Scouting Illinois basketball

Posted December 07, 2009 10:00 pm

By Lindsey Willhite

Vanderbilt (6-1) at Illinois (6-2)

When: 7:30 p.m. at Assembly Hall

TV: BTN; Radio: WIND 560-AM

Skinny: When the Illini went to Vanderbilt and won on Nov. 20 last season, it gave them a much-needed confidence boost after the crummy 2007-08 season. Last week's rally at Clemson was supposed to provide the same booster shot to this group, but it's clear after the 7-point home win against Boise State on Saturday that these Illini aren't inclined to guard unless absolutely forced to do so. This Vanderbilt squad will force them to do so. Six-foot-11 center A.J. Ogilvy (14.0 ppg), forward Jeffrey Taylor (15.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg) and guard Jermaine Beal (13.7 ppg) are the best non-conference trio the Illini will see. The Commodores jumped back into the coaches' Top 25 poll at No. 24 on Monday after beating Missouri and DePaul at home.

Article Comments

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.