Illini Tale of the Tape: Michigan State Spartans vs. Illinois (2/6/2010)
By Editorial Staff
With ESPN’s GameDay on campus, the Assembly Hall was the epicenter of the college basketball universe, at least for one Saturday night, when the Illini took on Michigan State on February 6th.
With 6 of its next 8 games against ranked teams, and some bad non-conference losses on its resume, Illinois needed this win badly.
Thanks to some late game heroics from Brandon Paul, Demetri McCamey, D.J. Richardson and Mike Davis, the Illini would get just that.
It also didn’t hurt that MSU star Kalin Lucas was out with an ankle injury, but to the credit of the Illinois team, it played with incredible passion and resiliency, leading to a hard fought and much deserved win.
Where I Was for This Game: Watching from home, wishing that I was at the raucous Assembly Hall.
What I Remember from This Game:
● Bruce Weber breaking out the orange blazer, which has seen some good games from the Illini (see 2004/2005 against Wake Forest) and some bad ones (see 2005 National Championship; 2008 Big Ten Tournament Championship).
● The Illini looking pumped up for this game, coming out onto the floor like madmen. Apparently, all it takes for the Illini to start the game with urgency and maximum effort is ESPN on campus. Sounds easy enough.
● Demetri McCamey carrying the Illini on his shoulders during stretches of the second half, all the while somehow not tiring out.
● Michigan State star guard Kalin Lucas missing this game due to a sprained ankle, and sitting in warm-ups.
● MSU backup Korie Lucious struggling with turnovers in this game. The same would go for Michigan State shooting guard Chris Allen, who actually started at the point.
● Mike Tisdale having a massive tip dunk early in the game.
● Draymond Green really impressing with his ability to have the MSU offense run through him in the half court.
● Feeling really proud of the Illini’s effort in this game.
● Hearing Dick Vitale chastise the Orange Krush for running onto the floor at the end of the game. Lighten up, baby. These kids had been in the Assembly Hall all day.
What Surprised Me/Stood Out Upon A Second Viewing:
● D.J. Richardson sporting a shaved head.
● Michigan State had started 9-0 in the Big Ten, which was its best start ever in conference play. Prior to the Illinois game, MSU fell at Wisconsin for its first conference loss.
● Michigan State had won its last five games against Illinois, and 7 of the last 8 contests between the two universities.
● ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi had Illinois as the last team in the NCAA Tournament at the start of this game. Vitale will describe this game as a “must win” for the Illini several times during this telecast.
● Entering this game, Illinois freshmen D.J. Richardson, Brandon Paul and Tyler Griffey had scored a combined 514 points, which was the second most in the conference among freshmen. Only Indiana had more freshmen points at this time of the season.
● Didn’t realize that this victory was Illinois’ first against a Big Ten team ranked in the top five since February 6, 2001, when Cory Bradford and the Illini shot down Jason Richardson and the Spartans at the Assembly Hall.
● Knew that McCamey hit some big shots, but forgot how good he was getting his teammates involved.
With this introduction out of the way, let’s revisit the first time these two teams played earlier in the season. On January 16th, the Illini got off to a good start at the hostile Breslin Center, with freshman Tyler Griffey providing a huge spark in the first half. However, the Illini would lose the lead by halftime and pretty much get blown out in the second half, falling 73-63 (sorry, the game wasn’t that close). Mike Tisdale and D.J. Richardson both had rough games in which they were held without field goals and Tisdale was in constant foul trouble. To review that game in more depth, see Illini Tale of the Tape: Illinois vs. Michigan State.
Alright.
Let’s do this thing.
#5 Michigan State Spartans (19-4, 9-1) vs. Illinois Fighting Illini (15-8, 7-3)
With Lucas out of the game, Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo will start:
G Chris Allen (Junior), G Durrell Summers (Junior), F Raymar Morgan (Senior), F Delvon Roe (Sophomore), C Derrick Nix (Freshman).
The Illini will counter with its recent starting lineup of McCamey, D.J. Richardson, Bill Cole, Tyler Griffey and Mike Tisdale.
Announcers: Dan Shulman and Dick Vitale.
Shulman hits it on the head in the pregame: Illinois is in need of a signature win. He also notes how Tisdale was a nonfactor in the first meeting between these teams, with Vitale adding that Richardson was 0-for-8 from the field.
● Demetri McCamey: Nice penetration and bounce pass to Tyler Griffey at 18:34. Good find under the basket. Big step-back three at 17:51 puts Illinois up 7-4. Difficult shot there, in the face of the MSU defender. Buries a pull-up three (a heat check) at 17 minutes to put Illinois up 12-4 and force an MSU timeout. Clanks a long three at 15:52, with the long board caroming out to MSU, which will score on the break when Summers hits a long two for a 14-6 game in favor of the Illini.
Back in out of the under-12. Tough defense and a good close out on Chris Allen at 10:56, but the MSU junior hits a difficult shot to cut the Illinois lead to 19-18. Nice find and touch at 10:09, hitting Davis on a backdoor lob for a layup and a 23-18 lead. A bit slow to get back on Allen after an on-the-ball screen at 9:25, and the MSU junior hits a three to cut the Illinois lead to 25-21. Responds with a quick push and beautiful crossover and pass to Richardson for a three. A good job of moving his feet at 8:59, but comes down across the arm of a shooting Allen, who splits the free throws to cut the Illinois lead to 28-22. Uncharacteristic turnover at 8:34 as McCamey was unable to handle a Cole pass. Both players were a bit bunched together, making it difficult to receive a pass that still should have been caught.
A good job of getting in the passing lane at 6:08, nearly deflecting a pass off a Michigan State player out of bounds. Nice defense at 4:28, with his hands up on a difficult Summers’ pop back that is missed from the top of the key.
Bad inbounds pass is stolen at 3:10 by Lucious. Badly misses a rushed three at 1:11. That had to be about 4 seconds into the shot clock. He was open there off a screen, but Illinois needed to work more clock. Poor shot selection. Poor job of running a 3-on-1 break at 45.8 seconds, taking one too many dribbles and throwing a difficult lob to Richardson, who can’t tap the ball in at the rim. A bounce pass would have been better rather than the spectacular.
Hits a tough pop back at 18:25 of the second half to tie the game at 37. Illinois’ offense didn’t look like it was going anywhere, forcing McCamey to do some one-on-one action. That was McCamey’s first field goal since 17:05 of the first half. An aggressive attack and finish at the basket at 17:30 ties the game at 39.
Hits a humongous and difficult three from the top of the key with the shot clock at three with 13:35 to go, putting Illinois up 50-45. Comes back at 13:08 with another deep three, this time set up by a nice pump fake and pass from Jordan. McCamey’s scoring has come to life in the second half, and Illinois leads 53-47. Can’t get over a screen at 12:16, and Allen buries a three to cut the Illini lead to 53-52. Misses a difficult pop-back three at 11:49 (a bit of a heat check). McCamey looks a bit gassed, and it shows as he gets caught behind a screen for Allen, who buries another three to put MSU ahead 55-53 with 11:34 to go.
After inbounding the ball, hits a quick curl three at 8:05 to put the Illini up 62-57. Great job of quickly getting into that play, squaring up and shooting.
Nice crossover and attack of the dribble at 4:13 results in an MSU foul. Misses the first free throw and the second.
Hits a huge three from the top of the key with 37 seconds left and the shot clock winding down to give Illinois a 73-68 lead.
Overall: A spectacular game, especially in the second half, when he big three after big three. Finished with 22 points, 11 assists, 2 rebounds and 2 turnovers in 39 minutes. 11 assists were a then-career high. An ironman performance from McCamey in the biggest game of the season at the time.
● D.J. Richardson: Turns the ball over on Illinois’ first possession, resulting in a Raymar Morgan layup and a 2-0 MSU lead. Got into the middle of the lane and picked up his dribble before having his pass stolen. Great on-the-ball defense at 19:01, forcing a carrying call on Chris Allen, who is a two-guard playing the point with Lucas out. Forces an Allen travel at 16:53 after supplying even more on-the-ball pressure. Buries a jumper off the curl at 16:23 to put the Illini up 14-4. Shulman with an understatement: the Illini are hot early. Misses a corner three at 14:54.
Back in at 12:11 for McCamey.
Buries a deep three with the shot clock running down at 11:15, putting the Illini up 19-16. Not sure if the Illini team was fully aware of the shot clock coming out of the under-12, but Richardson noticed it and buried the deep bomb. A good jump of moving his feet at 10:23 as Lucious turned the ball over on a carry. A great job of sliding into the corner as McCamey penetrated at 9:17, and then stepping in, shooting and swishing a three that puts the Illini up 28-21.
Nice strip of the ball from Lucious at 50 seconds results in a sloppy fast break during which Richardson can’t tip in a difficult lob pass from McCamey. Makes another steal, this time from Green, at 5.3 seconds and is fouled on a pass attempt. Illinois is in the bonus, and Richardson hits one of two to put the Illini up 35-32.
Back in out of the under-12 for Paul and misses a wild runner at 10:52. Compounds his error with a foul.
A great job of leaking down the court after a Paul steal at 8:00, resulting in a dunk and 64-57 Illinois lead.
Poor decision at 2 minutes, forcing a quick runner in the lane that is missed early in the shot clock with Illinois up 68-66. Gets fouled at 26 seconds left, with Illinois leading 73-70. Richardson rattles home the first free throw but misses the second. Illinois leads 74-70.
Fouled at 15.4 seconds with Illinois leading 74-73. Swishes the first and the second to put Illinois up 76-73.
Overall: 14 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 turnover in 32 minutes. Did a nice job of scoring the ball but was a bit quiet in the second half. Still, made 3-of-4 big free throws at the end of game. Really played a great defensive game, especially early, as he hounded MSU sans Lucas into several turnovers.
● Bill Cole: Great help at 17:38, blocking a Nix shot from behind. The ball bounces out to Raymar Morgan, who shoots a three off the side of the backboard. A good job of sliding his feet at 16:11, forcing Morgan into the air and leading to another MSU turnover.
Back in at under-12. A great job of getting into the passing lane and stealing a pass from Lucious at 9:50, and then running a game of hot potato with Richardson before slamming home the ball for a 25-18 Illinois lead. Briefly loses track of Summers at 7:29, and the MSU junior goes backdoor for a lob dunk and a 30-26 game in favor of the Illini. Beautiful set play and back screen by Michigan State.
Back in at 4:28 for Griffey.
Tough break at 2:50 as Lucious hits a tough three out of the corner, despite Cole closing out strong and getting his hand in the MSU guard’s face. Illinois now leads 32-30 after that shot. Gets posted by Morgan at 2:00, and the MSU senior spins middle before hitting Sherman for a layup. Steps out of bounds at 1:45; an unforced turnover there.
Good job of getting back on defense and then on the floor at 18:18, knocking an MSU pass out of bounds off Morgan.
Travels on a pump fake at 11:20, leading to the under-12.
Back in at 4:13 for Paul.
Fouls Green on a pass off at 3:44. That’s Illinois’ seventh foul. Green makes the first of the one and one, and then hits the second as the Illini lead is down to 66-65.
Overall: 2 points, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 steal and 2 turnovers in 19 minutes. Surprisingly, didn’t have a rebound.
● Tyler Griffey: Buries a corner jumper at 19:13 to tie the game at 2. Nice post feed to Tisdale on that play, and then relocation to the corner. Nice dive to the basket and catch at 18:34, getting fouled on the play. Hits two free throws to put Illinois up 4-2. Good position defense on Delvon Roe at 18:11, but the MSU sophomore lefty hits a tough shot. Good defense/better offense as the game is tied at 4. Barely grazes rim on a three-pointer that was a bit too early in the shot clock at 15:31. A nice hedge of Summers but is not fast enough to recover on the recently-inserted Draymond Green, who buries a mid-range jumper to cut the Illini lead to 14-8.
Back in out of the under-8. Soft reverse pass to McCamey is nearly stolen at 5:39 (McCamey with a good job of hustling that ball down and using his backside to box out Lucious from getting to that 50/50 ball). Follows up with a high low pass to Tisdale, who is fouled down low.
Catches a break on the first defensive possession of the second half, buying a Delvon Roe head fake. Luckily, Roe loses the ball on the way up to what looked like it was going to be an easy dunk. Misses a deep jumper in the corner at 19:07 as Illinois’ first possession had little movement and nothing going on with the shot clock winding down. MSU snags the long rebound and gets on the break, with Roe slamming the ball down at 18:57 and getting fouled by Tisdale. Illinois trails 37-35 after Roe completes the old-fashioned three-point play, the first Illini deficit since it was 2-0 MSU. Fails to box out Draymond Green at 17:38, and the MSU sophomore makes the Illini pay with a put-back off a missed Summers’ three, giving the Spartans a 39-37 lead. Hits a baseline jumper at 16:24 to tie the game at 41, with the play set up by nice penetration from McCamey.
Back in at 1:53 after Tisdale leaves with a limp following a collision with Roe. Gets replaced by Tisdale 10 seconds later.
Overall: 6 points and 1 rebound in 12 minutes. Not as effective as the first game against MSU, but scored Illinois’ first 4 points. Has some strides to make defensively, but I like the fact that this kid comes out ready to play and is not afraid of the moment.
● Mike Tisdale: Great rebound of a badly missed Morgan shot and then an even better job of getting down the court and tip dunking a missed Richardson three at 17:25, putting the Illini up 9-4. Nice box out of Nix on the ensuing MSU possession, a missed three from Summers. Fails to get a body on Green, who gets an acrobatic tip in off a missed Morgan jumper at 14:45, cutting the Illini lead to 14-10. Green did all on that play, rebounding a Richardson miss, running the point, kicking to Morgan, crashing the board and tipping in the miss. A bit slow on the help at 14:07 as MSU posted Summers against McCamey. Summers dipped in and turned baseline, banking a shot over Tisdale to cut the Illinois lead to 14-12. Misses a tough right-handed baseline hook at 13:40; got pushed far off the block by MSU freshman Garrick Sherman.
Sherman easily posts Tisdale at 12:46 and goes over the Illini center’s outstretched arms for a bank shot that cuts the Illini lead to 16-14. Too easy of a post up and catch there; Tisdale looked like he was more concerned with not fouling versus guarding.
Good job of sliding his feet after MSU got in the lane at 8:15, but Morgan hits a difficult banker over his long arms to cut the Illinois lead to 28-24.
Misses a difficult half hook at 6:34 following a nice high low pass from Griffey. Nice post position at 5:34, getting fouled on an interior pass from Griffey. Travels 4 seconds later, picking up his pivot foot while trying to do a step through. Picks up his first foul at 4:14, hitting Roe at the rim after Davis lost his opponent.
Nice block of Morgan at 2:50 and provided great help for Cole on that play. Hits a quick jumper from the top of the key at 2:30, to put the Illini up 34-30. Nice job of stepping in and shooting without any hesitation there. Poor box out at 2:14 as Austin Thornton got inside position and extended the possession, which will eventually result in a Sherman layup and a 34-32 game in favor of the Illini.
Picks up his second foul at 18:58, fouling a slashing Roe on a successful dunk. A nice post up at 16:47, but has his right-handed hook to the baseline blocked by the 6-6 Green. The 7-1 Tisdale didn’t elevate there, and Michigan State pushes out for a Summers’ jumper in transition and a 41-39 ILL deficit.
In the right place at the right time with 10:04 to go when Sherman accidentally tips in a Paul miss. Tisdale gets the two, and the game is tied at 55. Picks up his third foul, again on a slashing Roe, at 9:42. Roe hit the bucket but missed the free throw; MSU leads 57-55.
Fouls Green on the arm at 2:16. Green hits one of two free throws to cut the Illini lead to 68-66. Gets hurt at 2 minutes after Richardson missed a quick runner in the lane. Got smacked on the knee by Roe, who fell into him. Comes back in at 1:43.
Overall: 6 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block and 2 turnovers in 34 minutes. Certainly better than the first time he played against MSU. The game was too physical at times, but give credit to Tisdale in this regard: he played hard while logging big minutes that he wouldn’t have been able to give as a sophomore.
● Mike Davis: In at 14:35 for Griffey.
Misses a tough jumper from the top of the key at 12:11, as the Illini shot clock was down and under five seconds. Gets called for a double dribble after Lucious turned the ball over at 12:02. Didn’t see that one.
Gets on the board at 10:09 as McCamey finds him on a backdoor lob for a layup and a 23-18 ILL lead. Hits a jumper from the top of the key at 7:46, putting the Illini up 30-24. A better job of stepping in and shooting all in one motion by Davis, whose shot has been a bit mechanical as of late.
Loses Delvon Roe on the baseline at 4:14, resulting in a Tisdale foul. Roe got behind Davis, and MSU threaded a pass to the sophomore big man, with Tisdale left with nothing else to do but foul at the rim. Roe splits the free throws to cut the Illini lead to 30-27. Comes back on the next possession to hit another top-of-the-key jumper to pad the Illini lead back to five, at 32-27.
In at 16:24 of the second half for Griffey. Immediately comes in and pays dividends, hitting a corner jumper at 15:45 for a 43-41 Illinois lead. Badly misses a jumper at 14:24, but the ball bounces off of Green, leading to the under-16. Shulman notes that Davis is becoming too much of a jump shooter after missing two straight shots.
Nice offensive rebound of a missed Paul three at 14:15 extends an Illini possession during which Paul will have an old-fashioned three-point play opportunity. Overplays the pass to the tricky Green at 13:20, and the MSU sophomore hits a hanging jumper in the lane to cut the Illinois lead to 50-47. Fails to get a body on Green at 12:42 and the Michigan State sophomore tips in a missed Allen three for a 53-49 game in favor of the Illini. Quickly gets down court and misses a tough, hanging one-handed jumper in the lane. Good look, just didn’t stay down.
Nice steal at 10:42, and Illinois catches a break on the fast break when Richardson gives up the ball too quick, only to have it kicked by an MSU defender. Loses Roe off an inbounds play at 9:42, and the MSU sophomore hits a slashing layup while getting fouled by Tisdale. Roe misses the free throw, but MSU leads 57-55. Responds by splashing a huge jumper on the wing to tie the game at 57 with 9:30 to go.
Misses a long jumper at 4:52 with the Illini shot clock running down. The long rebound caroms to MSU, which gets the ball out on the break as Summers finds Morgan underneath the bucket for a layup and a 66-63 game in favor of the Illini.
Gets bailed out with 3 seconds on the shot clock as Green fouls him with 3:11 to go. Davis hits the front end of the one and one, and then makes the second to put Illinois up 68-65. Follows up with a great block of a curling Summers’ jumper. Great help on that play. Misses a baseline jumper at 2:30.
Gets posted by Morgan at 1:46 and commits a foul at the rim with Illinois leading 68-66. Morgan hits the first and the second to tie the game at 68. Accidentally tips in a missed Lucious three with 27 seconds left. The basket will go to Green, and Illinois leads 73-70 as Izzo takes a timeout.
Great block of a Summers’ three at 8 seconds and Illinois plays hot potato after getting the rebound, eventually finding Davis down court for a dunk.
Overall: 16 points (on 7-of-13 shooting and 2-of-2 at the line), 2 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 steal in 29 minutes. Welcome back Mike Davis, who had a great game. The 2 rebounds are a bit concerting, but Davis was very active, coming up with two huge blocks late in the game. Loved the energy and confidence in his shot, even if he settled for some jumpers. A spectacular game off the bench when Illinois certainly needed it.
● Dominique Keller: Comes in at 12:11 for Tisdale. Forces and misses a difficult fade away at 11:33; the ball is knocked out of bounds and will remain with the Illini out of the under-12.
Nice screen and pop at 10:40, catching the ball from Davis and getting baseline on Roe for a two-hand slam and a 21-18 Illinois lead. Illinois needs Keller to provide more of a spark.
In for defensive purposes at the end of the half. Is slow to recover on Austin Thornton and then buys a head fake, resulting in an open jumper that is made at the buzzer to cut the Illini lead to 35-34 at the break.
In at 16:24 of the second half for Tisdale. Forces a Green miss in the lane at 16:04. Is unable to keep Green out of the lane at 15:25, and the MSU sophomore hits a difficult left-handed layup to tie the game at 43. Bad defense again at 14:46, overplaying a pass to Green, who gets into lane and hits Sherman for a layup and a 45-45 game. Gets replaced on the next dead ball by Tisdale.
Overall: 2 points in 4 minutes.
● Brandon Paul: In at 14:35 for Cole. Comes in and misses a quick corner jumper with 14:25 to go.
Misses a difficult fade away off an inbounds play at 12:05. Gets beaten on a backdoor cut by Isaiah Dahlman at 11:49, leading to a layup and a 16-16 tie. Paul overplayed a bit too far, and Dahlman set him up with a beautiful jab step.
Back in out of the under-8. Good close out and use of his long arms to force a difficult Summers’ miss. Turns the ball over at 4:44, trying to cross over Morgan on the baseline. That play wasn’t there.
In at 16:24 of the second half for Cole. Great work on the offensive boards at 15:04, tapping at a missed Davis shot and then getting another rebound and stick back to put the Illini up 45-43. That play had Weber pumping his fists on the sideline. A great use of Paul’s athleticism there.
Misses a three out of the under-16, but does a nice job of staying active after Illinois retains possession on a Davis board. Paul makes a nice back cut and McCamey finds him at the rim. Paul adjusts his body for contact and banks in a layup to put the Illini up 47-45 at 14:12. Paul then misses the free throw. That was a difficult shot at a difficult angle, with great strength as well in absorbing the contact.
Back in at 10:52, getting Cole. Nice job getting into the passing lane at 9:00, stealing a Lucious pass and getting on the break for a dunk and 59-57 Illinois lead. Paul is having a nice second half. After an MSU timeout following his dunk, Paul catches a break as he loses Summers in the corner. A good close out, though, results in a Summers’ air ball. Gets fouled on an aggressive baseline drive at 8:11. Another great job of getting into the passing lane, this time stealing a Lucious pass at 8:00 and then feeding Richardson for a dunk and 64-57 ILL lead.
Back in at 3:44 for Cole. Aggressive drive and score at 1:21 breaks a 68-68 tie and draws a foul on the play. That breaks a 4 minute draught for the Illini. Paul bricks the free throw, though. Paul plays great help defense at 1:08, tying up Morgan underneath the basket. The possession arrow goes to Illinois. Could have been called a foul.
Good help on a driving Lucious with 17 seconds left but is slow to close out on Summers, who buries a three to cut the Illini lead to 74-73. Izzo takes another timeout. It would have been better to let Lucious go and stay on Summers there.
Overall: 8 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 turnover in 21 minutes. Like Davis, Paul had great energy in the second half. Was ineffective in the first half but helped the Illini win this game in the final 20 minutes. Loved his activity on defense (especially in the passing lanes), efforts on the offensive glass and ability to finish strong at the basket. This is the type of game that excites me about Paul’s potential at Illinois.
● Jeff Jordan: In at 14:35 for Richardson.
Nice penetration at 12:59, getting into the lane and hitting a lefty runner that bounced in and over for a 16-12 Illinois lead.
Back in out of the under-8. Nice defense and rebound off a missed Lucious three at 5:12; got fouled on the rebound attempt.
In at 16:24 of the second half for Richardson.
Sees some time late in the game, replacing McCamey on Illinois’ final defensive possession.
Overall: 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 1 steal in 10 minutes.
● Bruce Weber: Illinois leads 12-4 at the 17-minute mark after a McCamey three forces a Michigan State timeout. The Illini are off to a great start, with McCamey 2-for-2 for three, Tisdale active on the boards (including a nasty tip dunk), Griffey with four points and the defense really aggressive.
Takes a timeout before the under-16 at 14:45 as MSU has gone on a 6-0 run to cut the game to 14-10 in favor of the Illini, which has been recently settling for threes early in the shot clock. MSU has responded after Izzo’s earlier timeout, scoring on three straight possessions as Green has been bringing the intangibles. Illinois needs to work the offense and take better shots. MSU loves to get the boards and run out in transition. This is not one of Izzo’s better teams in the half court, especially with Lucas not in uniform.
Illinois leads 14-12 at the under-16, coming at 13:25. MSU is on an 8-0 run in the last couple of minutes, as the Illini are way too perimeter oriented and quick with their shot selection. Illinois with a drop off after great energy at the start. Time to regroup and see if Mike Davis can be a factor. Illinois has missed its last five shots and not scored in nearly 3:30.
The game is tied at 16 at the under-12. Illinois is a bit herky jerky after the hot start while MSU has settled down and is executing brilliant offense. Illinois needs to relax and get back to the basics of the motion offense rather than just rushing quick shots. Too much 1-on-5 as of late, which has been a problem with this Illini team at times. Illinois started out 5-for-6 from the field, but is 1-for-its-last-9.
Illinois leads 30-26 at the under-8. Illinois has once again found its offense, thanks to better ball movement and some defense creating offense. MSU with 7 turnovers thus far and is missing Lucas in that regard; with that said, the Spartans are hanging in this game and displaying their Izzo brand of toughness. 8 Illini have scored on the night, which is very impressive when considering how good of a defensive team MSU traditionally is. The only Illini not to score so far has been Brandon Paul. Illinois with only 3 turnovers. Both teams with 8 bench points. MSU is shooting 75% and has made its last 8 field goals; Illinois is shooting 55%.
Illinois leads 32-27 at the under-4. This game is getting back to looking like a Big Ten affair, with defense rather than offense setting the tone. Good news for the Illini: Mike Davis has seemed to find his shooting stroke, going 3-for-4 from the field thus far. Illinois is +9 in points off 3-point field goals and +3 on second-chance points. MSU has finally cooled off, not hitting a field goal in the last 4:30.
Illinois leads 35-34 at the break after Thornton hits a jumper at the buzzer. At halftime, Izzo notes how MSU’s point-guard play wasn’t good at the beginning, but is pleased that the team settled down. Here are some key first half stats: MSU shot 56%; Illinois 52%. The Spartans had 15 bench points to 10 for the Illini. Michigan State outrebounded the Illini 16 to 9. Michigan State had 11 turnovers, while the Illini got a little sloppy in the last 10 minutes, finishing with 8 turnovers in the first half.
Illinois takes an interesting timeout at 16:24 after Griffey buries a corner jumper to tie the game at 41. Anyways, the game is tied at 45 at the under-16 (14:24 remaining). It’s starting to look like a nip-and-tuck affair here. Illinois has had several defensive breakdowns as of late, and Green is making the Illini pay with an incredible floor game. McCamey has been big for the Illini in the first four minutes, scoring 4 points and notching several assists to make it 8 assists for him thus far.
Weber takes his third timeout, a 20-second, at 11:54 after Chris Allen hits back-to-back threes to put Michigan State ahead of the Illini by a score of 55-53. MSU took advantage of McCamey on the last two possessions, who has been carrying the Illini offense but looks worn down a bit. Man, this MSU team is tough, with Draymond Green the symbol of its toughness. Before Allen’s three-point barrage, Green has been all over the place on the offensive end for the Spartans. Illinois needs to lock down Green quickly. With that said, this is quite an exciting game, a back-and-forth affair. Illinois still trails 55-53 at the under-12, as Cole travels out of the Illinois timeout. Michigan State is on an 8-0 run. McCamey has been responsible for 7 of the 8 Illinois field goals in the second half, and 35 of the 53 points thus far. Michigan State does have 5 team fouls.
MSU takes a timeout at 8:42 as Illinois has taken a 59-57 lead following a mini 4-0 run. Paul just capped off the spurt with a steal and dunk that has sent the Assembly Hall into a frenzy.
Illinois leads 64-57 at the under-8 as a 9-0 Illini run in the last 1:46 has the Assembly Hall going crazy. Paul has been the key player in this stretch, getting into the passing lanes twice for steals that resulted in a dunk for himself and Richardson. Those two plays are a perfect example of what Paul can be as a player, one who creates some offense with his defense. Izzo looks like he is going to kill Lucious after turning those two passes over.
Illinois leads 66-63 at the under-4 as MSU won’t go away. Illinois has left some opportunities on the floor, with Davis missing a tough shot and the end of a bad possession and McCamey just missing two free throws. MSU is pounding the offensive glass as well, and it will be the Spartans’ ball out of the break following an offensive rebound and an Illini foul.
Illinois leads 68-65 with 2:25 to go as Izzo takes a timeout after a missed jumper by Mike Davis, who came up with two huge free throws and a big block on the other end prior to his miss. MSU posts Green out of the break, and he is fouled by Tisdale.
Illinois leads 70-68 with 1:08 to go. Paul has been huge, getting a big layup off an aggressive drive and then tying up the ball, with the possession going to Illinois. Big possession out of the break for the Illini, which did not score for 4 minutes until Paul’s layup seconds ago. McCamey comes out of the Illini timeout and hits a huge three with 37 seconds left to put Illinois up 73-68.
Illinois leads 74-73 with 17 seconds left after a Summers’ three. Illinois is just 6-for-12 from the free throw line, and needs to convert from the line. First comes the matter of inbounding the ball. Richardson gets the ball and makes two free throws. MSU has no timeouts and tries to get off a three, but Davis blocks Summers. Illinois comes up with the board and fires the ball around, with Cole eventually finding Davis wide open for a dunk with 1.3 seconds left. Illinois wins 78-73.
Some interesting stats: Illinois shot 52.5% from the field and was 8-for-18 from three. Michigan State shot 54.7% from the field and was 6-for-16 from three. MSU was 9-for-14 from the free throw line; Illinois 8-for-14. Illinois was outrebounded 34 to 24 but somehow hung on.
Overall: Loved Weber riding the hot hands of Davis and Paul in the second half, and the fact that he had the confidence to have the freshman in the game (along with Richardson) late in the game. Illinois certainly wasn’t perfect, but displayed a toughness and resiliency that Weber had been calling for all year.
Overall: In one of the most exciting games of the year, Illinois upsets Michigan State 78-73. Illinois played with great focus for most of the game, and were really resilient as MSU came back at the Illini time and time again in the second half. McCamey, Davis, Richardson and Paul all had great games, while Tisdale was solid. An inspired effort from the Illini against an incredibly coached Michigan State team that played its heart out even without Lucas.
Player of the Game: Demetri McCamey.
Played like an assassin and a floor general in this game, while somehow logging 39 minutes against one of the toughest defensive teams in the country.
Play of the Game: With Illinois up 76-73 with 8 seconds left, Davis runs at Summers’ and tips his three-point shot, which falls short of the rim and into the hands of an Illini. Before Michigan State can foul, Illinois plays hot potato, with Cole eventually hitting Davis down court for a slam and an exclamation point to the victory with 1.3 seconds left.
Some Things I Liked:
● Illinois’ effort at the start of the game, jumping out to a 14-4 lead.
● Richardson and Paul both making some clutch plays and having very good games.
● McCamey playing like a leader, hitting big shots and getting his teammates involved.
● Davis with an active game despite only 2 rebounds.
● Illinois showing some toughness as MSU came back several times in the second half.
● Tisdale’s tip dunk in the first half (love to see the 7-footer crash the boards and dunk the ball).
● Weber riding the hot hands of Paul and Davis, both of whom had been struggling as of late.
Some Things I Disliked:
● Not much, with the exception of the rebounding (MSU is always one of the best rebounding teams in the country, but Illinois simply failed to box out at times in the second half) and how the Illini overplayed the dangerous Draymond Green in the final 20 minutes.
Well, that’s it for another Illini Tale of the Tape.
Up next, another upset: Illinois at Wisconsin.
Until then.