Illini's Davis takes advice and runs with it

CHAMPAIGN - Gary Nottingham, the veteran assistant to Illinois coach Bruce Weber, pulled sophomore forward Mike Davis aside during an early timeout Sunday afternoon.

Nottingham, an X-and-O fiend, pointed toward the floor and offered Davis some pointed advice at a time when he and the Illini were struggling mightily with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

"I was posting up when I shouldn't have been posting up," Davis said. "He was telling me get out and move and run around. Don't be a statue, pretty much."

While Davis didn't appear to appreciate the advice at the time - judging by the sour look on his face and the gesture he made - the 6-foot-10 whirlwind soon ran wild with the idea.

Davis entered the game with career highs of 10 points and 5 rebounds.

He left to a grateful ovation after piling up game-high totals of 20 points and 14 rebounds as Illinois bounced the Islanders 72-53 at Assembly Hall before a sparse crowd that featured Michael Jordan and Derrick Rose seated on bleachers 15 feet apart.

Though the potential-laden Virginia native didn't notice the basketball royalty, Davis went way above and beyond his freshman-year efforts in every way.

"Last year, we had some parent issues and I got a call from his dad (Steven)," Weber said. "And I was thinking, 'Oh, not again. And his dad said, 'Why do you play him?'

"And I said, 'What did you say, Mr. Davis?' 'Why do you play him? I watch him. He doesn't play hard, he doesn't box out. Even Billy Packer brought him up on TV.'

"And I said, 'I hope he gets better with playing time.' It was such a refreshing call. That's helpful as a coach when you've got a parent backing you up."

Senior guard Trent Meacham contributed a stellar all-around game with 13 points and 4 assists (mainly to Davis for easy hoops) while taking 3 charges.

Meacham's willingness to give up his body personified Illinois' defensive ferocity.

After falling behind 10-5 at the 14:51 mark of the first half, the Illini (2-0) allowed just 2 points the rest of the half to take a 28-12 halftime lead.

"I thought the last 13 to 15 minutes of the first half, our players played as hard as any team I've ever been associated with," Weber said. "It seemed like we were everywhere."