D.J. Richardson and Brandon Paul

Best freshman backcourt not at Kentucky: Illinois' D.J. Richardson and Brandon Paul. At least one Big Ten coach told me the Illini are back to getting elite talent like they had in the middle of the decade. Well, so far, so good after one game. Paul scored 22 points, including 11 of the Illini's first 21, in an opening win over Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. He made four of six 3s, while Richardson helped out with 14 points. Kentucky's freshman backcourt tandem of John Wall and Eric Bledsoe is getting much-deserved praise. But the Illini's tandem, which will face Northern Illinois at 8 p.m. on ESPN360.com, will get its share soon enough.

Katz