Holy Toledo! Illini win by 39

CHAMPAIGN -- Toledo had three true freshmen in its lineup, including a 6-foot walk-on.

Illinois had three top-50 recruits coming off its bench, including a McDonald's All-American.

If that didn't ruin the suspense before Wednesday's 2K Sports Classic regional-round game, then the 13th-ranked Illini killed it soon thereafter by hitting their first 10 shots to trigger an 84-45 runaway at Assembly Hall.

“Obviously, completely overmatched at every position,” said Toledo coach Tod Kowalczyk.

Demetri McCamey paced the starters none of whom played more than 18 minutes with 13 points and 7 assists.

Brandon Paul fueled the reserves with 8 points, 7 rebounds and 5 steals while 7-foot freshman Meyers Leonard added 10 points, 6 boards and 2 blocks.

Illinois (2-0) shot 58 percent from the field, outrebounded Toledo by 15 and forced 23 turnovers.

“We did what we were supposed to do and we did it in the right way,” said Illinois coach Bruce Weber. “We did it with great energy, we did it by moving the basketball.”

McCamey kicked off a banner day for Illinois hoops by showing up at Assembly Hall at 10 a.m. to put up extra shots.

That paid off as he hit 3 of the team's 5 3-pointers during Illinois' initial jailbreak.

The program's big day continued when four high school seniors from Chicago, including three players ranked among the nation's top 60 per the Recruiting Services Consensus Index, signed their letters of intent.

The giddiness continued as the current highly touted Illini youngsters showed flashes throughout the game. Leonard, for example, hit a pair of jump hooks and swished an 18-footer.

“Meyers, once he figures it all out and he learns about basketball, he's got a chance to be special,” Weber said.

Redshirt freshman Joseph Bertrand attacked the rim for the first two baskets of his career.

Paul and Richmond (8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists) each took a long stretch running the point after McCamey was excused for the day.

The only disappointment? Freshman guard Crandall Head sat out because, in Weber parlance, he failed to “take care of his business.”

“It's sad that he could have had a lot of minutes; valuable minutes that he needs,” Weber said. “But it gave some other guys opportunities.”