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Kentucky's loss a reminder for Illini

Posted by: Paul Klee

Sunday, November 16, 2008 2:04 PM

Expect to see a few coaches around the country use Kentucky as an example. The 'Cats shocking loss to VMI at Rupp Arena on Friday gave those coaches ample fodder for motivating their players, and Bruce Weber was no different. The Illinois coach took a humorous approach, as well, when he addressed the Illini minutes prior to their season opener against Eastern Washington.

"I told them before the game, 'VMI just beat Kentucky. You guys don't even know what a VMI is,' " Weber told me after practice Saturday. " 'Some of you might think it's a disease or something. But they beat Kentucky on their homecourt.''"

I thought Weber made some telling points after practice yesterday about how the Illini will need to play to be successful this season. He thinks these Illini have to "outwork" teams, since the schedule figures to be chock-full of narrow margins.

With teams like Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Jackson State on the early season docket, Weber also made a point to remind the Illini of Tennessee State. That's the key for Illinois, really. If it can avoid Tennessee State-like losses and steal a game against Clemson or Georgia, the Illini can enjoy a respectable non-conference season.

Today's game against the Islanders, who are actually located on the mainland, has several storylines, and you can find them here. TAMCC assistant Billy Garrett, a Chicago guy, has several Big Ten ties, the most notable of which is his father's courageous legacy. But the Islanders are also facing a world of trouble with the NCAA, and a ruling, expected in December, probably won't be pretty.

- This game seems like a prime opportunity for another Michael Jordan sighting. His Airness attended practice on Thursday, and it wouldn't surprise me if he was in attendance today at the Assembly Hall. But he might not. It's kind of difficult to get a hold of him to find out.

- And here's a thought: I wonder if Derrick Rose would make the trip to the Assembly Hall? The Bulls point guard was teammates with TAMCC senior Tim Green at Simeon, and the Bulls are off until they play the Lakers on Tuesday.

- IlliniHQ will have a live in-game report from the Hall this afternoon, so stop by with any questions. See you there.

pklee@news-gazette.com