NCAA Season Preview: Illinois Fightin Illini
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NCAA Basketball Season Preview: Illinois (Big Ten Conference)
Illinois Odds to Win National Title from Sportsbook.com: +2,500
The Illinois Fighting Illini aren’t accustomed to missing out on the NCAA Tournament, but last year they were relegated to the NIT. The Fighting Illini were just too inconsistent last year, and they often struggled to score. The team finished the year with a 21-15 record after losing at home to Dayton in the NIT. This year’s team has much higher goals. The talent returning gives this Illinois team a good chance to significantly improve on last year’s results.
Bruce Weber has had some great years at Illinois, and it all starts with tough defense for his Illinois basketball team. Weber said the biggest focus in the offseason has been stepping it up defensively and on the glass. I fully expect them to be good once again this year on the defensive end, but it is likely that the biggest change the average fan will see is an improvement in offensive efficiency.
Additions
The newcomer that will make a big splash this season is Jereme Richmond. Richmond was prized recruit who ended up at Illinois, and he is expected to start from day one. He was Mr. Basketball in Illinois last season, and he can do it all. Richmond has the size and athleticism necessary to be successful in the Big Ten. Crandall Head is also an athletic freshman who I expect to see plenty of playing time as the season goes along.
Subtractions
This team loses fewer key players than any other team in the Big Ten. The primary subtraction from last year’s team is Dominique Keller, but even he only averaged about 11 minutes of playing time per game last season. Jeff Jordan also transferred to Central Florida in the offseason.
Key Players
Demetri McCamey- McCamey ended up coming back for his senior season, and Illinois fans are thrilled. He is definitely the leader of this team and the player they look to when they need a big shot. McCamey has a good shooting stroke and he is an excellent passer.
Brandon Paul- Paul had a successful freshman season last year, but he will be expected to do even more this year. He is a better shooter than he showed last year, and Weber is counting on him to be a lockdown defender. 
D.J. Richardson- Richardson shot 39% from the beyond the arc last year as a freshman, and he was the team’s best defender. Don’t be surprised if he becomes one of the Big Ten’s best all-around players in the next year or so.
Interesting Fact- Crandall Head is the younger brother of former Fighting Illini great Luther Head. No doubt the Illini fans are hoping Crandall can prove to be as much of an asset to the program as his older brother.
Strengths
This team will be very athletic this year, which should allow them to match up well against the best teams in the Big Ten. Richardson, Paul, Richmond, and McCamey can all take their man to the hoop and create their own shots at will.
Weakness
While Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale have good size down low, neither of them are terrific rebounders. Weber and his team have worked on this a great deal in the offseason, but they might still struggle on the glass in the Big Ten.
Postseason
I expect the Fighting Illini to be a much better team than they were last year as the young talent matures. This team should make the NCAA Tournament and be at least a #6 seed.
Illinois Projected Win Total: 25 Wins
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