Friday, February 11, 2005
Illini look good, but how good?
Talented. Experienced. Battle-tested. Quick. Defensive-minded.
All these words work when describing the Illinois men’s basketball team. Another word does not. Complete.
For all the accolades and high rankings and impressive numbers, the Illini are not a complete basketball team. They have holes inside. They aren’t that deep. They haven’t had to win any nail-biters.
Thing is, it doesn’t matter.
Because, in this day and age, you don’t have to be complete to be the best. You only have to be better than everybody else.
That sounds obvious, but it’s particularly apt this year.
Illinois could be considered a dominant team. Twenty-four wins and zero losses. Astounding numbers in the margin of victory column.
But are the Illini on par with the great teams of the last few years? Doubtful. Connecticut had more talent, Syracuse had a superstar, Maryland had more experience.
But again, it doesn’t matter. The Illini don’t have to measure up to those teams, except in the world of what if.
All they have to do is win. They’ve done that.
But is Illinois the best team in the country?
The rankings say yes. The average margin of victory—13.6—says yes. The RPI ranking—sixth—says maybe. And the doubters say, “No way.”
In an era where parity reigns, teams in strong conferences get the benefit of the doubt. Many see North Carolina as the best team in the country. Others point to Wake Forest, even though the Illini pounded the Deacons by 18 in December.
The debates won’t amount to anything come March. But for now, it’s all we can do.
The Illini have plenty of talent. Dee Brown and Deron Williams are the nation’s best backcourt tandem. Luther Head is emerging as one of the best wing players in the country. Roger Powell plays as tough as anybody inside. And James Augustine is a more-than-serviceable big man.
After that the questions surface. Can anybody score off the bench? Can Augustine muscle up against bigger centers? Can Brown and Williams continue to play 33-plus minutes per game without fading? Can the Illini win close games?
These are questions that usually don’t surround a 24-0 team. But they persist because, nobody’s really sure of anything this year. North Carolina is supposedly the most talented team in the country. But can they play defense consistently enough to win? Wake Forest has the talent, too, but what about the loss to Illinois? Boston College was undefeated until Tuesday but the Eagles were tabbed as pretenders the moment they cracked the top 10. Kansas is there, but a blowout loss at Villanova sparked questions. Duke is there, but a lack of depth inside may haunt the Blue Devils as well.
These are questions that will get definitive answers in March when all these teams start to play each other when it counts.
It should be fun.