Wow....Illinois has to go as many as 39 minutes with starters as they out-shoot (50% to 46%), severely outrebound (42-28 ), and get more steals, blocks, and way, way more FT's and FT attempts, and still barely pull this game out.
On paper it should have been a blowout, so I am a little stumped how they almost blew the game and had to win on a shot in final few seconds, playing with Big Ten refs.
The six Illini newcomers, including starter Rodney Alexander (0-3), Demetri McCamey (5-7), Bill Cole (0-1), Steve Holdren (0-2), Mike Tisdale (1-1), and Mike Davis (0-0) accounted for 17 pts, 10 of them from McCamey.
One notable absence.....Jeffrey Jordan did not play at all in this game.
Is this just some sort of posturing by Bruce Weber to prove he isn't going to favor the walk-on with the famous dad?
Jordan might have actually helped the Illini as some of their guards (Trent Meacham) stunk it up.