During practice on Tuesday and Wednesday, Assembly Hall didn't feel like home to the Illinois men's basketball team. Junior forward Roger Powell knows that will change for Saturday's orange and blue intra-squad scrimmage.

"You look at Assembly Hall now, you don't see all the orange and blue," Powell said. "For the orange and blue scrimmage, all the banners and stuff will be up and it's going to be live. It's Assembly Hall, the best atmosphere in college basketball. We can't wait."

The scrimmage begins at 7 p.m. Saturday. University students can purchase tickets for $2 Saturday night and the general public can buy tickets for $10. Season ticket packages include tickets for the orange and blue scrimmage.

Illinois head coach Bruce Weber expects the team to benefit from a large crowd in a way that he cannot duplicate in practices.

"You get to play in front of people and it's a whole other adrenaline level when you have people in the stands," Weber said. "We'll get some game minutes and conditioning minutes where you're running up and down with the crowd there — all that stuff."

The Illini will experience more than just fans on Saturday. The team will go through each step of the normal pregame routine to lead into the scrimmage.

Four hours before Saturday's game, the Illini will take part in a shoot around to primarily work on gaining familiarity with the rims for the day. Following the shoot around, the guys will enjoy a pregame meal. After the meal, players will receive any taping or treatment necessary from athletic trainer Al Martindale.

"It gives us something to kind of get into the game routine," junior forward Jack Ingram said. "We get some referees out there. It's definitely a breakup from the practice and it's always fun to get out there and play in front of people."

Powell sees the scrimmage as a step toward the first exhibition game on Nov. 9 and then the first regular season game on Nov. 22.

"Definitely that's the thing getting you prepared for the games," Powell said. "It builds you up. You have the orange and blue scrimmage and then you have the two exhibition games. They build you up, get you used to the different things we do before the games."

Illinois fans may not get a chance to get used to seeing some of the Illinois players that take the floor during the orange and blue exhibition. The people in the stands could be seeing Illinois' freshmen for the only time this season.

If the Illinois coaches decide to redshirt Warren Carter, Richard McBride or Brian Randle, then any individual taking a redshirt season would not be eligible to compete in the two exhibition games or regular season games. Weber said that a decision to redshirt any of the freshmen would not come until a week after Saturday's orange and blue scrimmage.

Ingram suggests that fans not pass on the opportunity to see the talented trio of freshman athletes.

"We've got some young freshmen that (the fans) will definitely be impressed with seeing," Ingram said.

While fans should enjoy seeing the athleticism of Carter, McBride and Randle, the Illinois players will enjoy playing and competing in the orange and blue scrimmage.

"Anytime you get to scrimmage, it is fun," Powell said. "It's playing basketball. In practice, you work on the skills, you do the grind, the things that you don't like to do, but they make you better."

On Wednesday, the preseason ESPN/USA Today Coaches' poll was released. Illinois ranks No. 13. Michigan State ranks as the top team in the Big Ten at No. 3.

Wisconsin is the only other Big Ten team in the poll. The Badgers are ranked No. 14. Bill Self's Kansas team ranks No. 5.