Illini ready for PSU
Win over Minnesota gives team
boost needed to rebound from MSU loss
by Larry Hawley
Senior writer
Back on the road — again.
Illinois has had little time to enjoy the
friendly confines of Assembly Hall, and will have
another weekend away from home, this time at Penn
State for a showdown Sunday afternoon.
The game marks the end of a stretch where the
Illini played five of eight games on the road.
With the majority of games at the Assembly Hall
after the game with the Nittany Lions, Illinois
junior forward Sergio McClain said the Illini
must focus on the challenge ahead.
“We have to buckle down. Hopefully we can
get this win, because after that, we have a lot
of games here,” McClain said.
Freshman point guard Frank Williams said the
Illini need to come out with enthusiasm in order
to capture another win on the road.
“Right back on the road, and we have to go
out there with a little more fight,”
Williams said.
The Illini go into Happy Valley with momentum of
a 73-59 win over Minnesota Wednesday night. After
the embarrassment at Michigan State, sophomore
forward Lucas Johnson said he was happy the team
proved itself Wednesday.
“Being embarrassed like that motivated
us,” Johnson said. “We wanted to show
people that we weren’t going to lay down and
die in the Big Ten.”
One of the biggest turnarounds in the victory
over the Gophers was the improved rebounding.
After being outrebounded by 25 rebounds against
the Spartans, the Illini outrebounded the Gophers
38-34. A rarity against the Gophers, who are
traditionally dominant inside. Freshman forward
Brian Cook said it was key to outrebound their
opponents.
“We needed to have a game like this.
Practices this week have been geared toward that,
and we were able to bring it to the court,”
Cook said.
Inside play will prove critical again, as
Illinois faces a key Penn State inside threat in
senior forward Jarrett Stephens. With the boards
a big concern during the season, especially after
the loss of junior forward Marcus Griffin, more
emphasis has been put on the inside game in
practice.
“We’ve been doing boxing-out and inside
drills, something that teams don’t usually
do,” Cook said. “We need to make those
things a habit.”
Bringing the rebounding success of Wednesday
night to Bryce Jordan arena rests in the attitude
of the team, Cook said. |
 Watha Suteesopon The
Daily Illini
After stealing a pass at
midcourt, freshman forward Frank Williams jumps
for a one-man alley oop dunk during Wednesday's
game against Minnesota at Assembly Hall. The
Illini won 73-59.
“We need to go in there, do
well on the boards and get a win, and we just
have to have a winning attitude to do that,”
Cook said.
Proving the true Illini-killer of late is junior
shooting guard Joe Crispin, who has burned
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