I love the NIT.
A great crowd cheered the Illini to victory over downtrodden Kent State last night …
… a Monday night, during spring break.
While 75% of NCAA teams’ fans grumbled about their rotten weekend, the Illini basketball family came together to celebrate its favorite pastime: Illini basketball. The NIT affords an opportunity for families and friends which the NCAA Tournament does not. Instead of arranging flights and hotel accommodations for far flung spots, fans and families show up at the usual place.
And you know what? They get to do it again Wednesday!
Ideally that game, against Dayton, will not be as competitive as everyone expects. Families like a nice, comfortable win. Plus, more players get to play.
No matter what, Wednesday is your official last chance to see Bubba Chisholm heave a three.
Today is Joseph Bertrand’s birthday. Last night he had more than just the usual contingent of family (mom Lorita and aunt Janell Effiong).
Joe’s uncle Randy Chittick
Tyler Griffey’s mom Deanna came along with her brother, the gargantuan Rich Stephens — the owner-operator of RJ’s Double Six Saloon in suburban Saint Louis. RJ’s is one of the few sports bars combining Tyler Griffey memorabilia with organic menu items. (This may change in the future.)
Rich promoted the use of flax meal to combat malignant tumors. He advised against corn-fed meats, and trumpeted rice bran oil. When weighing the credibility of this advice, consider the source. This guy used to eat NFL middle-linebackers for breakfast.
The camaraderie was not exclusive to Illini family members. Before the men’s game, the two teams sat together and watched the women play.
ABOUT THE GAME
Demetri McCamey collected 10 assists, three steals and 15 points. Mike Davis added 16 and 16, and Illinois ran away from a disheartened group of Golden Flashes 75–58. McCamey now needs 20 assists to break Deron Williams’ Illini season record of 264.
Dominique Keller kept the Illini in a competitive first half, when he scored all of his eight points. The game was tied at the break.
Mike Tisdale led Illinois with 17 points, and he also tallied four blocked shots. In this picture, you see Tisdale pressuring Anthony Simpson, who led the flashes in the first half and finished with 14 and seven.
Kent State brought a vocal group of friends and family, too. They probably expected to win, given the Golden Flashes MAC championship season.
Everyone got a little worn down by the second half. Kent leader Chris Singletary earned a technical foul after ignoring a warning to shut his mouth.
Mike Davis:
So in case you were confused, the Singetary T was not the result of an especially vicious foul against Brandon Paul. Brandon didn’t even know what hit him:
When Brandon flopped for Singletary’s fifth foul, Chris just turned and walked to the bench, and sat down — thoroughly spent.
DAVE PORTER
Tyler Griffey’s high school coach made the trip on Monday. I asked him to provide his analysis of the Illini’s progression, and Tyler’s future.
ROB SENDEROFF
Kelvin Sampson’s “top bagman” is how one member of the Illini family described Rob Senderoff. “Fucking cheater deserves what he got. Deserves worse, really”
“May I quote you on that?” I asked.
“Bagman” is almost certainly not an accurate epithet for Senderoff. In organized crime terminology, a “bagman” is the guy who collects money, not the guy who spreads it around.
I spoke with him after the game.
Senderoff was forced out at Indiana in the early stages of Telephonegate. Maybe the Hoosiers thought that could save Sampson. It didn’t. But ultimately Senderoff’s ouster resulted in Dan Dakich’s hiring and subsequent interim head coaching stint.
So in a way, Rob Senderoff is to blame for Dan Dakich.
UNUSUAL FACES
But it’s not just about the family. Strangers and randoms have reason to celebrate the NIT, too.
The non-rich, non-legacy, not friends of important people sat in good seats Monday. The lower bowl is generally filled with familiar faces. Those faces are attached to asses which occupy the same seats game after game, but also decade after decade.
The Ancient Krush kept things loud on the floor.
DAYTON: BIRTH OF FLYING, END OF DREAMS
Dayton’s Flyers are one of three teams to beat Illinois in the NIT (Minnesota, Alabama).
In 1990, Dayton sent Kendall Gill and Steve Bardo out losers. The current Illini roster was in utero at the time. But that’s no excuse. These guys owe it to their forebears to put a beating on the Flyers. The game starts at 8 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN2). The winner moves on to Manhattan.
THE WOMYN WYN, TOO
In the matinée WNIT game, Illinois beat Marquette in overtime and Jenna Smith became the all-time leading scorer in Illini basketball history.
She appeared at halftime of the men’s game and got a rousing ovation from the crowd.
The DIA splurged on those media who put in a long day covering both games. Instead of the meager popcorn recently provided in these trying economic times, we got meatloaf!
