solidify our team chemistry. We have built a schedule that should help us be seasoned by the time Big Ten play begins. Our strength of schedule has been ranked in the Top 25 nationally the past few seasons, and that could be the case once again this year."

The Fighting Illini begin the regular season with a pair of weekend home games surrounding the Illinois home football game vs. Ohio State. Illinois hosts Eastern Washington in the season opener on Friday, Nov. 14, and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Sunday, Nov. 16.

Illinois will make its first road trip on Nov. 20, playing at Vanderbilt. A home game vs. Jackson State on Nov. 23 precedes a Thanksgiving weekend trip to Texas for the South Padre Island Invitational. The Illini will face Kent State on Nov. 28 and either Texas A&M or Tulsa on Nov. 29.

The Illini have received a home game in the 10th annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge, hosting Clemson on Dec. 2. Another BCS conference opponent follows as Illinois takes on Georgia in the annual Lexus December to Remember Classic Dec. 6 at the United Center in Chicago.

Illinois plays three consecutive games at the Assembly Hall vs. Hawaii (Dec. 8), Chicago State (Dec. 10) and Detroit (Dec. 20) before traveling to St. Louis on Dec. 23 for the 28th edition of the Busch Braggin' Rights vs. Missouri at the Scottrade Center. The Illini close out non-conference play by hosting Eastern Michigan on Dec. 28.

Illinois will play its first conference game prior to the New Year for the first time in 42 seasons, as the Illini open Big Ten play at Purdue on Dec. 30, followed by another road game at Michigan on Jan. 4.

The Illini return to Champaign to enjoy four out of the next five games at home, hosting Indiana (Jan. 10) and Michigan (Jan. 14) in back-to-back games, traveling to Michigan State on Jan. 17, and then returning to The Hall for consecutive games against Ohio State (Jan. 20) and Wisconsin (Jan. 24).

Illinois closes out the month of January at Minnesota on the 29th and opens February by hosting Iowa on the 1st.

The Illini then face a difficult stretch, with three of their next four games on the road. That string begins with a trip to Wisconsin on Feb. 5. After returning to the Assembly Hall to take on Purdue on Feb. 8, the Illini hit the road for back-to-back games at Northwestern (Feb. 12) and Indiana (Feb. 15).

Following that road swing, three of the next four games are at home. Illinois welcomes Penn State to campus on Feb. 18, plays at Ohio State on Feb. 21 or 22, and returns to Champaign to host Minnesota on Feb. 26 and Michigan State on either Feb. 28 or March 1 for Senior Day at the Assembly Hall.

Illinois wraps up the regular season with a road trip to Penn State on March 3, 4 or 5. The Big Ten Tournament will be held March 12-15 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

All 18 of Illinois' Big Ten games will be televised again this season. The Illini will make at least six appearances on ESPN/ESPN2, two on CBS and seven on the Big Ten Network during conference play. TV information for Illinois' other three Big Ten games will be determined at a later date.

Cheerleader of the Day: Illinois

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:31:21 -0700

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Cheerleader of the Day

Thanks to our friends over at Icon Sports Media, we have access to thousands of great college & NBA basketball photos to use on the site. Each day, along with our Picture of the Day, we'll be featuring a Cheerleader of the Day. In honor of the start of the college football season, we'll be going outdoors with the girls of the gridiron for the next couple weeks..

Illinois: Football

- Check out past Cheerleaders of the Day!

- Also check out the Picture of the Day!

USA Beats Angola 97-76

Press Release — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 07:05:32 -0700

The U.S. men's basketball team improved to 2-0 in Olympic Preliminary Play in Group B with a 97-76 victory over Angola on Tuesday night in Beijing. Former Illini Deron Williams played a team-high 22 minutes for Team USA in the win, totaling seven points, four assists and two steals.

Dwyane Wade led the U.S. with 19 points while Dwight Howard added 14. The U.S. shot 56 percent for the game and played aggressive defense, forcing Angola into 25 turnovers which led to easy baskets.

The U.S. continues Preliminary Round play on Thursday morning, facing Greece at 7 a.m. Central Time. That game will be televised on USA.

Rise and Fall: Big Ten Program Review

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:54:32 -0700

Like civilizations, all great basketball programs eventually fall.. replaced by an upstart newcomer. In this week's Rise & Fall series, we'll take a look at which BCS programs are rising, falling, or merely treading water. Up today, the:

BIG TEN

ILLINOIS - DECLINING (SLOWLY )

From a sky-high RPI of 2 in 2005, its been all downhill to 103rd last year. Another blah season should be expected as Pruitt & Randle depart, and there's no real incoming class to speak of. Its not all bad though, as the Illini have some serious talent lined up for 2009 (and 2010 if Crandall Head continues his speedy development).. but in the meantime, another sub-.500 conference record should be expected.

INDIANA - DECLINING (QUICKLY)

Not much to say here. Y'all know the Hoosiers situation as well as I do. If you want a good laugh, head over to IUHoosiers.com to check out their roster for 08-09..

IOWA - DECLINING (QUICKLY)

While the Illini's drop from 2 to 103 looks bad, how about Iowa's tumble from 7th to 193rd in just three seasons. The transfer of Tony Freeman to SIU was just one of many recent blows, and its going to take awhile to turn this ship around. Players like Cole, Tate, and Kelly are alright talents who should improve, but "alrights" won't get it done in the Big Ten. And while this year's deep recruiting class looks promising on paper, it lacks that one wow talent that can get things rolling along quickly. Todd Lickliter deserves patience to turn things around, but 2010 is the earliest any real results should be expected.

MICHIGAN - STATUS QUO

Michigan hasn't really been good since before this website even existed. Last year's horrendous season was an aberration against a long line of mediocre NIT-level teams. Now that talents like Harris, Sims, and Grady are a year older.. getting back to that 70ish RPI, fringe-NIT team range is probable (though losing Udoh was a blow since he had serious potential.) Luckily for John Beilein, half the conference is in rebuilding mode, so the current mediocrity will fit right in.

MINNESOTA - RISING (SLOWLY)

Tubby Smith never got the credit he deserves, but he might finally get that credit in a few years if Minnesota improves as expected (or at least as I expect). While last year's 20-win season is a bit misleading because the Gophers barely beat any top-150 teams.. there's definitely some positive momentum brewing. This year's recruiting haul is better than recent seasons, and local product Royce White joins the program in 2009.

MICHIGAN STATE - STATUS QUO

While there haven't been any remarkable MSU teams in recent seasons, Tom Izzo has still been churning out Top 25 clubs. This year's crew could be the best since 2001 (not even taking the welcome additions of Roe and Lucious into account), as it has legitimate Elite Eight potential. Neitzel's impressive career is over, but he handed over the torch to the new era early in his senior season.

NORTHWESTERN - STATUS QUO

If anything, the program is somehow on the downwards turn as last year's 7-22 debacle was an embarrassment to major-conference basketball. (I guess not on the level of Oregon State though..) This year's recruiting class, mediocre by usual Big Ten standards, is actually the Wildcats best of the new millennium. The problem is that serious improvement, ie a 20 win season, might not come until the next millennium..

OHIO STATE - RISING (SLOWLY)

After hyper-speed, supersonic growth in 2006 & 2007, the Buckeyes are back to your normal garden-variety type of improvement. An underrate senior (Butler), and an overrated freshman (Koufous) depart, clearing the way for another monster recruiting class. If Mullens and/or Buford go pro after next season, major gains could once again be retarded.

PENN STATE - STATUS QUO

A program perpetually on the verge of getting decent, but who never manages to put it all together. The Lions have easily been the worst program in the Big Ten for the last 8-9 seasons or so.. occasionally managing to make Northwestern look like All-Stars.

PURDUE - RISING (QUICKLY)

Last year's big national surprise should once again be good.. but I'm not sure if the Boilers will be that much better. The Big Ten was simply bad last year and Purdue feasted on a lot of struggling teams that will be better this time around. In fact, the 25 wins only yielded a mediocre RPI of 45 (though an AP ranking of 20th). So while the computer ranking should jump into the high 20's, it might not be the super-breakthrough many fans are expecting. The loss of Scott Martin to ND was a small crack in the armor, and this year's class doesn't add much to the mix. Still, you can't argue that things are heading in the right direction.

WISCONSIN - STATUS QUO

Bo Ryan is consistently the most underrated coach in the country, and last year's surprise 31 win season was just another in a long string of good years. Losing Brian Butch, who came up clutch in some late-season wins, hurts.. but its nothing that won't be overcome. There's no reason to expect anything less than the now expected push for the Big Ten title.. right there with Michigan State.

- up next is the Pac-10 -

Turnarounds: 31 Teams to Watch For in 08-09: Part One

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:57:20 -0700

With the off-season now upon us and the spring signing period well under way, this is a good opportunity to attempt to forecast some of the teams who could make the jump next season. Is there a team out there like this past season’s Drake Bulldogs, who went from ninth place to a dominating run through the Missouri Valley? Or how about Arizona State, a team that went from dead last in the Pac-10 to fifth place and could have the makings of a conference title run this season? With one pick for each conference, here are 31 teams you should keep an eye on next season.

America East: Maine

2007-08 Record: 7-23 (3-13)

With their top three scorers from last season all returning (as tri-captains no less), I think the Black Bears have a chance to make a move up the America East standings. Mark Socoby, mid-season transfer Kaimondre Owes and Junior Bernal will lead the way for head coach Ted Woodward next season, giving Maine a three-pronged attack on the perimeter. Their ascension up the standings will depend on what they can get from the frontcourt, most notably Phil Tchekane Bofia and Sean McNally. I’d say a move to the middle of the pack at least from Maine, but a title? Maybe a little premature on that, but you never know.

ACC: Wake Forest

2007-08 Record: 17-13 (7-9)

Not like this pick is a surprise, but the combination of a highly-touted recruiting class led by Al-Farouq Aminu and returnees such as Ish Smith, James Johnson and Chas McFarland could mean a top-four finish in the ACC for Dino Gaudio’s Demon Deacons. They weren’t too far off this season either, with five of their nine league losses being by seven points or less. And given the muddled picture that was the middle of the ACC standings last season, snatching a first-round bye in the 2009 ACC Tournament certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

Atlantic Sun: Campbell

2007-08 Record: 10-20 (5-11)

Even with two of their top four scorers out of eligibility (Reggie Bishop and Jake Wohlfeil), the Camels have a good shot at improving their 5-11 league record. Only provisional members USC Upstate and North Florida were below them in the standings (Upstate actually had five wins as well), and Florida Gulf Coast had one more conference win. But they do return forward Jonathan Rodriguez, who averaged twenty points per game on his way to snatching up Mid-Major All-America honors from CollegeHoops.net and CollegeInsider.com. And with the solid recruiting class being brought in by head coach Robbie Laing, Campbell should have the tools necessary to make a move in the A-Sun.

Atlantic 10: George Washington

2007-08 Record: 9-17 (5-11)

I don’t think there’s any way the Colonials can be as bad as they were in 2007-08. From an Atlantic 10 Tournament title to not even reaching the conference tournament, GW couldn’t continue the momentum. Even with three players gone (Maureece Rice to graduation; Cheyenne Moore and Miles Beatty were dismissed on Wednesday by head coach Karl Hobbs) from last year’s team, the Colonials could make a move up the standings with many of the teams ahead of them going through roster turnover as well. Whether or not they get to the middle of the A-10 pecking order will depend on who becomes their go-to guy on the offensive end of the floor. But they should be a balanced group, which may work out just as well for the Colonials.

Big East: Providence

2007-08 Record: 15-16 (6-12)

Another season of underachievement led to the departure of longtime head coach Tim Welsh, who was replaced by National Coach of the Year Keno Davis last month. Just as important a development for the Friars may be the return of guard Sharaud Curry, who was a medical redshirt last season. As seen with Drake last season, Coach Davis puts a high value on perimeter players who can shoot the ball from the perimeter. Guard Dwain Williams has received permission to talk to other schools, but even with his loss the Friars should be well-stocked on the outside with the likes of Curry, Weyenmi Efejuku, Brian McKenzie and Jeff Xavier.

And don’t forget about jack-of-all-trades Geoff McDermott and pivot Randall Hanke. The hype for this team won’t reach what it was a couple seasons ago, when a team featuring Ryan Gomes thought to be a player in the Big East didn’t even reach .500, but they will be good. The question is just how far they can go in a loaded Big East.

Big Sky: Eastern Washington

2007-08 Record: 11-19 (6-10)

Last season was indeed a tough one for the Eagle program. Head coach Kirk Earlywine didn’t get the job until late June, and under his command was a nine-man roster featuring six players with no previous Division I playing experience. While they didn’t qualify for the Big Sky Tournament in 2007-08, six of their ten conference losses were by five points or less. Granted, replacing an all-conference player like Kellen Williams will have an effect, the four transfers who sat out last season along with the returning experience should make for a better season in Cheney, Washington.

Big South: Charleston Southern

2007-08 Record: 10-20 (4-10)

With the return of rising sophomores Omar Carter (Big South Freshman of the Year) and Jamarco Warren (member of the Big South’s All-Freshman Team), the Buccaneers should be a good bet to improve their last place finish of a year ago. Guard Chris Moore has graduated, but he’s the only loss of note for head coach Barclay Radebaugh, who has also signed a solid recruiting class. Guard Jaden Isler (Clovis, NM) could fit right into the guard slot left open by Moore’s departure, and the other three commits are no slouches either. Competing for the conference title may be a year away, but some of the teams who finished ahead of them in the standings last season have taken on some key losses due to graduation.

Big Ten: Illinois

2007-08 Record: 16-19 (5-13)

Once Eric Gordon decided to head to Indiana instead of Illinois, things went downhill for Bruce Weber’s Fighting Illini. With the cornerstone of last year’s recruiting class gone, Illinois scuffled on the offensive end of the floor, but the fight was still there as this group was a mere forty minutes away from an NCAA Tournament berth. Shaun Pruitt and Brian Randle are both out of eligibility, but every other key contributor from last season is slated to return, along with three newcomers. Stan Simpson was a standout performer at Chicago Simeon, and Coach Weber also received a commitment from Top-20 junior college talent Dominique Keller. After the first semester, Kentucky transfer Alex Legion will also be eligible. I don’t see this team losing thirteen conference games again this season.

Part Two tomorrow: Big 12, CUSA, Horizon, etc

Wednesday Report Card: Enough About Clemens

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 06:52:19 -0800

The Report Card

A - Mike Green

For whatever reason, you tend to hear more about the scoring and shooting prowess of AJ Graves. And freshman Matt Howard has gotten some pub for being an impressive up and coming big man. Yet the man who leads Butler in points, rebounds, and assists is Mike Green. Night in and night out, Green is the Bulldogs most consistent performer, and he made a run at a triple-double last night with 24 points, 13 boards (a new high), and 8 assists. Even though Graves was off (which has happened a lot this season), and Howard was a non-factor, Green was the man as usual.. scoring 10 points in OT to lead his team past a pesky UWM squad. And he did all that with an ankle that wasn't even close to 100%.

B - Demetri McCamey

Last week, McCamey almost beat Indiana by himself, going off for 31 points, 13 above his previous best. He followed that up with 11 assists and 8 boards, both new highs, against Minnesota. In what has been a brutal season for Illinois.. full of mediocre performances by mediocre upper-classmen, at least McCamey provides a dash of hope for the future.

C - Seton Hall

For a brief moment a couple weeks back, Seton Hall looked like they were going to make a run at a Tournament bid. Their fans got a bit overexciting, emailing about how they should be in the Top 50, going on message boards posting about Pirate greatness.. and then bam, they lose 4 straight to drop into a 10th place tie with DePaul. The Hall definitely have some wins left in them, but what the fans didn't take into account was how they might have the easiest schedule in the whole league. Conference leaders Georgetown, Notre Dame, Louisville, and UCONN are all on the schedule just once.. while they meet bottom-feeders Rutgers and USF twice. So even if the Hall get back to .500 in Big East play, don't be fooled by wins over such lowly teams.

D - Roger Clemens

I'm sick and tired of hearing about Clemens and steroids and HGH and his wife's buttocks. This should be the time of year where the national media turns their attention to college hoops, but instead Clemens and his lame claims for justice are usurping the air waves. Here's my advice for Clemens: Admit you're on roids, move on, and no one will care one way or the other.

F - Ed Donato

Okay, this is a day late (had no time for a Dribble yesterday).. and I've heard other legitimate commentators actually suggest otherwise, but Donato's call at the end of the G'Town/Nova game was just flat out horrible. Do I think Nova would have won in OT or that the call will impact their season in the slightest? No.. but that was a joke. (The decisions at the end of the Rutgers/Tennessee game were even worse.)

The Daily Report Card tells you all you need to know about the day in college hoops. From good to bad and bad to worse, I'll be laying down the law.

Previous Best / Worst

February 11th - Charron Fisher / Tim Morris

February 8th - Big West / Virginia

February 6th - Chris Lofton / Dick Vitale

February 5th - Bob Knight / Josh Heytvelt

February 4th - New York Giants / Washington State

February 1st - Nevada / Penn

January 31st - Kansas State / St. John's

January 29th - Winthrop / Dyson & Wiggins

January 28th - Rutgers / Doris Burke

January 25th - Ron Hunter / Princeton Offense

January 23rd - Kentucky / Archbishop Burke

January 22nd - DJ Augustin / Scott Sutton

January 21st - New York Giants / Marquette

January 20th - Maryland / ESPN.com editors

January 18th - Cleveland State / Marquette

January 17th - Drake / HP Laptops

January 14th - Roy Hibbert / Michigan State

January 10th - Tony Bennett / Saint Louis

January 9th - DJ White / CSTV

January 8th - Robert Morris / Schedule Makers

January 7th - Wayne Ellington / Illinois

January 6th - Herb Sendek / Kentucky

Daily Dribble: Friday Report Card

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 08:31:22 -0800

The Report Card

A - Big West Race

The battle for top spot in the Big West is shaping up to be an exciting race. The top four teams in the conference met last night with Pacific beating Northridge in OT and UCSB getting the best of Fullerton. These four teams are now all within a game of each other. Northridge is still the favorite in my opinion, as their schedule shapes up nicely.. with a challenging road game at Fullerton, but otherwise home games or easy road games remaining.

B - Pittsburgh

When Levance Fields and Mike Cook went down right before New Year's, this team looked like it might collapse. But since the Dayton debacle, the Panthers have hung tough in Big East play and currently sit at 6-4 after Ramon's buzzer-beater upended West Virginia. The Panthers did enough in their non-conference schedule so that anything over .500 in league play should situate them nicely for the Big Dance. The rest of their schedule is by no means a walk in the park, four road games at Marquette, ND, WVU, and Syracuse remain, which is why last night's win was so important.

C - Shaun Pruitt

Watching the senior hit only 1 of 7 free throws, including two at the end of the 2nd OT that could have won the game, was painful. But it pains me to put Pruitt low on the list, because he's one of my favorite players in the Big Ten, is the team's most consistent player, and he's worked hard to improve since freshman year.

D - Virginia

Remember when the Cavs beat Arizona back in November and then almost beat Syracuse a couple weeks later. They were 10-2 heading into January 1st, but are just 1-8 in 2008.. must have been some bad champagne on New Year's. Obviously the increased talent-level of the ACC competition is a big reason for the struggles, but they're not even coming close to winning games. Making things worse, its not like youth is an excuse. Singletary & Joseph are seniors, and Diane is a junior.

F - Illini Nation

Enough with the Eric Gordon obsession. It's not his fault your coach can't recruit.. brought in nobody with talent last year, and has no one good lined up for next year. At one point during the game, the announcers mentioned that this team "has more talent" than a 10-14 team. But that's completely wrong. This team barely has the talent of a 10-14 team.. but Weber's coaching (he can't recruit but he can coach) keeps them in games.

The Daily Report Card tells you all you need to know about the day in college hoops. From good to bad and bad to worse, I'll be laying down the law.

Previous Best / Worst

February 6th - Chris Lofton / Dick Vitale

February 5th - Bob Knight / Josh Heytvelt

February 4th - New York Giants / Washington State

February 1st - Nevada / Penn

January 31st - Kansas State / St. John's

January 29th - Winthrop / Dyson & Wiggins

January 28th - Rutgers / Doris Burke

January 25th - Ron Hunter / Princeton Offense

January 23rd - Kentucky / Archbishop Burke

January 22nd - DJ Augustin / Scott Sutton

January 21st - New York Giants / Marquette

January 20th - Maryland / ESPN.com editors

January 18th - Cleveland State / Marquette

January 17th - Drake / HP Laptops

January 14th - Roy Hibbert / Michigan State

January 10th - Tony Bennett / Saint Louis

January 9th - DJ White / CSTV

January 8th - Robert Morris / Schedule Makers

January 7th - Wayne Ellington / Illinois

January 6th - Herb Sendek / Kentucky

Daily Dribble: Wednesday Report Card

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 09:23:50 -0800

The Report Card

A new series, the Daily Report Card tells you all you need to know about the day in college hoops. From good to bad and bad to worse, I'll be laying down the law.

A - Kentucky

In the first Report Card of the year, the Wildcats were the F.. so I'm enjoying the symmetry of giving them today's top grade. Outside of Patrick Patterson, the rest of the guys on the roster (including Gillispie) have mostly been creamed by the media.. so you have to respect their fight and effort over recent weeks. It's not enough for UK to rest on their laurels.. because they need to pile on the wins quickly. After beating Vandy, they then dropped 2 straight.. but that simply cant happen with South Carolina and Georgia coming up.

B - Wisconsin

Wisconsin fans have noticed over the course of the season that they've been ranked 3-5 spots lower in the CHN Top 50 then in the polls. What can I say, I'm still not sold on the Badgers despite their 6-0 Big Ten record. Not one of the six teams they've beaten will even sniff the NIT, let alone the Big Dance. No doubt this is an NCAA Tournament team, and no doubt Bo Ryan is a coaching genius, but if this is the 11th best team in the country.. then the other 335 teams should be ashamed..

C - Clemson

Not a good sign for Clemson that it took overtime for them to put away an improving, but still blah, Wake Forest team. The win does keep the Tigers in the upper-half of the table.. and sets up a very intriguing game at Miami this Sunday. Like Clemson, Miami rolled in non-conference play but has looked pedestrian in the ACC.

D - Bruce Weber

Even before losing to Ohio State last night, the Illini's season was already kaput. The real issue here though isn't their awful 1-6 Big Ten record, but the bleak reality for the program's future. It's not like this team is built on great young prospects. McCamey is solid but the other major contributors are seniors or juniors.. and help isn't on the way next year either. Illinois has a commitment from 2010 super-prospect Jereme Richmond.. but unfortunately for Weber, he won't be coaching the team then.

F - Saint Louis Archbishop

So apparently Rick Majerus made some comments that he supports abortion and stem-cell research, and Archbishop Burke want's him to be punished. Obviously you could see why SLU, the Catholic university he works for, potentially would take issue with these comments. But here's the deal.. the comments were made outside of a University affiliated event, SLU doesn't particularly care about the comments, and the University has made efforts to distance itself from the archdiocese in recent years. Further, the University is not controlled whatsoever by the Church. Ultimately, the Archbishop needs to pipe down and worry about more important things.. like praying for the Billikens to break 20 points in a half..

Previous Best / Worst

January 22nd - DJ Augustin / Scott Sutton

January 21st - New York Giants / Marquette

January 20th - Maryland / ESPN.com editors

January 18th - Cleveland State / Marquette

January 17th - Drake / HP Laptops

January 14th - Roy Hibbert / Michigan State

January 10th - Tony Bennett / Saint Louis

January 9th - DJ White / CSTV

January 8th - Robert Morris / Schedule Makers

January 7th - Wayne Ellington / Illinois

January 6th - Herb Sendek / Kentucky