Dominique Keller giving Illinois spark off bench

"I was always used to playing 30-plus minutes and starting," the 6-foot-7-inch forward said. "Here I'm coming off the bench. It was difficult at first, but my teammates kept me involved. I found a new role. "It's not really that bad. We're winning a lot of games, so I don't have a problem with it."

With Calvin Brock in the starting lineup for injured guard Chester Frazier, Keller is the leader of the bench, which could decide how far Illinois goes in the tournament.

Bannon