There is a lot of excitement centered around this season's Illini hoopsters. This as good, but we must be cautious and not forget that they are mostly teens trying to learn a game played at a very high speed today with excellent coaches and players everywhere.
But what I saw at Purdue on Tues. night, Jan. 22, was a team that played at a level of a Final Four caliber entrant. But, this year, there are a myriad of teams with such capabilities and luck will play a huge part of the makeup of that elite group come April. We must not forget that teams play on any given night at some place on the fact curve that plots their level of play over the season. On the left end of that curve are games against Nicholls State, Miami, and Mizzou...not to mention a fold and go home when the game had been won against Maryland. On the right end are gritty defensive battles against Wisconsin and Rutgers and good all-around games against Michigan and two against Purdue. But with the so many good but no great teams in the field, winning is a crap shoot as no one will play at their right end for 6 games in a row against the best 64 teams in the country. But....why not Illinois. We see a team that is unselfish and learning and getting better seemingly every game. That does not last forever, but with good coaching the climb can continue...until they play avg against a good team playing at or near their best.
My point is, I am thankful for the gift of Kofi Cockburn, Georgi B., Ayo, Trent and Co. Seeing them learn and grow and bond closer...win or lose....is a gift to all Illini fans. What pleases me most is to see them play the game competently....to display a grasp of intelligent play, patience, hard work and skill growth. That is what I grew up with watching the Fighting Illini since the mid-50s. B1G warriors who bring it every night and have the talent and desire to play with the very best. Sure, I wish the team was comprised of 10 former Illinois high school All-State players with a few talented out of state contributors who want to play for the coach, a great university, a rabid fanbase, and to continue a legacy. But, for whatever reason, that opportunity does not exist at the moment. Honestly, unlike when I played, Illinois High School basketball is not what it once was and great players exist and a dozen or more other states as well as all over the world as the sport grows. Give Brad Underwood and his staff for rapidly coming to that conclusion and seeking talent elsewhere to rebuild the program with what I see as really good kids and staying away from the huge egos. Kofi and Georgi are the poster children of the type of kids that we should be grateful to have and not some of the others who have turned into poster children for troubled convicts.
There will be more great moments for this team, and assuredly some great disappointments. My hope is that they no longer lose games but get beat by teams playing great....which is what the B1G is and particularly this year. My hat is off to every contributor to this team as I don't know how many more I will get to see play at this level. But, finally, like the Whiz Kids, this team can win it all whether they do or not.
