| | By Jay Bilas
Special to ESPN.com
|
 |
|
|
Friday, Oct. 13
When Lon Kruger left the Illinois program for the Atlanta Hawks, the Illini tabbed Tulsa coach Bill Self as his successor.
Illinois made a great choice. Self, who spent most of his life in Oklahoma, is one of the brightest coaches in the game and is rising rapidly with his up-tempo style and tough-minded approach to defense.
Illinois proved to be a year away last season. Frank Williams struggled at the point guard spot, and the Illini never were able to jell as a unit. Illinois was described as a multiple-personality team; one that could win on sheer talent but never seemed to be on the same page.
One thing is for certain this season -- the 2000-01 Illini will get out and run, and they will guard people.
|
|
|
Frontcourt
Illinois has two very talented inside players in Marcus Griffin and Brian Cook, but even with those two potential stars and a supporting cast of big men, the Illini were out-rebounded in Big Ten play. If
Illinois wants to go to Minneapolis in April, rebounding must become a
strong point rather than a relative weakness.
Griffin came to Illinois last season as the National Junior College Player of the Year, and performed
well before injuring his knee. Griffin scored 10.7 points a game, added five rebounds and shot 54 percent from the floor.
He proved at 6-foot-9 that he's a powerful player who can score inside, rebound and defend.
Griffin is also an emotional, hardworking player who is a good passer out of the post. When he went down with his knee injury, he was leading the Illini in scoring and rebounding. When he returned, he was never quite the same. Griffin will be a force if he improves his rebounding and free-throw shooting.
Cook (10.2 ppg and 4.8 rpg in the Big Ten) is athletic, mobile and fundamentally
sound. He blossomed with Griffin out of the lineup, scoring 20 points against Penn
State and 19 against Iowa. Cook is a good shooter and can really run
the floor and finish on the break.
After a solid freshman season, Cook is ready to be a star caliber player. But, like Griffin, Cook must rebound with
more aggressiveness and passion.
In two seasons, Robert Archibald has proved to be a tough player with a great feel, and he is an
excellent helpside defender. Archibald didn't score much (3.4 ppg), but his defensive ability will score him
points with Self, who will appreciate how aware Archibald is on the defensive end and how well he communicates. He's also a good rebounder who has a chance this season to be a very good contributor.
|  | | Cory Bradford can score, but he needs to be more consistent this season for the Illini. |
Lucas Johnson (6.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg) and Damir Krupalija (4.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg) are both decent rebounders
who will see time up front. Krupalija has had some knee problems but has
played through pain in the past.
Backcourt
Frank Williams led the Illini in assists, steals and free throw percentage. He also led the team in poor decisions.
Kruger and Williams battled over Williams' idea of what he should be doing out on the
floor: running the team or looking to make the spectacular play. Even
though he had an up-and-down season, Williams put up solid numbers, averaging 11.4 points and 4.1 assists, while collecting 74 steals.
Williams is an outstanding talent with the potential to be a great
college player. He can break down defenses and can penetrate and push
the ball upcourt in a hurry. Under Kruger, Williams had to run a lot of set
plays, which was not his strong suit. Maybe that's why he shot just 38 percent from the field.
Self will let Williams be free in transition and try and allow him to play faster. Still, Williams must
improve his error rate and eliminate his erratic exchanges. One thing that
will put Williams in good stead is the fact that he plays hard and can
score.
Cory Bradford, who played some point as a freshman two seasons ago, should be the Illini's top perimeter scorer. Bradford is athletic and can really score, although he takes too many shots to put up his numbers (15.3 ppg).
Illinois was always looking to free him up with screens, but Bradford saw more determined
and complex defenses last season that were geared toward stopping him. Bradford shot just 37 percent and was very streaky. He endured some nightmarish shooting nights but kept shooting and was still the primary
focus of Kruger's sets.
Williams and Bradford will again have the ball in their hands but must be more judicious in shot selection. There were
several games last season where inside options were bypassed for challenged perimeter shots. That cannot continue to happen if Illinois wants to challenge for the Big Ten title.
Sergio McClain (6.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 53 steals) remains a versatile swingman who can play three different positions. McClain's numbers went down last season, but he is still a good slasher who can attack the basket and finish. He might have lost confidence under Kruger, but McClain can get new life under Self, who should appreciate his toughness.
Freshman Brad Melton is a good perimeter shooter, as is sophomore Sean Harrington. Freshman Jerrance Howard can handle the ball and penetrate. He should be able to back up Williams.
Bottom Line
llinois has a brutal schedule, which will provide the Illini a chance to bounce up and down in the polls, not to mention the minds of its fans. However, if the Illini approach the schedule correctly, Illinois can really benefit from the difficult slate and be a tough, tested team in March.
Bill Self will get these guys to play hard together, rebound and take better shots, something that Illinois did not do consistently last season. This team has a chance to be very good. | |
|
