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As Alex Legion stepped onto an elevator in a hotel at the Big Ten tournament, a tiny fan asked for his autograph.
Of course, he said, and Legion whisked his signature across an orange 2004-05 Final Four T-shirt. Imagine the adoration if Legion plays up to a lofty reputation built by recruiting experts. Shoot, imagine Illinois' potential if the former Parade All-American plays up to that reputation.
"I think we could be really good," he said before departing on a basketball tour of China today. "Everybody's getting better, working on their weaknesses."
Legion's weaknesses – mainly ballhandling and defense – were part of the reason the Kentucky transfer never found consistent minutes in the UI
rotation last season. Another reason was timing. He became eligible 11 games into the season, when Illinois was 10-1, and the coaches weren't comfortable changing something that wasn't broken.
"It was kind of a hard transition for me, coming in the middle of the semester. They already had a bunch of games under their belt, and they were playing well. So it was hard to break into that," Legion said. "I don't think I really got into a rhythm. It would have helped to play the preseason games. I feel like the preseason games were were probably the most important part of the season for me.
"I think I would have been able to figure out my role a little easier. Obviously I did pretty well in practice, but that's because I'm used to playing against those guys."
For the Illini, there were more highs than lows. For Legion, the reverse was true. He scored at least 10 points in three of the first five games in Big Ten play but scored more than four points only once in the final 14 games.
His inner circle from Michigan expressed its frustration, and a player that once had offers from college basketball's top programs was relegated to being the most talented scout team addition in the Big Ten.
"For one, I expect him to hit a lot more shots next year than he did this year. Alex is one of the best shooters I've ever seen," senior-to-be Dominique Keller said. "You watched him this year; he hit everything in practice. I think with the expectations around him and sitting out a semester, that threw him off a little bit. I think it was too much pressure on him to just come in and do something immediately."
Legion also knows he has two more seasons to live up to his billing. His goals for 2009-10: to earn a starting spot and "contribute to our team as much as possible."
"He made some progress over the spring," coach Bruce Weber said. "We're just trying to get him to play with a little more emotion, a sense of urgency, a quickness. He seems to be in one speed. You can't play basketball in one speed. It's changing speeds, slowing down, blowing by people, getting angles. His whole life he's just kind of caught it and jumped up and shot it. Be a little more aggressive, a little more competitive."
In a way, Legion said, his struggles as a sophomore serve as motivation for the future.
"I think I'll come in next season with a chip on my shoulder and prove the people wrong that don't think I can play," he said.
Paul Klee
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