ON-THE-JOB TRAINING
Illinois fans looking for something positive to come out of the news about Rayvonte Rice can look to Maryland?s road to its 14-1 record. The Terps played seven games this season without their top returning player, Dez Wells, and managed to stay the course without him, losing once. Perhaps some Illini players can somehow elevate their game while Rice is out. ?The injuries to Wells and (Evan) Smotrycz, although (Maryland coach Mark Turgeon) probably wouldn?t want those to happen, allowed him to play some of those freshmen earlier and give them some very valuable minutes,? Illinois coach John Groce said. ?Now they have all their bodies available to them and have both guys full health. Those guys really gained some valuable experience throughout that process, and now they?re an even deeper team.?
?NEXT MAN UP?
Where does Illinois go from here with Rice out? Groce said you don?t replace a guy like Rice with just one player; it?s going to take a collective effort, and that begins tonight against the Terps. ?Next man up. We?re going to feel Ray?s pain. Ray?s an important part of our family. Ray?s worked really hard. Ray?s playing at a really high level right now,? Groce said. ?Now?s an opportunity some other guys are going to have to step up; it is what it is. We?re not going to shut down the season; we?re going to play. We have five guys just like they have five guys on Wednesday night. It?s our five against their five; five at a time. Some guys got to man up and get it done, they do. They?ve got to be better than they?re playing right now, and I think they are better than they?re playing right now.?
FORMULA FOR SUCCESS
Through their inaugural two Big Ten games, the Terrapins haven?t set the world ablaze offensively, shooting 33 percent and 42 percent in wins against Michigan State and Minnesota. But they defended, holding the Spartans and Gophers under 35 percent shooting and under 60 points in regulation. That was the formula Illinois used last season during its late surge, and it?s the formula it needs to get back to in order to turn about the recent struggles. ?Their defensive numbers through the first two games are off the charts. When you defend and you rebound in this league, it always gives you a chance,? Groce said. ?Our defense has to get better and then taking care of the ball, for the first time, was a
real issue (at Ohio State). I thought the 20 turnovers and giving up 60 percent from the field
for the first time in our tenure at Illinois, we?re lucky it was 16; the differential could have been more.?
Talk about tough luck. Illinois figured it would play this season with Darius Paul, Tracy Abrams and Rayvonte Rice throughout, and in the third Big Ten game tonight, none of them will be in uniform. The tough circumstances have led some to question the momentum and direction of the program going forward, something Groce was less than pleased to entertain. Tonight?s game is all he?s concerned about. ?I?m worried about Maryland and playing Maryland (tonight), and I?m not thinking about next year,? he said. ?Nnanna Egwu is not thinking about next year. Nnanna Egwu is thinking about winning the game (tonight.) I?m dealing with one day at a time out of respect for that kid and everything he?s done for this university and this community and our basketball program.
