Illini believe transition season will be better than expected

CHAMPAIGN - Uncomfortably close in Illinois' rearview mirror?

The losingest season in school history - as well as two of the top three scorers from that 16-19 team.

Coming rapidly into view on the Illini horizon?

The long-awaited Class of 2009 recruits, including Warren's Brandon Paul, who'll add four consensus top-100 talents to a program that boasts just two such players now.

Then there's the riveting Class of 2010 commitments that promise two top-20 wings as well as a top-50 post player.

While Illinois and its fans sound like they've embarked on a trip from the outhouse to the penthouse, where does it leave the coaches and players who must call the Assembly Hall their house this season?

"My total focus is right now," said sixth-year coach Bruce Weber. "If these guys make progress and those young kids are as good as everyone hopes and thinks, then we'll even be better.

"That's the most important thing. When you're really good, you've got young talented guys and some good veterans. It's last year's (Illinois) football team.

"I'm excited about, hopefully, the future, but I'm not looking that far ahead. I want to be successful now - and I think we have the potential to do it."

The operative word here, of course, is potential.

Illinois' roster features just one player, senior shooting guard Trent Meacham, who has averaged double figures in a season - and it was 10.1 ppg last year, at that.

There are two other seniors - third-year starting guard Chester Frazier and backup small forward Calvin Brock - who aren't exactly expected to contend for all-Big Ten honors.

There's one junior who figures to contribute, junior-college transfer Dominique Keller, a wiry power forward who's still picking up the motion offense and learning what it takes at this level.

There's one freshman, Simeon center Stan Simpson, who'll either redshirt or play limited minutes.

That leaves the massive seven-man sophomore class whose progress - or lack thereof - will determine whether the Illini remain near the Big Ten's basement or kick-start the inevitable climb.

Point guard Demetri McCamey, shooting guard Alex Legion (the Kentucky transfer who should become eligible Dec. 20), 6-foot-10 power forward Mike Davis and 7-1 Mike Tisdale lead this pack.

Within that group, the brawny McCamey and the slender Davis are the ones who vacillate most between question mark and exclamation point.

Davis, for example, piled up 18 points, 7 rebounds and 5 blocks in Sunday's 6-point exhibition win over Div. II Lewis.

"To be honest, no," Weber said when asked if Davis' performance was indicative of improved practice habits.

"He does understand that he needs to be a little more consistent and give a little more effort.

"If he can do that, potentially his body and his length and his athleticism and his shooting touch - he has so much talent, so much ability."

McCamey, a worthy all-tournament pick during Illinois' run to the Big Ten title game last March, hit two 3-pointers late Sunday to help Illinois survive.

But Weber looked at the box score and saw too big of a number for McCamey's 3-point attempts (10) and too small of a number for his free-throw attempts (0).

"He's bigger and stronger than all those guards on the court," Weber said. "He messes around with the ball, and he's satisfied with shooting a 3. He can make plays and create."

Are there any other reasons this unproven group might make a run at the upper half of the Big Ten?

McCamey, like virtually everyone else at Illinois this fall, touts the addition-by-subtraction theory that's mostly a not-so-subtle jab at graduated center Shaun Pruitt, who led the Illini in scoring and rebounding.

"I think we stand together," McCamey said. "Last year we were falling apart, arguing at each other and things like that.

"This year we're being more as a family and just playing our hardest together."