For the Fans

Illinois continues it's solid play!

Posted by: Tom Young

Wednesday, December 24, 2008 7:49 AM

Wow!  Illinois is 11-1 after a thrashing of Missouri 75-59.  There wasn’t much that went wrong in this game.  McCamey got hot early, and it was pretty much over after that. 

 

The thing I liked seeing the best was the rebounding.  After have some games this year where we have been crushed on the boards, we out rebounded Mizzou 32-25.  At least early in the game, I saw some signs of boxing out.  Instead of relying on athleticism to get the board, we got some of those boards with fundamentals.  If the Illini can continue to improve on the glass, they just became that much harder to beat. 

 

My last entry I mentioned Trent Meacham and how I felt he disappeared in the bigger games.  I was so happy to see him kick butt last night, leading the way with 23 points.  He nailed three three’s and also went an impressive 8-9 from the free throw line.  Meacham kept Alex Legion on the bench.  As much as I would like to see Legion get on the floor and get into a rhythm, I will gladly take Meacham if he continues to play like that. 

 

It's always fun to watch McCamey when he catches fire.  There are times when he can completely take over a game, and last night he definitely did that early on.  My only complaint with him, and this is a minor complaint, is the way he does things after catching fire.  He put up a couple of ridiculous low percentage shots that had absolutely no chance of going in.  I’m okay with heat checks, but there is a difference between a heat check and an awful shot. 

 

It is all good things for the Illini going into Christmas, and because of them, we're all a little happier this holiday.  I wish you all a Merry Christmas and please take it easy on those roads.  I hate getting calls in the morning about accidents during less than perfect weather.  Just give yourself some extra time when you travel, and no doubt you will arrive at your destination safely.  Just put on some good music and your trip won’t seem so long, that’s how I do it.  Have a great Holiday.

 

I-L-L…

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