Slimmer McCamey hopes to lead Illini

CHAMPAIGN -- Demetri McCamey blew past the fast food stops this past summer, just like he plans to go around defenders this season.

Illinois' talented junior guard and coach Bruce Weber had a chat last spring and decided if McCamey could shed, say, 20 pounds, both he and the team would benefit greatly.

"I didn't even argue," said the 6-foot-3 McCamey, who weighed about 215 when he first came to campus. "I've always been pretty heavy."

The treadmill became his friend and he eschewed the fried foods for pasta and baked chicken. Off came the weight.

"Sometimes you're tired, and that's what laziness comes from -- when you're tired you don't want to do things," McCamey said. "I just didn't do it for myself, I did it for the team."

Now it's time to see if the slimmer McCamey can help the Illini run off wins. With McCamey's outside game and ball handling, the inside play of juniors Mike Tisdale and Mike Davis and a talented crop of freshmen, the Illini hope to improve on last year's 24-10 mark that saw them make the NCAA tournament but lose to Western Kentucky in the first round.

"We had a great start last year. We were very competitive down to the last couple of weeks; our finish was just not what it should be," Weber said. "We could have easily been competing for a Big Ten championship with a basket here or a stop there."

The Illini were ranked No. 23 by The Associated Press in the preseason Top 25 poll released Thursday.

The team's biggest losses were guard Chester Frazier, the team's defensive ace who could also penetrate and kick the ball out to shooters, and outside threat Trent Meacham, who averaged 10 points per game.

Weber is hoping freshman D.J. Richardson can fill the role of defensive stopper. Weber's also added freshmen guards Joseph Bertrand and Brandon Paul and forward Tyler Griffey.

"We've got more talented guys. I hope we're gonna be able to score more easily," Weber said. "Talent doesn't mean wins. ... If you're going to really win games, you've got to be tough, blue collar."

The backcourt depth should also be strengthened by the return of Jeff Jordan, Michael Jordan's oldest son, who initially decided he would concentrate on academics but changed his mind and returned to the team.

McCamey averaged 11.5 points last season, the 6-foot-9 Davis was at 11.3 and led the team with eight rebounds a game, and the 7-foot-1 Tisdale scored at a clip of just more than 10 per game. Another player who could see more minutes is 6-foot-9 Dominique Keller.

"Dominique, with his body and his athleticism, he should be an animal. I keep telling him if he wants minutes, go get some dang rebounds," Weber said.

Davis is a big key. He broke his ankle this summer and couldn't work on his game as much as he'd hoped

"He's good -- he is what he was last year -- but I want him better than last year," Weber said.

Davis said there are no lingering effects. And while McCamey was taking pounds off, Davis added a few to give him more bulk.

"I think it'll be better for me to draw contact," he said. "I mean, if I draw some contact I won't go flying like I did maybe last year. We did not get to the line last year at all."