After the Illinois Fighting Illini men’s basketball team was left out of the 2010 NCAA Tournament, it was hard to imagine anything else that could add more insult to injury.
Well, I guess that’s a bit naïve attitude when considering the rollercoaster ride that was the 2009-2010 Illini basketball season.
Due to a scheduling conflict at the Assembly Hall (Cirque du Soleil was in town), the Illini would have to travel to Stony Brook for its first round NIT game, despite being the overall top seed in the tournament.
Wearing its home uniforms on the road at a packed Stony Brook Arena, the Illini would face a game Seawolves’ team playing as if it was in the National Championship Game.
Actually, this game would mark the first ever postseason appearance and nationally-televised contest for Stony Brook, which would give Illinois a tough fight before the Illini salted away this game at the free throw line in the final minute.
Where I Was for This Game: I was playing basketball and missed the first half. I got home to see that Illinois was only up 2 at the break, but wasn’t surprised, figuring that this was a classic pitfall game. I watched the second half and was glad to see the Illini get the win. Casting my disappointments about the NCAA Tournament aside, this game in a small, hostile and fever-pitched arena was good for the Illini, which didn’t have the luxury of feeling sorry for itself if it wanted to win and avoid the embarrassment of bowing out of the NIT early.
What I Remember from This Game:
● The Stony Brook kids playing with a great urgency against the big boys (Illinois), with the atmosphere of this game more reminiscent of a high school playoff game than an NIT first-round game.
● Stony Brook’s best player was a kid named Muhammad El-Amin, who was the younger brother of former UCONN star and Chicago Bull Khalid El-Amin. The America East player of the year, El-Amin would have a rough shooting night but still show flashes against the Illini. Bruce Weber would describe El-Amin before the game as a poor man’s Evan Turner.
● Thinking it was weird to see Illinois in its home white uniforms while playing on the road.
What Stood Out/Surprised Me Upon A Second Viewing:
● Forgot that this was Illinois’ first appearance in the NIT since 1996 (Lou Henson’s last season). Illinois was 5-3 all-time in the NIT entering this game.
● Did not realize that this was Weber’s second appearance in the NIT. He last coached in the NIT back in 2000, when he took his Southern Illinois Salukis to the tournament.
● Slipped my mind that Demetri McCamey was a rebound away from a triple double.
● Was impressed with Stony Brook sophomore guard Bryan Dougher, who led all scorers with 21 points and had 5 threes.
● Learned a lot about Stony Brook, which was formed in 1957 and is located about 50 miles from New York City. Did you know that former Villanova Head Coach Rollie Massimino once coached at Stony Brook? Or that Stony Brook’s 22 overall wins and 13 conference wins were its most victories since joining the Division I ranks in 1999? Or that Stony Brook Head Coach Steve Pikiell played for Jim Calhoun at UCONN in the late eighties, and was a captain on a Huskies’ squad that won the 1988 NIT?
● Was surprised to learn that Stony Brook typically plays its games at Pritchard Gymnasium, where the Seawolves were 12-1 in the regular season. Stony Brook’s only home loss last season was against St. Peter’s. Anyways, Pritchard Gymnasium was undergoing some renovations (similar to the Dean Smith Center during the NIT, forcing North Carolina to play at the old Carmichael Arena), and hence this game was played at the raucous SBU Arena.
Illinois Fighting Illini (19-14, 10-8) vs. Stony Brook Seawolves (22-9, 13-3)
Illinois Head Coach Bruce Weber will go with his usual starting lineup of Demetri McCamey and D.J. Richardson at the guards, Bill Cole and Mike Davis at the forwards and Mike Tisdale at center.
Coming off its best season ever, Stony Brook will start Chris Martin (Junior), Bryan Dougher (Sophomore) and Muhammad El-Amin (Senior) at the guards and Tommy Brenton (Sophomore) and Dallis Joyner (Sophomore) at the forwards.
Stony Brook is coached by Steve Pikiell, who was the America East Coach of the Year and played at UCONN, where he was a two-time captain.
Announcers: Dan McLaughlin and Dickey Simpkins
● Demetri McCamey: A bit lackadaisical with the dribble at 19:17, when the ball is stolen by Brenton. Commits a foul on the floor while recovering after the turnover. Short on a quick three off a screen at 18:59. Top-of-the-key pass to Richardson is nearly stolen by Martin at 18:02. Stony Brook is playing aggressive in the passing lanes. Nice job at 17:27, coming up with a loose ball after a missed Stony Book three. Good job of getting into the passing lane at 16:05 and coming up with a steal. Is fouled on the floor on the push.
Misses a quick three from the top of the key and off one bounce at 15:11. Misses a wing three at 14:34. McCamey is definitely settling for the deep shot in this game. Don’t like his body language early.
Misses a tough baseline jumper at 11:15. Hits a three in the secondary transition (off a nice find from Paul) to put Illinois up 21-18 with 9:13 to go.
Eyes up and hits a three off a curl screen at 7:05, putting Illinois up 25-20. Gets caught too high on Martin at 6:47, and the Stony Brook guard gets in the lane, breaking down the defense and hitting Dougher, who crosses over Richardson and buries a three from the top-of-the-key to cut the Illini lead to 25-23. Tries to respond at 6:30, but misses a forced three.
Beautiful show of the ball and finger-roll layup at 59.4 seconds (created off a break started by a Davis steal) to put the Illini up 36-34. Allows penetration to Martin on the next possession; the Stony Brook lefty guard misses the shot but gets his own rebound before scoring and tying the game at 36. Hits a difficult pop-back jumper off the high screen and roll as the first half horn goes off, giving Illinois a 38-36 lead at the break.
Hits a spot three from the wing at 19:20, putting the Illini up 41-36. That play was set up by a nice head fake, dribble and kick from Tisdale on the other end of the court. Splits one of two free throws after a Stony Brook intentional foul at 19:08, putting the Illini up 42-36. Very slow to close out on a Martin three that is luckily missed at 18:33. Good help down low at 16:42, forcing Joyner to lose the ball. Throws the ball away at 16:37, when trying to hit Davis up court. Stony Brook gets on the break after that turnover, with Mike Tisdale fouling Joyner pretty hard. Joyner misses the first but hits the second free throw to cut the Illinois lead to 48-39.
Loses Dougher in the corner out of the under-16, and the Stony Brook guard buries a three to cut the Illinois lead to 48-42.
Gets called for a double dribble at 10:06. Bad call. McCamey got trapped, but Stony Brook touched the ball.
Hits a smooth floater off the screen and roll game at 8:27, giving Illinois a 59-48 lead. Strong defensive rebound at 7:14 following a difficult layup that was missed by El-Amin. Turns the ball over 13 seconds later, losing the ball out of bounds after some overdribbling. McCamey fails to get back as Stony Brook hits Martin down court for a layup plus the foul on Tisdale at 7 minutes. Illinois only leads 59-54 after Martin hits a free throw following an Illini timeout.
Sloppy dribbling at 1:07, when he has the ball stolen away from behind. Luckily, Stony Brooks turns it over on a layup attempt.
Overall: 16 points (6/12 from the field; 3/8 from three), 11 assists, 9 rebounds, 4 steals and 6 turnovers in 40 minutes. Was sloppy early in the game and at times in the second half, but rebounded with a strong all-around game (with the exception of his turnovers). Just missed a triple double, with his 9 rebounds equaling a career-high set at Michigan late in Big Ten play. Hit a huge shot to give Illinois the lead at the break. Chirped a little too much with the officials on this night. Another ironman performance, with Jordan suspended for the game.
● D.J. Richardson: Misses a wing jumper off one bounce at 18:17. Stony Brook pushes off the miss, and Martin goes all the way to the basket for a left-handed layup and a 7-0 SB lead with 18:10 to go.
Hits a curl jumper at 13:37 to cut the ILL deficit to 15-13. Nice movement off the ball and curl by Richardson on that successful shot. Good defense at 13:13 but Dougher hits an incredibly difficult three from the wing to put Illinois in an 18-13 hole.
Back in at 12:20 for Cole following a brief rest.
Nice job of getting back after a Keller turnover at 8:11 and stripping the ball from a Stony Brook player on a layup attempt. Richardson flings the ball to half court, where Illinois and Stony Brook get on the floor for a tie up. The possession arrow goes to Illinois. That was an incredible strip by Richardson.
Gets caught too high in the passing lane at 7:29, and Dougher makes him pay with a nice baseline back cut and nifty left-handed finish over Tisdale for a 22-20 game in favor of the Illini. Better job of crowding Dougher (who has scored Stony Brook’s last 8 points) on a missed three at 5:32. Hits a corner three at 4:44 to silence the raucous Stony Brook crowd and put the Illini up 30-29.
Misses a corner three at 18:58 of the second half. Drills a three off a patient Illini possession at 17:09, giving Illinois a 48-38 lead. Misses a three against the Stony Brook zone at 14:16, but Tisdale is fouled under the basket after the shot. Comes back and hits a curl three at 14:11 off the inbounds play to put Illinois up 51-43. Doesn’t contain El-Amin at 11:57, and the Stony Brook guard gets into the lane before hitting Joyner with a beautiful pass for the dunk plus the foul on Griffey. That was a freaking gorgeous pass by El-Amin. Joyner makes the free throw out of the under-12 to cut the Illinois lead to 55-46.
Rushes a quick three at 10:59, with the shot deflected. Luckily, Davis taps the miss to Tisdale for a dunk. Can’t get over a win screen at 8:07 as Dougher buries a three to cut the Illinois lead to 59-51.
Strong defensive rebound of a Carter missed layup at 5:30, but has the ball stolen from him seconds later by Martin. Hits a big corner three at 4:33, as Illinois ran a patient possession and that shot was made with the shot clock down, giving the Illini a 63-54 lead.
Good defense at 1:14, getting up into Dougher on a missed three from the corner. Commits a bad foul at 52.6 seconds, fouling El-Amin on the floor, thus stopping the clock and sending El-Amin to the line, where he hits two to cut the Illini lead to 70-61. Fouled at 49.1 and hits both free throws to put Illinois up 72-61. Loses Brenton off an inbounds play at 20 seconds, and the Stony Brook forward dunks the ball to cut the ILL lead to 74-66.
Overall: 16 points (5/12 from the field, 4/10 from free, 2/2 from the free throw line), 2 rebounds, and 1 steal in 38 minutes. Hit a couple of big threes in the second half, but struggled guarding Dougher at times.
● Bill Cole: A bit soft on his closeout at 19:10 as El-Amin hits a deep three to put the Illini in a 3-0 hole. Nice work on the offensive boards at 17:19, rebounding a missed Richardson three from the corner. Nice job at 16:40, blocking a difficult fade-away three from El-Amin.
A bit slow to stay with El-Amin off an inbounds play out of the under-16, and the Stony Brook senior guard hits a curl jumper to put Illinois down 9-8. Ends a 6-0 Stony Brook run with a wing three at 14:12, cutting the ILL deficit to 13-11. Nice off the ball movement there by Cole, who came off a screen ready to shoot. Can’t contain El-Amin on the next possession, and the Stony Brook guard blows his way into the lane, hitting Joyner for a two-handed slam and a 15-11 Stony Brook lead.
Called for a charge on the break at 8:55. McCamey hung Cole out to dry a bit by picking up his dribble and giving Cole a pass too far from the basket; with that said, Cole would have been wise to have used a jump shot to avoid the contact, or to have just pulled up for the short bank shot.
Allows the baseline to El-Amin at 3:24, resulting in a breakdown of the Illini defense and a Danny Carter three that put Stony Brook up 32-30. Can’t contain El-Amin at 2:28, and the America East player of the year gets into the lane with two long steps before throwing up a ridiculous layup for a 34-30 game in favor of the Seawolves.
Good defense on the first possession of the second half, forcing a deep El-Amin three that was long at 19:45. Tough defense at 17:44 but El-Amin hits a difficult fade away to cut the Illinois lead to 45-38.
In at 10:22 for Paul. Called for a defensive foul at 8:51, pushing off on the interior after a missed Martin three. Preye Preboye was fouled on the play, and the Stony Brook forward misses the front end of the one and one. Makes a bad pass to the curling McCamey at 7:41, with Tisdale knocking the loose ball out of bounds to Stony Brook after the under-8.
Good defense out of the under-4, staying with El-Amin as he missed a difficult pop-back jumper with 2:06 remaining.
Overall: 3 points (1/1 from three), 1 rebound, 1 block and 2 turnovers in 23 minutes. Did a very respectable job (along with Paul) against El-Amin, who shot 6-20 en route to 16 hard-earned points.
● Mike Davis: Soft reverse pass to McCamey is stolen at half court by Dougher at 18:43, and the Stony Brook guard goes in for a layup and a 5-0 lead for the Seawolves. Hits a nice one-handed floater off the screen and roll and one bounce at 17:49 to cut the ILL deficit to 7-2. Hits a baseline jumper off the screen and pop with McCamey at 16:27, cutting the Illinois deficit to 7-6. Hits an open jumper from the elbow and off an inbounds play at 16:02, giving Illinois an 8-7 lead.
Nice offensive rebound off a missed McCamey three at 15:11, but his pass to McCamey is very soft. Dougher steals the ball and races in for a layup and an 11-8 SB lead. Illinois is very careless with the ball. Nice use of the dribble on a baseline catch from Richardson, and then takes the ball into the lane, jump stopping into a one-handed push shot that goes down plus the foul. Davis makes the free throw to cut the ILL deficit to 18-16. He is replaced by Tyler Griffey.
Back in at 12:18 for Tisdale following a short rest. Forces a travel at 11:59, leading to the under-12.
Nice baseline pull up off the dribble at 5:51 gives Illinois a 27-26 lead. Buys a Stony Brook head fake at 4:55, allowing a baseline penetration and kick to Martin, who buries an open three to put Illinois in a 29-27 hole. Called for an over-the-back foul after a missed Stony Brook three at 4:27; gave up inside position on that rebound attempt.
Soft with the ball at the top of the key with 3:01 to go, as the Stony Brook player simply ripped the rock away. Hits a wide-open baseline jumper at 2:11 to cut the ILL deficit to 34-32. Hits a nice one-handed push shot on the right block, beautifully executed off the screen and dive game with McCamey, to tie the game at 34. Davis with 15 points on 7-for-7 shooting in the first half. Nice job at 1:01, getting in the passing lane, stealing the ball and initiating an Illinois fast break that will result in a McCamey layup.
Nice hands at 19:08, deflecting an interior Stony Brook pass out to McCamey, who is intentionally fouled. First miss of the night at 16:02, when he misses a mid-range jumper in the seams of the Stony Brook 1-2-2 zone, a new look from the Seawolves. Then commits a foul at 15:59, leading to the under 16.
Lazy reverse pass to Richardson is stolen by Martin at 14:53. Davis fouls Martin on the break, and Martin hits one of two free throws to cut the Illinois lead to 48-43. Davis with three fouls and is replaced by Griffey.
Nice job at 10:59, deflecting a Richardson air ball over to Tisdale for a dunk. Great baseline drive from the wing at 9:34 but misses a difficult layup. Tough angle on that shot, but the ball remains with Illinois anyways as it was knocked out of bounds by Stony Brook. Misses a pull-up jumper off one bounce at 9:09, with that ball hanging on the rim before falling off.
Great back cut and finish at the rim at 3:54 as Tisdale found him with a lob pass for an 8-point (65-57) Illinois lead. Those are Davis’ first two points of the second half. Good hustle at 2:22, nearly tracking down a missed Richardson three before stepping out of bounds and taking us to the under-4.
Overall: 17 points (8/11 from the field, 1/1 from the line), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 4 turnovers in 34 minutes. With the exception of some of his turnovers, had a brilliant first half, going 7-for-7 from the field and keeping the Illini in the game. Was quieter in the second half, but had a huge slam late in the game to keep Illinois at a comfortable lead. I liked his activity from the get-go. It was good to see Davis come out ready to play despite the disappointment of Illinois playing in the NIT as opposed to the NCAA Tournament.
● Mike Tisdale: Steals the tip; the ball goes over to Stony Brook. After Illinois allows an offensive rebound on a missed Stony Brook three, Tisdale blocks a driving layup attempt by Martin. Soft with the ball on the perimeter at 19:25, when it is knocked out of bounds by Brenton. Secures a long rebound after a missed McCamey three at 18:59. Hits a baseline jumper at 17:13, following a Cole offensive board that extended the Illini possession, to cut the Stony Brook lead to 7-4. Good job at 15:42, contesting a deep three by Dougher; the shot is badly missed but the ball is knocked out of bounds to Stony Brook, leading to the under-16.
Fails to meet a McCamey pass to the elbow at 15:23, with the ball stolen by Brenton. Illinois catches a break as Stony Brook can’t convert a 3-on-2, with Brenton missing an alley-oop jam. Can’t stop a slashing Martin layup at 14:25 as Tisdale was a victim of terrible transition defense by his teammates. No one stopped Martin, who received a pass and attacked the off-balance Tisdale, who had to come over and help. Illinois trails 13-8. Fouled off the ball at 12:20 while posting up.
Back in at 10:07 for Davis. Nice job at 9 minutes, blocking a Stony Brook shot and starting an Illinois break that will end up with a charging call on Cole.
Good defense at 4:09, getting switched on El-Amin and forcing a deep three that is short. Did not give up the baseline and did a good job of moving his feet. Can’t handle a hot pass from Davis under the basket at 3:52, with the ball going out of bounds and leading to the under-4.
Poor box out at 18:28, failing to get a body on Joyner, who rebounds a missed Martin three. Comes back at 18:19 to clear a rebound after a Martin missed layup. Runs the floor and hits a three from the top of the key in the secondary transition, giving Illinois a 45-36 lead.
Air balls a jumper from the wing at 15:10. Was trying to pass on a dribble handoff when he found himself open; didn’t go straight up into that shot but rather stepped into it.
In the right place at the right time at 10:59 when Davis taps a loose ball of a Richardson air ball into his hands for a two-hand slam and 57-46 Illinois lead. Slow to close out at 9:49 on Danny Carter, who hits an open wing jumper to cut the Illinois lead to 57-48. Tisdale throws his hands in the air afterwards, suggesting that there was a mix up on that play.
Nice offensive rebound at 5:50 after Richardson missed a three off the curl. Tisdale was fouled on the put-back attempt. Tisdale hits one of two free throws to put Illinois up 60-54. A bit slow to close out on Carter at 4:16, and the Seawolves’ reserve hits a three to cut the Illinois lead to 63-57. Follows up with a great alley oop pass to Mike Davis at 3:54, for a dunk and 65-57 Illinois lead.
Hits a huge three with 1 second on the shot clock and 1:30 in the game to put Illinois up 68-59. Fouled at 1:00, hits the front end of the one and one and then makes the second free throw to put Illinois up 70-59. Gets fouled at 34.5 seconds and hits two free throws to put Illinois up 74-64.
Overall: 15 points (4/6 from the field, 2/2 from three, 5/6 from the free throw line), 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal and 1 turnover in 34 minutes. Was huge in the second half, making up for a quiet first half by scoring 13 of his 15 points. Hit two threes, including a big one with 1:30 left in the game to put Illinois up 9. Good job at the line late in the game to help Illinois hold on. Impressive second half.
● Brandon Paul: In at 12:58 for Richardson. Gets caught under a screen at 12:41 but Stony Brook misses a wide-open three that is knocked out of bounds to Illinois. Hits a difficult layup off an inbounds play at 12:18 to tie the game at 18. Nice catch and use of the upper body by Paul, who went up strong when banking that shot in.
Great hustle at 11:30, chasing down a missed Griffey shot and throwing the ball out of bounds off of Stony Brook. Great effort. Good closeout on a deep El-Amin three at 11:07. Nice cross-over and drive to the basket at 10:58, but his high-arching layup goes in and out. Has a corner three rattle around the rim but out at 10:11. Nice defense at 8:18, contesting a long El-Amin three that is woefully short. Illinois catches a break as Dougher hustles down the rebound on the baseline but steps out of bounds. Nice drive and use of the left hand at 7:49, drawing a foul on the layup attempt and leading to the under-8.
Makes one of two free throws out of the under-8 to put Illinois up 22-18. A bit slow to recover on Dougher at 6:19, and the Stony Brook guard makes the Illini pay with his second straight three and a 26-25 game in favor of the Seawolves. Beautiful crossover and penetration at 5:18, but his pass to an open Tisdale on the baseline goes out of bounds.
In at 16:32 for Cole. Makes an aggressive drive and bank shot at 13:33 to put Illinois up 10 at 53-43. Good body control on that shot. Called for an off-the-ball foul at 13:22. Nice defensive rebound of a missed Dougher three at 13:13. Hits a tough pop-back jumper at 12:53, putting Illinois up 55-43 and forcing another Stony Brook timeout.
Good defense at 12:30, forcing a difficult El-Amin pop-back jumper in the lane. Nice baseline drive and kick to Tisdale at 12:08, but the Illinois big man can’t hit an open jumper.
With the shot clock down to three, covers a lot of ground on an aggressive dribble drive from the top of the key to the basket. Was going a bit too fast as he misses the layup at 11:21.
Misses a forced jumper at 6:26. Illinois immediately catches a break on the next Stony Brook possession as the Sea Wolves miss two jumpers before Tisdale is fouled at 6:10 after grabbing the rebound. Good defense on El-Amin at 5:04, staying with and contesting a pop-back three from the corner. Can’t contain El-Amin at 3:36 on a twisting layup that cuts the Illinois lead to 65-59. Is too strong on a layup attempt at 3:09, created by nice penetration from McCamey. Hung in the air there but overshot the rim.
Strong defensive rebound of an El-Amin miss at 2:05. Good closeout without fouling at 40.8, when El-Amin hits a three from the top of the key to cut the Illinois lead to 72-64. Fouled at 19.7 seconds and hits both free throws to put Illinois up 76-66.
Overall: 9 points (3/7 from the field, 0/1 from three, 3-4 from the free throw line), 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 turnover in 21 minutes. Make that 3 straight games during which Paul has played within himself and been a solid contributor. Seems to be learning and maturing late in the season. Great second half, especially defensively against El-Amin, and hitting a couple of shots to keep Illinois around a 10-point lead.
● Tyler Griffey: In at 12:58 for Davis.
Misses an open wing jumper off the pick and pop with McCamey at 11:32. Rebounds a missed Paul layup at 10:56 but is not strong with the ball, which is stripped away by Stony Brook. Nice activity on the offensive boards at 10:11, nearly tipping in a missed Paul three.
In out of the under-4.
In at 14:45 for Davis, who has 3 fouls. Catches a break at 13:55 when he is slow to close out on Danny Carter, who misses an open three from the top of the key. Good offensive rebound of a missed/rushed McCamey three at 13:09. Strong defensive rebound between two Stony Brook defenders after an El-Amin miss at 12:30.
Overall: 0 points (0/1 from the field), 3 rebounds and 1 turnover in 8 minutes.
● Dominique Keller: In at 10:07 for Griffey. First action since the Wisconsin game in the Big Ten Tournament. Has a wing jumper off the pick and pop game with Paul spin in and out at 9:35. Lazy reverse pass to Richardson is stolen at 8:11. Does a good job of getting back and getting on the floor for a loose ball that leads to a tie up and Illinois possession at 8:05.
Overall: 0 points (0/1 from the field), 1 rebound and 1 turnover in 2 minutes. Good to see Keller get off the bench following his pouting during the Big Ten Tournament Wisconsin game that led to a benching against Ohio State.
● Jeff Jordan: Does not play for an undisclosed violation of team rules.
● Bruce Weber: Illinois may be disappointed that it’s in the NIT, but Stony Brook could not be any more excited. The Stony Brook Arena is sold out and standing room only for this game, which is the first ever nationally televised game for Stony Brook. The Seawolves are so excited to be in the NIT that the school had a pep rally early in the day.
Well, Weber takes a timeout at 18:10 as Stony Brook has jumped out to a 7-0 lead. The Seawolves are naturally jacked up, while the Illini still look as if the Selection Sunday snub is bothering them. In a packed environment more similar to a high school playoff game than a college game, the Illini have not come out ready to play. Illinois has two turnovers and is taking some quick shots. Kind of expected a bad start to this game, and the Illini have not disappointed in that regard. It didn’t take long for the Illini to realize that this is a big-time game for Stony Brook, with the NIT First Round game comparable to the national championship game.
Illinois trails 7-6 at 16:27 when Stony Brook takes a timeout. Illinois with a 6-0 run after getting down 7-0. The Illini with much better activity and ball movement in that segment, scoring on all three possessions out of Weber’s timeout. If Illinois patiently runs its stuff and takes care of the ball, the Illini will be in good shape. A nice bounce back for the Illini.
Illinois leads 8-7 at the under-16. The Illini have done a good job of settling down, with Davis off to an impressive 3-for-3 start from the field and the defense picking up its intensity.
The game is nodded up at 18 at the under-12. Stony Brook is playing like this is the biggest game in school history, hitting 8/14 from the field and making numerous hustle plays. Illinois is also shooting the ball well, to the tune of 8/11. The Illini seemed to have realize that this is going to be a difficult game, and have picked up the intensity. Illinois has been a bit careless with the ball, with two turnovers in that segment and 4 on the game, and Stony Brook has capitalized on those mistakes to score some transition baskets and keep the home crowd roaring loud. McCamey’s body language hasn’t been that great, but he does have 5 assists early.
Illinois leads 21-18 at the under-8. Both teams have gone a bit cold from the floor. Stony Brook hasn’t hit a field goal in nearly 5 minutes. Illinois got a three from McCamey (his first points) in that segment, but that was it. Illinois with 7 turnovers compared to 5 for Stony Brook. The Seawolves have been the more aggressive team, with 6 steals compared to 3 for the Illini. Stony Brook is heavily three-point oriented, shooting just 2/12 from beyond the arc; Illinois 2/7. Illinois is now shooting 9/19; Stony Brook 9/21. Despite the Illini size advantage, Stony Brook has a 10-2 advantage in paint points.
Illinois leads 30-29 at the under-4. Stony Brook has rediscovered its energy, thanks to sophomore guard Brian Dougher, who had 8 straight points in that segment on two threes and a nifty layup. Dougher has 12 points on 5-7 shooting. Illinois has responded with some big 3s of its own, with McCamey and Richardson knocking down shots from beyond the arc and Davis getting an old-fashioned three-point play. The environment for this game is excellent, as the Stony Brook crowd is eating up the back-and-forth action. 18 of Stony Brook’s 28 shots have been from three.
Illinois leads 38-36 at the break. What a fun first half, that is if you could allow yourself to get over the fact that Illinois was in the NIT. In all seriousness though, this game is good for the Illini. It’s a very tough environment, and Stony Brook is playing a highly competitive and motivated game. Illinois knows that it is in a dog fight with the Seawolves, which are playing with something to prove. Mike Davis has been excellent for the Illini, but Stony Brook won’t go away. That was some great action at the end of the first half, with Stony Brook taking a 4-point lead, Illinois responding with a 6-0 run, the Seawolves tying the game, and Illinois responding with a McCamey dagger at the buzzer. There have been 9 lead changes in this game.
One thing Illinois must improve on is turnovers: the Illini had 10 in the first half, and Stony Brook got 15 points off those mistakes. The Seawolves also had 16 points in the paint, once again showing how Illinois is such a perimeter-oriented team.
Here are the key first half stats: Illinois shooting 62%, Stony Brook 47%. Illinois was 4/10 from three, Stony Brook 6/18. Stony Brook had a 16 to 4 advantage in paint points and a 15 to 7 advantage in points off turnovers.
Great job by the Illini coming out of the break, going on a 7-0 run in the first two minutes to take a 45-36 lead and force a Stony Brook timeout. McCamey and Tisdale have both hit threes to give Illinois its biggest lead of the game. A much different start to the second half compared to the first half for the Illini. Illinois is on a 15-2 run dating back to the first half.
Illinois leads 48-39 at the under-16. A good job by the Illini of taking the Stony Brook crowd out of the game immediately in the second half. Illinois with 3 threes in the first 4 minutes.
Illinois leads 55-43 at 12:53 as a Paul jumper forces a Stony Brook timeout. Illinois had briefly struggled with a Stony Brook 1-2-2/2-3 zone variation but has figured it out, doing a good job on the last couple of possessions. Paul with 4 straight points for the Illini. Stony Brook with just 2 timeouts left. Illinois will lead 55-45 at the under-12. The Illini are shooting 59%; Stony Brook 41%.
Illinois leads 59-51 at the under-8. Illinois is 8-for-17 from three; Stony Brook 8-for-26. Stony Brook only has five field goals this half, but is hanging in this game. Illinois just can’t put the Seawolves away, missing a couple of open shots in the last segment that would have extended the lead. Illinois is still shooting 55%; Stony Brook 43%.
Weber takes a timeout at 7 minutes, when Martin hits a layup and is fouled at the rim to cut the Illini lead to 59-53. That play started when McCamey turned the ball over on the previous possession. Instead of getting back on defense, McCamey was talking to the officials. Martin leaked out to the wing, and Stony Brook hit him off the inbounds pass for the attacking layup and foul on Tisdale. Illinois got caught sleeping there, and Weber is not happy. Martin hits the free throw, and the game is down to 59-54 as Stony Brook has gone on a 6-0 run.
Illinois leads 63-54 at 4:33 as Weber calls a timeout after a big Richardson three from the corner. Stony Brook has been the more aggressive team in the last couple of minutes, but that three was huge to quiet the Stony Brook crowd, which is raucous once again when Danny Carter hits a three out of the timeout to cut the Illinois lead to six.
Illinois leads 65-59 at 3:05 as Stony Brook calls a timeout after a missed Paul layup. Both teams are going back and forth, and the Seawolves are playing as if there is no tomorrow. Illinois catches a break out of the timeout as Carter misses an open three, with Davis getting caught under a screen. Illinois is up six at the under-4 (2:22). Got to execute in the final couple of minutes and guard Stony Brook’s El-Amin, Dougher and Carter, all of whom have no hesitation shooting the three.
After an Illinois stop, Weber takes a great timeout at 1:37, with the Illini possession down to 8 seconds and Richardson in the corner going nowhere. Tisdale hits a huge three with one second left on the shot clock to put Illinois up 68-59 out of the timeout.
Illinois wins 76-66, making 8/8 free throws in the final minute and surviving 17 turnovers. A game Stony Brook team has nothing to be ashamed about: the Seawolves played a great game and gave the university good exposure. This team could make the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
Give Illinois credit: this game had all the makings of a loss after getting left out of the 2010 NCAA Tournament and then having to travel for the first road NIT game due to a scheduling conflict at the Assembly Hall. Illinois persevered in a tough environment and came out with the win.
Overall: Weber has done a nice job of getting his Illini team prepared despite the highs and lows of the last couple of weeks. Illinois may be playing with its best focus of the year, and got the job done after the NCAA Tournament snub. A good job by Weber in terms of using timeouts early (after Stony Brook went up 7-0) and late (just before a Tisdale three with 1:30 to go).
Overall: Illinois survives a classic trap/pitfall game, beating Stony Brook 76-66. With the exception of some sloppiness (see 17 turnovers), Illinois persevered in a very tough environment. Given the inconsistency of this team all season long, such a win was hardly a given.
Player of the Game: Illinois had great balance, but I’ll go with Tisdale, who was the best Illini player in the second half, scoring 13 of his 15 points and hitting 2 threes.
Play of the Game: Out of an Illinois timeout, Tisdale hit a three with one on the shot clock and 1:30 left in the game to put the Illini up 9 and essentially end Stony Brook’s upset hope.
Some Things I Liked:
● Nice scoring balance.
● Illinois with pretty strong composure and focus (excluding a bad two-minute start to the game).
● Illinois won a game in a very hostile environment.
Some Things I Disliked:
● Nothing too much, except some careless turnovers and maybe not enough paint touches.
Alright.
That’s it for another Illini Tale of the Tape.
Up next, Round 2 of the NIT: Kent State at Illinois.
Only two more games left for me to break down. Amen to that.
Until tomorrow.