Illini make strong case for Top 25 ranking
CHAMPAIGN - Here are two phrases you haven't seen in the same sentence for a few years: "Illinois basketball" and "Top 25."
But if the nation follows the lead of veteran Jackson State coach Tevester Anderson, the Illini soon will be back in the polls for the first time since the end of the 2005-06 season.
Anderson endorsed their candidacy after the Illini shredded his squad 78-64 in a South Padre Island Invitational game on Sunday afternoon at Assembly Hall.
Illinois (4-0), which shot 62 percent from the field, led by 26 points with eight minutes to go before the subs made the final margin look deceptively small.
Six-foot-10 sophomore Mike Davis canned 9 of 10 shots and finished with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.
Six-foot-7 junior-college transfer Dominique Keller came off the bench and hit all 8 of his attempts for a career-high 16 points in just 17 minutes.
"This team here is going to be in the Top 25 pretty soon," Anderson said. "I know they're going to get my vote. I think they deserve that.
"(Bruce Weber) has a fine team here. They execute the offense real well and they play real hard and they play great defense."
The Illini offense worked so well against Jackson State (0-3) and its mix of man-to-man and zone, they handed out assists on 17 of their 18 first-half baskets.
Meanwhile, Illinois' defense limited Jackson State to 36 percent shooting until reserve Rod Melvin hit 3 shots in the final 45 seconds.
"I think we're way better than we were two weeks ago when we started the season against Eastern Washington," Weber said.
But are the Illini, who produced an unexpected win at Vanderbilt on Thursday, good enough to warrant a spot in the Top 25?
"Let's see what the next couple of weeks provide," Weber said. "If we continue to make strides like that, then we deserve to be in there."
Starting Friday, the Illini will face three strong opponents in a five-day stretch that concludes with the ACC/Big Ten Challenge home game with Clemson (5-0).
Weber's crew starts with a South Padre Invitational semifinal against Kent State (3-0), which won 28 games last year and earned a No. 9 NCAA seed.
If they win, they'll play in the championship Saturday against the winner of the Texas A&M-Tulsa semifinal.
Texas A&M (3-0) won 25 games last year and received an NCAA No. 9 seed, while Tulsa (2-1) had 25 wins and capped its season with the inaugural CBI title.
Anderson, whose team lost by 18 at Texas A&M on Friday, knows who should be favored if the Illini and Aggies meet.
"I would take Illinois," he said. "I'm not saying this because I'm here, but I think they're the deepest team. They're the best team."