At one point Dee Brown just sat on the court and watched everybody else head to the sidelines during a Wake Forest timeout. The Deamon Deacons looked like they just wanted to get on the bus, while the Fighting Illini looked like it was time to tap a keg and lean it under the north basket. Dee just soaked in the moment. His smile said it all. His smile said, “Hey, we’re pretty f@#$ing good!”
There are statement games and there are STATEMENT games. What Illinois did to number one Wake last night is tantamount to whizzing their name into the snow in front of Wake’s house. If Wake was number one, what does that make Illinois? What’s higher than number one? We’re 0.5! We’re 0.5!
So far the Illini have treated their opponents like the first five games were those exhibitions that teams schedule against Marathon Oil or the Allman Brothers or whoever will show up for a scrimmage.
It won’t always be this easy.
Will it?
Common sense says no. Common sense says Wake was exposed last night and that while the Illini are very good, they just haven’t faced a team at their level yet. The question is whether one of those teams is actually on the Illini’s schedule.
Dating back to last January the Illini have now won 20 of the last 22 games they’ve played. Sometime after the embarassing home loss to Purdue (only the second in six years at Assembly Hall) and the humiliating road loss at Northwestern last year, the Illini bought in to what Bruce Weber was screeching at them (and I mean screeching—the man sounds like he’s got an airhorn lodged in his throat). Since then they’ve been, as Chuck Daly would say, awfully good.
They lost to Duke in the NCAAs because Duke had Luol Deng and the Illini didn’t. Last I checked, Luol was suiting up for the Bulls and Scottie Pippen was freaking out the Comcast Sports Net censors by chatting on the air about how big his “balls” are.
So what am I saying here (you wonder, like you wonder every day what this incomprehensible drivel is about)? Should we caution ourselves? Should we be objective, or pessimistic about the Illini? Should we guard our hopes about them in case they flop?
Oh, just stop acting like a Cubs fan for once, will you? Don’t you see what I see? This is an Illini team that has the depth, the talent and the will to go an awfully long way this year. These kinds of teams don’t come by these parts that often.
Throw caution to the wind. Run around the house with scissors in your hand. Drink the milk with the expiration date that’s dangerously passed. Live a little. This isn’t that “dangerous”, it’s not like having condomless sex with a Haitian prostitute. It’s college basketball for chrissakes!
And throw yourself headlong onto the Illini bandwagon. Sure it might crash. But you know what…it just might not.
———-
How do you defend the Illini? Skip Prosser at one point in the second half looked like he was actually having a root canal on the sidelines. The Illini had the following lineup on the floor, Dee Brown, Deron Williams, Roger Powell, Bake McBride and Nick Smith. Wake had gone to a zone and the ball was whizzing around with startling efficiency. And every single one of the Illini on the floor was liable to sink a three if you gave them a half step. Yup, even the 7’2 freak.
Later on, the Illini went with a lineup of Brown, Williams, Luther Head, McBride and Powell. Nobody bigger than 6’6. Wake couldn’t zone that bunch either, but it didn’t dare to go man-to-man.
Everybody’s waiting to see what happens when the Illini match up with a team with a “dominant big man.” You know what? Dominant big men don’t play college basketball anymore. They go straight to the NBA. As Rick Pitino will tell you, “Emeka Okafor’s not walking through that door. Tim Duncan’s not walking through that door.”
I can’t emphasize enough how impressive it is to watch the Illini pass the basketball. It’s not just a lost art, you need Indiana Jones to try and find it these days. Five guys passing with a purpose and then cutting to set up the next pass. It’s like somebody went back to the mid-80s and channelled the Bobby Knight offense and this time recruited actual athletes to run it.
Watch the Illini play offense and then wait around for the next game and watch somebody else play it. Case in point, last night UNC and Indiana played on ESPN right after the Illini. North Carolina has a very good team, maybe a Final Four team, and they run some good “stuff” on offense. But it’s just not as fluid. There’s more one-on-one. Lots of passing and standing around. And it works. But it just points out how unique what the Illini are doing is. If they were ever pushed in the second half they’d score 100 points every time out. They’re always on pace to do it in the first half, but they reign it in for the second half because they’re up by 30.
Jake will bristle at this, but it’s true. Right now, the Illini are playing like the Polish Johnny Cash, Mike Krya;djkjfdkja was coaching them. The motion offense, the unselfishness, the break your will to live defense.
It’s fun. And who knows if Bruce Weber will ever be able to recruit these kinds of players? All I know is he’s coaching them right now, and he’s coaching the hell out of them. So I just plan on enjoying it.
———-
Jason Giambi has told a grand jury in the BALCO case that he used steroids, specifically testosterone, human growth hormone and the BALCO specialities “the cream” and “the clear.” His little brother Jeremy says he did too. So far Jason has an MVP award, a huge Yankees contract and pituitary gland cancer to show for his troubles. And check out this quote from Jeremy.
Nedrow suggested Jeremy Giambi probably also trusted Anderson’s drugs because his brother had taken them, too.
Said Jeremy: “Yeah, and Jason didn’t die.”
Well, not yet anyway.
The Nomar Era is about to be extended. One thing that’s delayed the final contract details between Nomar and the Cubs is that Nomar’s agent is Arn Tellem. Arn was at the BALCO trial, because two of his clients are the Giambi brothers.
It was over early. Very early.
Mike Downey’s lucid enough to say Illinois is number one.
The Illini won’t politic for number one. Unless they stumble against Arkansas on Saturday, they won’t have to.
Ty Willingham got whacked by some pretty rich white dudes.
Kobe, you ignorant slut.
Brian Urlacher said he’d be out ten days. Ten days ago. He’s a man of his word.
The Astros have made a token “hey, can’t say we didn’t try” bid for Carlos Beltran. How cute.
Ron Zook looks like the next Illini football coach. Better alert Greek Row.
Urban Meyer is set to meet with Notre Dame officials. Ooh, this is shocking, isn’t it?
Mariotti puts down the doughnut to get giddy over the Illini.
Roz wonders if the Bulls should trade Tyson and/or Eddy to Toronto for the shell of what used to be Vince Carter?
Andy Katz is ready to make the Illini number one.
Alan Grant doesn’t get it. Notre Dame’s firing of Ty Willingham had everything to do with setting itself apart from the rest of college football again. Ty’s team lost 15 of it’s last 28 games. That’s what got him fired. You can’t polish the golden dome with a sub .500 record. And if you have to fire coaches every three years to find one that works, you do it. Besides, Alan’s alma mater just fired Ty’s successor after three years, where’s the outrage over that?
What, are the Griz trying to assemble the NBA’s first 5’6 and under coaching staff? Mike Fratello and Eric Musselman? Where’s Muggsy Bogues and Spud Webb?
If you were one of those who didn’t think Omar Minaya was dumb enough to trade for Sammy Sosa. He’s going to trade for Felix Heredia. That makes him dumb enough to do anything.
The Yankees are mad at the Mets for driving up pitchers’ salaries with the ridiculous offer to Kris and Anna Benson, and they’re looking to trade Kenny Lofton to Philly for Felix Rodriguez.
Tom Brokaw’s gone, and we’ll miss the way he mumbled just well enough to be understood.
America’s finest news source with a takeoff on the Chip Caray Terror Alert System.
How’s that link to the Nomar extension working?
And one of the reasons’s Nomar’s getting a one year deal is that he just might be "too shrinky" in these post BALCO days. Having Arn as his agent only makes you go "Hmmmm…." a little bit more.
Just fine.
Now, anyway.
Nice slime without evidence, Chuck.
Nomar on the juice? I don’t think so, Chuck.
You know, it’s comments like Chuck’s and the daily near-slandering of Sammy by Boers and Bernstein and countless others that makes you wish somebody would get sued someday. While I don’t doubt that it’s possible Sammy and others have used steroids, HGH, etc., there’d better be some damn proof before people start speculating on the air and in print.
Too shrinky? Was Nomar ever big? He’s never been 200 lbs. as far as I know.
Breaking news…
Illinois just scored again.
Andy Katz states that he doesn’t think that Illinois will come clost to losing until February against MSU. I don’t buy it. You don’t sweep through road games in the Big Ten.
It’s not like power is such a huge part of Nomar’s game. He’s a slasher. Arn Tellem is Toni Kukoc’s agent, too, so Chuck must think Toni’s on the juice as well.
Hey, there isn’t enough room up in here for both you and Bilas, Jake. And thanks for letting me post this comment with your latest Duke fanboy piece.
You’re mean! We hate you. When we go home we’re going to pout in the basement until mom says it’s time for dinner!
And yes, we’re all 40 years old!
I fired Mark Bartelstein so I could hire Arn Tellem. Must be because he can get me roided up so I can handle those crowds in Detroit.
I’m also a slasher.
Other than Giambi, whom do we have evidence on? We know at least 7% of MLB players tested positive (yeah, only 7% are on the juice). Ken Cam is dead, so, all we have on everyone else is speculation.
So, then, whom do we speculate on? People who use steroids tend to have repeated injuries, generally muscle or tendon related. And flocking with other known users is not a great way to keep your name clear.
But, given that Nomar has such a history, speculation that his signing is delayed because of such concerns and associations is a "slime."
Gotcha.
Can’t believe you missed this one:
http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/sports/10319882.htm
I’ll leave it to someone else to dig up the photo of Lima singing the National Anthem, wife and child by his side.
"You know, it’s comments like Chuck’s and the daily near-slandering of Sammy by Boers and Bernstein and countless others that makes you wish somebody would get sued someday."
You know, I should be a politician. Such work gets people elected.
Actually, Chuck, folks who use steroid generally get bigger when they take ’em. Speculating that Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa have taken steroids throughout their careers is supported by the fact that Bond’s melon is the twice the size it used to be and Sammy’s no longer the skinny, speedy kid he was in ’93. Nomar is neither particularly large nor has appearance changed. So yeah, we’re right to criticize you for just pulling something out of your ass.
Listen, I already have Chuck beat. Didn’t I convince everyone that Prior is on the juice?
There are rumors about Nomar, *broadcast* rumors, that he "enlarged" while in the minors.
Just want to let you all know that I am taking Andy’s advice, running with scissors, and swilling the Orange Kool-Aid.
HEEEEY, KOOL AIIID!!
OHHHHH YEAHHHHHH!
F–k Jason Giambi, he’ll be dead in a year.
I-L-L….
Jason? Dead in a year? That gives me until about 4:32 PM today.
It was SHRINKAGE!
There’s no way I cheat on my wife – have you seen her cans?
As we shall see, the concept of time has no meaning before the beginning of the universe. This was first pointed out by St. Augustine. When asked: What did God do before he created the universe? Augustine didn’t reply: He was preparing Hell for people who asked such questions. Instead, he said that time was a property of the universe that God created, and that time did not exist before the beginning of the universe. by poker
A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools. by viagra
But here steps in Satan, the eternal rebel, the first free-thinker and emancipator of worlds. He makes man ashamed of his bestial ignorance and obedience; he emancipates him, stamps upon his brow the seal of liberty and humanity, in urging him to disobey and eat of the fruit of knowledge. by free online casino
Absolute justice is achieved by the suppression of all contradiction: therefore it destroys freedom. by poker strategy
I make no secret of changing my mind on one or two important issues….I’ve never thought it a virtue to adopt a position and try to get famous as a person who defends that position, like a purveyor of a brand name, like you’re selling cornflakes. by cheap soma online
play online poker As with the Christian religion, the worst advertisement for Socialism is its adherents.
online casino History is philosophy derived from examples.
online poker Man is condemned to be free.
online poker Ethiopians make their gods black and snub-nosed, Thracians red-haired and with blue eyes; so also they conceive the spirits of the gods to be like themselves.
buy levitra online There can be no other truth to take off from than this: I think, therefore, I exist. There we have the absolute truth of consciousness becoming aware of itself.
casino games During the first assault of passion as under a thunder stroke the sentiments of virtue may yield for a moment.
online poker It is not in giving life but in risking life that man is raised above the animal; that is why superiority has been accorded in humanity not to the sex that brings forth but to that which kills.
buy viagra online The greatest happiness of the greatest number is the foundation of morals and legislation.
free poker games Religion is still parasitic in the interstices of our knowledge which have not yet been filled. Like bed-bugs in the cracks of walls and furniture, miracles lurk in the lacunae of science. The scientist plasters up these cracks in our knowledge; the more militant Rationalist swats the bugs in the open. Both have their proper sphere and they should realize that they are allies.
internet casino To command the professors of astronomy to confute their own observations is to enjoin an impossibility, for it is to command them not to see what they do see, and not to understand what they do understand, and to find what they do not discover.