In the coming weeks leading up to the season, we will give a preview of each of the Big Ten team. Let's go alphabetically, starting with Illinois.
Coach In his first four years at the helm, no coach has more victories than Bruce Weber's 112 wins (Coach K and Billy Donovan are tied). In Weber's first year, Illinois went 37-2 en route to a second place finish in the NCAA tournament. Even with all the early success, there are a lot of questions surrounding this team and Weber as a Division 1 coach. There are two main components being a college coach: X's&O's and recruiting. While Weber obviously has skill as a game coach, he has done a pretty poor job on the recruiting front. Weber has lost high-profile recruiting battles to Duke, Kansas, Indiana, Memphis, Louisville, Kentucky and Oregon. Weber will need to improve in recruiting if he wants to continue his success in the Big 10.
Backcourt One of Illinois' top shooters, Jamar Smith, will redshirt this season after a felony DUI charge last February. Smith crashed into a tree, injuring teammate Brian Carlwell. With Smith out, the Illini will be led by junior Chester Fraizer and freshmen Demetri McCamey. Fraizer was a All-Big Ten defensive selection last season. McCamey is a 4-star recruit according to www.rivals.com. and should give the Illini solid play at the point guard position in both scoring and passing. The backcourt is young and could take time to develop this season.
Frontcourt Brian Randle and Shaun Pruitt should be two familiar names to Hoosier fans. These seniors will provide leadership on the court for Weber and trouble for opposing teams. Pruitt was a 3rd team All-Big Ten selection last season after averaging 11.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. IU fans may remember the 16 point, 12 rebound performance Pruitt put up against the Hoosiers in the Big Ten Tournament last season. Sophomore Brian Carlwell made good contributions to the team before the accident with Smith. He will be ready to play this season.
Overall The Hoosiers were not the only Big 10 team to make an international trip this fall. The Illini went 3-1 during a Labor Day weekend trip to Canada. Illinois easily defeated Ottawa 73-56. However, the other three games were struggles for Illinois. The Illini needed overtime to beat Carleton and McGill and lost to Concordia 86-82. Weber and the Illini will face slightly stronger competition in the Big 10 than McGill and Concordia. It's early, but it seems that Illinois must improve as a team before the season starts in early November.
