Illini return to Assembly Hall for game action in Orange and Blue Scrimmage

Freshman DJ Richardson attempts a dunk during the Illini Madness event at Assembly Hall on Friday, Oct. 16, 2009.
Ned Mulka The Daily Illini

On the verge of a new season, Illinois men's basketball head coach Bruce Weber finds himself in a familiar situation.

With a freshman class the coaches already consider some of the best players on the team and a group of talented returners, Weber knows it may take time to find the perfect rotation. For him, the situation draws comparisons to the 2003-04 squad that claimed a Big Ten title.

"Ideally, I would like it to be like 2004-05 — start the same guys, and you know you have everybody back and you go win ... 29 games in a row and you don't have any, you know, snags in that," Weber said. "But in this case, I think it's more like '03-'04 — you're trying to figure it out and it may take a little bit."

The talent and drive of the four freshmen has shaken up this season's rotation. According to Weber, the coaches already list guards D.J. Richardson and Brandon Paul and forward Tyler Griffey among the top seven or eight players on the team. And the only reason for excluding guard Joseph Bertrand is that he's been slowed by injury.

"I think (the freshmen) have pushed and gone by a couple of (the juniors)," Weber said.

"They've played well, they're talented. Now, can they do it when the lights are on? That's what we'll have to see," Weber added.

Sunday's Orange and Blue Scrimmage will give the freshmen and the rest of the Illini another chance to prove their value to the squad, this time in front of the Illinois faithful.

Weber's squad scrimmages every four or five days to "get some live action," but the chance to get back to game-style action in front of fans at the Assembly Hall is also important.

"It definitely adds a little pressure because, you know, there's a lot of people expecting a lot good things out of us, so we just want to come out and perform and play well," Paul said.

Defense and finding a defensive-stopper are at the top of the list when it comes to this year's team, and Richardson plans to use Sunday to prove he should play a major role in the equation.

"Coach Weber is still begging about the defensive stopper, and I'm still reaching my hand out and raising my hands saying, 'Coach, I'll be that person,'" the Peoria, Ill., native said.

More than looking for stellar performances from any one player, though, the Orange and Blue Scrimmage is also about getting used to the endurance it takes to play an entire game.

"(We) get a chance to go up and down without Coach Weber stopping in the middle of a play or in the middle of a fast break," junior guard Demetri McCamey said.

"And then it just helps your endurance and getting in game shape. We've already been practicing, so we're pretty much in practice shape. Now it's time to get ready for game-time shape."

McCamey is one of the veterans experiencing pressure from the freshman class. But Weber acknowledges the junior has been "stepping up" recently.

When it comes to Sunday's festivities, McCamey isn't focused solely on his own improvement.

"I already know probably (a) me-and-D.J. battle is going to happen. It happens almost every day in practice ... that's probably a given," McCamey said. "But I'm not going at anybody, I'm just trying to make sure everybody gets better."