After back-to-back home losses to Tennessee State and Ohio State, Illini coach Bruce Weber suggested that everybody's starting job except Brian Randle's was up for grabs. However, the starting lineup for Sunday's game against Penn State didn't change. Weber promised after that loss, though, that freshman point guard Demetri McCamey will make his first career start Thursday at Wisconsin.

PLAYER ROTATION
Usual Starters -- F Brian Randle, F Calvin Brock, C Shaun Pruitt, G Chester Frazier, G Trent Meacham. Key Subs -- G Demetri McCamey, C Mike Tisdale, F Mike Davis, F Rodney Alexander.

GAME REVIEW

Tennessee State 60, Illinois 58

Ohio State 74, Illinois 58

Penn State 68, Illinois 64

GAME PREVIEW

at Wisconsin, Thursday, Jan. 10

at Indiana, Sunday, Jan. 13

vs. Michigan, Wednesday, Jan. 16

IN FOCUS
Since Oct. 12, 2006, the day superstar prep guard Eric Gordon called Bruce Weber and told him he was reneging on his 11-month commitment to Illinois and choosing to attend Indiana, there has been humongous interest in the schools' first meeting with Gordon in uniform. That reckoning comes Sunday in Bloomington, Ind., and CBS-TV will be there to chronicle the theatrics. Illinois doesn't have anybody who can guard Gordon, though Chester Frazier and others will give it their best shot.

ROSTER REPORT
Freshman guard Alex Legion, a Top 40 recruit who spent the first semester at Kentucky, lived up to his word and showed up at Illinois over the weekend. The sharpshooter who averaged 6.7 points in 17 minutes per game for the Wildcats will be eligible after first-semester grades are posted in December. He can practice immediately.

Rich South High School sophomore Crandall Head, the brother of former Illini great Luther Head, offered coach Bruce Weber his oral commitment following Sunday's loss to Penn State. The 6-foot-3, 173-pound Head, a terrific leaper and slasher like his older brother, is considered a four-star recruit.

Senior center Shaun Pruitt tweaked his back early in the Penn State game and never quite seemed to gain traction. Pruitt finished with nine points and five rebounds in 31 minutes, but he couldn't hang with the Nittany Lions' leapers. Penn State also frequently isolated 6-foot-4, 239-pound Jamelle Cornley against Pruitt and let him go 1-on-1.

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