Brandon Paul’s younger brother, Darius Paul, has announced that he will transfer from Western Michigan to Illinois. Paul (the second) will have to sit out for a year, but will then have three years of eligibility left.

Darius has about 4 inches and 20 pounds on his brother at 6-foot-8 and 220 pounds. The forward was named MAC Freshman of the Year and averaged 10.4 points and 5.7 rebounds last season. Though Brandon was at times inconsistent, when he was “on” he was a superstar. In fact, last night he was named Most Outstanding Player at the Illini Basketball Banquet.

The most recent Illini sibling to join the team was Crandall Head (brother of Luther Head, an integral part of that historical 2004-2005 team). While that didn’t work out so well – he transferred in the middle of his sophomore year – it’s pretty clear now that John Groce is very different from Bruce Weber.

The Illini might go through some growing pains next year with a ton of freshman and not a lot of upperclassman, 2014 may look to be a stellar year for the Orange and Blue.

If you need help keeping track of all the new guys, take a look at this scholarship chart from the Champaign Room, and just stick Darius Paul into 2014 as well:

We are still waiting to hear of Oregon State standout Ahmad Starks will make the switch to Illinois. His visit was this last week.

Mike Shaw was the most productive of the transfers; Photo by Cary Frye

Now that the Tourney dust has settled, word started pouring on via Twitter, that some guys might be moving on. Of course those sources can’t always be trusted, but there is now a press release on FightingIllini.com announcing that three members of this year’s team will be transferring elsewhere.

Sophomores Mike Shaw, Ibby Djimde and redshirt freshman Devin Langford have all informed the University of Illinois that they will be transferring after the Spring semester. If none of these names are familiar to you, then you’ll understand why these guys are transferring. Of the three, Shaw probably had the most minutes this year, but none of them really made a huge impact. At the beginning of the season John Groce wanted the team to be 10 guys deep, but that never really happened.

I do wonder how those discussions go down, and how much of the decision belongs to the player, and how much is a result of finding out from the staff that their minutes probably won’t be increasing very much next season.

Two starters are graduating (D.J. Richardson, Brandon Paul) as well as a trusty sixth man/sometime starter (Tyler Griffey), so it may seem shocking to hear that three more will be leaving, but we have a four talented freshman coming in. Also, redshirt Rayvonte Rice will be joining the team after sitting out for a year and should be able to jump right in.

Now Groce has a bunch of scholarships to play with, and I’m guessing he’ll pick up another 5th year senior ala Sam McLaurin, and perhaps a juco transfer here and there. I’m not (overly) concerned with what will happen, but I do worry about the team chemistry and dynamics next year. The 2013-2014 Illini are going to look very different, but I don’t know if that’s a bad thing.

I have faith that Groce can bring the new guys together and make everything work. And, we’ll still have Joseph Bertrand, Tracy Abrams and Nnanna Egwu as anchors. The only other guy that may be thinking about transferring is Myke Henry, but he has seen enough playing time that he might not be considering leaving (please don’t go!). If he continues to get better, Henry could get a job in the starting lineup.

“Mike, Ibby and Devin are outstanding young men who have always represented the University of Illinois in a first-class manner,” said Groce. “We will help them in any we can during this process to find the best fit, so that they are able to achieve their goals on the basketball court and in the classroom.”

Best of luck to Shaw, Djimde and Langford!!

Welcome back to the Tournament Illini fans! Selection Sunday was very generous in handing us a 7-seed, but I will take it! On Friday around 3:40 pm Central, Illinois will play #10 Colorado in Austin, Texas.

This was an exciting year of college basketball, because so many unexpected things occurred. No one could hold on to the #1 seed, and Gonzaga finished with one of the best records (actually, THE best) record in college basketball. Just two teams beat those Bulldogs, and one of them plays in Champaign, Illinois.

Congrats to new head coach John Groce, who took virtually the same team with a losing overall record last year into this year’s field of 64 (68, whatever). There were some tough moments in the regular season, such as losing at home to Northwestern by a horrific margin, but the Illini righted themselves as the year wound down. They proved that when they’re hot, they can beat anyone. But, when they’re not, they stink. So that’s the problem: which team is going to show up on Friday?

Colorado has some scary beasts in Spencer Dinwiddie, a 6-6 guard who is averaging 15.6 points per game.  They’ve also go three guys taller than 6-10, so we’re not going to kill them necessarily in the height department. Another standout is Andre Roberson, a 6-7 forward averaging 10 points and 11 rebounds a game. The good news is, aside from Dinwiddie and Roberson, Colorado isn’t all that deep. I will admit I’ve only seen them play once this year, and that was when they were robbed of a win at Arizona thanks to some questionable calls by the refs. They ended up losing in OT. I have questioned how good AZ really is all season, so can’t say I’m THAT impressed that Colorado ended up beating them in the second meeting (and then losing in the PAC 12 Tourney).

Hey Brandon Paul, this is your LAST CHANCE; Photo by Cary Frye

The Buffaloes got smoked by Kansas, losing by nearly 40 points. They also lost to Oregon State at home and at Wyoming. They beat a ranked Baylor early in the season, but Baylor is now in the NIT. They also beat Oregon twice, and had that aforementioned win against Arizona. They haven’t faced a Big Ten opponent all season, and I’m hoping that it will be a rude awakening.

That being said, we haven’t faced a PAC 12 opponent, either. It’s going to take some finessing for the guys to understand that fouls are going to be called differently. I would be shocked if Nnanna Egwu DIDN’T foul out, and Sam McLaurin might suffer a similar fate. As long as the guys are productive during their minutes, I don’t care how much time they spend riding the bench.

So here’s what I’m hoping happens. Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson are set free by the absence of a Big Ten defense and make shot after shot. Tyler Griffey realizes it’s now or never and plops in a couple 3′s as well. Joseph Bertrand realizes that this is his team next year, and he’s got to put out a good showing before he’s the one in charge. Tracy Abrams finds his shot as well, and gets the ball in the right hands at the right time.

I believe what it really comes down to is Paul and Richardson understanding that this is it. They have only won one Tournament game in their entire careers at Illinois (UNLV in 2011). I’m not asking for a trip to the Final Four (well…), but let’s just get past one team. Illinois has played well on neutral sites, and started the season off as the Maui Invitational Champs. They’ve played a total of 15 games against nine teams that made this year’s NCAA Tournament, compiling a record of 6-9. Colorado, on the other hand, has played 9 games against 5 teams, with a record of 4-5.

Another X factor, of course, is Coach Groce. His patience turned Ohio into one of last year’s darlings, and let’s see if he can sprinkle that happiness over the Illini this year. I don’t like making picks when it comes to my guys, but I’m planning on watching them play again on Sunday.

The game will be on Friday, March 22 at 3:40 Central on TNT.

D.J. Richardson had 10 points in today’s loss to OSU!; Photo by Cary Frye

The regular season has ended for Illinois basketball, and despite some late-conference surges, Illinois dropped their last two games to end the season in eighth place in the B1G Ten Conference. If you’ve been paying attention, that means that today’s 68-55 loss at Ohio State has left me with no chance of seeing them play in the Big Ten Conference Tournament (I’ve got tix to the 6 and 7 games if you’d like to purchase them). Oh, and it means Illini fans will be more stressed out on Selection Sunday next week.

The Illini were down about 10 for most of the game, but it still felt like they had some sort of a chance. They would cut the lead slightly, and then let it slip back away in Columbus. I wasn’t ready to give up until the very end, though it seemed like they gave up much sooner.

Brandon Paul fouled out of his last regular season game as an Illini, but he did manage to finish with 21 points and 5 rebounds. D.J. Richardson was also in double digits with 10 points, and contributed a steal and two rebounds. Tyler Griffey made two 3-pointers and had 6 points, but no one else really seemed to have gotten off the bus. For some reason Devin Langford was in the game for 13 minutes, contributing 3 rebounds and zero points.

The Illini had 12 turnovers and 25 rebounds, compared to 36 rebounds and 15 TOs for OSU. They were 7-25 from behind the arc, and OSU wasn’t much better at 4-15. Overall FG percentage for Illinois was just 35%, with OSU shooting 47%. Deshaun Thomas had 19 points and Aaron Craft had 14, while Lenzelle Smith Jr. had 10.  When you look at the numbers, OSU didn’t really play that well either, but we just managed to play worse.

After today’s loss, Illinois will end the season 21-11, and 8-10 in the conference. They have a chance to get a few more wins, but they’ll be facing Minnesota to start off the Conference Tourney this week, instead of Nebraska. The road to more pre-Tourney wins is going to be bumpier, but it is by no means impossible. Illinois has beaten Minnesota on the road, and lost to the same team while at home. So basically, I have no idea what’s going to happen next.

Obviously, Illinois can beat Minny, because they’ve done it already. However, the Illini have lost two games in the row, and their confidence is going to be down. Both teams are supposedly guaranteed a bid in the Tourney no matter what happens, but I’d certainly feel a bit more comfortable with another win under our belt (or two).

Just like many of the games we lost this year, Thursday’s game is more than just winnable, but it all sort of depends on which teams shows up at the United Center. It’s time to see what Coach John Groce can really do. It’s his job to get this team ready, and to make them understand what they are capable of. After we get to the Tourney it will be a different story, but let’s go ahead and solidify our entrance ticket to the best of our abilities.

Illinois and Minnesota will kick off the Big Ten Tournament with the first game on Thursday at 11AM.

Brandon Paul seems to be the only Illini that wants to win; Photo by Cary Frye

This season is starting to feel eerily familiar. Last year, the Illini started conference play 13-2, and this year they upped the ante slightly and started off 14-1. Last year, the Illini won just 4 conference games, and this year is shaping up to look almost exactly the same. After an ugly home loss to Northwestern on Thursday, the Illini are now 10th in the conference with just 1 win and 4 losses.

The loss on the road to Purdue shouldn’t have happened, but we’ll let it slide. Minnesota at home also isn’t great, but they’re shaping up to be a pretty good team. Wisconsin on the road is another OK one to let slip away, but we didn’t need to be made to look like fools. Add in there a home loss to Northwestern, and now we’ve got a huge problem.

Northwestern has a record of 11-7, and they let Iowa embarrass them at home with a 20-point loss. There is absolutely no reason for them to come into the Assembly Hall and beat the Illini 68-54. The Illini were down 15 points at halftime, scoring just 21 points in the first. They never could get back in there, and they went ahead and lost their third game in a row. I’m just confused as to how on Earth we managed to steal a win from Ohio State.

It’s not like Illinois hasn’t faced difficult opponents this year. We beat Butler to win the Maui Invitational a few months ago, and Butler is now the 13th team in the country. Illinois also beat current #7 Gonzaga in Spokane. Have they not gotten the memo that teams are supposed to get better as the season progresses, not worse? I’m sure the Big Ten is a tough conference, but we should not be losing to the likes of Purdue and Northwestern. We’re digging a hole that may be inescapable, and in March we may find ourselves sitting at home with a quart of ice cream while watching other teams play in the NCAA Tournament.

Tyler Griffey hasn’t made a 3-pointer since he had 2 at Purdue, even though he managed 4 against Missouri. Joseph Bertrand has also disappeared during conference play, and these are two guys that we really need to perform. Brandon Paul is still carrying the team, with the help of Tracy Abrams. Nnanna Egwu and D.J. Richardson are putting in minimal contributions, but it’s just not enough. When we were winning, all of those guys were pouring in 3′s and making things happen.

On Thursday, Paul had a team-high 21 points, and Abrams was the only other player in double digits with 10. Griffey lost his starting role for the first time this season to Sam McLaurin, who had 5 rebounds and 6 points. The Illini shot 38%, which is pretty much standard in the four conference losses. They were also 3-20 from downtown, a far cry from their streak in the early season. The 3′s aren’t falling, and the Illini aren’t winning. Also, 18 turnovers for the night certainly didn’t help matters.

Mike Shaw showed a small spark against Wisconsin with 19 minutes, 2 points and 3 rebounds, but that’s not enough to make up for the slump overshadowing the rest of the team. Also, if this is what we’re calling “impressive” in a game where the Illini lost by 23 points, then we are certainly lowering our standards.On Thursday, he played for 5 minutes and earned 4 fouls, 0 points and 0 rebounds.

I am still satisfied with the Coach John Groce decision, and I’m not going to give up on him by any means. But, if we continue this spiral then I’m going to wonder if we would’ve been just as well off keeping Bruce Weber, whose Kansas State Wildcats are 14-2 and ranked #16/18. Without Meyers Leonard the team is missing a big talent, and I don’t know that Weber could’ve this team to a win against Butler or Gonzaga earlier in the season, so I will give that praise to Coach Groce. However, he needs to turn this team around, and fast.

Illinois will have the weekend off, before heading to Nebraska on Tuesday. Last  year’s trip to Lincoln ended in a horrific loss and Leonard in tears on the bench. It was also the moment that I realized the season was over. Nebraska currently has 0 Big Ten wins, and I will be damned if we give them that first conference W of the season. Yes, the Illini are struggling, but this is a game that they should win, and a game that they must win. If they can’t beat the bottom of the conference, then February and March are going to be tough months.

The Illini will play Nebraska on Tuesday at 7:30.

Joseph Bertrand was somewhat quiet against Minnesota; Photo by Cary Frye

In the last week, Illinois basketball has dropped two more conference games, and both in a rather ugly fashion. First, on Wednesday, they let Minnesota manhandle them at home, losing 67-84. Then, they headed to Madison hoping for redemption, but instead looked ridiculous in a 51-74 loss to the Badgers. So yeah, this was a bad week.

On Wednesday, Illinois was down just 4 points at halftime to the Golden Gophers, but in the second half Minnesota came alive and the Illini fell apart. When Andre Hollins accidentally made an impossible half-court shot with the clock winding down, it was clear that everything was going right for Minnesota.

Things just got worse, and Minnesota pulled further and further away. The Illini cut the lead to 9 with two minutes to go, but they were just too far behind to make it work. And, with their confidence shot there was no way a miracle would happen.

Hollins had 22 points and 8 rebounds, Trevor Mbakwe had 19 points and 11 rebounds, and we let Joe Coleman leave with a career-high 29 points. Minnesota shot nearly 53% overall, and 60% from deep. Illinois, on the other hand, shot 35% for FGs, and just 13% from deep, making just 3-24 three-pointers. Brandon Paul had 21 points, and Tracy Abrams and D.J. Richardson both had 14 points.

Yesterday’s game presented the exact same problem: Illinois couldn’t shoot the ball. I was supposed to attend this game, but a flat tire kept us from making the drive to Madison. Turns out maybe that was a good thing. Wisconsin started off the game with a 14-0 lead, leaving Illinois scoreless for the first 7 minutes. Joseph Bertrand finally made a bucket with 12:38 left in the half. Things never got better, and the Illini went into halftime with just 19 points, compared to 39 for Wisconsin.

The Illini started to shoot a little better in the second, but failed to stop Wisconsin from scoring, so there was no hope. Wisconsin shot nearly 50% for the game, and made 10-23 3′s. Illinois shot 35% overall, and they were 2-14 from deep. While that’s ever so slightly better than vs. Minnesota, it’s only because they didn’t make as many attempts.

Welcome to the Big Ten Conference John Groce! One day you’re beating Ohio State by 20 points, and the next Tubby Smith and the Gophers are making your team look like the bottom of the barrel. Our weapon at the beginning of the season was 3-pointers, and now we see what happens when they don’t fall: we lose. Richardson led all Illini against Wiscy with 16 points, while Bertrand contributed 12. No one else was in double digits, and Paul had just 8 points. The Illini were outrebounded 41-23, which is another continuing problem.

We started the week ranked No. 12, but there is a good chance this week they will fall out the rankings all together. Minnesota just lost to Indiana, and Wisconsin is somehow 3-0 in the conference. It just goes to show how crazy Big Ten play is going to be this year. As I write this, Ohio State – that team we beat – is currently making mincemeat out of Michigan, the only undefeated team left in the country.

The key is to see what Coach Groce has learned, and how he will respond. They will welcome Northwestern next on Thursday, and this is indeed a must-win situation. Northwestern isn’t very strong this year, so it’s very likely they will remember what it’s like to be successful.

Though we do know that this team has a problem with confidence and inconsistency, though Groce seems to have gotten some of that in check. With the Big Ten being so strong this year, they’re going to be some losses. However, we’ve got to nip this in the bud early. Win against NU, and then we have to get a road win somewhere. You simply cannot make it to the NCAA Tournament without nabbing 1 road win in the conference. Yesterday was the 9th Big Ten road loss in a row for the Illini, and let’s end that streak immediately.

Next, Illinois will welcome Northwestern on Jan. 17 at 7:15.

One of my fave pics of Paul after scoring 43 against OSU last year; Photo by Cary Frye

It’s the New Year, so I’m trying to stay positive. For now, I will brush off Wednesday’s loss at Purdue and look forward to tomorrow’s game vs. OSU.

Last year’s game vs. Ohio State was a joy, with Brandon Paul pouring in a career-high 43 points resulting in a 79-74 win. There is no way that kind of performance is happening again (though I’m sure there will be lots of clips of it during the game!), but I do think a win is entirely possible.

At today’s press conference, Coach John Groce discussed his past relationship with Thad Matta, and acknowledged that the two are still very close. “I learned a lot of things from Matta,” said Groce. “First and foremost, he’s a friend, he and his family. I wouldn’t be here without him.”

Groce has been with Matta a long time, and followed him as an assistant coach from Butler to Xavier and finally to Ohio State.  However, once the game tips off, a game is a game and Groce is a competitive guy who means business. I do have to hope that knowing Matta and the way that he coaches, means that Groce has a little bit more of an idea of what to expect. When asked who would be guarding the beast that is Deshaun Thomas, Groce was mum on the topic, not wanting to give away too much information.

Surprisingly, Illinois has a pretty great series record against OSU, with a 103-70 lead. However, gotta keep in mind that until recently, OSU was really more of a football school (and really still is, which is annoying since they’re always now good at both). Since Matta came on board in 2004, OSU has been much more of a presence in Big Ten basketball. And, of course, I will never forget the way they ruined our perfect season in 2005, when a certain person sunk a last-second 3. Never, ever, ever. Although, Brandon Paul may give some Buckeye fans nightmares – one can hope.

The keys to tomorrow are guarding Thomas, rebounding and keeping Paul involved. Now, the Paul part could be out of our hands, but I have to imagine they did a lot of drills with Paul being manhandled. The Illini have been outrebounded way too often this season, and that’s got to change. In the loss against Missouri, Illinois was outrebounded a whopping 51-29, and in the Purdue loss it was a margin of 38-31.

If the Purdue game had gone a different way, this game wouldn’t be quite as important. Either way it would be great to beat a ranked team, whether that happens at home or away. With the conference being so deep, we need to protect the home court as much as possible. If we don’t grab a few wins against top conference opponents, then we’re not going to the Tournament. That’s all there is to it.

Krista of the Poisonous Nuthouse has told me that she is just as nervous, and believes that OSU is overrated. “OSU hasn’t been playing to their potential,” she said. “Team shooting has been off. Now, they are still an outstanding defensive team. If they can start clicking on the offensive side, I think they will be fine.”

Since we dropped a game at Purdue, we’ve started the conference 0-1. A loss to OSU would put us at 0-2, which is not where you want to start. Sadly, that makes Saturday’s game a must-win situation. I know it’s early, but we need a confidence boost before we get deeper in the season. We have to prove to the world – and ourselves – that we can beat top teams. The win at Gonzaga was a great moment, but we do not want it to be the best of the season.

I’m excited to have the chance to attend this game in person, but I’m going to be biting my nails throughout the whole thing. This game is going to be close, there is no question about that, but I can’t be sure of the outcome. Last year, I thought a loss was inevitable vs. OSU, and the team surprised me. This year, I still don’t feel like I know what I can expect. I want to believe that John Groce has a better handle than Bruce Weber had, but until we get a few conference wins under our belt, I can’t be sure.

The game will be at 1:15 on the BTN.

Purdue figured out how to quiet Brandon Paul last night; Photo by Cary Frye

After Purdue’s 68-61 victory over Illinois last night, the win streak for Boilermakers has now been extended to 8 straight games in a row. That includes wins at the Mackey Arena like last night, and wins in Champaign. In case you need help with the math, that means that seniors D.J. Richardson, Tyler Griffey and Brandon Paul have never beaten Purdue.

They beat the curse of the United Center, but Purdue Pete still has it in for the guys in orange and blue.

It’s amazing that Purdue is the team that the Illini just can’t beat. They have wins over every other team in the conference, which includes Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State.

At first I thought perhaps the long history between Matt Painter and former coach Bruce Weber was too close-knit, and Painter just knew Weber’s every move. Apparently not true, because now John Groce is 0-1 against Purdue. Unfortunately, last night was the first conference game, so he is also 0-1 in the Big Ten. Not really the way you want to start conference play.

What’s more annoying is that Purdue isn’t that good this year! After what seemed like 10 years as a Boilermaker, Robbie Hummel is finally gone! JaJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore area long gone. If ever the Illini had a chance to break the streak, that was this year. Purdue is rebuilding, and our senior leadership should have showed those Boilermaker freshmen what’s up. Going into the game we had a record of 13-1, while Purdue was at .500 with a record of 6-6.

The game was pretty even throughout, and the lead volleyed back and forth. The Illini had a 6-point lead with 11 minutes to go in the game, but that lead disappeared and swung the other direction – and stayed there. Purdue jumped out to a 10-point lead with 3 minutes to go, and it looked to be over for Illinois. Then, Brandon Paul – who had been quiet all night thanks to the stifling defense – came alive.

After a Tracy Abrams steal, Paul made a 3 that got the guys within 5 points with 2:17 to go. Then, after a Richardson steal, Paul made another 3, cutting the lead to just 3 points with a lengthy 1:47 to go. Terone Johnson scored, then Richardson made another 3, putting us down just 2 points with 30 seconds to go.

Our good luck ended there, because the same way Paul came alive at the end, so did Purdue senior D.J. Byrd. Our shots stops falling, and we were forced to foul. Suddenly, Purdue couldn’t miss, and they ran away with the game.

Johnson poured in a career-high 25 points for Purdue, and also grabbed 9 rebounds. The Illini were outrebounded (yet again) 38-31. Scoring was really the problem for Illinois, with Paul leading everyone with just 15. Bertrand was in double figures with 14, as was Abrams with 12. The team had 6 steals and just 9 TOs, as well 6 blocks (5 of which came solely from Nnanna Egwu). But if you can’t get the ball in the basket, these other stats don’t matter too much.

Illinois did make 10 3’s, but attempted 26. They also shot just 35% compared to 41% from Purdue. The main problem was that Purdue figured out how to shut down Paul. This is going to happen again and again in the Big Ten, so we have to figure out how to fix the problem.

This was a road game, so a loss isn’t the end of the world, but it was to a team that might end up at the bottom of the conference at the end of the year. We still have to move on to face top-tier teams, on the road and at home. It’s hard to ignore the visions of last year’s epic collapse…

A record of 13-2 is still a nice place to be, but my confidence in this team has slipped. There were flashes of greatness in this game, and I thought that they had it in the bag, I really did. Now I see the holes in the team, and I’m scared for what’s to come.

The key here for the team to stay confident, and to come back and beat No. 8 OSU at home this weekend. OSU is a much better team than Purdue, but we’ll probably have a full house at the Assembly Hall. I don’t expect another 45-point game from Paul, but I do expect some action.

The Illini will welcome Ohio State on Saturday at 1:15.

Joseph Bertrand continues to contribute off the bench; Photo by Cary Frye

Two undefeated teams went into last night’s Illinois game vs. Eastern Kentucky, and of course only one came out. Illinois emerged triumphant, and can now continue to boast an undefeated, 12-0 record for the season.

While last night’s 66-53 win wasn’t necessarily easy, Illinois never seemed too close to danger. The Colonels managed to force an embarrassing 20 turnovers and our 3′s didn’t fall, but Illinois still managed to win by double digits. Part of the success came from the fact that I don’t believe that E. Kentucky has played a team that has a solid defensive game.

Another team that is known for their 3′s, the Colonel’s were just 6-22 for the night (the Illini were 6-23). Illinois had a nice little height advantage, which resulted in outrebounding E. Kentucky 39-20.

Illinois took the lead first with a 3 from D.J. Richardson, and held on to that lead the whole game. The largest lead was 14 points with about 5 minutes left in the game, but the Colonels continually found a way to crawl back into the game. Thankfully, at the end Illinois managed to pull away and shoot a bunch of unnecessary free throws. Down by 5 with about 8 minutes to go, Illinois managed to hold off E. Kentucky and send them home with their first loss.

Brandon Paul did his part with a team-high 17 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks. He also had 5 turnovers, but Tracy Abrams also had 5 and Richardson had 4. No one seemed to be safe from the turnover bug. Abrams contributed 13 points and Joseph Bertrand was also in double digits with 11. Bertrand also had 7 rebounds to go with his points.

On E. Kentucky, some fellow named Corey Walden had the game of his life with a career-high 21 points. No one should score their career-high in our house unless they’re wearing orange and blue. Only 1 other guy had 11 points, and sadly ESPN doesn’t feel like telling me his first name so we’ll just call him Cosey.

The game was ugly with turnovers, but a 13-point win is a 13-point win. And, it came against an undefeated team who really had nothing to lose. Despite the flaws, I’m a happy camper. Let’s talk for one second about what’s going on with Tyler Griffey. Just like every other season, he started off really strong and I thought maybe Coach Groce was able to flip the same switch in him that he seems to have switched in Paul. However, as the season progresses he is returning to his old ways. Griffey looked lost half the time, and though he finally made a 3 last night, on the whole his shots weren’t falling. He had just 5 points, 3 assists and 3 turnovers. He also had 5 rebounds, but let’s be honest half of those just sort of fell into his hands. If we’re going to continue to do well, we need Griffey to snap out of whatever is going on.

As for rankings, I’d be surprised if we went any higher, because wins this week over Norfolk State and E. Kentucky were expected. However, having a record of 12-0 should raise some eyebrows. Indiana isn’t going to fall out of the top 10, but No. 5 Florida might. Everybody else won their games this week, so I would guess maybe we’ll be at either 9/10 when the rankings come out this afternoon.

The Illini will get a rest this week to take finals and recharge, and on Saturday they will head to St. Louis to face No. 12 Missouri. No one on this Illini team has beaten the Tigers, and I’m guessing all of them are hungry to finally get that W.

That game will be on Saturday, Dec. 22 at 5pm.