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Illinois basketball surprises
and questions
By Greg
Taylor
[NOV.
28, 2000]
Today,
the LDN takes a look at five early-season surprises from Illinois men's
basketball.
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1.
Emergence of Frank Williams as the team leader. Most people
considered this year's team to be Cory Bradford's for the taking. Williams
has proved early on he has improved greatly and is the best player on the
court most of the time. Williams single-handedly brought Illinois within
range of knocking off No. 2 Arizona. Many experts believe Williams has
become one of the top three or four point guards nationally and has a real
future at the next level.
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2.
The rebounding force Brian Cook has become. Lincoln's No. 1 native
son appears to be rebounding with a never-seen-before level of intensity.
He was especially impressive against top ten teams Maryland and Arizona.
Now, if his outside shooting becomes effective (à la Lincoln high school
games), Cook will become a national force to be dealt with.
3.
Shooting consistency of Sean Harrington. Harrington looks like he
should still be in high school but has shot unbelievably well from the
field. The talk in Champaign on Sunday was Harrington may move into the
starting lineup if he continues to hit with consistency and Bradford
continues to struggle.
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4.
Quality bench contributions from Robert Archibald, Lucas Johnson,
Damir Krupalija and Harrington. Archibald needs to stay out
of foul trouble but looks like a new, more aggressive player. Johnson has
become the sixth man Self was hoping for, and Krupalija, when he has
played, brings enthusiasm and a rebounding force off the bench. Add
Harrington's shooting, and Illinois is developing a very strong bench.
Mahomet freshmen Brett Melton has looked good at times and could
eventually enter the rotation as well.
5.
The impact of the Bill Self defensive system. When Illinois was
down to UNLV by 14 in the first game in Maui, no one on the Illini bench
panicked. Why? Self's system defensively is perfect for igniting
comebacks. All three games in Hawaii found Illinois down by substantial
amounts, and all three games saw Illinois recover and come all the way
back.
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Conversely,
five serious questions still exist about the Illinois program:
1.
Will Illinois get serious about free throw shooting? They cannot
seriously expect to contend for any titles and miss the easy ones like
they have early in the year. Against Maryland, McClain alone missed three
one-and-ones in the first half and allowed Illinois to go from up by four
to down by four in a two-minute span. Illinois must make the freebees.
2.
Will Cory Bradford regain his shooting touch? He just looks unhappy
on the court, and this must change if Illinois wants to make some serious
noise. Many feel his current streak of hitting at least one 3-point basket
in 69 straight games may actually be hurting him. Whatever the problem is,
look for Self to work hard to help Bradford regain his form of old.
[to top of second column in
this article] |
3.
Will Illinois' lack of athleticism haunt them late in the
season (especially in the NCAA tourney). The Self system will really
be fun in the years to come when Self is able to get serious
athletes in the program (like November signees Luther Head of
Chicago and Roger Powell of Joliet). The problem Illinois will face
is in March, when cat-quick NCAA tourney teams come calling.
Illinois could struggle (see last year's Florida game for
reference).
4.
What will Sergio McClain's role be with this Illini team? It
must be hard for McClain to watch former high school teammates
Williams and Marcus Griffin develop into two of the top three
players in the program. McClain could bring a great deal of senior
leadership to the program but only if he will play within himself
and not try to shoot 3-pointers or drive to the basket against
6-foot-10 post players. McClain has always struggled with his role
in college basketball, and this question must be answered sooner
rather than later.
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5.
Are any Illini not long for the program? Word out of Champaign is
one or two Illini may not be with the program next year even though
they would still have years of eligibility remaining. The jury is
still out on whether Peoria's Jerrance Howard can contribute
on the Big Ten level. Maybe Howard will follow in former Illini Rich
Beyers’ footsteps and land in Normal to be a backcourt running
mate with Lincoln high school's Gregg Alexander. Or maybe he heads
home to Peoria and joins the Bradley program. Maybe Howard goes to a
Division II program and plays right away (Fess Hawkins did this last
year). Or maybe he stays in Champaign for three more years and
follows in the footsteps of former Peoria Central star Chris
Reynolds of Indiana and becomes a defensive standout and dependable
point guard after Williams leaves. This question will not be
answered for some time.
Illinois
basketball faces their biggest challenge of the year tonight at 8
p.m. on a so-called neutral court in Greensboro, N.C. (51 miles from
Duke's Durham campus). The game is televised on ESPN and will be
seen nationally. LDN prediction for the Duke/Illinois game:
Illinois hangs tough for most of the game, but in the end, the home
cooking tastes real good to Duke: Duke
77, Illinois 72.
[Greg
Taylor]
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Illinois
disposes of Texas Southern
By Greg
Taylor
[NOV.
27, 2000]
OK,
so you are the eighth-ranked team in the country. And you just returned
from a holiday tournament in Hawaii where you went 2-1 and took the No. 2
team in the country down to the wire. And you have a date with the No. 1
team in the land Tuesday night in far-away North Carolina. Where do you
want to be on the Sunday afternoon following Thanksgiving? How about
playing a team from the Southwest Athletic — a team that just happens to
be winless on the season?
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Well,
Illinois was faced with just a challenge, facing Texas Southern in the
Assembly Hall Sunday afternoon. Illinois slopped its way to an 86-67
victory over the visitors from Houston. Illinois was led in scoring by
sophomore reserve Sean Harrington, who was a perfect 6 for 6 from the
field, including five 3-pointers, to finish with 17 points. Senior Marcus
Griffen chipped in 16 points, mostly on dunks or layups, and junior
reserve Robert Archibald scored 12 points in just 11 minutes of action and
was also perfect from the field (5 for 5). Junior guard Cory Bradford
continued to struggle with his shooting, making just 2 of 8 shots and only
1 of 5 3-pointers to finish with 6 points. Lincoln's Brian Cook played 19
minutes, finishing with 9 points and three rebounds.
[to top of second column in
this article] |
Next
up for Illinois is a game on the national stage of ESPN tomorrow night
against No. 1 Duke University. The game is a part of the Big Ten-ACC
challenge and is being played on a neutral site in Greensboro, N.C. Duke is
led by All-American forward Shane Battier and features four former McDonalds
All-Americans: Battier, Carlos Boozer, Mike Dunleavy and point guard Jason
Williams. Illinois will have to bring their A game if they hope to compete
with the Blue Devils but should have one important advantage: team depth.
Illinois has used 10 players regularly in the early season, while Duke will
usually bring in only one or two players off its bench.
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After
Tuesday, Illinois travels to Manhattan, Kan., on Saturday to face Kansas
State, a team they beat by 33 points last season.
Illinois'
next home game is Wednesday, Dec. 6, against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Coming
tomorrow: LDN looks at the
Illinois basketball program: five surprises in the early season and four
question marks which need to be answered.
[Greg
Taylor] |
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The
state of Lincoln Railer basketball
By Greg
Taylor
[NOV.
22, 2000]
The
Lincoln Railers began their 2000-2001 season Monday evening with a victory
over Limestone High School during the opening session of the annual
Lincoln Thanksgiving Tournament. Lincoln will play four more games over
this holiday weekend, against the following teams: Pontiac, Danville,
Rockford Guilford and Rockford Jefferson. Lincoln High School has compiled
an incredible 97-18 record the last four seasons, highlighted by a trip to
the Elite Eight during the 1998-99 season. What will this season have in
store? Only time will tell, but the LDN was able to sit down with varsity
assistant coach Eric Ewald on Monday afternoon and assess the state of
Lincoln Railer basketball:
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Strengths
1.
Senior leadership
The
Railers will be led by their four seniors, including Gregg Alexander, Chad
Tungate, Paris Williams and J.T. Ashley. When January rolls around, look
for the Railers to start these four seniors with consistency.
2.
Overall team depth
In
Monday's opener, the Railer's used nine players even though two post
players were unavailable for game action. Look for the Railers to play up
to 10 players regularly. Depth will also allow the Railer's to expend
significant amounts of energy on defense, which could become a real team
strength.
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3.
Perimeter play
Mark
this down right now — no team in the Central State Eight has the
perimeter players LCHS is blessed with this season. It starts with
Alexander, who recently signed with nearby Division I Illinois State
University. Gregg will lead the Railers both offensively and defensively.
The play of Tungate and Williams will surprise many Railer fans, as both
players appear to have the confidence and ability to take over a game if
needed. Backing up these three seniors will be juniors Michael Aper and
Andy Knopp and sophomore Cory Farmer.
4.
The 1-2-2 ball press
Most
teams would face certain demise if they started and played a lineup
featuring primarily guards and undersized post players. However, for
decades the 1-2-2 ball press has allowed Lincoln to remain very successful
against teams from Springfield, Champaign, Decatur, Bloomington-Normal and
Quincy. Look for Alexander to play the point on the press defensively and
use his 6-5 frame to record steals and force the opposition into mistakes.
5.
Coaching staff
Neal
Alexander has proven time and again how to win and compete at a very high
level. In most other communities, coach Al would be revered for the
consistent excellence year in and year out. However, in Lincoln, fans have
become spoiled with yearly success. The LDN realizes the value coach Al
brings to the basketball program and salutes him for his continued
success. The remainder of the coaching staff, consisting of Eric Ewald,
Donnie Aeilts, Darrin Worth and Jason Osborn, bring great game knowledge
and passion for excellence to LCHS basketball.
[to top of second column in
this article] |
Weaknesses
1.
Overall team size and strength
This
will force the Railers to create an up-tempo attack both offensively and
defensively and mandate the Railers get very serious about blocking out for
rebounds on both ends of the court.
2.
Post play, especially early in the season
The
Railers will be without two former starters, J.T. Ashley and Derek Schrader,
for early parts of this season. Players like Brandon Welch and Adam
Schonauer will be called up to step their game up a level, and others, like
Brock Werner, will need to be ready to go each night as well. The wild card
in this mix may be sophomore Ryne Komnick. He appears to have both post and
perimeter skills and may allow the Railers to play him in a post position
defensively, while utilizing his perimeter skills on offense. As a result,
look for the Railers to play four and even five perimeter players at a time
(remember the '95-'96 Railer team?). This will work in some situations, but
early season games against Danville, Peoria Manual and Springfield will
challenge the Railers, not to mention the Bloomington-Normal Holiday
Classic, featuring many great teams and players, including all-state center
Eddie Curry (6-10, 275 pounds) of Thornwood.
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3.
Schedule
Once again
the Railers have one of the toughest schedules in central Illinois. Not only
will the Railers face each CS8 team twice again this season, but they will
also face Peoria Manual (away), Peoria Richwoods (away), Danville (home),
Centralia (away) and Lockport (home), as well as playing in the B-N Holiday
Classic.
Overall,
Lincoln will once again have exciting players and shoot for excellence on
the court. As fans, we have a great opportunity to positively encourage
and uplift both players and coaches, both during the games and away from
the gym while in the community. For several decades, Lincoln basketball has
been known for greatness both in and out of Lincoln. Hopefully, the season
will provide more of the same.
[Greg
Taylor]
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LCHS roster
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Year |
Pos. |
3 |
Paris
Williams |
5'11" |
150 |
Senior |
G |
4 |
Gregg
Alexander |
6'4" |
185 |
Senior |
G |
5 |
Ryne Komnick |
6'0" |
190 |
Sophomore |
G-F |
10 |
Chad Tungate |
6'0" |
150 |
Senior |
G |
12 |
Chris
Bunch |
5'7" |
135 |
Sophomore |
G |
14 |
Andy Knopp |
5'11" |
160 |
Junior |
G |
20 |
Michael Aper |
5'11" |
150 |
Junior |
G |
22 |
Josh
Gallagher |
6'1" |
160 |
Sophomore |
G-F |
24 |
J.T.
Ashley |
6'4" |
180 |
Senior |
F |
30 |
Adam
Schonauer |
6'1" |
170 |
Junior |
F |
32 |
Cory
Farmer |
5'11" |
160 |
Sophomore |
G |
34 |
John
Peters |
6'0" |
140 |
Sophomore |
G |
40 |
Derek
Schrader |
6'0" |
200 |
Sophomore |
F |
42 |
Brandon
Welch |
6'4" |
175 |
Junior |
F-C |
44 |
Brock
Werner |
6'4" |
185 |
Sophomore |
F-C |
50 |
Lucas
Lamb |
6'2" |
180 |
Sophomore |
C |
Head
coach: Neil Alexander
Assistant
coaches: Eric Ewald (varsity assistant), Donnie Aeilts
(sophomore head coach), Darrin Worth (freshmen head coach), Jason
Osborn (freshmen assistant coach)
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Upcoming schedule
Nov.
22, 24, 25 |
Holiday
tournament in Lincoln |
Friday,
Dec. 1 |
At
Sacred Heart-Griffin |
Friday,
Dec. 8 |
Home
against Taylorville |
Saturday,
Dec. 9 |
At
Peoria Manual |
Friday,
Dec. 15 |
Home
against Springfield |
Dec.
27, 28, 29, 30 |
Bloomington-Normal
Holiday tournament |
Friday,
Jan. 5 |
At
Springfield Lanphier |
Saturday,
Jan. 6 |
At
Taylorville |
Friday,
Jan. 12 |
Home
against Chatham-Glenwood |
Saturday,
Jan. 13 |
At
Springfield Southeast |
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