Preview - Fighting ILLINI Basketball

The Final 4 teams of 1989 and 2005 were without a doubt the best teams in school history. I have not been pleased with the recruiting class Bruce Weber has brought in until now. With senior players Demetri McCamey and Mike Davis leading the way along with a top ten recruiting class led by Jereme Richmond, this team has the makings of a Final Four sleeper. Sophomores Brandon Paul should improve after a rocky freshmen year but DJ Richardson has the makings an all Big Ten player in the future. DJ Richardson's hidden potential is similar when Deron Williams starred for ILLINI.

Crandall Head should be healthy after tearing his ACL last summer and should provide some offense for this group. Myles Head will be thrown into the starting lineup day one as he's a legit seven footer.

With Michigan State, Ohio State, and Purdue as the best teams in the conference, this Fighting ILLINI team should challenge the Buckeyes for the third best team in the conference.

Championship Week

I can't lie...these mid-major conference games are boring. Bring on the big boys ACC, Big 12, SEC, Big 10 tournaments!!!!! What are these mid-major conferences playing for? The rights for a 12 to 16 seed but every year one of these mid-major schools have deep tourney run. Gonzaga lost to St. Marys in the WCC Title game which means nothing because the Gonzaga Bulldogs were already in the dance.

Illinois went from a sure fire NCAA tourney team to a bubble team after losing to Minnesota, Ohio State, and Wisconsin. This Friday, the ILLINI have a rematch with the Badgers in the first round of the Big 10 tournament. Wisconsin is only playing for a higher NCAA seed but the ILLINI cannot afford to loose or it's hello NIT.

With conference tournament games being played this week, 4 out of 6 POY in BCS conferences hail from Chicago:

• Jerome Randle - California - Pac 10
• Evan Turner - Ohio State - Big 10
• Sherron Collins - Kansas - Big 12
• John Schyer - Duke - ACC

Northwestern Basketball in the Big Dance

I just watched the Northwestern Wildcats loose in overtime to Illinois but for the first time Northwestern basketball is for real. In the past, the Wildcats have always been the Big 10 door mat but not this season. Juice Thompson got the steal at the end of regulation and barely made the half court shot to win the game. Right now the Cats should put this game behind them as they face Michigan State Spartans this weekend. I still believe the Cats will make the Big Dance this season spoiling one of the other Big 10 teams.

Speaking of the Spartans Kalin Lucas came off the bench and did exactly what the Big 10 POY was supposed to do against Texas-Arlington. Let's hope the Spartans don't overlook the Wildcats because this could be a bad loss on their NCAA tournament resume.

Well tune in tomorrow as I list my all decade team.