Upperclassmen to pick up pace as Illini open Las Vegas Invitational

Illinois’ freshman D.J. Richardson (1) drives the lane during the basketball game against NIU at Assembly Hall on Tuesday. Richardson had two steals and five points, helping the Illini to an 80-61 victory.
Michael Stein The Daily Illini

Freshman D.J. Richardson will return to where he played high school basketball next week when the Illini travel to Las Vegas, but his old team won’t be there. The Peoria, Ill., native played his last high school season with Findlay Prep, where he won a national championship.

“The only bad thing is my prep team is going to be in Peoria while I’m out there in Vegas,” Richardson said. “We are kind of flip-flopping.”

No. 23 Illinois begins the Las Vegas Invitational on Saturday, and it may face four different teams in eight days. The Illini will play their first two games of the Invitational in Champaign against opponents from South Carolina, facing Presbyterian on Saturday and Wofford on Tuesday.

Richardson said Presbyterian plays a lot of zone defense, something he has not seen much of yet in his first season at Illinois.

But the real challenge will come during the two days following Thanksgiving, when Illinois travels to Las Vegas to play Utah and then either Oklahoma State or Bradley, depending on the win-loss outcome. Bradley is the only team of the four heading to the Invitational not to make the NCAA Tournament last season. Utah is 2-1 this year, with its only loss against Idaho. Oklahoma State has gotten off to a quick 4-0 start and is led by junior guard James Anderson, who is averaging 26 points per game.

Weber’s lineup appears solidified for at least the time being. Along with juniors Demetri McCamey, Mike Tisdale and Mike Davis, it includes two freshmen — Richardson and Brandon Paul. Richardson led the Illini in scoring during their two preseason games, while Paul has led the squad in points in the team’s first two regular-season contests. Paul put up a combined 42 points in his first two games at the collegiate level.

At this point, the upperclassmen seem to be nurturing the freshmen almost too well.

“We might push them into more of a sophomore role,” Tisdale said. “They’re going to keep getting minutes if they keep doing well.”

Despite their success, the freshmen have yet to play a game on the road and are eager to see what it’s like to play in another arena.

“It’s another learning process for us,” Richardson said.

Weber wants Davis and Tisdale to take the reins in Las Vegas, when the Illini begin to face higher-level opponents.

Tisdale played for just 16 minutes against Northern Illinois on Tuesday, though.

“As we get to more half-court basketball, he’s going to have to touch the ball more,” Weber said of Tisdale after the win Tuesday.

Tisdale said the real test comes once the team arrives in Las Vegas.

“We’ll get to see what we’re about, see if we can win away from home,” the Riverton, Ill., native said.

He added the team is only focusing on winning on the court, though.

“We’re only out there for a few days,” Tisdale said of the city’s appeal. “So it won’t be that much of a distraction.”

Kate Munson contributed to this report