Illinois handles North Carolina 79-67
CHAMPAIGN -- The Final Four remains four long months away.
A nationally ranked team like Illinois should be expected to defend its home court against an opponent outside the Top 25.
But Illinois' 79-67 victory over North Carolina on Tuesday night at sold-out Assembly Hall felt like the hosts cleared more than one speed bump on the road to Houston.
Put another way, it's not every day a smiling Illini coach Bruce Weber slaps high-fives with a bunch of students moments after a game ends.
“I used the Sweet Sixteen terminology this week,” Weber said. “You play Carolina; now you've got the Elite Eight. You're going to play Gonzaga out there in Seattle … we'll just see what we're about.”
“We talk about playing hard … talk about playing in a zone. But how do you do that? Once we settled down and started doing the stuff that we practiced, we got going. Then the crowd got into it and we took over the game.”
Playing as if they had a vendetta against a team larded with eight McDonald's All-Americans, the Illini (7-1) took turns delivering special moments after halftime while playing in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge national spotlight.
Illinois' win, along with victories by Northwestern, Ohio State and Michigan, gave the Big Ten a 4-2 lead in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge heading into Wednesday's five-game set.
“I think we played good, but at the same time we can get better,” said senior point guard Demetri McCamey. “We're not a perfect team by any means.”
And, yet, McCamey owned the floor and produced 17 points and 8 assists with the Bulls' John Paxson seated conveniently in the Illini family section next to the north basket.
“Demetri was something else,” said North Carolina coach Roy Williams. “Maybe it wasn't his best game statistically, but he controlled the game. Davis was really good, too.”
Senior forward Mike Davis, the other Illini who dropped his name in the NBA draft last spring, piled up 20 points and 10 rebounds along with a career-high-tying 5 assists and 3 steals.
“I played with energy,” Davis said. “I played with a big motor all night. I know a big game, my team needs me.”
Sophomore D.J. Richardson (11 points) nailed 3 momentous first-half 3-pointers, then freshmen Jereme Richmond and Meyers Leonard kicked up the second-half intensity with ferocious dunks as well as inspired hustle on the boards and the defensive end.
“I think Jereme is starting to understand things a little better,” Weber said.
Oh, and senior center Mike Tisdale delivered 14 points as he took advantage of foul-addled 7-footer Tyler Zeller in the post.
North Carolina (4-3) got 16 points from big man John Henson, while Zeller scored just 2 of his 10 after McCamey drew his third foul with 9:02 left in the first half.
“As long as we keep playing as a team, we'll be fine,” McCamey said. “And listening to Coach Weber. The sky's the limit.”