Tisdale learning to take a beating

Mike Tisdale's midsection had an added girth Tuesday night, and it had nothing to do with his diet. The junior center wore heavy padding to protect his bruised back and was so comfortable that he produced 16 points, 13 rebounds and seven blocked shots in a 54-53 win over Penn State.

It was the first time Tisdale has worn the padding at Illinois after using it regularly in high school to protect himself, he said, from the "5-10 football players" who pounded on him.

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