CHAMPAIGN – The Illini looked so old in the NCAA Tournament.
Well, not exactly old, more like old fashioned. It was Big Ten Conference basketball played against the next generation.
Houston’s versatile athletes buzzed around the Illini like gnats, a blur of speed, strength, length, skill and numbers. They were deep. It seemed like every guy could move, jump and shoot.
With a 7-foot, 285-pound center serving as the man in the middle and a parachute on the back bumper, Illinois could only go so fast, and in the clash of the two styles, the Illini failed to keep up with a game styled after The League, where versatility and athleticism create issues for stronger but slower teams.
A coach who talked about scoring in the first 7 seconds each possession when he was hired, Illinois’ Brad Underwood has been working on adding more athleticism over the past two or three recruiting cycles.
