Over the years, several Illinois basketball games have filled me with an amazing sense of pride to be a Fighting Illini fan.
In addition to the comeback against Arizona in the 2005 Elite Eight and the amazing second half performance against North Carolina in the 2005 National Championship game, there’s the 2010 Big Ten Tournament Semifinal classic against Ohio State.
After seemingly securing an NCAA Tournament berth with a quarterfinal victory against Wisconsin the day earlier, the Illini could have come out content against Ohio State.
Instead Illinois fought the Buckeyes during 50 unforgettable minutes of crazy, back-and-forth basketball, responding to a furious 20-0 run by Ohio State in the second half and putting itself in position to win the game at the end of regulation and the first overtime.
While Illinois would lose this game and be denied a spot in the NCAA Tournament, the Illini would leave the Conseco Fieldhouse with nothing to hang their heads about after a championship-level effort suggestive of the program’s potential in upcoming seasons.
Where I Was for This Game: Watching from home for the first 28 minutes or so of game time. My Dad then called me, saying he was nearby and needed me to pick him up at a rental car agency. I literally got into my car and turned on the radio as Ohio State began its 20-0 run, nearly leaving me sick to my stomach. I was stuck in traffic until the end of the double overtime, getting home just in time with the game out of reach for the Illini. Let’s just say this back-and-forth affair was not a safe game to listen to while driving.
What I Remember from This Game:
● Going crazy in my car (while stuck in traffic and listening to the radio) when Demetri McCamey hit a three with a minute or so left in regulation to put the Illini up two points. Later feeling like I was on a rollercoaster ride as both teams went back and forth in the two overtimes, with Turner absolutely unstoppable.
● Being really impressed with Illinois’ effort and resiliency throughout this game. Individually and collectively, the Illini were great (even when considering the 20-0 Ohio State run in the second half), with every Illinois player who played doing some good in this game.
● Incredulously hearing Illinois fail to get two shots off at the end of the regulation and the first overtime.
● Hearing an exhausted Bruce Weber on ESPN later in the night, stumping for Illinois to make the NCAA Tournament while expressing pride in his team’s effort against the Buckeyes.
● Honestly, so much from this game is etched in my mind that I won’t waste the space.
Some Things That Surprised Me/Stood Out Upon A Second Viewing:
● Forgot that Evan Turner had a triple double (31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 turnovers).
● Was shocked to hear that this was the first double overtime game in Big Ten Tournament history.
● The whole game. This thing was like a prize fight, with both teams going back and forth. A true classic.
Alright.
Before I do this thing, let’s review the two meetings between the team earlier in the season. With both teams having 4-game winning streaks, Ohio State came into the Assembly Hall on Valentine’s Day and blew out the Illini from start to finish (see Illini Tale of the Tape: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Illinois). In a rematch on March 2nd, the Illini were much better, but the Buckeyes were too much to handle, winning 73-57 (see Illini Tale of the Tape: Illinois vs. Ohio State Buckeyes). While Evan Turner has arguably been college basketball’s best player, Buckeye teammates Jon Diebler and David Lighty really killed the Illini in both games, specifically from the three-point line.
And now the classic third meeting between Illinois and Ohio State.
Illinois Fighting Illini (19-13, 11-8) vs. #5 Ohio State Buckeyes (25-7, 15-4)
Illinois Head Coach Bruce Weber goes with Demetri McCamey and D.J. Richardson at the guards, Bill Cole and Mike Davis at the forwards and Mike Tisdale at center.
Ohio State Head Coach Thad Matta starts William Buford, Jon Diebler and David Lighty at the guards and Evan Turner and Dallas Lauderdale at the forwards.
Announcers: Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg
Early in the game, Kellogg says he believes the Illini are already in the NCAA Tournament and adds that Minnesota needs one more win to get in.
● Demetri McCamey: Has a reverse layup knocked away on the first possession of the game. Short on a three at 19:32. Gets back at 19:26 but Buford avoids the charge, twisting in the air to put the Buckeyes up 2-0. Good job of getting back at 18:27 after a Tisdale turnover, stealing a Buckeye pass to Diebler, who had an easy layup if that ball got through. Dribbles the ball into the ground and nowhere at 16:38, leading to a Turner steal and dunk for an 8-2 Illini deficit. McCamey sprinted from half court to try and block the ball from behind, but was about a half second too slow. Hits the back of the rim on an open three at 15:29.
Forces and misses a wing jumper (created off an in-out dribble) at 14:16. McCamey is a bit impatient thus far. Ohio State gets on the break after this miss, with Buford hitting Diebler for a corner three and an 11-5 game in favor of the Buckeyes with 14:08 to go. Has his inbounds pass stolen by Lauderdale at 13:21.
Has a three-point attempt off an inbounds curl rim in and out at 10:04. Good look. Gets called for a foul at 9:56, going over the back of Lauderdale on a post feed under the basket. Great touch pass on the break to Davis at 9:37, resulting in a dunk and Illinois’ first lead of the game, 16-15.
Back in at 8:40 for Jordan. Great play at 8:22, stealing the ball from Turner and getting on the break, where he hits a layup and is fouled. McCamey hits the free throw to put Illinois up 19-15. Great body control and switch to the left hand on that shot by McCamey, who got back Turner for an earlier steal and dunk.
Great help defense at 5:10, stealing the ball from a driving Lighty (who got a step on Davis) and then running a break that will result in a Davis layup. Great penetration and kick at 4:33 to Richardson, who buries a corner three to put Illinois up 28-23. Bumps Turner on a drive at 3:44, leading to the under-4. Turner hits both free throws out of the break to cut the Illinois lead to 28-25.
With two fouls, McCamey is replaced out of the under 4 by Jordan. Sits the rest of the half.
A bit careless with the ball at 19:31, when he stops at the top of the key and has the ball stolen by Diebler, who rushes down court and throws up a wild shot that hits the underside of the rim (he traveled there) and lands in the hands of Turner, who fires to Lighty for a layup and a 37-33 game in favor of the Illini with 19:25 to go. Misses a difficult three off a Tisdale screen at 18:53; as Kellogg says, that was a tough shot for McCamey, who is 1/7 from the field.
Catches a break at 15:49, going under a screen for Diebler, who misses an open three.
Aggressive drive off the screen and roll at 15 minutes, hitting a difficult layup to put Illinois up 45-35. That’s only McCamey’s second field goal of the game. Great job of coming up with a loose ball off a missed Buford three at 14:36. Pushes the ball down court to Cole, who misses a slashing layup. Beautiful attack on Lighty at 13:45, drawing a foul on an aggressive left-handed layup. McCamey hits both free throws to put Illinois up 47-37. Illinois 3/3 from the line; Ohio State 7/10. Illinois takes a timeout with 13:08 to go after McCamey falls to the floor and loses his fall.
Comes out of the timeout and hits a three against the 1-3-1 zone at 12:51, giving the Illini a 50-39 lead. Great patience there, with Richardson making a beautiful over-the-top pass. Catches a break at 12:29, getting caught under a screen, but Diebler has another three rim in and out. Ohio State has had a lot of threes go in and out this half. Good penetration at 12:15 but Davis can’t finish at the rim. Shot clock violation at 11:35, as McCamey had to fling the ball up from half court after his pass to Tisdale in the pick and pop was deflected away. Kellogg makes a good point: McCamey was too casual there, with the turnover leading to the under-12.
Called for a hand check on Lighty at 10:18; that’s three fouls on McCamey. Illinois can’t come up with a loose ball off a quick baseline miss by Buford on the inbounds, and the ball squirms out to Diebler who hits a three at 10:10 to cut the Illinois lead to 50-49. Lighty outhustled the Illini there. Nice job at 9:51 stealing a Madsen pass to the streaking Buford after a missed jumper by Tisdale.
Illinois’ offense is really bunched up at 8:13 as McCamey has his pass stolen by Diebler, who pushes and is fouled on a layup attempt by Richardson. Diebler hits both free throws to put Illinois down 56-50 with 8:10 to go. Oh my god! They called an intentional foul on Richardson on that play. Flat-out brutal.
Misses a three at 7:34. Flat on that shot, which came off a screen from Tisdale. Illinois hasn’t scored in 5 minutes, and has seen a 11-point lead turn into a 9-point deficit in that period.
Out of the under-8, nearly turns the ball over against the press at 7:07, when Turner knocks his soft pass out of bounds before he can retrieve the steal. Aggressive drive at 5:13, drawing Turner’s fourth foul. Both teams with 6 personal fouls. Nice attack at 4:24, hitting a driving layup to cut the Ohio State lead to 59-56.
Hits a huge three in the transition game at 1:16 to put Illinois up 64-62. That basket was created off a Davis steal and great pass from Richardson. Great job at 31.5 seconds, drawing a foul on Diebler off an assertive drive. Hits both free throws to put Illinois up 66-64.
Beautiful attack of the rim at 4:09 of the first overtime, faking use of a ball screen and then hitting a ridiculous reverse layup off the drive to tie the game at 68. Gets caught under a screen at 3:45 and can’t get over, but Buford misses an open three. Barely grazed rim there. Hits a deep three off the screen and roll with Griffey at 2:20, putting Illinois up 73-69. McCamey with ice water in his veins. Another Illinois shot made late in the shot clock. Misses a tough, fade-away bank shot attempt at 1:27 with the shot clock winding down. Briefly loses the ball with 3 seconds left in overtime and the game tied at 75. Recovers the ball, but the play is dead in the water. Hits Griffey, who passes on a deep yet open three. Griffey moves the ball to Cole, who can’t get the shot off before the horn.
Goes under a screen at 4:43 of the second overtime, resulting in an open Diebler look and make from three for a 78-75 game in favor of Ohio State. Shoots an air ball from three at 4:09, off a challenged shot in which the shot clock had run down too far yet again. Kellogg is right: Illinois needs to move the ball more. McCamey seems exhausted, dribbling himself into trouble on the baseline and throwing a crosscourt pass that is stolen by Ohio State, which gets a quick Turner layup at 3:39 to take an 80-75 lead. Good job of tracking down a Davis air ball at 1:12. Badly misses a three with 4 seconds left and Illinois loses 88-81.
Overall: 22 points (7/19 from the field, 3/11 from three, 5/5 from the free throw line), 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 turnovers and 4 steals in 46 gritty minutes. Nearly won the game single-handedly in the first overtime. Great heart, leadership and toughness from McCamey.
● D.J. Richardson: Allows penetration to Turner at 18:52, and the Ohio State star hits Lauderdale with a bounce pass for a dunk and a 4-0 ILL deficit. Has a difficult wing jumper (created off one bounce) rattle in and out at 18:15. Catches a break at 18:07 as he is a bit slow to close on Lighty, who misses an open three in transition. Gets caught on a Kyle Madsen screen at 17:06, allowing Turner to go off the bounce and hit a pull-up jumper just above the free throw line to give Ohio State a 6-2 lead. Misses a crazy runner at 15:34 but tracks down the loose ball.
Hits a nice driving layup off a curl screen to cut the Illinois deficit to 11-7. Draws a foul on Buford off the dribble at 11:52, leading to the under-12 timeout.
Misses a pull-up jumper off the bounce at 11:32. Great off-the-ball movement at 11:02, hitting a three from the wing to cut the Illini deficit to 15-14. Good defense at 10:42, moving his feet and staying with Turner, who misses an off-balance wing jumper. Misses a wide-open three from the wing at 10:34 off a great push ahead by the Illini.
Back in for Paul at 8:40. Can’t come up with the loose ball off a Simmons’ missed three at 7:56, when the ball goes out of bounds to Ohio State and the game enters the under-8 timeout.
Misses a jumper off the bounce in the lane at 6:38. Was long there, but I like the fact that Richardson is working his mid-range game. Hits a corner three at 4:33, off a great penetration and kick from McCamey, giving Illinois a 28-23 lead.
A bit slow to close out on a Simmons’ three at 2:26; was sagging down low as Turner had the ball on Jordan in the post. That three cuts the Illinois lead to 31-28. Comes back and drains a corner three at 2:18, to put Illinois up 34-28. Great find by Paul. Air balls a transition three at 1:18 – a bit of a heat check. Great job at 1:00, knocking the ball out of bounds after Turner turned the corner on a screen. Excellent defense at 3 seconds, knocking the ball away from Turner. Illinois will come up with the ball as the horn expires. Turner is really frustrated and jawing at McCamey. Turner should be frustrated as Illinois forced him to commit five turnovers and limited him to just one field goal in the last 16:30 of the first half. Big first half for D.J., who was 3-for-5 from three and had 11 points.
Beautiful head fake, use of the dribble to split the defenders and floater at 18:14, putting the Illini up 39-35. Could have settled for the three, but didn’t. Very advanced move by the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Great collapse at 17:42, blocking a Buford shot from behind, with the ball going to Mike Davis.
Gets a piece of a Turner shot at 16:32 and then secures the long rebound. Follows up by doing a great job of using his body to shield off Turner, all the while keeping his dribble. Great play by Richardson. Draws a foul on Lighty while driving to the basket at 15:39; will be shooting out of the break. Actually, no continuation. Illinois will get the ball out of bounds.
Gets posted by Turner at 13:26, and the Ohio State star draws a double before hitting Madsen for a layup and a 47-39 game in favor of the Illini.
Forces a quick corner three after a McCamey steal, but the Illini catch a break as Madsen steps out of bounds on the rebound attempt at 9:42.
Briefly sits for a little more than a minute. Back in at 8:29 for Jordan. Is called for a questionable intentional foul on Diebler at 8:10, with Ohio State up 54-50. Diebler hits both free throws to put the Buckeyes up 56-50. Weber with a wry smile on his face. That’s what we call an anticipatory foul.
Misses a quick curl three from the top of the key at 6:44, with the ball going out of bounds to Ohio State. Good job picking up the full-court pressure on Turner. Great job running the floor at 6:20 after a Davis steal but misses an open layup. He made that shot more difficult than it had to be; instead of going up strong, he tried to go under the rim, thus throwing up a tough shot from a bad angle.
Back in at 4:34 for Jordan. Misses a corner three at 3:49 that would have tied the game. Called for a hand-check on Turner at 3:29, putting Ohio State in the bonus and leading to the under-4. Turner hits one of two free throws out of the under-4 as Illinois now trails 60-56.
Turner gets a step on Richardson at 49.3 seconds and hits Lighty for a layup plus the foul on Tisdale to tie the game at 64. Nantz said that should have been an intentional on Tisdale, who went for the ball and then wrapped Lighty around the waste. No way. What they don’t mention is that Turner got away with a near travel. Anyways the game is tied at 64. Lighty misses the free throw, and Illinois gets the rebound.
Good defense at 12 seconds, forcing Turner to the baseline. Turner somehow tight ropes the sideline and hits a sick lefty reverse layup to tie the game at 66.
Fails to box out Buford on the first possession of overtime, with the Ohio State sophomore rebounding a missed Diebler three (good closeout by Cole) and laying the ball in the basket for a 68-66 Buckeye lead with 4:37 to go. Misses a contested corner three with 40 seconds left; Cole passed up an open three and put Richardson in a bad position there. Can’t contain Turner off the dribble at 22 seconds, as the Ohio State star turns the corner and hits a layup to tie the game at 75.
Hits a hanging layup at 3:21 of the second overtime to cut the OSU lead to 80-77. A good job of Illinois passing through the press and attacking the basket. Air balls a corner three with 16 seconds left in double overtime and Ohio State up 7, 88-81.
Overall: 15 points (6/18 from the field, 3/10 from three) 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block and 1 steal in 45 minutes. Was awesome in the first half and played tough defense all game (Turner’s just that good). I’ll ride and die with this kid’s competitiveness for 3 more years.
● Bill Cole: Good job at 19:41 of coming up with the loose ball after McCamey had a reverse attempt knocked away.
In at 10:14 for Richardson. Great help at 9:43, knocking the ball away from the Lighty and into the hands of Paul. Gets called for a cheap foul at 9:18, when he knocked an inbounds lob pass away from Lauderdale, who would have dunked that ball. Looked like all ball, and Cole and Weber certainly feel like it was. Weber is hot with Ed Hightower. Anyways, Lauderdale misses both free throws, make that three free throws as a lane violation was called on Davis. Nice job coming up with a loose ball lost by Turner at 8:50.
Loses Buford but recovers at 7:50, when the Buckeye sophomore badly misses a wing jumper. Not a bad closeout at 6:59, but Buford hits a three after Lighty bullied his way into the lane, cutting the Illinois lead to 21-18 and breaking a 6-minute Buckeye drought.
Back in at 1:59 for Paul. Great job of getting back at 1:31, after Griffey couldn’t corral a Jordan pass. Cole does a good job of guarding the 2 Ohio State attackers, Buford and Lighty, forces a difficult layup from Lighty and comes up with a tough defensive board. Briefly loses Buford on an inbounds pass at 1 minute, and the Ohio State sophomore hits a difficult shot to cut the ILL lead to 34-31. Kellogg is right to say that Buford has kept the Buckeyes in this game.
Great job at 19:46, blocking a Diebler three that lands in Turner’s hands. Great hands seconds later, knocking the ball away from Buford and coming up with a steal at 19:39. Fouls Lighty on a drive to rim at 18:49. Looks like he got all ball but did make contact with his body. Lighty hits both free throws to cut the ILL lead to 37-33. Good hands in the transition defense at 18:23, deflecting a sloppy Turner pass into the hands of Davis. Great job moving his feet at 17:44, when he blocks a Buford shot. Great offensive rebound off a missed Tisdale wing jumper with 17:26 to go. Finds Tisdale at 17:19 with a good pass for a dunk and 41-35 ILL lead. Cole is everywhere in the first four minutes.
Gets caught below a screen for Buford at 14:36, but the Buckeye misses an open three. Runs the floor and misses a slashing layup at 14:29. A difficult angle on that shot but still needed to finish there.
Great job on the offensive glass at 1:25 of the first overtime, tapping at a missed McCamey banker and then sticking in his own miss for a 75-71 Illinois lead. Perfect time for Cole to get his first points of the night. Passes up an open three at 42 seconds, instead passing to Richardson in the corner, with the Illini freshman missing a contested three. Can’t get a shot off at the end of the first overtime, resulting in the horn going off and double overtime with the game tied at 75.
Can’t contain Lighty with 34.5 seconds left in double overtime, and the Ohio State guard gets into the lane to hit a difficult layup and put Illinois down 86-81. Ohio State takes a timeout after the make.
Overall: 2 points (1/3 from the field), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and 3 steals in 33 minutes. In the first four minutes of the second half, was a defensive nuisance and catalyst for the Illini. Passed up on an open shot with 42 seconds left in overtime; but there’s no need to dwell on the negative for any Illini in this game. Cole played hard and did a lot of little things.
● Mike Davis: Turns the ball over on a sloppy pass to Richardson at 19:10. Weber with an incredulous look on his face. Nice feed at 17:59, hitting Tisdale for a layup. Gets good post position and an open look on a nice feed from Cole at 17:19, but his one-handed push shot from the right baseline is long. Would have liked to see Davis attack the rim as there was no one in front of them; seemed like he had his mind up on what he was going to do once he caught the ball. Turns the ball over at 16:25, dribbling the ball out of bounds on the baseline.
Back in at 13:35 for Tisdale. Nice post catch on the left block at 12:21 and aggressive flip shot off one dribble and some contact to cut the Illinois deficit to 15-11. Nice job at 12:00, boxing out the bigger Lauderdale and grabbing the rebound of a missed three by the open Lighty, who was not set on that shot.
Great job of running the floor at 9:37, when McCamey rewards him on the break with a nice pass for a two-handed dunk and 16-15 Illinois lead. Misses a baseline jumper over Turner at 8:58; good look set up by a nice jab step from Davis. Hangs back and nearly steals a Lighty pass intended for Turner. Called for an offensive foul on a screen at 8:40.
Nice job of staying with Lighty, forcing a difficult jumper in the lane and then grabbing the defensive board at 6:14. Nice post up and spin move to the baseline at 5:54, but his bank shot goes in and out. Great entry pass from Paul. Great screen and dive game at 5:30, with Paul finding him at the rim for a dunk and a 23-20 Illinois lead. A great job of running the floor at 5:04, following up a missed Paul layup with a layup and 25-20 Illinois lead. Strong defensive rebound of a missed Turner three at 4:08. Davis already has 6 rebounds and 8 points.
Misses a long jumper from the top of the key at 18:29. Tisdale kicked that ball from the post to Davis, who was flat footed and didn’t step into the shot.
Good post up of Turner at 15:17, drawing a foul on the play.
Great set up from McCamey at 12:15, but he can’t finish at the rim. Could have been a foul there, but Davis didn’t go up strong enough. Ohio State pushes the ball on the break, where Buford hits a crazy floater while drawing a foul on Paul. Buford misses the free throw as the Illinois lead has been cut to 50-41 with 12:11 to go. A huge swing there.
Gives up a dribble drive to Lighty at 11:15, and the Ohio State junior gets into the lane before kicking out to Turner for a corner three and a 50-44 game in favor of the Illini. That’s Turner’s first field goal since 6 minutes in the first half.
Misses an open one-handed floater on the left block at 8:50; a great shot out of the timeout as Davis slipped a ball screen for McCamey but couldn’t finish. The Illini couldn’t corral the rebound, which ended up in Buford’s hands. Davis is a bit late to get back in transition and half a second slow to close out on Diebler, who buries a three at 8:44 to put the Buckeyes up 54-50.
Comes up with a loose ball at 6:26, after Buford lost it on the drive. Nice job at 5:24, deflecting an Ohio State backdoor pass on the baseline and then coming up with the loose ball. Great job of hustling down a missed Paul three at 4:58. Great hustle at 4:34; hanging back after a Tisdale basket and knocking the Ohio State inbounds pass off Turner. Great hustle at 4:39, coming with the offensive rebound of a missed Richardson three. Unfortunately falls down after the rebound and loses the ball to Lighty, who calls a timeout at 3:45.
Great job on the offensive boards at 2:30, tipping at and missing a McCamey missed three but then following his own miss with a layup plus the foul. Davis hits the free to cut the ILL deficit to 60-59. Kellogg makes a good point: Davis put two hands on that ball, instead of one, which helped with his shot. Hits a crazy one-handed runner off one bounce at 1:43, cutting the ILL deficit to 62-61. All of a sudden Davis is playing like a man possessed. Steals the ball away from Lighty at 1:21, and gets the ball ahead to Richardson, who hits McCamey for a three that is good at 1:16 for a 64-62 Illinois lead.
Misses a layup at the end of regulation. Was wide open but that shot would not have counted; it came after the horn. Oh the humanity.
Does not do anything noticeable in the first overtime as Ohio State attacks Griffey off the screen and roll with Turner.
Big rebound of a missed Buford three with 3:58 left in the second overtime and Illinois down 78-75. Has his pass with under 30 seconds left stolen by Lighty, who races in for a layup and an 88-81 Ohio State lead with 24 seconds left. Fouls Buford with 8 seconds left and Illinois down 7. Buford misses both free throws as the game stays at 88-81.
Overall: 13 points (6/15 from the field, 1/1 from the free throw line), 18 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals and 5 turnovers in 46 gutty minutes. Played with the heart, focus and tenacity that Illinois fans clamored from him all season long. In my opinion, this game is Davis’ finest moment as an Illini (thus far). Took the game over late in regulation, helping Illinois come back from a 59-50 deficit, hitting crazy shots, and playing like a terror on the offensive glass and in the passing lanes. Have never been prouder of Davis than I was after this game. Fantastic concentration and activity during both games of the Big Ten Tournament. When he plays like this, look out – I actually can see this guy making the NBA.
● Mike Tisdale: Has the ball knocked away from him in the post at 18:29, with Diebler coming from behind as Tisdale tried to split a double team. Gets a friendly roll on a bank shot in the lane at 17:59, cutting the Ohio State lead to 4-2. Good job of moving his feet at 15:21, when getting switched on Turner, who will eventually travel.
Good closeout to the corner at 14:30, when Madsen missed an open look.
Nice attack of the offensive glass at 11:32, but goes over the back of the Ohio State player for a foul. That’s two fouls on Tisdale, who gets replaced by Griffey and will likely be sitting for the rest of the half.
Misses an open jumper at 17:24 but Cole gets the board and finds him at the rim for a dunk at 17:17, putting the Illini up 41-35. Tisdale was not that strong with the ball there, but caught a break in losing it and picking it up for the slam. Ohio State takes a timeout after that play.
Picks up a needless foul at 17:03, getting mismatched on defense against the smaller Lighty in the post. Puts his hands on Lighty and is called for a foul. That’s three on Tisdale, who is replaced by Griffey.
Back in at 13:45 for Griffey.
Turns the ball over at 10:42, when he is too soft with the ball while waiting to hand it off to McCamey. Turner steals it and goes in for a dunk to cut the ILL lead to 50-46. Turner with 5 quick points. Rushes a quick corner jumper at 9:55, badly missing it. Can’t catch a McCamey pass after the screen and roll at 9:26; that ball hit Tisdale in the head. It actually wasn’t McCamey’s fault but on Tisdale, who wasn’t looking and is playing with his head cut off in the last couple of minutes. Anyways, Ohio State comes up with steal, and Turner hits a difficult fade away in the lane over Davis to give the Buckeyes a 51-50 lead with 9:18 to go.
Nice job at 5:54, blocking a Lighty layup attempt after a behind-the-back pass from Turner. Good post up and strong move to the middle at 5:41, getting fouled by Madsen on the shot attempt. Tisdale hits both free throws to end a 7-minute Illinois scoring drought (that’s Illinois’ first two points since the 12:53 mark of the second half) and cut the Ohio State lead to 59-52. Hits a tough baseline jumper over Madsen at 4:39, cutting the Ohio State lead to 59-54. That’s Illinois’ first made field goal in its last 9 attempts. Good help at 3:57, getting his long arms up to contest a long Turner jumper and then crashing the boards for the defensive rebound.
Good job at 2:39, getting matched up with Turner, holding his ground and contesting a long jumper from the wing that is badly missed. Good help at 2:12, as McCamey lost Buford for a second, but Buford splits both defenders for a tough left-handed layup and a 62-59 Ohio State lead. That bucket ends a 9-1 Illinois run in the last 3:20 and marks Ohio State’s first field goal in nearly 6 minutes (5:47 to be exact).
A bit soft with the ball at 4:22 of the first overtime, as it is knocked out of bounds by the Ohio State defender after Illinois broke the press. Hits an open jumper from just inside the three-point line at 3:12, putting Illinois up 70-68. That play was set up by a nice dribble penetration to the basket by Richardson, who kicked out to open Tisdale with the shot clock winding down. Fouls Turner at the rim at 2:53 while Davis swatted his shot away. Turner got away with an offensive foul on that play, hooking D.J. Richardson in the post. That’s it for Tisdale, who has fouled out with 10 points. Turner hits one of two free throws to cut the Illinois lead to 70-69.
Overall: 10 points (4/7 from the field, 2/2 from the line), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 turnovers and 5 fouls in 27 minutes. Foul trouble limited Tisdale, who actually had a better game than I remembered. Was a stabilizer for the Illini after the 20-0 Buckeye run, hitting some big (and tough) shots and playing with some physicality down low to keep the Illini alive. Not as effective, obviously, as in the Wisconsin game a day earlier, but did not go missing in this game when he easily could have.
● Brandon Paul: In at 16:25 for Cole. Nice job of skying for a defensive rebound at 15:59, after Turner missed an open baseline jumper.
Hits a big three from the top of the key at 14:56, cutting the ILL deficit to 8-5. Nice job of going inside to Tisdale and then relocating, stepping in and shooting. Nice strong defensive rebound of a Madsen missed baseline jumper at 14:29. Nice dribble drive at 13:22, drawing a foul on Diebler on the baseline. Playing a really solid floor game, assisting on Griffey and Davis baskets as Illinois has cut the Ohio State lead to 15-11 with 12:23 to go.
Great job at 10:14, picking up another foul on Diebler off the bounce. That’s two on Diebler, who sits down and is replaced by Jereme Simmons. Comes up with a steal on Lighty at 9:43 and does a nice job of starting the Illini break. Called for a cheap foul when coming off a screen set for Turner at 9:19.
Is playing a masterful game thus far. Great entry pass to Davis at 5:54, but the Illini big man misses a bank shot. Follows up on the next possession with a great feed to Davis off the screen and dive, resulting in a dunk and 23-20 Illinois lead. This is the best floor game I’ve seen Paul play all year. Great job of running the floor at 5:04, when he misses a contested layup but Davis scoops up the rebound and scores to put Illinois up 5. A bit slow to get off a ball screen for Buford at 4:45, and the Ohio State guard cans a three to cut the Illinois lead to 25-23. Forces a long three at 3:48; his first bad shot of the game.
Misses a contested three from the wing at 3:08; with the shot clock down, Paul had to put that shot up. Great job getting back at 3:05 and stealing a Turner pass intended for Lighty. Buys a Buford head fake at 1:59, leaving his feet and falling on (and fouling) the Buckeye forward. Paul is replaced with Cole as Buford hits one of two free throws to cut the Illinois lead to 34-29.
In at 13:45 of the second half for Cole. Called for a blocking foul on Buford at 12:11; resulting in a basket and potential and-one. Buford misses the free throw and Turner is called for a foul on the rebound. Ohio State comes out with a press.
Forces a layup at 10:32, committing a charge on the play. The Ohio State full-court press has taken away some of the Illinois aggressiveness here, but not on that play. Paul with four fouls and is replaced with Cole.
Back in at the under-8. Misses a three at 4:58; Davis hustles down the board.
Fouls out at 3:02 when he pushes off Diebler on a jump-shot. Finishes with 3 points but had a bigger impact on this game (at least in the first half) than his point total reveals.
Overall: 3 points (1/5 from the field, 1/4 from three), 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers and 5 fouls in 19 minutes. Had a spectacular floor game in the first half, doing the little things besides scoring (i.e. passing, rebounding, playing under control on offense, and with great activity on defense). That might have been the best all-around half from Paul all season. Was limited by fouls in the second half, but was key in Illinois establishing itself in the first 20 minutes. If you want to project how good Paul can be as an all-around player in a couple of years, watch the first half of this game and then imagine Paul scoring a bit more. This kid has the potential to set the Big Ten on fire once he matures, calms down and learns how to play consistently within himself. Can’t wait to watch his development next season.
● Tyler Griffey: In at 16:25 for Davis. Can’t come up with a defensive rebound of a Buford miss at 16:07. Provides nice defensive help for Tisdale at 15:21 as Turner travels, with the violation leading to the under-16.
Good help on a driving Turner at 13:35, but fouls him on the shot attempt. Turner makes both free throws to put Ohio State up 13-7. Poor defense at 13:13 as Lighty took a jump stop and pivoted right by him for a layup and 15-7 game in favor of the Buckeyes. Responds at 12:59, hitting a wing jumper off the pick and pop game with Paul to cut the ILL deficit to 15-9.
In at 11:32 for Tisdale. Nice job at 11:16, going over a screen to contest a Diebler three that was short. Nice job crashing the board at 10:42, coming up with the rebound of a Turner miss. Great help defense at 10:21, forcing a more difficult layup by Buford, who had beaten McCamey baseline with a head fake.
Hits another pick-and-pop jumper at 7:30 (off a great find from McCamey), putting Illinois up 21-15. Good help at 6:30, knocking the ball out of bounds from the driving Turner, who had gotten a step on Griffey. Poor job of communicating to Richardson at 5:46, as the Illini guard gets obliterated on a Madsen screen that freed up Turner for a long two and a 21-20 Illinois lead. Griffey was backtracking there and didn’t even get out on Turner.
Can’t handle a difficult Jordan pass at 1:31. Hits a high-arching three over Madsen with 20 seconds left to put Illinois up 37-31. Great job of facing up Madsen there with the shot clock winding down and then burying the deep shot.
In at 17:03 of the second half for Tisdale, who has three fouls. Poor job boxing out Lauderdale at 16:57 as the Ohio State big man taps out a Turner miss to Buford. Hits a pick and pop jumper on the wing (great pass from McCamey) at 16:10 to put Illinois up 43-35. Great confidence from the freshman, who is stepping in and shooting without hesitation. Jim Nantz: “Allow me to introduce you to Tyler Griffey.”Griffey with 9 points of the bench.
Tough luck at 14:15 as Madsen went over the back and pushed off to tip in a missed Turner shot. Turner got in the lane and pushed off on a Richardson there. Two fouls were missed on that possession, and Illinois now leads 45-37. That breaks a 5-minute Ohio State drought. Misses an open three off the pick and pop with McCamey at 14 minutes. Illinois catches a break as Ohio State pushes off the miss and hits Lighty, who misses a wide open three.
Back in at 8:29 for Davis. Gets matched up with Buford at 8:03, allowing some penetration and a kick out to Buford, who hits a three in McCamey’s eye to put the Buckeyes up 59-50. Ohio State is on a freaking 20-0 run.
In at 2:53 of overtime for Tisdale, who has fouled out. Fouls Turner off a curl at 2:53. Turner hits both free throws to cut the Illinois lead to 73-71. Gets called for a bump of Turner at 1:09. There was some contact, but that was a quick whistle. Illinois is switching screens, leaving Turner against Griffey, a bad matchup to say the least. Turner hits both free throws to cut the ILL lead to 75-73. Passes up an open three with 1 second left in the first overtime after McCamey overdribbled a bit and briefly lost the ball. Instead, fires the ball to Cole, who couldn’t get a shot off in time.
Gets caught off the screen and roll on Turner at 3:01, and the Ohio State star easily gets into the lane before throwing up contorted layup for an 82-77 Buckeye lead. Hits a huge three at 2:43 to cut the Buckeye lead to 82-80. Misses a corner three at 1:58 with Illinois down 84-80. The ball is knocked out of bounds on the rebound attempt to Ohio State with 1:53 left. Gets switched on Turner and forces him to step out of bounds at 1:33. Great footwork by Griffey. 10 turnovers for Turner. Great job of saving an errant Cole pass at 1:17, but Davis misses an open jumper at 1:12. Great offensive rebound of a Cole three that was partially blocked at one minute, and is fouled on the put back. Griffey won’t let the Illini die here. Just misses an and one as Turner fouls out on the play. Griffey hits one of two to cut the Illinois deficit to 84-81, with exactly a minute left.
Overall: 13 points (5/7 from the field, 2/4 from three, 1-2 from the free throw line), 5 rebounds and 1 assist in 28 minutes. Phenomenal game off the bench from Griffey, who didn’t play like a freshman in the big moments. One thing I’ve loved about this kid’s game all year is that he is generally not afraid to take the open shot. Did pass up a deep three at the end of regulation, but wouldn’t let the Illini die in the second overtime. I’m very excited about what Griffey will mean to the Illini program in the next three years. This guy has glue guy written all over him and looks like the perfect fifth starter on a Final Four team in the future.
● Jeff Jordan: In at 9:19 for McCamey, his first break in the Big Ten Tournament.
Replaces McCamey at 3:44 of the first half. You know the Illini are feeling it, as Jordan confidently takes and makes a three at 2:51 to put the Illini up 31-25.
In at 9:42 of the second half for Richardson.
In at 5:41 for Richardson.
In for Griffey at one minute of the second overtime, with Illinois down 84-81.
Overall: 3 points (1/1 from the field, a three-pointer), 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 turnover in six minutes.
● Dominique Keller: Did not play, getting benched after ignoring Weber on the bench during the Wisconsin game. Illinois could have used Keller in this game, but Weber was right not to play him. You need to discipline your players when they’re out of line. The good news is that Weber wouldn’t hold grudges, playing Keller decent minutes in the NIT. A tough but valuable lesson for Keller, who when all is said and done was a good kid and ambassador for the University of Illinois during his two seasons.
● Bruce Weber: Illinois with a letdown at the start of the game coming off the huge victory against Wisconsin. The Illini trail 8-2 at the under-16. Illinois needs to settle down: the Illini have 4 turnovers and are 1-for-7 from the field thus far. Illinois is playing too fast. Ohio State hasn’t done anything special but has run out and gotten four transition points after quick Illinois attempts. One good thing early: Ohio State has not hit a three.
Illinois trails 15-11 at the under-12. The Illini have hit 4 of its last 5 field goals and are doing a nice job of not being just a perimeter team, getting a post touch to Davis and attacking off the dribble (Richardson and Paul). One of Illinois’ most unstable players all year long, Paul has been a nice stabilizer thus far, playing within himself. McCamey is 0-for-4 but the rest of the Illini are 5-for-8 to stay within striking distance of the Buckeyes, which are really dangerous off missed shots, getting up and down to run when the opportunity presents itself.
Wow! Illinois leads 19-15 at the under-8. The Illini are on a 12-0 run in the last 5 minutes and Ohio State has not scored in 9 possessions (in 5:18 of game time). This may have been the best stretch of two-way basketball from the Illini all season (especially when considering the quality of the opponent). The Illini are really enforcing their will and making things difficult for Ohio State, which looks frazzled. Illinois has 4 steals (compared to 3 for Ohio State) and is really active on both ends. Offensively, the Illini are getting balanced contributions from Richardson, McCamey, Davis, Griffey and Paul, and basically doing all of the little things right. Illinois with only 2 turnovers in the last 8 minutes after committing 4 in the first 4 minutes. Illinois has got to love the contributions from its freshmen Richardson, Griffey and Paul, who may be playing his best ball as an Illini right now. Paul is under control and doing a lot of little things (assisting, rebounding, driving baseline and drawing fouls). Only bad news for Illinois: Tisdale with two fouls. However, Diebler the Illini killer has two fouls already. Bruce Weber is doing a masterful job of subbing players in and out. This is some fun basketball to watch, hopefully a predictor of future success in the upcoming years.
Here are some key stats thus far: Illinois is 6/13 from the field; Ohio State 5/11. Illinois is 2/6 from three; Ohio State just 1/5. The Illini have 5 bench points to 0 for the Buckeyes.
Illinois leads 28-23 at the under-4. As Clark Kellogg says: “Man, the boys from Champaign have come to play today.” Since the 12-minute mark, Illinois has been extremely crisp on offense; the Illini are playing fantastic basketball with Davis, Richardson and Paul especially huge, and McCamey starting to have himself a nice floor game despite struggling with his shot. Ohio State has hit a couple of tough shots, but Illinois is clearly the team with the better energy and activity right now. Mike Davis has been huge and is an impact player on both ends right now. Absolutely inspirational basketball from the Illini, which have a 16-13 advantage on the boards. Illinois does look a bit tired, so these next 3 minutes will be huge going into the break.
Weber takes a good timeout at 1:16, with Illinois leading 34-29 despite a Richardson air ball on the three. A good idea by Weber, who needs to get his team to settle down here in the final 76 seconds with McCamey and Tisdale both on the bench with 2 fouls apiece.
Illinois leads 37-31 at the break. Man-o-man, the Illini have hit some opportunistic threes (Griffey, Jordan, Richardson, etc.). The Illinois bench has outscored Ohio State 13-3 thus far, and Illinois has a 15-6 advantage in points off turnovers. That was a tremendous first half by the Illini. Weber has gotten big minutes from Paul, Griffey and Jordan while having McCamey and Tisdale saddled with 2 fouls. About as good of a half as Illinois could have played; great ball movement on offense, terrific activity on defense. Just fantastic basketball on both ends against a fantastic opponent. If you ever need to watch a half that suggests how good Illinois can be next season and beyond, refer to these first 20 minutes against Ohio State.
Here are some impressive first half stats: Illinois shoots 47% from the field; Ohio State 44%. Illinois is 6-for-13 from three; Ohio State 4-for-9. Illinois has 12 assists; Ohio State 6. Illinois with a 15-6 advantage in points off turnovers (as mentioned above) and a 13-3 edge in bench points. It certainly helped Illinois that Diebler sat the last 10 minutes with 2 fouls.
Illinois leads 41-35 at 17:17, when Matta calls a timeout after a Tisdale dunk. Bill Cole has been huge on both ends, with 2 blocks and a steal, and an offensive rebound and an assist. Ohio State started the half on a 4-0 run to cut the game to 2, but Illinois has responded with its own 4-0 run to go back up 6. Illinois may not have the most perfect execution thus far in the second half, but they are certainly outworking the Buckeyes, which have 12 field goals to 11 turnovers right now. A nice response by the Illini after Ohio State came out strong in the first minute of the half. Illinois with 4 timeouts; Ohio State with 3. Illinois with a 17-8 advantage off turnovers.
Illinois has its largest lead of the game, 43-35, at the under-16. Griffey has picked up where he left off in the first half, hitting a big jumper to extend the lead for Illinois. The Illini are really winning this game on the defensive end, where Ohio State can’t get going. Ohio State has not scored in 3:44. Illinois with great focus thus far. Got to keep it up. Bill Cole has been the perfect glue guy (doing a little bit of everything) in the first four minutes of this half. Illinois killers in the regular season, Lighty and Diebler are a combined 3-for-11. Illinois with 8 turnovers to 11 for the Buckeyes (remember the Illini had 4 turnovers in the first 4 minutes).
Up 47-39, Illinois takes a :30 second timeout with 13:10 left after McCamey fell to the floor and lost his dribble. Illinois with a 16-12 advantage in points in the paint right now. Turner has not scored in this half. Ohio State comes out of the timeout with the 1-3-1, which Matta hasn’t used much in this game, but McCamey splashes a three to put Illinois up 11 at 50-39.
Illinois leads 50-41 at the under-12. The last minute has seemed like an eternity. Ohio State has a bit of a bounce in its step all of a sudden, and have scored it last three field goals on the interior. With the exception of a McCamey missed three, the Illini have lost a bit of the aggressiveness. Good time to regroup for the Illini.
Well, the Illini certainly didn’t regroup in the last T.V. timeout. Ohio State has stormed on a 12-0 run to take a 51-50 lead with 9:16 to go, forcing a :30-second Illinois timeout. The Illini have been bothered big time by the Ohio State full-court press, and Illinois has 4 turnovers in its last 4 possessions. The Illini are playing with no composure. All of a sudden, Ohio State is the aggressor, turning the Illini over and getting quick shots. Madsen is killing the Illini with a lot of hustle ways. Illinois is a bit shell-shocked and rightfully so; Ohio State has suddenly taken the lead after the Illini have controlled most of this game. Time for Illinois to settle down as it trails for the first time since it was 15-14 Ohio State.
Talk about a game of runs. Illinois had a 14-0 run in the first half; Ohio State is currently in the midst of a 12-0 run.
Weber calls a timeout at 8:29 after a Diebler three put Ohio State up 54-50 and Illinois couldn’t get the ball past half court. Wow. Ohio State is playing like a bunch of sharks smelling blood in the water. An incredible turn of events here in the last 4:30. Illinois has gone from being up 11 to down 4. Tisdale’s ashen face is a symbol of a stunned Illini team. As Kellogg says, the Illini are really reeling now. Weber will need to get Jordan out of the game and even Tisdale, who doesn’t look ready for this moment. Weber replaces Jordan with Richardson and brings in Griffey for Davis, not Tisdale. Illinois with just 1 timeout left. That’s not good.
Unbelievable. Illinois trails 59-50 at the under-8 (7:13 left). Illinois has not scored in nearly six minutes, and the Buckeyes are on a 20-0 run in that period. This has been a blitzkrieg, as Kellogg calls it. Illinois looks stunned; after controlling most of this game; the Illini have watched Ohio State storm into the lead. The full-court press has really energized the Buckeyes and made the Illini passive. Illinois’ lack of composure here has been stunning. Weber needs to snap the Illini out of this funk, or this game will be lost for good. All of a sudden Ohio State can’t miss or do anything wrong. It’s funny how the breaks typically go to the aggressor. For roughly 19 minutes, Illinois was the aggressor, and thus in front by 11. For the last 5:30, Ohio State has been the aggressor, and is now up by 9. Illinois is lucky not to be down more as Ohio State missed two open threes heading into the under-8.
Some key stats: Ohio State with 20 points in the last 5 minutes; Illinois with a goose egg. Illinois is 0/7 in that time while Ohio State is 7/11. Illinois has 6 second-half turnovers compared to just 3 for the Buckeyes. All of a sudden, Turner has 17 points. McCamey has been stuck on 10 since his three with a little less than 13 minutes to go put Illinois up 11. That was Illinois’ last basket by the way. Unfortunately, CBS does not have a sideline reporter at this game. I would have loved to hear what Weber had to say to his team in the break.
Illinois trails 59-56 at 3:45 as Lighty secured a loose ball from Davis and called a timeout. The Illini are not going down without a fight, having gone on a 6-0 run since Ohio State’s 20-0 run. The Illini are suddenly active again, with Tisdale scoring 4 big points, Davis crashing the boards and playing extremely active, and McCamey being more aggressive. Illinois’ defensive intensity has picked up, and Ohio State has been sloppy, committing 3 turnovers in its last 5 possessions. Give credit to the Illini. They haven’t quit.
Amazing. Illinois leads 64-62 with 26.5 seconds left after McCamey made two free throws. Ohio State has called a timeout. Illinois is on a 16-7 run in the last 4 minutes. What a comeback from Illinois, with Davis, McCamey and Tisdale the crucial players in this stretch.
Illinois takes its final timeout with 3.1 seconds left after Turner hit a ridiculous reverse layup at 12 seconds to tie the game at 66. Illinois had the ball in Richardson’s hands, and the possession didn’t look good there, forcing Weber to call the timeout. Better late than never. It’s unfortunate that McCamey didn’t go get control of that ball.
Illinois has its starting lineup in out of the timeout. The Illini get the ball to McCamey, who gets in the lane and hits Davis for an open layup that is missed. However, that shot would not have counted; it was a second late. We’re going to overtime. A good play; just a half second late.
We’re going to double overtime as Illinois fails to get the last shot off again. With the game tied at 75 and 22 seconds left, Weber elected not to call a timeout. McCamey went off a screen from Griffey around six seconds but fumbled the ball at 3 seconds. He then kicked to Griffey, who passed on a deep three that would have been a bomb (should have shot it) and then fired to Cole, who couldn’t get a shot off before the horn. Poor execution by the Illini. Some hesitancy at the end of the first overtime from Cole and Griffey to shoot the open shot hurts the Illini.
Illinois takes a timeout at 2:43 of the second overtime following a Griffey three that cut the Ohio State lead to 82-80. Ohio State has scored on 3-for-4 possessions in the second overtime, and Turner has taken this game over. On the other end, it appears that McCamey has worn out a bit. Illinois has gotten big buckets from Richardson and Griffey to stay in the game. Illinois with one timeout left. Ohio State takes a timeout at 2:20 as Illinois trapped Turner at half court.
Buford hits a huge sweeping layup at 2:05, with the shot clock down, to put Ohio State up 84-80. Illinois allowed too much penetration there as a team by Turner, Lighty and then Buford.
Illinois takes its last timeout at 1:09 as McCamey got trapped after hustling down a Davis air ball. Illinois trails 84-80 at this point. The Illini will cut it to 84-81 when Griffey rebounds a missed Cole three, gets fouled on a put back and hits one of two free throws.
Ohio State takes a timeout at 34 seconds after Lighty made a difficult layup in the lane to put Illinois down 86-81. Cole couldn’t contain Lighty on that play. Lighty steals a pass from Davis at 24 seconds and then races in for a layup to put the Buckeyes up 88-81. This will be the game’s final score as the gassed Illini fail to hit rim on two desperation threes.
Nantz and Kellogg agree that Illinois is in the NCAA Tournament, but it won’t happen that way when all is said and done on Selection Sunday. Nantz throws salt on the wounds, saying Illinois had its chances. What a roller-coaster of a game.
Here are some final game stats: Illinois shoots 41.3% for the game; Ohio State 47.8%. Illinois was 10-for-30 from three; Ohio State 9-for-25. Ohio State was 15-24 from the free throw line; Illinois 9-10. Illinois won the rebounding advantage 45 to 41. Illinois had 18 assists to 13 for the Buckeyes. Ohio State had 18 turnovers, Illinois 17. Buford (22 points) and Lighty (12 points) were the only two players to play 50 minutes, with Turner getting 49 minutes before fouling out. Illinois limited Diebler to 14 points on 4/9 from three.
Overall: While the Illini should get nitpicked for not getting two shots off at the end of regulation and first overtime, you’ve got to give a lot of credit to Weber, who got his team to play extremely hard and focused in both games of the Big Ten Tournament. Especially worth noting was Weber’s ability to get his team to believe and not quit following the 20-0 run. Illinois played with the toughness and resiliency that Weber was seeking all year, against the best opponent it faced all season. Weber should be proud of his team, and the Illini nation should be proud of Weber and his coaching staff after this game.
Overall: Illinois loses a double-overtime classic, 88-81. As crazy of a basketball game that I can remember: Illini came out flat, went on a 14-0 run in the first half, led by 11 with 13 minutes to go in the second half, fell behind 9 after an amazing 20-0 run by Ohio State, fought back to take the lead late in regulation, couldn’t get off a winning shot at the end of regulation and the first overtime, and finally succumbed in the second overtime as Turner was just too much. While you’re disappointed Illinois lost, you couldn’t fault the heart, effort and toughness. Way to go Illinois.
Unfortunately, nothing would go right for Illinois after this game. While certainly looking like an NCAA Tournament team following this performance, the Illini would get squeezed out by a conference tournament season marked by too many upsets. Minnesota would advance to the Big Ten title game after crushing Purdue and get in the NCAA Tournament ahead of Illinois despite getting killed by Ohio State. Ultimately, a Minnesota win in Champaign would kill the Illini.
UTEP would be upset in the Conference USA Tournament by Houston. Utah State would lose its conference championship and get an at-large bid. Washington would beat California in the Pac-10 Championship. The list goes on and on as Illinois would be left on the outside looking in come Selection Sunday.
If you’re telling me that Illinois wasn’t one of the best 65 teams in the country last season, you’re full of it. With that said and this Ohio State game aside, Illinois put itself in this position, losing some bad nonconference games and stumbling down the stretch against a brutal Big Ten conference schedule.
Hopefully, Illinois can use this disappointing season as motivation next year, take care of business, and make a deep run. Because as this game showed, Illinois is talented when playing with heart, emotion and concentration.
Player of the Game: The whole Illini team. Can’t single out anyone as better than the rest. This was truly an inspiring performance from everyone involved, even if it resulted in a defeat.
Play of the Game: Well, it comes down to two plays. Illinois failed to get a game-winning shot off at the end of regulation as Davis missed a point-blank layup just after the horn. The Illini wouldn’t get a game-winning shot off at the end of the first overtime, with Griffey passing on a deep three and Cole firing after the horn. While we have the right to remember those plays, I’ll chose to remember McCamey’s transition three with 1:20 left in regulation, a shot that capped the Illini comeback and put Illinois up 64-62.
Some Things I Liked:
● Everything from the Illini (the concentration, toughness, heart, resiliency, etc.) with the exception of the 20-0 run and the failure to get two shots off at the end of regulation and the first overtime.
● Barring the first four minutes of the game and a 5-minute stretch in the second half, Illinois was fantastic in my opinion.
Here are the video highlights from this amazing game.
Well, that’s it for an epic Illini Tale of the Tape.
Up next, the first-round NIT game against Stony Brook.
Until then.