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!!

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.

Tonight marks the first time the Illini basketball team is really allowed to practice with new head coach John Groce, save for a few small meetings here and there throughout the summer and fall. Usually this is marked by a raucous Midnight Madness event that once featured the world’s largest outdoor hoops practice in 2008, but I haven’t heard much buzz about anything going on tonight.

Regardless of whether or not there will be fanfare, the Illini will start practice tonight, which means basketball season is almost upon us! This also means it’s time for Coach Groce to get out there and speak to the press. In a couple weeks he’ll head to Chicago for the Big Ten Basketball Media Day, and on Wednesday he warmed up with the local crowd, first.

Since practices really haven’t begun, Coach Groce didn’t have too much to say. He reported that some guys have been working hard (didn’t specify) and that the seniors are hungry and ready to play. He also lumped Tracy Abrams in with the seniors as a leader, even though he is just going into his soph year. But as the point guard and probably main ballhandler on the team, I’m fine with him taking a leadership role.

The Illini have had some leadership troubles in the last, oh, 5 or 6 years, so there are a lot of questions about who will be captain. Groce said that he prefers the players and coaches vote together on the captain, in order to pick the right person for the job. Not only is it someone who can lead, but someone that the team will want to follow. “You can say you’re a leader, but if no one is following you you’re not a leader,” said Groce.

One of the first questions from the crowd was of course about filling the void left behind by Meyers Leonard heading to the NBA last year after his sophomore year, and Groce didn’t deny that those are big shoes to fill. His response was that a number of guys will be taking his place. Groce appears to have a soft spot for Nnanna Egwu, who is the “type of guy that will give you 13 pushups when you ask for 10.”

It looks like Ibby Djimde, Egwu and maybe even Mike Shaw will fill in, as well as senior transfer Sam McLaurin, who will be bringing versatility and the ability to play the 4 and the 5. Oh, and I guess Egwu has a super secret shot he’s been hiding, because recently he was able to make 73 out of 100 3′s.

Groce sang the praises of Nnanna Egwu; Photo by Cary Frye

Coach Groce plans to continue the Matto Awards, and he said it looks like a number of guys on the team will be vying for the top score. When asked about guys like Devin Langford (who ended up redshirting last year), Shaw and Myke Henry (players who didn’t get a lot of playing time last season), Groce made a somewhat sweeping statement that they’re all playing hard and doing better. Although, he has yet to watch everyone practice just together. Groce stated he’d like to play 9 guys a game, but he is honest with the guys about playing time. I remember another guy mentioning 9 or 10 guys in a game recently, and that didn’t quite pan out.

Stay tuned for a quick Getting to Know the New Guys segment, as there are just 2 transfers (Sam McLauirn and Rayvonte Rice) and a “preferred” walk-on (Mike LaTulip) joining the team for the season. There is still one open schollie, but it seems doubtful that it will be filled this year. Groce did comment that having the veterans on the team is going to be a good thing, because they have a lot of experience playing on the big stage, unlike some of the younger guys that didn’t get a lot of minutes last year. With 6 newbies and a nervous coach last year, it was hard to get a lot of playing time.

Like Groce, I don’t really know what to expect from this year, though I do hope it’s better than what’s going on over in Memorial Stadium. Groce commented that he and Coach Beckman are friends, but if neither team does well maybe they won’t stay friends for long.

Ballhandling is a key focus for Groce, which is extremely important for this team (I’m looking at you BP). With Abrams as the only PG, others are going to need to step up. Though Groce likes a fast-paced game, he did say that might not quite work for the current roster, especially with four seniors.

I will be in attendance when Groce comes to Chicago, and it will be nice to hear his thoughts after a couple of weeks of practice.The Orange and Blue Scrimmage will be on Oct. 22, and the first exhibition will take place against Lewis on Oct. 27.

It is amazing how despite the positive anticipation Illini fans exude at the beginning of November, things always turn out the same as the season progresses. We were cautious this year, as the team lost four starters and has seven new players – six of which are freshmen. However, there was still an air of excitement as the season got underway, as perhaps a whole new roster would cause a significant shift in the program. Now that the season is more than half over, it seems like the Illini are simply singing the same ol’ tune.

Myke Henry and the rest of the bench need more PT;; Photo by Cary Frye

Before the season began, Coach Bruce Weber admitted to being unsure of what this year would bring, though he did proclaim excitement of the promise of a clean slate and praised the athletic ability oozing from the pores of each and every guy. He promised that he would be playing as many as 10 to 11 guys a game and that leadership wouldn’t be an issue, since Brandon Paul and DJ Richardson had matured immensely (nope and nope). He said we’d see significant improvement from some new guys (sort of true with Jo Bertrand and Meyers Leonard, not so much with Tyler Griffey) and he was confident that with the addition of Sam Maniscalco there wouldn’t be any issues at the point position, as long as he could remain healthy (nope, and he couldn’t).

In some ways, I feel like maybe Illinois should’ve just laid an egg at the beginning of the season. That would’ve given them a chance to improve over the course of the season and perhaps given us loyal fans hope for what would happen next year. As a Cubs fan, I’m tired of waiting until next year, and I feel this sentiment has been used for Illini fans ever since Deron Williams and Luther Head went on to bigger and better things.

As usual, Illinois started strong and is currently in the middle of a nose dive. Even if the downward trajectory has slowed slightly, they are still heading toward an uphill fight with upcoming games at Michigan, home and away vs. Michigan State, at Wisconsin, and now it looks like even Indiana is going to cause problems. Those cake walk non-conference games at the beginning of the year gave the Illini an 10-0 start, but it wasn’t an easy task. Strong road wins at Maryland and home against Gonzaga gave fans hope that maybe this team could be special. A loss at the United Center to UNLV and in St. Louis against Missouri were stumbles, but not the end of the world. The loss at Purdue sucked, but still not insurmountable. Then magic occurred and Paul scored 43 points in the home win against a No. 5 ranked Ohio State!!!

Since that blessed game, Illinois is on a 2-game losing streak and lost its first home game. They went from first all alone in the B1G conference down to fifth, and fell off the rankings once again. Maniscalco isn’t contributing anything, the starters are getting most of the minutes and doing all the scoring, and each game it’s unclear if Leonard is going to be a factor at all. The one thing that Weber was right about is that Paul and Richardson have matured, because they have played strong, consistent games across the board. Richardson did suffer a wrist injury, but he’s still skilled  on the defensive end, and Paul has gotten his turnovers sort of  in check.

On Saturday, Illinois will head to Minnesota in what is turning out to be a crucial game. The only road win they have under their belt in the conference is against Northwestern, and they blew it against the bottom of the B1G with a loss at Penn State. They need to snap this skid, and they need to remember what it feels like to win. Minnesota may be the last chance Illinois even has to get a win on the road, since they don’t play at Iowa and winning at Nebraska isn’t as easy as people originally thought. Weber felt a bit of relief after that win against OSU, because people are clearly to whispering about his status for next year. However, he is right back in the hot seat after that loss at Penn State and the home loss against Wisconsin – both entirely winnable games.

Here is what we should do:

• Stop jacking up 3’s and give the ball to Leonard: Even if the 3’s are falling, they won’t forever. There are plenty of times when Leonard is ready for action and no one gives him the ball.
• Play the bench: Just give everyone else a few more minutes and then the starters won’t be as tired in the home stretch. Also, maybe they’ll surprise you. If you put Myke Henry in for one second and he screws up, how can he make up for it if you immediately pull him? Give him a chance to get settled. And what on earth happened to Mike Shaw? When’s the last time he played?
• Sit Maniscalco: I don’t know if it’s the injury or what, but he is making a mess of things and I don’t want him in the game.
• Let Tracy Abrams shoot: I think this might just be Abrams’ own insecurity. He’s doing a serviceable job as point guard, so he should go ahead and try to get some points on the board. We know he can do it, he is just being a chicken. I do like the looks of his game and think he could be an asset in the future.
• Protect the ball: If I see one more crappy pass that easily ends up in the hands of the other team I’m going to lose it.
• Just win baby win: What they really need to do is relax, play the game they love, and win.

The Illini will head to Minnesota on Saturday night at 7pm.

Brandon Paul with the trophy, care of his Twitter account.

Last night’s game was much tougher than necessary, and it was certainly ugly at times, but the Illini managed to pull out another win against Illinois State, 63-59. Not only did Coach Weber get his 301st win (I forgot to mention number 300 on Tuesday), but they also got a pretty little trophy for winning the Cancun Challenge!!

Illinois State sure gave the Illini a game, and that Jackie Carmichael was pretty awesome. He had a game-high 17 points, five of which were from 3-point land. In general, it was 3′s that helped the redbirds lead by as much as 7 points in the second half.

The Illini didn’t really play to the best of their abilities, and honestly I feel like it was sheer luck that gave them the win – similarly to Tuesday’s win against Richmond. The redbirds had a chance to take the lead with a 3, but some kid stepped out of bounds with just a few minutes to go and Illinois got the ball back. After that, Illinois kept the lead and survived until the end. Tyler Brown threw up a hail mary 3 with just .03 seconds left to go with the score 59-61 – and that could have been the end. He missed, and then Brandon Paul made two free throws on the other end to get that final score.

There were four Illini in double figures, but no one had a breakout game: Sam Maniscalco 14, Richardson 13, Leonard 10, and Paul 12. Leonard also had 8 rebounds, and Paul had 5.  It was nice to see Paul getting back into the swing of things (he also had 6 assists and made free throws when it was important), and Richardson was as solid as always. In fact, he was named MVP of the tournament thanks to his consistency.

Though the game was a mess and Illinois almost got their butts handed to them, the good thing is that they came back. This is the first time all season that they’ve trailed in the second half, and it wasn’t until just under 8 minutes that a Maniscalco basket tied the game up. Illinois stayed on top for the rest of the game, but ISU was right behind them.

Last year, they would’ve lost this game. Two years ago in Vegas, they pretty much did lose this game. The great thing about basketball, is all you have to do is win. A win by 10 points and a win by 4 points are the exact same thing. I wish that the game hadn’t have been quite so close, but if nothing else this is a learning experience. I’m a tad concerned about our depth, because Coach Weber did a lot of talking about how many guys would be able to come in and play, but I feel like it’s the same people over and over. With Griffey and Leonard in foul trouble, why not more Mike Shaw? Joseph Bertrand has had a lot of success lately, and he only played 15 minutes (and scored 6 points). What’s the scoop with Crandall Head, and have we lost faith in Ibby Djimde all together?

Overall, I do like the look of the team. Two games in a row that weren’t stellar, but they led to the Illini being tournament champs. Maniscalco is looking to be the glue that we had hoped, Richardson’s mojo is on track, and Leonard has shown himself to be a beast. Tyler Griffey and Bertrand are also helping out in ways that aren’t as easily measured, but are equally as important. When Paul is on, he is ON.

Now here is the skeptical me. This was a tournament they were supposed to win. Richmond was probably the only real challenge, but even so, Illinois was going to look pretty bad if they didn’t win, and those wins didn’t come easy. Nevertheless, they’re young, and they did it. And I’m happy!

Happy Thanksgiving to all you Illini fans, and to the team itself. I’ll be heading to the game on Sunday on my way back to Chicago, and I’m excited to see the guys in person again in Assembly Hall. They will face Chicago State at 12, and I’m ready to see a game with lots of players involved doing what they do best.

The basketball season officially begins tomorrow, and I’m bringing you the last entry in the Getting to Know the New Guys series just under the wire. Last only due to the alphabet and certainly not because of talent, let’s meet No. 15: Mike Shaw.

The sixth freshman and the seventh of the newbies this year, Shaw is yet another Chicago native. De La Salle high school’s all-time leading scorer averaged 13 points and 7.5 rebounds as a senior. Shaw was named the Chicago Catholic League-North Division Co-Athlete of the Year, along with Nnanna Egwu, and was ranked No. 65 on the recruiting services consensus index, including No. 40 by Prep Stars and No. 59 by Rivals.com.

Shaw committed to Illinois at the end of October 2010 as the No. 10-ranked PF in the country. When he committed, ESPNU100 had this to say:

“The 6-8, 220-pounder has great body control and touch around the basket and is also a huge factor on the glass, especially on the offensive end, where he sprints in for tip-ins and dunks if not boxed out.”

Marquette and Depaul were also in the running, but in the end Shaw decided to bleed the Orange & Blue.

At the Big Ten Media Day, Shaw was one of the guys Coach Weber mentioned as someone who could contribute immediately, along with Nnanna Egwu and Tracy Abrams. After the two exhibitions, it seems that Weber was right about Shaw and Abrams, while Egwu could use a little softening around the edges.

In Italy, Shaw averaged 16.8 minutes, 4 points and 5.3 rebounds, which put him second to only Tyler Griffey (I would’ve though Meyers Leonard would have led the pack on that stat, but oh wells). Shaw also had 11 steals overall on the Italy trip. Shaw had his best game against Castellanza Selezione with 13 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals.

While Shaw didn’t stand out too much during the Orange & Blue Scrimmage with just 2 rebounds and 2 points, he’s been shining in the exhibition games. In his first game as an Illini against a real opponent (well, Wayne State is at least a DII school), Shaw had 5 rebounds, 8 points and 3 steals. He also made 4-7 free throws, which unfortunately looks like it will be a pretty good record on this free throw anemic team. Then, against Quincy, Shaw had 2 points, 2 blocks, 1 steal, and a game-high 9 rebounds.

The thing about Shaw is that he’s doing a lot without putting up a lot of points. Many times, doing those other things on the court is just as important as putting points on the board. It might not be as glamorous, but it sure is necessary. True the guys on Quincy were a lot shorter, but pulling down 9 rebounds is impressive. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to think of Shaw at first, as he seemed to fade into the background. However, he is now starting to make his presence known. He’s a big guy that puts in a lot of effort, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.

I don’t have a lot of “fun” information on Shaw, though he lists one if his hobbies as singing. Maybe sometime he’ll treat us to a song.

As always, here are some Mike Shaw highlights!

Leonard led the Illini with 18 points; Photo by Cary Frye

When halftime finally rolled around during the first exhibition for the Illini basketball team tonight, fans had every right to be a wee bit nervous. The Illini led DII Wayne State by just three points at 35-32, and the guys were looking sloppy to say the least. Wayne State shot 50% and Illinois had just one shot from Tracy Abrams that fell from behind the 3-point line. Luckily, all that changed once the Illini came out for the second half, and the Illini ending up winning by almost 30 points, 79-51.

Nerves are to be expected for the Illini in this first game in front of a large crowd against an actual opponent. The night started off with some confusion as announcements were made that Crandall Head would be missing two exhibition games and two regular games for violating team rules. Then, Myke Henry – who was reported to maybe get a starting gig – was out with a quad injury. Word is the injury shouldn’t keep him on the bench for long.

The starting lineup looked like this: Brandon Paul, DJ Richardson, Joseph Bertrand (who was supposed to not be playing do to a hip problem) and then Tyler Griffey and Nnanna Egwu, who were both rewarded for playing hard in practice. There was some confusion for a few of them who had never started before, and Coach Weber stated after the game that the newbies didn’t know what to do.

I say we just pretend the first half didn’t happen. The Illini total for the second half was almost double the first half score as they found a groove and began to enjoy the game. They also took over on defense and made an actual appearance at the glass. They figured out how to stop Wayne State and used their obvious height to get things done.

In the end, four Illini were in double-figures tonight, led by Meyers Leonard with 18. Brandon Paul had 16, DJ Richardson finally got his 3′s to fall with a total of 11, and Nnanna Egwu had 10 points in his Illini debut. All told, the Illini shot 49% from the field.  Abrams and Paul took over PG duties, as Sam Maniscalco is resting to be ready for games that matter. Abrams had 5 assists and no turnovers, and though he led the team in assists, they all came in the first half.

Another discovery: free throws are an issue. Ibby Djimde was just 2-8 from the free throw line, and the team total was 23-36; nice job getting to the line, now make the baskets. Also, the Illini have to remember that they’re tall. The leading scorer of the night was Wayne State’s Amry Shelby, who stands just 5’11 and had 22 points. My favorite little guy was probably Vontrell Seroyer, who at 5’7″ looked like he was about my height next to the towering players like the 7’1″ Leonard (hint, I’m nowhere near 5’7″). In the first half the Illini were outrebounded 16-12, but in the end won the battle 34-27. Mike Shaw was impressive in that realm, with a game-high 8 rebounds to go with his 6 points and 3 steals.

On the whole, once the second half got going the Illini looked pretty exciting. Still a bit of sloppy play, but they are still getting their bearings and Weber is figuring out what’s what. A valiant effort by the Wayne State Wildcats, but in the second half the Illini figured out how to play basketball – and then it was over. Just imagine what the team will look like with Maniscalco back, not to mention Henry, Head and even Langford (assuming he doesn’t redshirt).

Also, shout out to the BTN.com crew who called the game, except please note that Illinois does not start with an “e.”

One more exhibition game to go on Mon., Nov. 7 at 7:30pm against Quincy, then the real season begins.

Up next on our list, 6’11 center/forward Nnanna Egwu from Chicago. Egwu, who just celebrated his 19th birthday on October 22, will be sporting the #32 jersey this year. It’s going to be fun to hear sportscasters trying to pronounce his name, which sounds like henna with an “n” at the beginning instead of an “h”… as far as I can tell.

Egwu attended St. Ignatius, where he averaged 16 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks as a senior. Named Chicago Catholic League-North Division Co-Athlete of the Year, along with Mike Shaw, Egwu was ranked No. 67 by Scout.com and No. 69 by ESPN. According to Yahoo, he’s 14th at his position, and 97th overall. Top 100 in all lists works for me.

Egwu committed to Illinois in early October of 2009, and was the second recruit to orally commit after Tracy Abrams. It was down to Purdue and Illinois, but Egwu choice to be an Illini over a Boilermaker. Here is what he told the Chicago Tribune after making his choice:

“I would have loved to play for Purdue, but from an overall standpoint, I thought going to Illinois would make me the best I could be,” Egwu said. “To play for your own state school, there’s nothing better than that — to bring your own state a championship.”

Gotta love a kid with that hometown – er state – spirit. Aside from the fact that Egwu has a twin sister named Nnenna who is now at Purdue, what’s most interesting about him is that he just started playing basketball about four years ago.

The second player on the team who originally hails from Africa (Ibby Djimde is from Mali), Egwu’s family moved from Nigeria when he was 5. Egwu told the Tribune that he always watched basketball as a kid, but he didn’t have the opportunity to play at his school until he was older.

While of course natural ability (and height) are key to the game, Egwu’s inexperience will make him somewhat of a work in progress. With Meyers Leonard taking over the job of both Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale, it will be nice to have a backup in Egwu (or Djimde), but he won’t have to shoulder the responsibility himself. The big guy can learn the ropes this year, and start to make a mark necessary if need be. Additionally, I would guess Coach Bruce Weber is the kind of guy that would like to work with talented clay that hasn’t been improperly molded as of yet.

In Italy, Egwu averaged about 14 minutes, and 3.2 rebounds per game. He also averaged a respectable 7.4 points a game shooting 16-33. While he managed to get some buckets, what we’re going to need from Egwu is some rebounds. At the Orange & Blue Scrimmage, Egwu played 20 minutes in the first half, and then just 5 in the second – which could be a testament to the need to bulk up his endurance. He had 5 rebounds and 6 points in the first half, and just 1 rebound and 0 points in the second.

I’m guessing that Egwu won’t see too much playing time in the beginning of the season, unless something happens to Leonard. Over time if he develops the way that Weber wants, he could be a huge asset to the team.

As always, here are some highlights:

Meyers Leonard likes to dunk; Photo by Cary Frye

Today the Illini basketball team gave fans a glimpse of their stuff in this afternoon’s annual Orange & Blue scrimmage. Not that it actually matters who w0n since the guys changed teams throughout the day, but still Orange took the cake winning three out of four quarters.

The team was supposed to play four 8-minute quarters, but the last quarter was only 6 minutes long. The guys definitely showed some fatigue in the end, so perhaps that’s why the quarter was cut short. However, they’re going to need to work on that endurance because actual games are clearly longer.

What did we learn today? The guys can shoot, but I’m not sure about defense. I also learned that it’s going to take a while to differentiate between all the newbies. The freshmen all seemed somewhat interchangeable, though the little guys (Tracy Abrams and Myke Henry specifically) showed a bit more of their goods than the bigger guys (Ibby Djimde and Nnanna Egwu didn’t get a lot done). Mike Shaw and Devin Langford also faded in the background a bit, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens in a real game situation.

Sam Maniscalco was the main standout for the new guys, and as an experienced PG that’s  how it should be. He looked calm, cool, and controlled, which again is how it should be. He can also shoot, and plopped in a number of 3-pointers, including one from way behind the arc to end the second quarter and give his team the win.

Brandon Paul and DJ Richardson started off strong, but faded a bit in the end. This could be because they wanted to give the young guys a chance to get used to playing in the Assembly Hall. Both of them drained a couple of 3s, and as the elder statesmen I am anxious to see if they step up and lead. I want so badly for Crandall Head to succeed (there is a reason my dog is named after his brother), but this was not his game. He looked sloppy and had a number of bad passes.

Aside from Maniscalco, the scrimmage belonged to Joseph Bertrand, Meyers Leonard and Tyler Griffey. Leonard slammed down dunk after dunk, and Bertrand was everywhere contributing to the game in numerous ways. Griffey was successful at getting to the line and also had some impressive 3s. Stay tuned for some official stats…

It’s fun to see the guys get a feel for playing front of a crowd (which seemed pretty large) and also get some tine on the court, which by the way is sporting a new look. I’m not sure how I feel about the new court, but perhaps it just takes getting used to. There is now a big thick I in the middle of the floor, but it’s a tad too thick and I can’t help but be reminded of how much I hate seeing a certain bird in the center of the floor somewhere else.

I think it’s hard to really know what to expect just from watching a scrimmage. I recall Bertrand being awesome in prior scrimmages, but he’s never been able to contribute in games. Griffey also has trouble once game-time begins, but maybe now that they have to be in charge they can step out behind the shadow of the four seniors that have moved on? The team is just so different from last year I have no idea what to expect, so I will fear the worst and hope for the best.

We’ll get a more accurate look at the team on Nov. 1 when they host Wayne State at 7pm.

Illinois defeated West Virginia 47-26 in an exhibition scrimmage held yesterday in front of about 500 military personnel and their families at the Aviano Air Base in Italy.

The 20-minute game was played after the two teams held a youth clinic for children of the Airmen. Also, the Illini and Mountaineers participated in a 10-minute scrimmage against the Aviano varsity unit. In those games, Illinois defeated Aviano 26-12, while West Virginia topped Aviano 25-7.

The three squads also held a dunk contest for the crowd with Illini junior Joseph Bertrand claiming the victory. Bertrand also nabbed this title in his first Illini scrimmage ever as a freshmen. Can’t wait to see him ues that dunking prowess in an actual game!!

Illinois started strong against West Virginia, scoring the first seven points and opening up a double-digit lead three minutes into the scrimmage. The Illini finished with the same intensity, scoring the final seven points on breakaway dunks by Meyers Leonard and D.J. Richardson and a 3-pointer by Sam Maniscalco to take a 27-8 lead into intermission.

The Illini led by at least 16 points the entire second half, and led by as much as 26 before the Mountaineer’s tallied the final five points of the scrimmage.

The Illini shot an admirable 62.5 percent, hitting 20-of-32 from the field and 5-of-8 from 3-point range. Illinois tallied 15 assists on 20 baskets and its pressure defense caused 15 Mountaineer turnovers.

Richardson led the Illini with 11 points and made all five of his shots. Myke Henry scored seven on 3-of-5 shooting while Maniscalco added six points on a pair of 3-pointers and had a game-high four assists. A total of 11 UI players entered the scoring column in the brief scrimmage, with Leonard, Nnanna Egwu and Tyler Griffey registering four points apiece, Brandon Paul adding three, and Bertrand, Crandall Head, Tracy Abrams and Mike Shaw all adding two.

Again, we’ve got a new Illini taking over with Richardson, who scored zero point in Tuesday’s game, making an impression with 11 points. Again, I’ve got no problem with someone new being a star in each game, but there needs to be some consistency. That’s where the Illini failed last year and really the  year before. Let’s hope these games are really sinking in as a lesson to the young team. However, of course I’m happy for a solid win! Especially since even though this was a scrimmage, it was a game against another college team rather than a national team. Sounds like the Illini really showed up to play, as they should in every game – scrimmage or regulation.

No real stinker award today, which is a definite improvement.

Illinois travels to Como on Thursday and will face Castellanze Select at Noon Central Time.