Scouting @ Illinois basketball

Posted November 20, 2009 10:00 pm

Presbyterian College (0-2) at Illinois (2-0)

When: 7 p.m. Saturday at Assembly Hall

TV: BTN; Radio: WIND 560-AM

Skinny: The Illini open Las Vegas Invitational play against a Blue Hose squad that has made a deliberate decision not to compete this year. Presbyterian is in the middle of the transition from Div. II to Div. I - the Big South school won't be eligible for the NCAA Tournament until next season - so veteran coach Gregg Nibert decided to redshirt the team's top three players. That leaves the Blue Hose with three freshmen in their starting lineup and just nine scholarship players. Illinois will trot out the same rotation that earned solid wins over SIU Edwardsville and NIU, though sixth man Dominique Keller hurt his hand during practice and needs some padding to protect it. Freshman guard Joseph Bertrand remains out for at least 2-to-3 more weeks to rest his surgically repaired knee.

- Lindsey Willhite

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