Illinois-Penn State Full-Court Vision: Live Blogging, Commentary & Analysis

9:57 p.m. Update

Illinois wins 68-51.

Mike Davis leads the Illini with a season-high 22 points.

Bill Cole and Brandon Paul had nice games off the bench.

Illinois played alright, basically using two big runs in the first and second halves to take this game.

The Illini weren’t great, but a win’s a win.

Demetri McCamey was lethargic and needs to pick up the energy level.

Penn State was flat, having an arduous trip to Champaign due to the weather.

Illinois-killer Talor Battle only had 12 points in what was hopefully his final game against the Illini, so give some credit to D.J. Richardson for a nice defensive job.

There’s no need to analyze this game tomorrow.

Just follow along the live blog for my commentary.

Adios.

9:50 p.m. Update

Out of Under-4

• Frazier misses the one and one.
• Andrew Jones is cut, and the game is stopped.
• Penn State retains the ball for some reason.
• Woodyard hits a runner.
• Penn State picks up full-court pressure.
• D.J. Richardson hits a layup plus the foul.
• Richardson  makes the free throw.
• Illinois leads 66-49.
• Battle gets to the basket and is apparently fouled by Richmond, who didn’t move and had his hands straight up.
• Battle makes one of two free throws.
• Richardson is fouled on the inbound.
• Richardson hits the first.
• Richardson hits the second.
• Frazier blows by McCamey but misses a layup.
• Davis misses a corner jumper.
• Richmond gets the rebound and is fouled.
• Joseph Bertrand comes in.
• So does Tyler Griffey.
• McCamey and Davis sit out.
• Crandall Head is in as well.
• Richmond misses free throw.
• Frazier misses.
• Woodyard misses a jumper.
• Griffey fouls Oliver down low.
• Oliver makes the first.
• Oliver misses the second.
• Illinois dribbles out the clock.
• Illinois wins 68-51.

9:48 p.m. Update

Illinois leads 63-47 with a little more than 2 minutes remaining.

The Illini have finally put away the Nittany Lions, which look worn out after a delayed trip to Champaign due to the weather.

This game is getting ugly, with both teams firing and badly missing threes.

9:39 p.m. Update

Out of Under 8

• Cole has 10 points off the bench.
• Paul hits the first free throw.
• Paul hits the second free throw.
• Demetri McCamey gets Paul. Why?
• Let’s see how this lead stands with McCamey in the game.
• Davis fouls Battle on the floor.
• Battle will get one and one.
• Battle misses.
• Illinois leads 56-43.
• Richmond hits Tisdale inside for a left-handed layup.
• Frazier gets inside and hits Jones for a layup.
• Illinois with 20 assists on 22 field goals.
• Mike Davis is fouled on a layup attempt off the screen and roll with Richardson.
• Davis hits both free throws.
• The Illini lead by 15.
• Davis with 22 points.
• Battle beats Richardson and hits a layup.
• Bill Cole misses a three.
• Richmond keeps the ball alive — out of bounds to Illinois.
• Bruce Weber takes a timeout.
• Illinois leads by 13.
• McCamey hits a three.
• Battle gets inside but throws the ball out of bounds on a pass to Jones.
• Penn State with just its sixth turnover.
• Illinois with a 35-second shot clock violation.
• Penn State misses a three.
• Richardson misses a corner three.
• Frazier misses a three.
• McCamey misses a three.
• Penn State misses a three.
• McCamey bricks a three.
• This is getting ugly on both sides.
• Davis fouls Frazier on the floor.
• Under-4.

9:36 p.m. Update

Illinois leads 54-43 at the under-8.

The Illini have finally gone on a run to put this game back to double digits.

Like the first half, this Illinois run has occurred with Demetri McCamey on the bench.

Mike Davis has been the catalyst for the Illini.

9:26 p.m. Update

Out of Under 12

• Davis hits the first free throw.
• Davis misses the second.
• Oliver misses a corner three. Oliver has left some points out on the floor tonight for Penn State.
• Mike Tisdale with a strong, one-handed rebound.
• Illinois with a 35-15 advantage in front-court scoring.
• Mike Davis hits a mid-range jumper.
• Illinois leads 48-39.
• Kirkpatrick misses a runner.
• McCamey is out of the game.
• Cole feeds Davis inside for a dunk.
• Nice feed and a great finish.
• Illinois is up 11, finally showing some urgency during this 5-0 run all from Mike Davis.
• Penn State takes a timeout.
• Davis has 18 points and 6 rebounds.
• Battle misses a three.
• Jones misses a stick back.
• Penn State is 2-for-14 from three.
• Paul hits Davis inside, and the Illinois senior forward is hammered on the shot attempt.
• Davis makes the first free throw. Davis hits the second.
• Illinois is up 13.
• Paul fouls Frazier on the floor.
• Frazier hits the first free throw in the one and one.
• Frazier hits the second.
• Paul misses a three.
• Bill Cole gets the board and scores.
• Mike Tisdale kept that play alive with nice hustle.
• Frazier is blocked by Tisdale.
• Jones follows and scores.
• Illinois has a 10-rebound advantage.
• Mike Davis misses a turn around.
• Paul knocks the ball from Frazier.
• Richardson comes up with loose ball.
• Paul is fouled on fast break.
• Under-8 timeout.

9:24 p.m. Update

Illinois leads 45-39 at the under-12.

The Illini are kind of slogging around out there, and Penn State is staying in the game.

I’ve seen this song and dance before. So has Bruce Weber, yet he’s not doing much to get on his team.

This Illinois squad just doesn’t have the competitive greatness to put teams away.

Demetri McCamey is playing with no urgency tonight.

The Illini better wake up or this game could get dicey.

9:18 p.m. Update

Out of Under 16

• Battle is fouled under the rim on Richmond.
• That was a tough call, a bail out to be honest. ;
• Battle hits both free throws.
• Illinois leads 40-34.
• Tisdale gets Richmond.
• Weber needs to get Paul in for McCamey.
• Paul is in, for Richardson.
• Paul hits Bill Cole on the weak side of the zone for a layup.
• Jackson misses a curl jumper that Davis rebounds.
• Man, McCamey was lazy getting off a screen on that possession.
• McCamey misses a jumper.
• Jones hits a hook in the lane.
• Cole hits a three.
• Billy Oliver misses a three.
• Paul with a lazy pass to Richmond that is stolen.
• Frazier makes a layup and is fouled by McCamey.
• That was a bad foul by McCamey.
• And a terrible pass by Paul.
• Penn State trails 45-39.
• Davis is fouled on a flip attempt.
• Under-12 timeout.

9:16 p.m. Update

Illinois leads 40-32 at the under-16.

The Illini have made just one field goal thus far in the second half and are letting the Nittany Lions hang around.

Demetri McCamey does not play the point with enough urgency, and this Illinois team just doesn’t have a killer instinct.

This team is just not impressive and has a lot of problems.

Penn State is hanging in this game, which should scare Illinois fans, that is if you still care about this up-and-down team.

9:04 p.m. Update

Start of Second Half

• Jeff Brooks will not return for Penn State.
• He has a dislocated right shoulder.
• Mike Davis led the Illini with 11 points.
• Richmond had 6 points, 6 boards.
• Illinois had a 20 to 10 rebounding advantage.
• Battle led Penn State with 7 points.
• Illinois starts with the ball.
• D.J. misses a difficult three.
• Battle misses an open three.
• McCamey air balls a pull up in transition.
• Frazier bricks a three.
• Davis misses a dunk off a nice feed from Richardson.
• Richardson fouls Battle on the ground.
• Jackson travels.
• A sloppy start to the half for both teams.
• Mike Davis is fouled by Billy Oliver on a reverse layup attempt. ;
• Davis makes the first free throw.
• Davis hits the second.
• Illinois leads 38-28.
• D.J. forces a turnover by Battle, who dribbled the ball off his foot.
• Tisdale misses a point-blank layup off a nice screen and dive with McCamey.
• Frazier gets in the lane and scores.
• Foul is on Tisdale.
• Penn State is hanging around.
• Frazier misses the free throw.
• Richmond misses a fadeaway with the shot clock down.
• Richmond fouls Battle on the floor.
• Cole comes in for Tisdale.
• Jackson hits a pull-up jumper off a curl.
• Illinois is 0-5 from the field in the second half.
• McCamey drives and hits Richmond for a layup.
• Battle misses a curl three.
• Richardson misses a corner three.
• Cole is called for a tough fall, over the back of Jones on a post feed.
• Under-16 timeout.

8:53 p.m. Update

Illinois leads 36-28 at the break.

The Illini were up 15 at one point, but the Nittany Lions have hung around without Talor Battle getting going.

Illinois went on a 14-2 run with Demetri McCamey out of the game, and Penn State came back with McCamey in the game.

Brandon Paul definitely ran a better offense than McCamey in the first half.

Illinois did have 14 assists on 15 field goals, a great statistic.

Illinois averages 16.6 assists per game.

8:45 p.m. Update

Out of Under-4

• McCamey misses a runner with the shot clock winding down.
• Richmond is called for an over-the-back foul on an aggressive offensive rebound attempt.
• Jackson makes first free throw.
• Jackson hits second free throw.
• 33-26 Illinois.
• Richmond turns the ball over late in the shot clock.
• Battle scores a fast-break layup.
• Battle has 7 points.
• Davis misses a point-blank layup.
• Richmond keeps possession alive. Fires up and misses a long jumper.
• D.J. with long offensive board.
• Davis is fouled on a shot attempt.
• Penn State’s Jeff Brooks was hurt on the play.
• Brooks looks to have a dislocated shoulder.
• Davis misses first free throw.
• Davis hits second free throw.
• Jackson misses a pull up.
• Richmond with strong board.
• Richmond hits Davis inside for a floater.
• Davis has 11 points.
• Frazier to run out clock here.
• Kirkpatrick misses a jumper.
• Davis rebounds.
• End of half.

8:43 p.m. Update

Illinois leads 33-24 at the under-4.

The lead was 15 points before an 8-0 Penn State run.

Brandon Paul has had a nice first half, playing good defense on Talor Battle and running an effective point.

8:34 p.m. Update

Out of Under 8

• Illinois with 11 assists on 12 field goals.
• Richmond misses free throw.
• Paul knocks the ball away from Battle. Penn State ball.
• Penn State is 4-of-17 from the field.
• Frazier blows by Richardson for a layup.
• Paul is called for a charge with the shot clock running down.
• Paul is replaced by McCamey.
• Davis gets Tisdale.
• Cole blocks an interior shot.
• McCamey feeds Richmond for a layup.
• Frazier blows by McCamey, misses, gets rebound and hits Battle, who drains a three.
• Davis misses a tip-in dunk attempt.
• Brooks gets away with a long step and banks in a shot, plus the foul on Cole.
• Brooks hits the free throw.
• 6-0 Penn State run has cut Illinois lead to 9 (31-22).
• Paul air balls a curl three (looked like he was fouled on follow through).
• Oliver drives and scores.
• Davis with a sloppy pass to a posting McCamey, who can’t retrieve the ball as it goes out of bounds.
• Illinois takes a timeout.
• Illinois with a customary lapse in concentration.
• 15-point game is down to 7.
• Back from timeout.
• Penn State is called for a three second violation.
• Illinois got lucky. Oliver beat Tisdale to the basket but hesitated to shoot a layup.
• Paul hits Davis off the screen and dive for a dunk.
• Penn State has to take a timeout as Paul knocked the ball away from Battle.
• Paul is having a very nice first half on both ends.
• Back to live action.
• Jackson misses a three. Brooks rebounds, but is out of bounds.
• Under-4 timeout.

8:31 p.m. Update

Illinois leads 29-14 at the under-8.

Illinois is on a big run, with Brandon Paul running an effective point with the ineffective Demetri McCamey taking a seat.

Paul and Bill Cole have both hit threes in this run, and the Illini are getting the ball inside, something the team struggled to do against Indiana.

8:25 p.m. Update

Out of Under 12

• Brooks hits first free throw.
• Brooks hits second free throw.
• Brandon Paul with a nice pass to Mike Davis, who gets another dunk.
• Three dunks for Davis thus far.
• Richmond, D.J. and Paul with nice assists on those Davis scores.
• Frazier turns the ball over. Nice pressure from D.J. Richardson.
• Mike Davis hits Leonard inside. The freshman is too soft with the ball and loses it.
• Paul rebounds a missed Jackson three.
• Paul’s no-look pass to a streaking Cole is knocked out of bounds.
• Paul hits a corner three.
• Paul doing a nice job off the bench.
• Paul is called for a foul on the floor. Got too much body.
• 22-14 Illinois.
• Penn State throws up another air ball from three.
• Bill Cole hits a three.
• Illinois leads 25-14.
• Penn State takes a timeout.
• Battle has been quiet.
• Good ball movement from Illini.
• Battle misses a runner.
• Paul with another rebound.
• Paul feeds Tisdale inside for a dunk.
• Frazier misses a jumper.
• Paul hits Tisdale inside, who hits a back-cutting Richmond for a layup plus the foul.
• Under-8.

8:23 p.m. Update

Illinois leads 17-12 at the under-12.

Talor Battle has been limited to two points thus far.

Demetri McCamey looks like he’s going through the motions again.

Illinois scored just four points in that segment.

8:16 p.m. Update

Out of Under-16

• Illinois comes out with starters.
• Frazier gets in the lane and bounces the ball out of bounds off Tisdale.
• Oliver hits a three with the shot clock running down.
• 13-12 Illinois.
• Wow! Illinois runs a play for the forgotten D.J., who hits a long two off the curl.
• Richmond nearly steals a pass to Oliver.
• Tisdale blocks a Jones’ shot.
• Richmond with a strong rebound.
• McCamey with a miss on a flat three.
• Davis rebounds a Brooks’ miss.
• Richardson misses an open three. Richmond with a nice pass.
• Billy Oliver badly misses a three.
• Brandon Paul comes in for D.J. Bill Cole in for Richmond. Meyers Leonard in for Tisdale.
• Cole rebounds a Davis miss and gets fouled on the floor.
• Brandon Paul misses a curl three off the inbound. ;
• Good look and play.
• Oliver air balls a three.
• Leonard loses the ball as McCamey left him out to dry with a poor pass in transition.
• Paul blocks a Battle shot and comes down with the ball.
• Richardson replaces McCamey, who’s doing nothing special.
• Richardson gets in the lane off the bounce and hits Davis for a dunk.
• Battle misses a step-back three over Cole.
• Leonard fails to box out Brooks, who gets the board and is fouled.
• Under-12 timeout.

8:14 p.m. Update: Illinois leads 13-9 at under-16.

Jereme Richmond gets the start for Bill Cole.

All five Illini starters have scored in front of an empty Assembly Hall due to the inclement weather.

8:03 p.m. Update

• Dave Revsine and Jim Jackson have the call on the Big Ten Network. I wonder how Jackson was received by the Illini coaching staff after tweeting that Jereme Richmond was transferring last month.
• Why does Revsine have to scream like a wild animal when introducing the teams in the BTN promo?
• Speaking of Richmond, he will start instead of Bill Cole. Yeah. Cole should start too, with one of the Mikes going to the bench.
• Here’s some consolation for Illini fans: this will be Talor Battle’s last game at the Assembly Hall. Thank goodness.
• Assembly Hall is pretty empty, as expected with the weather.
• Mike Tisdale steals the jump.
• PSU running the clock down. Frazier misses a wild runner.
• Mike Davis is fouled by Jeff Brooks on the rebound attempt.
• Penn State in a 1-3-1, and McCamey turns the ball over on a sloppy pass.
• McCamey looses Frazier on the baseline, resulting in a wide open layup. Bad defense.
• D.J. Richardson hits a patient three. Good to see.
• Tisdale picks up a quick foul.
• Illinois didn’t get back.
• Jeff Brooks rattles home the first free throw.
• Brooks hits the second.
• Richmond with a nice no-look feed to Davis for a dunk.
• 5-4 Illinois.
• Andrew Jones fouls Mike Tisdale on a rebound attempt of a missed David Jackson three.
• Jereme Richmond running some point.
• McCamey hits a three.
• Battle hits a beautiful fadeaway.
• Nice head fake got D.J. up in the air.
• D.J. responds with a behind-the-back pass in the lane to Tisdale, who scores plus the foul.
• Tisdale hits the free throw.
• Illinois leads 11-6.
• Frazier breaks down McCamey, drawing a foul on the Illini senior.
• Frazier misses first.
• Frazier hits second.
• Mike Davis misses a fadeaway.
• Jereme Richmond scores on a put back. D.J. kept that play alive with good hustle.
• Jones hits a pull-up jumper.
• McCamey misses. D.J. misses three.
• Davis blocks a Battle shot.
• Under-16 timeout.

Thanks to a snow day, I finally  have some time to contribute to the site, with a live blog of the Illinois-Penn State game that figures to be close because that’s just how it is between these two teams.