West Completes Illini Football Staff

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - University of Illinois head football coach Ron Zook announced today the hiring of Ron West as the final addition to the Illini staff, bringing with him 30 years of collegiate coaching experience. Zook also made two other announcements naming tight ends coach Greg Nord recruiting coordinator and adding the title of Assistant Head Coach to offensive line coach Joe Gilbert.

"I am excited to complete this staff with the hiring of Ron West," Zook said. "He and Vic (Koenning) have a great working relationship and that will add a needed cohesiveness as we move forward on the defensive side of the ball. Ron shares our passion for getting this program back on track and will be a great teacher and leader for our young men."

"I am very excited about being a part of this staff and working in the Big Ten," West said. "This is a program that has been established and is just two years removed from the Rose Bowl, so I felt like it was a great opportunity to compete for a championship, especially with Coach Zook working hard to get back to that level. I am excited about being reunited with Vic (Koenning). The last time we were together, the defense was in the top 10 in the country. We'll expect to create that passion on defense that puts us in national rankings. "

West has 14 years experience coaching on defense, including eight seasons as a coordinator, and 16 years on the offensive side of the ball. He spent the 2009 season as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Tulsa.

Prior to moving to Tulsa, he spent 10 seasons on the coaching staff at Clemson University (1999-2008), helping the Tigers win 76 games and play in nine bowl games. A 1979 graduate of Clemson, West began his stint on the Tigers' coaching staff as offensive line coach in 1999. He coached the offensive line for five seasons and spent the past five years on the defensive side of the ball.

While on the defensive coaching staff at Clemson, West coached the outside linebackers. In 2005, the Clemson defense finished among the top-25 in six defensive categories. In 2006, West coached one of the greatest players in Clemson history, the late Gaines Adams, who became the No. 2 overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft. The Clemson defense was in the top-25 in all four major categories, including a top-10 finish in scoring defense and total defense. Clemson's defense ranked 18th in total defense and 13th in scoring defense in 2008.

Before arriving at Clemson, West spent two years on Tommy Bowden's coaching staff at Tulane University (1997-98), where he coached the offensive line. His influence as line coach saw the Green Wave total nearly 4,700 yards and a school record 375 points. A year later, Tulane posted a 12-0 record as the offensive line helped pave the way for an offense to average over 300 passing yards and 200 rushing yards.

West began his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at Livingston College in 1979. He was at East Carolina in the spring of 1980 and became the offensive line coach at North Texas for the 1980 season. In 1981, West joined the Texas Tech coaching staff as the offensive line coach and special teams coordinator. He served in that capacity for four years before moving to defense in 1985 as assistant linebackers coach.

His next stop was at Louisiana-Lafayette where he spent seven seasons (1986-92) as defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach. His defenses were ranked among the nation's top-20 in total defense three times. West joined the Baylor coaching staff for four seasons (1993-96) as offensive line coach and served as the running game coordinator in his final year.

During his playing career, West was a reserve offensive lineman in 1977 and 1978 for the Clemson Tigers after transferring from Marion Institute, where he earned junior college All-America accolades. He started two games as a senior and helped his team post an 11-1 record and No. 6 national ranking in the final Associated Press poll. West and his wife, Becky, have two adult children, Brad and Lori.

THE WEST FILE
2009 Tulsa (co-defensive coordinator / linebackers)
2004-08 Clemson University (outside linebackers)
1999-2003 Clemson University (offensive line)
1997-98 Tulane University (offensive line)
1996 Baylor University (offensive line / run-game coordinator)
1993-95 Baylor University (offensive line)
1986-92 Louisiana-Lafayette (defensive coordinator / linebackers)
1985 Texas Tech (assistant linebackers)
1981-84 Texas Tech (offensive line / special teams)
1980 North Texas (offensive line)
1979 Livingston College (graduate assistant)


Information from Illinois DIA

Illinois Vs. Michigan State

Twenty-five minutes before tip off, and the Assembly Hall is already half full. The fans are excited for what looks to be a great match up with Big Ten championship implications. Michigan State comes into tonight's game at 9-1 in the Big Ten, while Illinois is tied for second at 7-3. The crowd is loud and ready to go. If you're a player who isn't pumped up for this one, you might want to get your pulse checked quickly. With two minutes until tip off, Bruce Weber makes his way onto the floor in his patented Orange Blazer.

GAME OVER!!! Illini rush the court!

15.4 left in the game, DJ Richardson shooting two again... makes the first, makes the second.

DJ Richardson is at the line and hits the first, misses the second... the rebound is sent down the floor, and MSU hits a three... The Illini lead by one with 17 seconds left... Big free throws coming up.

McCamey nails a three, and MSU answers with a two that rolls in after hitting a would be rebounder's hand. Illini lead it 73-70 with 27 seconds left.

The Illini are only shooting 50% from the free throw line, but MSU isn't much better at around 65%. If this comes down to free throws, it might get interesting.

Michigan State loses possession on a jump ball, and the Illini have a 2 point lead with 1 minute 8 seconds to play... Michigan State turns on the full court press, and the Illini have to call a timeout.

Paul is fouled driving the lane and sinks the lay up. A chance to go up 3 with 1:21 left. No good. 70-68.

Mike Tisdale injured his knee and comes out with 1:45 left... MSU gets fouled, and Tisdale returns. Raymar Morgan sinks two, and it's a tie game with 1:30 left.

Tisdale fouls Draymon Green with 2:16 left. Green makes the first, misses the second.

68-65 Illinois with 2:30 left in the game. Michigan State calls a time out to get everyone on the same page for one of Tom Izzo's famous set plays.

MSU has been bailing the Illini out. The shot clock will be under 6, and they will pick up a dumb foul.

Draymon Green to the line with a chance to pull within 1... He hits them both, and the score is 66-65 Illini... 3:30 left.

I have to say that this one would be a very disappointing loss as we have been in it or leading all night.

McCamey misses a pair of free throws with 3:55 left, and the Illini fail to stretch their three point lead. Those may end up being big points in the end because this one seems to be going down to the very end.

The Illini have really slowed down the pace which is a little risky considering the lead is only 3, and there is over 4 minutes left to play.

MSU once again has made a quick recovery, and the score sits at 64-61 Illini.

MSU really missing their floor leader in Kalin Lucas, the Spartans are -5 in assist to turnover ratio.

DJ Richardson dunks on a break away, and it is LOUD! Turnover MSU, Illinois up 64-57 with 7:17 left in the game, time out on the floor. It would mean the world to get points here and keep the momentum going. This is the point in the game where you are really fighting for momentum. It has been back and forth all game and looking down the stretch, you want to have things in your hands.

Brandon Paul throws down a huge dunk and not only are the Illini on top, but the crowd is awake again. 59-57 Illinois with 8:45 left. Draymon Green and Chris Allen were on the bench for most of that comeback.

10 minutes left, tied at 55.

Illinois leads the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense, and Michigan State is third... With 11 minutes left, both teams are shooting over 50% still.

Chris Allen and Draymond Green have been huge tonight for Tom Izzo. Every time the Illini score a few points, one of the two comes right back and nails a shot. The Illini lead only took a minute to evaporate into a two point deficit. 53-55 11:23 left.

McCamey hits a three with under 5 on the shot clock, then follows it up with another. The Illini have their biggest lead of the half at 53-49.

Paul again scores on an athletic play after a Mike Davis offensive rebound, and this time he's fouled. Paul going to the basket hard which is good when your shot isn't going in.

Brandon Paul fought hard and scored on an offensive put back. 45-45 with 14:25 left.

Both teams knock down some shots, and we are tied again at 41. It's been all about offense tonight as both teams are still shooting over 50% for the game. Michigan State is playing the better basketball despite the high number of turnovers, I just hope the Illini can get by on the energy. Our sets are working pretty well on the shots, but we can't score in the paint for our lives. Games like that usually stay close for a while but a few empty possessions can be mean a big drought.

Delvon Roe slams home a big dunk, and Michigan State is ahead 37-35 to begin the half.

Illinois takes a one point lead into the locker room, 35-34. I loved the crowd to begin the game, but they need to step it back up and get the energy going. Michigan State is crushing us on the glass, especially on the offensive end. If the Illini want to win this game, they are going to have to
1. Take better care of the ball. (9 turnovers.) 2. Make MSU miss shots. (Michigan State shot over 55% for the half.) 3. Run their offense. (Too many times we fired up a bad shot. When we run our sets, guys like Mike Davis and DJ Richardson have found openings.)

Durrell Summers makes a bad decision and fouls DJ Richardson at mid court with 5 seconds left in the half. DJ knocks down one, and MSU converts on a quick play off the miss.

Demetri led a 3 on 1, but ended up turning the ball over after a bad alley-oop.

Bill Cole steps out of bounds, and MSU has a chance to tie it up or take the lead with 1:45 left in the first half.

Ron Zook is here taking in the action with his family. It has to be nice to relax a little after a crazy week of signing.

Mike Davis told me that he had been working on his shot all week, and it shows because he's putting it up with a lot of confidence. Two of his shots have been knocked down from the top of the key.

4:45 left, 30-26 Illinois. There has been a scoring lull since that three point explosion almost 4 minutes ago.

Michigan State is making us work hard when we have the ball. Getting an open look is nearly impossible, and you have to be really tough to bang down low with these forwards. The key is good ball reversal and creating your own opportunity to score.

An offensive explosion for a moment there by both teams. Back to back threes, and it's 28-24 Illinois with 8:20 left.

McCamey back in, and the Illini did their job with him on the bench going plus one.

Michigan State is shooting a very high percentage because of a bunch of lay ups, but also they are sinking shots that are well defended. Hopefully that doesn't last.

12:11 McCamey comes out, Illini up 16-14. Let's see how the Illini handle this as they have had problems with the junior on the bench.

Michigan State is in a better rhythm than they were to begin the game, and it started when Korie Lucious came out of the game. I know Lucious has played in big games before like the national championship match up with UNC, but he looked a little bit shaken from the start.

Weber's team has fallen in love with the three and after a few misses, MSU has been able to put together a little run of their own. The Illini still lead 14-10, but it's been all MSU the last minute or so.

The crowd has to be getting to the Spartans. Their pace is way off, and it's leading to turnovers.

The Illini have come out shooting the lights out. After only 3 minutes, Illinois is off to a 12-4 lead. The damage has been done from the three, the wing, the offensive rebound... It's been all Illini.

Tyler Griffey active early. Both of the first two Illini possessions have gone through the freshman.

Illinois at Iowa

This is my first trip to Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and I must admit that it is a very nice place to see a game. The seats are all close to the court, and the pre game show was lots of fun.

Final score Illinois 57 Iowa 49.

Iowa misses the three point attempt, and McCamey hits a free throw.

Mike Tisdale with two clutch free throws. Iowa is giving it their all, and you have to hand it to them... this turning into a potential nightmare for the Illini in a hurry... that being said, the game isn't over yet. 54-49 with 34 seconds left.

Demetri McCamey just made a huuuuuge mistake... After grabbing an offensive rebound and getting a new shot clock, the junior attempted a half court alley oop and threw the ball into the crowd.

1:30 left, 3 point game. 52-49 Illini.

McCamey just held the ball until the shot clock got to under 6 again and missed a fade away.

Mike Davis with a great shot. He and Griffey have made two straight big shots.

Aaron Fuller shooting two. Makes them both, and it's back to a three point game.

Another foul on the Illini, and Iowa gets to the line again. This arena is like night and day the last 5 minutes compared to the first 30.

Tyler Griffey with a huge shot for a freshman.

Foul on the Illini, and Cole will shoot two. After making them both, it's a three point game, and the crowd is on their feet.

Cully Payne hits a three, and the gap has closed to 48-43 Illinois with 4 left.

Tisdale fouls Payne, and we are lucky that he didn't get shots out of it... NBA rules, and he would be shooting two.

48-40 Illinois with 5:45 left.

Iowa has the lead down to seven and with 6 minutes left, this is very much a game. The Iowa players came out with a lot of energy but fell asleep a little as the first half wound down... the energy is back, and you can see the fight in Lickliter's team again.

The Illini turn the ball over on a bad decision by McCamey. The shot clock got low, and he tried to break a double team, passed to Jeff Jordan with 2 left, and all we could get out of it was an air ball. My fear is that teams are jut going to start double teaming him under 8 seconds because he never seems to give up the ball.

The mood in the building is getting a little bit more intense. The Iowa fans are yelling at McCamey over exaggerating a foul, I think? On top of that I think the fans are just getting sick of the Orange Krush.

43-32 Illinois with 12:45 left in the game.

Tisdale got a raw deal on that foul call. His arm was locked up, and the Iowa player had him stuck in place.

Illinois leads this one 42-32 with 16 minutes left in the game.

Cully Payne just lobbed up a terrible shot... his second air ball of the game.

Iowa just isn't very smart with the basketball. There isn't a lot of ball movement once the first shot goes up... It's goes in or the rebound goes right back up... no one looks to reset.

McCamey took this game over for the last 2 minutes of play. Two straight pull up jumpers and a lay-up as the buzzer sounded give the Illini a little cushion. 35-27 at the half.

Mike Davis just broke away for a dunk and pointed up to the Krush to show some appreciation for the trip. 29-27 Illinois with 2 left.

McCamey just got called for a foul for reaching, and I'm wondering how he ended up guarding Brennan Cougill who comes in at 6'9" 255 lbs... I'm assuming the Illini were caught on a switch that didn't work out too well.

This has been an extremely quick first half. With 4:20 left, there have only been 3 fouls total.

Back to Back threes by D.J., and the Illini have their biggest lead of the game. 25-19.

Iowa is living and dying from the three point line. So far, well over half of their shots have come from deep and hitting 45% of them has kept them in the game. 19-19 with 6 left.

17-16 Illinois with 7:45 left.

The Illini need to keep going inside. Tisdale, Griffey, Davis... they are all getting open looks down low.

11-11 is the score with 11 left in the half. Iowa is turning the ball over a lot, and the Illini are missing shots. We need to capitalize early and pull away like Weber has been talking about.

7 minutes into the game, and we have a low scoring affair. The Illini have gotten plenty of open looks, they just aren't knocking them down.

Brandon Paul just elevated for a nice block, pinning the ball against the back board.

The Orange Krush has invaded Carver-Hawkeye. A few hundred or so members are taking up a huge section.

The Illini opened the game and controlled the action, but back to back threes by Matt Gatens have put Iowa up one.

The Illini Win a Wild One.

4.4 seconds were the only thing standing in Indiana's way on their path to overtime.








D It was just a play for us to go back door, and they did a good job switching.

T The last few times in close games we stopped attacking, and coach wanted us to attack.

D I just made them.

T Tyler's been playing well. He plays hard, and he wants the team to win.

Crean

McCamey made a great shot obviously. You ask your team to do everything possible to win, and they did it, we just didn't get the last shot.

It's very hard. We're learning about what it takes to be successful.

Great momentum into half time. We were very excited and never flinched when we were down.

Weber

I didn't yell. At some point there isn't any point in yelling. (at halftime)

They've been through a lot of situations. It's just part of it. (on being unpredictable as a team)

Davis has to change. I love him, great kid... but he has to come to practice everyday and get better.

Keller said, Davis is ready, and we need him. (second half)

We held D accountable, and it worked well. We need to do the same thing with Mike maybe and hope that he will get it all together.

We've been on his case all year, and there's no doubt that he is a huge part of this team... but when you let off he just likes to chill.

There's no doubt. (on getting Tisdale more touches)

Illinois Vs. Indiana Game Blog

The Hoosiers are invading the other Assembly Hall this afternoon in a match up between old rivals. The series, of course, got an extra kick when now L.A. Clipper Eric Gordon made the last minute switch from the Illini to the Hoosiers... And if you ask me... both schools would have been better off if Gordon had stayed with Weber. The Illini took a step back with their momentum, and Indiana basically sold their souls for the kid considering that this team now hasn't won three games in a row a single time under new coach Tom Crean. The Illini are wearing pink shoes and special pink and white jerseys for breast cancer.

Illinois 72 Indiana 70 Final

DEMETRI MCCAMEY!! ILLINI WIN! A screen near mid-court allowed the Junior to get free for a drive down the sideline ending up with a tear drop that hit nothing but the bottom of the net.

4.4 seconds left, and the Illini just need one point to win.

Tied game.

The Illini foul after a turnover, and Indiana has a chance to tie this one up with free throws.

Verdell Jones makes 2 FT, and the score is 70-68 Illinois, 30 left.

The Illini are unable to capitalize, and the ball goes back to Indiana. 1:30 left.

An air ball gives it back to the Illini with a 68-66 lead, 1:51 remaining. The Hoosiers are in need of a turnover, and the Illini are in need of some good decisions. This is a game that we really need.

Illinois back on top 66-64 with 2:45 left.

64-64 with 3:30 left.

The crowd is on their feet finally, and this is turning into a home court advantage.

Mike Davis is in the game now and since his arrival, the Illini are looking more sound with the ball.

56-59 Indiana with 7:30 left.

Mike Davis checks in for the first time in the second half with only 8 minutes left. There has to be more to this story.

McCamey just drilled a contested three at the end of the shot clock. I was ready to start yelling, but he saved himself the time.

49-53 Indiana with 12 minutes left.

The play has gotten really sloppy all around. Indiana is just tossing up quick shots, some of which are going in, and Illinois is fouling with lazy defense.

The game isn't coming to the Illini; we instead are forcing the action. Indiana is capitalizing on bad shots and turnovers. 47-50 Indiana.

47-43 Illinois with 15 left.

Watford was just called for a Technical for throwing an elbow after the play. 2 shots and the ball.

The crowd is back in this one after the Illini open the second half with some of that energy that was missing from the first. Mike Davis really not getting much playing time today. Hopefully this will wake him up because we're going to need him down the stretch.

And just that quickly the score is tied at 36. The Hoosiers made a lay up with 7 seconds left and then a half court shot at the buzzer.

36-31 Illinois with 28 seconds left.

The Illini need to put the Hoosiers away. The lead is only 5 now, and I would assume that Weber isn't happy about it. You can tell that there is talent on this team, you just don't see the effort all of the time.

34-25 with 2:30 left in the first half. The Illini are still letting the Hoosiers hang around like they have so many times while out-playing a team.

24-15 after a bit of an Illini run. Tom Crean is livid on the Indiana bench. The Hoosiers aren't playing with much emotion, and it shows on defense. The Illini are running sets, and they are working for the most part.

Demetri McCamey just made a great pass over half the court to an open Mike Davis for the dunk.

11 minutes left, and the Illini lead this one 15-12.

Dominique Keller just dunked off of a nice pass from Demetri McCamey then went to the bench. The Illini don't need him to score, but he's great at the energy plays.

Tyler Griffey is doing a great job of being aggressive and making the best of his start. 13-9 Illini with 13:33 left in the first half.

Illinois is looking great with this line up. It took 6.5 minutes for the Illini to sub.

Tisdale finally found Griffey down low after what seemed like an eternity. I can't believe no one picked him up.

7-4 Illini with 16 left in the first half.

Tom Crean just yelled something to Bruce Weber, but I couldn't make it out.

Watford, one of the better freshman in the country just threw up an air ball. Hopefully we can get in his head early because he is a big part of the Hoosier attack.

Bill Cole hits the open three. This starting line-up is doing a great job.

Tyler Griffey gets the offensive board and is fouled on the put back.

Bill Cole draws a shooting foul right away which is nice to see.

Tyler Griffey starting in place of Mike Davis.

Illinois Vs. Northwestern Game Thread

I'm sitting in a packed Welsh-Ryan Arena for tonight's match up between The Fighting Illini and in state rival Northwestern. If you haven't been to Welsh-Ryan in a while, this is no longer the easiest place to win in the Big Ten... If the crowd shows up like it has tonight, this "high school" gym can really get rocking. The fans a split at about 65% to 35% in favor of the Purple... a bit different from last year when the Illini may have had over 50% of the fans in Evanston.

Nash hits a put back and even a Brandon Paul three pointer doesn't seem to make this one look any better... This will be a tough loss after what started as a good basketball game.

63-56 Northwestern, under 2 to play.

D.J. Richardson just lost his head and let the shot clock run out... then Shurna hits a three... this game has gone downhill in a hurry.

The Illini are down 4 with under three minutes left, and it's crunch time. Weber's team came into this game with most casual fans not giving Northwestern a chance. A loss here is going to hurt in the public eye, it will also drop the Illini from 4-0 to 4-3 in the Big Ten in a matter of three games...

56-54 Northwestern with 3:45 left.

Nash hits a three, and the Wildcats go up by one.

The Wildcats are hitting their second wind, and the pace is back where it was to begin the game. Illinois is having a hard time getting the ball inside.

51-44 Illinois with 7:30 left in the game.

The Illini need to keep up the pace. They are currently out hustling the Wildcats and that doesn't happen often against a team such as this that relies on its hustle to make up for the lack of athleticism.

D.J. Richardson just drove the baseline and finished with a nice reverse lay-up... good move by the freshman, and I think it's something Weber has expected out of the two freshman guards.

The halftime stats for today's game look nothing like the previous meeting. Last time out, Tisdale and Davis combined for 50+ points in the win... today they have 4 after 20 minutes.

Bill Cole just drove the lane and finished nicely in the paint... good to see the smart play leading up to the shot as well. A good pump fake opened up the lane.

Northwestern has energy, but it's nothing like the first half... The crowd is a little quieter, the pace is a little bit slower, and the defense isn't getting the loose balls like it was the first five minutes. 39-41 Illinois with 17 left.

McCamey at the line with a chance to make this a three point game going into the half... nails them both. 4 seconds left, and the Wildcats come away empty. 39-36 Illinois at the half.

Nash just got away with a pretty blatant travel and then nailed a three.

37-33 Illinois with 3 left in the first half. The pace has been more geared to the Illini as they are on their way to having more than half of their average points at the break.

Demetri McCamey just ran his own 3 on 1... fake the pass and take it yourself.

The score is tied at 15 with 10 left as the Illini have begun to find their stroke. D.J. hits a three, and the Illini have their first lead of the game.

Keller just got the first big Illini play after a baseline dunk.

Weber had made some changes to the line up presumably in hopes of finding some guys who want to be on the floor more. Paul, Keller, Richardson, Griffey, and McCamey are on the floor.

13-6 Northwestern with 12:44 left in the first half.

Northwestern is playing twice as hard as the Illini but even more than that, the crowd is feeding the Purple... It's pretty loud in here!

The first Illini point come 3:30 into the action.

The Illini are shooting a terrible percentage to start the game... try zero after 3 minutes.

The Illini are having a tough time finding a rhythm on offense. Twice now the Illini have turned the ball over on traveling while a player failed to make the first move. The hesitation hasn't been good.

The Wildcats are coming out shooting again... just not quite as hot... But they are out working us on the glass early.

Last time out, the Wildcats got off to a hot start and drained threes like it was all they knew how to do... Hopefully this time out Carmody's squad won't have the hot touch resulting in 47 three point attempts.

The Illini Head to Evanston

The Illini head to Evanston tonight to take on the Wildcats of Northwestern in a battle that features two teams in need of a win to help their March resume. Bruce Weber’s team will enter Welsh-Ryan Arena tonight at a 12-7 clip, 4-2 in the Big Ten. Northwestern on the other hand is 13-5 overall but only 2-4 in conference play.
A lot of fans will point to Illinois’ advantage in the all time series (127-34) and assume that anything short of a blowout win is a let down, but this year things are different. The Wildcats are in real contention for their first trip to the NCAA tournament in program history, so it’s a safe bet that they will give 110% every time out… but then again, you would expect that from this team anyways. Head Coach Bill Carmody has put together a roster of guys who may not be able to jump out of the gym, but they have bought into their roles for this team. Guys like John Shurna could walk right by you on the street, and you wouldn’t look twice… but get him on the court, and you have a player with great heart, hustle, and basketball IQ, maybe the most underrated attribute in today’s game.

Northwestern has always liked to slow things down and make you grind it out on defense, but this year's team likes to move the ball a little bit more quickly. Carmody’s team currently ranks eighth in the NCAA with three point shots made per game… they also are top five in three point shots taken… meaning that there has been a big boost in offensive attempts this season. Twice already this year, including the game in Champaign, Northwestern has taken 47 three point shots in a game… which now sits as the Big Ten record. The Illini bigs are going to have to be ready to get out on the perimeter because in all honestly, the line-up Carmody deploys will mostly likely look like four guards.

What we need to see

1. The Bigs Going Big. Northwestern really lacks a post presence. Luka Mirkovic is listed at 6’11”, 243 lbs. but has never really been a rebounder. Kyle Rowley is one of the biggest bodies in the country at 7’0”, 280 lbs. but lacks athleticism and has trouble covering bigs who can shoot. I hope to see a lot of touches inside, especially after Tisdale and Davis combined for 50 points last time out against the Cats.

2. Guard the Perimeter! I don’t know if I will ever sit through another basketball game where I witness 47 three point attempts from one team… just a crazy stat in itself, but when you realize that the 34% they shot from deep was better than the 33% that they shot from the field in total… you wonder if the team has simply lost all confidence in the inside game. I don’t expect to see 47 attempts again, but guarding the perimeter will be key tonight.

3. Come out Aggressive both halves. Both Bruce Weber and Matt Painter commented that the Illini could have been up 15 points at the half instead of just 4. And even those 4 points didn’t help much seeing as Purdue came out with a purpose in the second half and scored 7 points right off the bat. Weber has tried everything to get this team to play with a chip on their shoulders, but in the end it’s up to the guys.

Quick Hits

• Illinois plays three of its next four games on the road, beginning Saturday night at Northwestern.

• Illinois’ 11-game winning streak over Northwestern is tied for the longest active streak in the Big Ten over a conference opponent (tied with Ohio State’s 11-game win streak over Penn State).

• Demetri McCamey has accounted for nearly 60 percent of Illinois’ offense over the last four games.

• McCamey has scored 972 career points, ranking 44th on the UI all-time list. He is just 28 points away from becoming the 42nd player in school history to join the 1,000-point club.

• McCamey tallied his seventh 20-point game of the season with a season-high 28 points against Purdue on Tuesday. He now has 14 career 20-point games to lead the Illini.

• McCamey has scored at least nine points in 12 straight games. Over that stretch, he is averaging 17.1 points (216) on 51.8 percent shooting (73-141).

• In conference play, McCamey ranks first in the league in both assists (7.2 apg) and assist/turnover ratio (3.6). He has totaled 43 assists in Big Ten games, 13 more than the next closest assists leader.

• Mike Tisdale (all games) ranks third in the conference in field goal percentage (.574), sixth in free throw percentage
(.844) and fifth in blocked shots (1.8 bpg).

• D.J. Richardson ranks second in the Big Ten in 3-point field goal percentage at 45.1 percent (37-82).

What does it all mean?

I would guess that this one is going to be close in the beginning due to the crowd and the energy the Wildcats will have playing at home against the in-state rival. Last time out Northwestern started the game on fire. I don’t think the shot will go in to begin with and the Northwestern offense will go a little bit more traditional. Get the ball inside to Tisdale and Davis and this one should be a W. Illinois 71, Northwestern 64.

Purdue comes out on top in Champaign

The Illini drop their first home game of the season and second straight in the Big Ten 84-78 at the hands of Purdue. It looked good early as the offense was active without the ball, but the Illini could only manage a 4 point lead by halftime. Both Painter and Weber agreed after the game that Purdue was lucky to be down by only that much. "I thought the game could have been determined in the first half," Weber said after the game, "They were doubting a little bit and the chance was there to take the game, but we didn't do it."
Coming into the game, one of my key points was to shut down Hummel and Moore... but they weren't the problem. They did both break double digits, but if you would have offered me before the game to lock in less than 30 points between the two, I would have taken it... The biggest problem came from a guy who wasn't on the scouting report... hell he wasn't even in the scorer's book! Illinois was awarded 2 shots and the ball after Matt Painter sent freshman guard John Hart into the game without putting him on the team roster coming into the game. Hart has only scored in one game this year, entered play averaging 1.1 points per contest... but that didn't matter as he posted 14 points, none bigger than the six that came on threes in the second half seemingly each time the Illini started a run. After the game, Painter was asked about Hart getting a chance tonight, and the response was simple, "His work ethic has really gotten much better".
Weber seemed disappointed that his guys couldn't hang onto the lead from the first half, but what troubled him even more was how it happened. "56 points in a half is way too many to give up on your own court, that and shooting fewer free throws than your opponent... it just can't happen".

Quick Hits

Demetri McCamey led the Illini with a season and game high 28 points and nine assists. Over the last four games, McCamey is averaging 21.8 points and 7 assists. Tonight was also his seventh time this season to break 20 points.

McCamey also got to the free throw line 19 times, eclipsing his previous career-high of 16 free throws set this year at Indiana.

Mike Davis picked up his Big Ten leading ninth double-double of the season, recording 17 points and 15 rebounds. Davis matches his double-double total from last season and now is tied with Ohio State's Evan Turner for most in his career among active Big Ten players.

Davis also set his record for rebounds in a half, pulling in 11 during the first half of play.

D.J. Richardson turned it on late, scoring all 12 of his points in the second half on 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc.

Bill Cole blocked a career high 3 shots.