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Illinois-Michigan State Preview
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Demetri McCamey and the Fighting Illini take on Michigan State Saturday night at 8 pm on ESPN.
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Feb. 5, 2010
Champaign, Ill. -
Illinois Basketball Game Notes vs. Michigan State in PDF Format 
ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL
ESPN College GameDay Driven by State Farm
Game #24 // Illinois (15-8, 7-3) vs. #5/5 Michigan State (19-4, 9-1)
Feb. 6, 2010 // 8 pm CT // Champaign, Ill. // Assembly Hall (16,618)
TV: ESPN (also streamed at ESPN360.com) - Dan Shulman (Play-By-Play), Dick Vitale (Analysis), Erin Andrews (Reports)
Radio: Illini Sports Network - Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play), Jerry Hester (Analysis), Loren Tate (Reports)
Satellite Radio: Sirius-90, XM-196
Probable Starters Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. PPG RPG APG Other G 32 Demetri McCamey 6-3 200 Jr. 15.1 3.2 6.2 34 steals G 1 D.J. Richardson 6-3 185 Fr. 11.1 2.7 2.5 44.4 3FG% F 30 Bill Cole 6-9 215 Jr. 4.0 3.0 1.1 15 blocks F 42 Tyler Griffey 6-9 225 Fr. 3.2 1.7 0.3 53.2 FG% C 54 Mike Tisdale 7-1 235 Jr. 11.9 6.1 0.7 41 blocksOff the Bench Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. PPG RPG APG Other G 2 Joseph Bertrand 6-5 185 Fr. considering redshirt G 3 Brandon Paul 6-4 195 Fr. 8.6 2.6 1.4 24 steals G 13 Jeff Jordan 6-1 185 Jr. 1.8 1.7 2.2 42.1 FG% G 15 Bubba Chisholm 5-11 180 Sr. 0.6 0.1 0.0 10 min C 21 Stan Simpson 6-10 230 r-Fr. 0.8 0.4 0.4 1 block F 23 Dominique Keller 6-7 230 Sr. 6.0 2.7 0.8 48.7 FG% F 24 Mike Davis 6-9 220 Jr. 10.5 8.7 1.1 50 off. reb. C 50 Richard Semrau 6-10 245 r-Jr. 1.9 1.8 0.3 9-12 FG
Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Bruce Weber
Career Record: 270-119/.694 (12th year)
At Illinois: 167-65/.720 (7th year)
Associate Head Coach: Wayne McClain (9th year)
Assistant Coaches: Jay Price (7th year), Jerrance Howard (3rd year)
Assistant to the Head Coach: Gary Nottingham (7th year)
Director of Basketball Operations: Sean Harrington (2nd year)
Series Notes vs. Michigan State
Series Record: Michigan State leads 54-53
Last Meeting: Michigan State 73, Illinois 63 (Jan. 16, 2010 at East Lansing)
Series Streak: Michigan State W-5
Record at Champaign: Illinois leads 34-17
Series Streak at Champaign: Michigan State W-2
Weber vs. Michigan State: 5-7
Opening Tips
• With a 7-3 record, Illinois is tied for second place in the Big Ten standings, two games behind conference leader and Saturday's opponent, Michigan State.
• ESPN College GameDay driven by State Farm will broadcast live from Illinois on Saturday.
• After shooting 39.5 percent (145-367) from the field over a six-game stretch from Jan. 2-19, Illinois has shot 49 percent (97-193) over the last four games.
• Six of Illinois' eight remaining games are against teams in the top two of the Big Ten standings.
• Illinois notched its fourth road win of the season, and third in conference play, with Wednesday's victory at Iowa. Michigan State is the only Big Ten team with more road wins than the Illini (five overall, four in league).
• Illinois leads the Big Ten (conference games) in field goal percentage defense (.376) while ranking second in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.292). The Illini led the league in both categories last year.
• Demetri McCamey has accounted for nearly 48 percent of Illinois' offense in Big Ten play.
• McCamey's combined scoring (15.1 ppg) and assists (6.2 apg) total of 21.3 ranks 12th among players from the six major conferences who rank among their league leaders in both categories.
• McCamey leads the Big Ten and ranks 10th in the nation in assists with an average of 6.2 apg. It is the highest average by an Illini since Deron Williams' school-record average of 6.8 assists in 2005.
• McCamey is averaging 7.1 assists in conference play. He has totaled 71 assists in Big Ten games, 25 more than the next closest assists leader.
• McCamey is averaging 17.5 points over the last eight games (140).
• Over the last five games, D.J. Richardson is averaging 13.6 points (68) on 52.5 percent shooting from the field (21-40), and 47.8 percent from 3-point range (11-23).
• Richardson (all games) ranks second in the Big Ten in 3-point field goal percentage at 44.4 percent (44-99).
• Richardson scored a career-high 20 points at Penn State on Jan. 27, becoming the sixth different UI player to record a 20-point game this season.
• Richardson, Brandon Paul and Tyler Griffey have combined for 514 points, ranking second in the Big Ten behind Indiana for scoring production by true freshmen this season.
• Mike Tisdale has scored in double figures in four straight games.
• Tisdale (all games) ranks fourth in the conference in field goal percentage (.579), fifth in free throw percentage (.827) and fifth in blocked shots (1.8 bpg).
• Mike Davis leads the Big Ten while ranking 53rd in the NCAA in rebounding (8.7 rpg).
• Davis ranks second in the Big Ten and 30th in the NCAA in double-doubles this season with nine.
• Davis also ranks second in the Big Ten in career double-doubles with 18, trailing only Ohio State's Evan Turner (22).
• Illinois ranks third in the Big Ten in scoring in conference games, averaging 68.3 points.
• Illinois ranks 12th in the NCAA in assists (16.6 apg) and 17th in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (1.3).
• The Illini rank 19th in the NCAA in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.293)
• Illinois' four leading scorers on the season are in double figures, averaging between 10.5 and 15.1 points.
• The Illini have started six different lineups on the season.
• Illinois has had eight different players score in double figures in a game this season.
• McCamey scored his 1,000th career point against Indiana last Saturday. He currently ranks 40th on the Illinois all-time scoring list with 1,025 points.
• Tisdale recorded his 100th career block vs. Indiana last Saturday. He currently ranks sixth on the UI all-time blocked shots list with 104.
• McCamey has been on the floor 92 percent of the time for the Illini over the last seven games, averaging 37 minutes per contest.
• McCamey has scored at least nine points in all but three games this season.
• McCamey tallied his seventh 20-point game of the season with a season-high 28 points against Purdue on Jan. 27. He has 14 career 20-point games to lead the Illini.
• Six of Illinois' eight losses have been by less than seven points, as the Utah, Bradley, Georgia, Gonzaga, Purdue and Northwestern games were decided by a total of 22 points (3.7 avg). Illinois held a second-half lead in all six of those games.
• In its 15 wins, Illinois' offense is averaging 78.6 points (1,179) on 48.9 percent shooting (392-802) and 17.9 assists (269), while in eight losses, the offense is averaging 69.1 points (553) on 39.6 percent shooting (201-508) and 14.1 assists (113).
GameDay Coming to Assembly Hall Saturday
ESPN College GameDay Driven by State Farm will broadcast live from the University of Illinois on Saturday prior to the prime-time basketball matchup between the Fighting Illini and Michigan State. The University of Illinois is one of just eight universities chosen by ESPN, out of 343 Division 1 basketball programs, for a live GameDay broadcast this season.
The broadcast is more than a boon to local sports fans; it also will benefit the Champaign-Urbana community through a special fundraiser. State Farm will donate $1 to the Orange Krush Foundation, the Illini student-run charity, for each person attending the GameDay show on Saturday morning.
The show will originate from Assembly Hall at 10 am The College GameDay crew of Rece Davis, Jay Bilas, Hubert Davis and Digger Phelps will be on hand, breaking down the day's college basketball action and previewing the Illinois-Michigan State matchup.
Doors to the Assembly Hall will open Saturday at 8 am to the general public and 7:30 am for members of Orange Krush. The event is free with no tickets required. Free parking will be provided in the Assembly Hall parking lots. Fans can enter from the west side of the building and seating will be filled from the west side of the Assembly Hall first. Students will be allowed to fill in on the floor behind the set.
ESPN will give one fan from the audience a chance to sink a half-court shot. If successful, the shooter will receive $17,500, courtesy of State Farm. Even if the shot is missed, the attempt will earn a check for $1,000. State Farm also will distribute t-shirts, rollabannas and net hats to fans in attendance.
Weber and Izzo To Hold Free Throw Contest For Coaches vs. Cancer
Saturday at 11 am, immediately following the ESPN College GameDay morning broadcast, Illinois Coach Bruce Weber and Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo will take part in a celebrity free throw contest at Assembly Hall to raise money for cancer research. Each coach will shoot 10 free throws, with the losing coach pledging to raise a minimum of $5,000 per missed shot for Coaches vs. Cancer through appearances and other tie-ins this year. Weber and Izzo are two of the nation's top advocates for Coaches vs. Cancer and have been recognized with national awards from the organization, Weber winning the Coaches vs. Cancer Champion Award in 2007 and Izzo receiving the Champion Award in 2009.
Last Time Out
Illinois won its third straight, defeating Iowa 57-49 on Wednesday in Iowa City. The Illini shot 52 percent in the first half in building an 8-point lead at the break. The lead grew to as many as 11 points early in the second half before the Hawkeyes cut it to five with 10 minutes left while the Illini went scoreless for seven minutes. Illinois pushed the lead back up to nine, but the hosts cut it to three with four minutes left. Tyler Griffey and Mike Davis nailed jumpers to put the Illini up by five on consecutive possessions, and Illinois made 5-of-6 from the free throw line over the final 35 seconds to seal the win.
Demetri McCamey led the Illini once again with game highs of 15 points and seven assists, while tying his season high in rebounds with seven. Mike Tisdale reached double figures in the fourth straight game, finishing with 14 points and seven rebounds, while D.J. Richardson added 11 points.
Sweeping The "I's"
Illinois swept the Indiana and Iowa series this season, marking the first time since 1998 that the Illini claimed home and road victories over both the Hoosiers and Hawkeyes in the same season.
Tough Finish
Illinois has a daunting schedule from here until the end of the regular season. The Illini have eight games remaining, six of which are against teams in either first or second place in the current standings, while all eight are against teams currently in the top seven. The Illini face Big Ten leader Michigan State Saturday, have home and road games against second-place teams Wisconsin and Ohio State, and also travel to second-place Purdue. Illinois' remaining two games are against a pair of teams that participated in last year's NCAA Tournament in Minnesota (currently in sixth place) and at Michigan (seventh).
Looking Back at the Last Illinois-Michigan State Game
Illinois suffered its first conference loss, 66-56 to No. 7 Michigan State in East Lansing on Jan. 16. Illinois led for the game's first 15 minutes and held a 24-18 lead with six minutes left in the half. But the Spartans went on a key 25-5 run over the next 10 minutes to take control the rest of the way. The Illini shot a season-low 34.9 percent and were hurt by 17 turnovers.
Demetri McCamey led the Illini with 15 points and five assists, while Tyler Griffey came off the bench to score a career-high 12 points and grab a team-high nine rebounds.
McCamey and Cole Named Captains by Teammates
In an effort to give the players more ownership of the team and help encourage the vocal leadership the staff has been looking for, Coach Weber asked for the team's input following practice on Jan. 25 by requesting that the players select their own captains. The Illini responded by meeting and voting juniors Demetri McCamey and Bill Cole as their captains.
McCamey Carrying the Load
Demetri McCamey seems to be doing it all for the Illini. He leads the Illini in scoring (15.8 ppg) and assists (7.1 apg) in conference play. In fact, McCamey has accounted for nearly 48 percent of Illinois' offense in Big Ten games, scoring 158 points and assisting on another 168 points for a combined 326 points out of Illinois' team total of 683 points. Here is a detailed look at his production on offense in conference play:
Opponent Pts Scored Pts Assisted Combined Pts Team Pts Pct of Offense Northwestern 9 17 26 89 29.2 Iowa 9 16 25 59 42.4 at Indiana 19 19 38 66 57.6 Penn State 25 13 38 54 70.4 at Michigan State 15 14 29 63 46.0 Purdue 28 22 50 78 64.1 at Northwestern 13 9 22 68 32.4 at Penn State 6 25 31 77 40.3 Indiana 19 17 36 72 50.0 at Iowa 15 16 31 57 54.4 Total 158 168 326 683 47.7
McCamey's Offensive Production Ranks Among Nation's Best
The impact Demetri McCamey has on the Fighting Illini offense is apparent when comparing his numbers with other standout performers. From the six major conferences (Big Ten, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Pac-10 and SEC), McCamey has the 12th-highest combined total of points and assists among players listed in their respective league's leaders in both categories. Here is the list of players from those six conferences whose combined total is more than 20:
Name School Conference PPG APG Total
1. Devan Downey South Carolina SEC 22.9 3.6 26.5
2. Jon Scheyer Duke ACC 18.7 5.6 24.3
3. Malcolm Delaney Virginia Tech ACC 19.7 4.2 23.9
4. Jerome Dyson Connecticut Big East 19.0 4.7 23.7
Jerome Randle California Pac-10 18.9 4.8 23.7
John Wall Kentucky SEC 16.9 6.8 23.7
7. Greivis Vasquez Maryland ACC 17.5 6.0 23.5
8. Tweety Carter Baylor Big 12 17.1 6.2 23.3
9. Manny Harris Michigan Big Ten 18.7 4.2 22.9
10. Talor Battle Penn State Big Ten 19.0 3.8 22.8
11. Jacob Pullen Kansas State Big 12 19.0 3.5 22.5
12. Demetri McCamey Illinois Big Ten 15.1 6.2 21.3
13. Willie Warren Oklahoma Big 12 16.8 4.3 21.1
14. Mikhail Torrance Alabama SEC 15.1 5.5 20.6
15. DeWayne Reed Auburn SEC 16.1 4.4 20.5
16. Chris Warren Mississippi SEC 16.6 3.5 20.1
For complete set of Illinois basketball game notes, click on PDF link at top of this page.
