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Monday, December 18, 2000
Illini buying what Self is selling
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
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CHICAGO -- Bill Self got out the Tulsa tapes to show Illinois his
definition of toughness.
No one even flinched that it would take a WAC team to show a Big Ten
team how to play tough. Self had an Elite Eight appearance last March lending him credibility. And the Illini's second-round loss in the NCAA Tournament gave them
little defense.
|  | | Marcus Griffin is part of Illinois' strong frontcourt rotation. |
Ten games into the season, the Illini are sold on Self and suddenly
look like a legitimate national contender, not just for the Final Four but to win
the title.
"Coach Self gave us that highlight tape to show us how he wanted us
to play, and man were they tough," Illinois enforcer Lucas Johnson said. "He
told us many times that they weren't the most talented team but they found a
way to get it done. We have to be the toughest sons of guns in the freaking
country to play at the highest level."
Just look at the schedule. Come on. The Illini had to be tough to
get through a stretch of two games against Arizona (they split), against
Duke (a one-point loss) in Greensboro, Maryland in Maui (a 10-point win) and
an overtime comeback against Seton Hall last Saturday. Oh, and Missouri is
up next Thursday in St. Louis, followed by a road game at Texas -- all before
the Big Ten season begins.
"This wasn't a smart schedule for Illinois, especially for a new
staff," Self said after Illinois' convincing 81-73 victory over Arizona
Saturday at the United Center. "It was like we were cramming for a final
because we had to be in midseason form by Thanksgiving. My experience at
Tulsa was great and we knew we could win at the highest level. We had
confidence in it, but you don't know if you can sell it or if they're buying
into it until you see it in action."
Here's what the Illini players showed Self and his staff Saturday:
They've got an enforcer in Johnson. He was all over the
place, scrapping for loose balls and getting into the heads of Richard
Jefferson, Loren Woods and Jason Gardner.
They've got a go-to scorer in Cory Bradford. The junior guard made
three 3s, the first of which clinched an NCAA record 74 games in a
row with a 3-pointer.
They've got a leader in point guard Frank Williams, who wasn't
assertive with his shot, but got to the line for 9 of 10 free throws and
shut down Gilbert Arenas (2 of 12 shooting).
They've got role players in shooter Sean Harrington (three key
3s, including two at the end of the first half); center Robert Archibald,
who played tough against Woods and scored six points and had four rebounds.
They can get more out of center Brian Cook, but still
received 10 points in 13 minutes, including a critical 3-pointer.
They've got a banger in Marcus Griffin (15 points and four
rebounds) and a slasher in Sergio McClain (8 of 10 at the line).
And they've got overall toughness, more so than Arizona, maybe as
much as Michigan State.
"We just tried to grill them that real competitors play well when
things aren't going well," Self said. "These players bought into that."
When the Illini played in Maui, Self said they lacked a true inside
presence, even though they pounded Maryland in the semifinals
before losing narrowly to Arizona. But the Illini have options now with McClain
getting to the line, Griffin finishing in the post, Cook stretching the
defense with 3s and Archibald a factor underneath for putbacks.
"If we can keep getting better, sure we can (compete for the Final
Four), why can't we?" Self asked. "So much is the draw and staying healthy.
The table was set at Tulsa and this team has the same makeup to do the same
thing."
The intangibles, notably having Johnson on the floor during a turnaround
10-4 run in the first half, could put Illinois in the same company with
Michigan State. Johnson got under the skin of the Wildcats, so much that
there were two near-altercations and two double-fouls in which he
either was involved or influenced. Jefferson said Johnson pushed he and the
Wildcats to their physical and mental limit. The Illini fed off Johnson,
who in turn got the United Center capacity crowd to their feet whenever he
made something happen.
"He's an animal," Bradford said. "I'm just glad he's on our team."
Johnson was instrumental in giving the Illini a burst of energy in their
comeback win over Seton Hall last week. The Illini needed a boost after a
slow start in each half. The same thing occurred Saturday against Arizona. But, in each game, the Illini responded by handling adversity and winning two big
games to make a statement that they aren't leaving the top 10 anytime soon.
"I'm glad we lost those two games on the road," Williams said of losing to
Arizona in Maui and Duke. "It gave us a sense that we can be knocked off.
Those types of losses make you want to get back in the gym and work hard.
We've got senior leadership on this team, not just maturity. But it all
comes down to how tough the players are. Coming into this game we wanted to
show everybody that we could play to our ability. We showed that this is a
special team."
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.
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