THE GOOD NEWS
If you believe most of Illinois' woes were related to its inability to shoot from 15 feet and beyond, then the Illini could return to its customary Big Ten-contending status next year. Why? Because the top two shooters in Illinois' practice gym weren't eligible this year.
When junior Jamar Smith returns to the lineup next fall -- and Kentucky transfer Alex Legion gains his eligibility in mid-December -- Illinois ought to be able to put at least two excellent shooters on the floor at all times when you add senior Trent Meacham (74 3s) and sophomore Demetri McCamey (50 3s).
Illinois' team dynamic also figures to change with the departure of seniors Brian Randle and Shaun Pruitt, the last links to the 2005 national runnerup team that went 37-2. Freshman such as McCamey and 7-foot-1 center Mike Tisdale has shown leadership qualities that should blossom in a new group, though hardy senior guard Chester Frazier will remain the team's soul.
THE BAD NEWS
While Illini fans might think it's nice that the oft-injured Randle and the oft-irritable Pruitt have run out of eligibility, who's going to run out there and do what they did? Illinois loses two of its top three scorers, its top two rebounders and its top two post defenders.
Illinois will need to find people with the strength to battle for rebounds (does incoming juco transfer Dominique Keller have the size at 6-foot-6, 225?) as well as someone who can score with his back to the basket. Tisdale has a nice array of moves, but he's too easily pushed off the block.
The Illini also need to figure out a way to push senior-to-be Rodney Alexander into becoming a consistent performer. The 6-foot-7 juco transfer is a wondrous leaper, but he too often settled for 3-pointers. More importantly, he couldn't figure out how to be a screener in the motion offense and didn't pick up all of the defensive nuances necessary to play regularly for Illinois.
KEY RETURNEES
Illinois' top scorers figure to come from the perimeter next year. Look for senior-to-be Trent Meacham (10.1 ppg), sophomore Demetri McCamey (8.2 ppg), returning junior Jamar Smith (8.0 ppg his first two years) and Kentucky transfer Alex Legion, a pure shooter, to offer a balanced perimeter attack.
Either 7-foot-1 Mike Tisdale (3.6 ppg), 6-10 Mike Davis (2.6 ppg) or incoming junior-college transfer Dominique Keller needs to become a consistent scorer in the post. Keller averaged 25 points and 9 rebounds for Lee College in Texas, but he didn't shoot high percentages and it usually takes time for a juco to find his way in the Big Ten.
ROSTER REPORT
--G Demetri McCamey wrapped up a promising freshman season by earning a place on the Big Ten's all-tournament team. McCamey (8.2 ppg, 3.2 apg) wasn't as consistent as coach Bruce Weber would like, but he did show hints of potential greatness when he smacked Purdue for 26 points in the Big Ten quarterfinals and dropped 31 points on Indiana during the regular season.
--Several Illini will need to postpone their offseason workouts in order to take time to heal. Junior Trent Meacham is expected to undergo surgery to fix bone spurs on his ankle that affected him much of the season. Junior guard Chester Frazier (knees) and freshman Bill Cole (stress fracture in leg) also need time.
--Senior C Shaun Pruitt has accepted an invitation to participate in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament on April 9-12 in an effort to increase his NBA and European exposure.
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