For Richmond or For Poorer

Picture a city nestled in the northeast corner of Illinois. A place where you can--if you have a good arm--throw a stone in one direction and hit a Wisconsinite, and into Lake Michigan if you sling it the opposite way. A place where unemployment and poverty are high and the quality of life is low. A place that's referred to as "the county seat" of Lake County more because it renders the imagination to envision an actual toilet rather than because of its administrative purposes. Ladies and gentleman, Waukegan, Illinois.

Recently, one of Waukegan's only recognizable inhabitants, Illinois guard Jereme Richmond, decided to forgo his final 3 years of college and enter the NBA draft. Besides the point that Jereme could have become a part of the vast minority in his hometown had he earned his collegiate diploma from U of I, he has disappointed many in his most recent decision to abandon the Illini.

Upon the announcement of his controversial decision, Richmond presumptively received ill-will in a variety of forms. In fact, @JRichmond22 was bombarded with so much negative energy that he responded with this tweet:

"Thanks to my haters and motivators. If I so happen to fail, I want my doubters to know my failure is greater than your biggest success"

Ok, so was this a mature, thoughtful and appropriate response? Hell no, it's Jereme Richmond. Apparently he hasn't hired a publicist yet. This is the same guy that caused more high school drama than Randy Moss and A.I. combined and was suspended for Illinois' trip to the dance for "violating team rules" (which I heard was exchanging blows with Brandon Paul).

As Destiny's Child said with the title of their sophomore album, "The Writing is on the Wall".

Richmond's freshman year in Champaign was a far cry from what he thought it would be. When you commit when you're 14, you expect to start when you arrive on campus--a scenario that was simply never the case.

It was glaringly obvious that Richmond wasn't happy with Weber, his teammates, or the collective female crop in Champaign who have a mean ACT score of 29 (about 12 points too high to go home with Jereme).

Still, I feel for the Central Suburban South product. After living in Waukegan and then Urbana-Champaign, I sure hope Jereme doesn't end up somewhere like Toronto with those cheese-eating surrender monkeys (shout out Mike in Indy) dressed head-to-toe in denim like J.T. and Brittney at the 2001 AMA's.

We all know Jereme is no lottery pick, but I think he has NBA athleticism and an amount of potential that will cause a team to roll the dice on the 19 year-old. Sure, he's got baggage. And, when I say baggage I don't mean a tote bag or one of those abominable AAU drawstring backpacks. I'm talking about an assortment of Samsonites stuffed to the brim like a Glencoe housewife prepping for a trip to the Florida Keys.

Then again, who doesn't have baggage in the NBA? I see Richmond as a Matt Barnes-like chippy, under your skin type defender/role player. Although Richmond is young, and judging by his actions at Illinois incontrovertibly dumb, as each detestable tattoo pops onto his body like a pubescent whitehead, he will earn his stripes in the Association.

Someone has to take his side, right? Waukegan's proud of you Jereme--they have no other choice--Ray Bradbury and Fahrenheit 451 are becoming a little outdated for continuous celebration.

As for Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man was doomed by the Butler Bulldogs and their sub-20% shooting percentage in the national title game. For his next bet, the Pulse Man likes the UNDER (8.5) in the White Sox/Rays tilt tomorrow night at the Cell.

Pick of the Day: Rays @ White Sox, total runs-8.5-UNDER

Record:(62-51-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

A Chance to Dance

March Madness can mean a variety of things to a lot of different people. For some, it echoes opportunity. A chance for any idiot with a Bic ball-point and a PDF bracket to take down the office pool. It means half-days, sick days, made up family illnesses and an assortment of other excuses for the male contingent of America's workforce. The NCAA tournament is our country's most captivating sports spectacle. As Jay Bilas tweeted yesterday, "The NCAA tournament is idiot proof." There will always be upsets, Cinderellas and underused Gus Johnson soundboard websites. With all of that being said about this highly touted spring staple, does Illinois deserve to be in the field based on their body of work this season? In my own humble and entirely worthless opinion, no. As an Illinois fan, I'm almost ashamed that they did sneak in. Harvard probably has a better team with a quarter of the talent and Virginia Tech has now had their bubble popped for 4 consecutive years (that just sounds filthy). Illinois' "Big Dance" experience in 2011 brings me back to my own experiences cuttin' it up.

Now I was never in the NCAA tournament, or pirouetted across my middle school stage like Billy Elliot. But the more you think about it, the NCAA tournament selection process is strikingly similar to the Turnabout/Spring Fling/Winter Formal dance date selection process in most high school social circles.

I had some great dance dates in high school--but like everyone does--I had to wrap my arms around a few questionable characters and muster a morose smile at the customary picture party. If you had to cast a Hollywood C-Lister to capture my high school essence, it wouldn't be Paul Walker or Freddie Prinze, but I wasn't the nerd downloading calculator games in the C-lab with a USB cord either. I was a middle of the road guy; constantly toting the dotted stripe during dance season. My only hope was that I put together a decent enough body of work to keep myself in contention, and then hope that a few cases of high school infidelity and AIM break-ups would land me in the hands of a babe who could boost my stock. Relax, it's not superficial if it happened 5+ years ago. At least that's what I'm telling myself.

My freshman year was entirely forgettable. Based on my date, I didn't make the tourney, got snubbed by the NIT, snuck into the CBI and tried to hide my face enough so that nobody realized I was even there. Just for the record, there is no concrete evidence that this night actually happened; no pictures were taken on my behalf. So if you want to know who my date was, you either have to really shell out some coin, or somehow be friends with the female. As unlikely as the first of those two situations sounds, it still has the higher odds in comparison to the latter. Trust me. As for my sophomore year, tons of hype (high seed/cute crush) but very little substance. In her defense, I didn't know her that well so I was set up for a trap game (similar to a 12-5) and came up shorthanded. Junior year was a fun time, but our team chemistry kept us incapable of making a serious run at tournament immortality (Final 4/grinding to "Tip Drill" by Nelly). But 2006 is when the similarities between this year's Illinois team and myself truly blossomed into fruition...senior year.

Much like Illinois, I found myself on the brink of not being selected at all. I hadn't exactly stated my case as a prominent bachelor in the halls of my high school (no senior superlatives, no vanity license plate, average haircut, abysmal body, limited personality). Those sleepless nights in mid-February found me contemplating if I would ever get another shot to bust the people's brackets by busting a move during my senior campaign. Luckily, the fortune favors the foolish, and I somehow reeled in a more than formidable partner (who will remain nameless and faceless).

Like any NCAA tournament game, the dance is divided into 3 parts--preparation (pictures/dinner), gametime (dance), and post-game (after party). Similar to my brothers in Orange and Blue, I had no business being there with the date I had in hand, so I had to answer countless questions about my credibility in the tournament, i.e. "Why the hell did she ask you?" or "Doesn't she know that (some Mr. LZ candidate/bubble team) is still dateless?" In all honesty, I couldn't answer, and neither can Bruce Weber. They lost to 4 non-tournament teams in the regular season, including a UIC team that finished close to last in the Horizon league (equivalent to being caught passing wind in a core class with close seating proximity). And, like my physical appearance during 12th grade, Illinois' (9-9) record in the Big 10 was pretty average, which didn't turn many heads in the right direction. So, I put a smile on my face and was just happy to be there. I piled on the pomade, took in the sights and sounds, opened a few car doors and tried not to screw up.

In the end, my tightly-wound approach is what did me in, and the same will go for Illinois on Thursday. Not to say that I didn't enjoy myself, or that I don't have a 5x7 wallet pic of that night just in case if anyone ever asks if I was cool in high school--because I did, and I do. But I made no attempt at bringing down the house and just having a good time. I was so busy playing everything off and mean-mugging the dance chaperons that I couldn't thoroughly enjoy the experience I had at my disposal. If anybody is still reading this--and if you are I commend you--it surely wasn't easy, my lesson to Illinois is this: "play with a looseness like you've never been there before, because you don't know if you'll ever be back."

As for Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man dropped his most recent bet, but what better time of the year than this to right the ship. For his next pick, the Pulse Man likes Richmond to cover the 2 point cushion they're getting against Vandy in the opening round. Everyone's afraid of spiders. Rich what?

Pick of the Day: #10 Richmond (+2) @ #7 Vanderbilt- RICHMOND

Record:(61-46-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

No Assembly (Hall) Required

Bruce Weber is off the grill (no pun intended). For now at least. After the grill marks were made evident on his orange blazer after losing 3 of 4, including a defeat to in-state rival Northwestern, Bruce was definitely feeling the heat. His Fighting Illini hadn't won a game on the road since they scooped up a win on what is now referred to as MediaCom court in Iowa City on December 29th. Before that, their last win outside of the House of Paign was in Kalamazoo in late November (shout out to Toad, Tez and Lindo). To make matters worse, as of late, the Illini hadn't just been struggling in games they couldn't walk to from their off-campus houses, they've been struggling all together. It seemed as if Weber was losing control of his senior-laden Illini bunch after the first go-round in the conference schedule.

It's hard to imagine that U of I's marquee players were satisfied with their success from a year ago amidst those "I-L-L,N-I-T" chants that were bestowed upon them as they strolled through the campus quad, but that just might indeed be the case. Consider this, a year ago Demetri McCamey established himself as one of the premiere floor generals in college basketball by leading the Big 10 in helpers and also being amongst the conference's elite in assist to turnover ratio. Mike Davis led the Big 10 in rebounding. And Tisdale, well Mike was running up $50 tabs and making out with sub 5 footers at Kams and Station like he was the MVP (most valuable primate, of course) of the Big 10 tourney. Maybe they got a little comfortable. A little too content perhaps?

In the same breath though, all of this burden shouldn't be shouldered by the men in uniform. Not saying that this means anything at all, but Weber has made it out to seem that him and McC have this blossoming father/son relationship reminiscent of Chevy Chase and JTT in 'Man of the House'. He has micromanaged his star player this season at the end of games and has consistently opted for running structured sets instead of isolating #32 with hopes of him probing the painted area. Recently, he has gone as far as publicly criticizing his senior leaders. The animosity reached a boiling point last night when McCamey and Tisdale were both left out of the starting lineup for the first time in 3 years, giving the ever-worthless Bill Cole the nod.

Now, does Bill Cole have more talent than Demetri McCamey in some areas of life? Certainly. Euclidean Geometry and Neurophysiology just to name a few, but basketball is definitely not one of them. I know this, McCamey and Cole know this, and some freshman Delta Gamma pledge who knows nothing about hoops other than the fact that both the rim and the ball are monochromatic orange knows this. I have to give it to McCamey though, instead of reacting like an infantile worm like most Cousy Award finalists would have done had they been benched (Sean Wallis), he came out and got after it, diving on loose balls like he was Lucas Johnson circa 2002. Last night in 'The Barn', Bruce rolled out the ball and let McCamey run the show in a high-octane, fast paced game. Sure, the Orange and Blue gave up some easy buckets, but they looked free-flowing on the offensive end which is something that hasn't exactly been U of I's calling card in 2011.

So even if it came at the expense of my favorite player in college basketball, Minnesota's Blake Hoffarber, last night's win was a huge statement for Illinois. As the season has progressed, I have become increasingly pessimistic about the final outcome of Illinois' season in 2011. But last night might just have been a flicker of light from a Yankee Candle. They took down a man named Tubby, in a barn, on an elevated stage, in front of 20,000 people. Does that sound eerily similar to underground wrestling to anyone else? This has to be a good thing.

As for Pick of the Day, how do you tell when you're on a losing streak? When your alma mater betrays you by a half of a point when they're getting 15+! The Pulse Man was up in arms at the travesty that occurred against Morehead State last night as his beloved Panthers fell by 16 after the oddsmakers sized them up as 15.5 point dogs. Oh, well. For this weekend, the Pulse Man likes the OVER in the Cavaliers/Clippers game tonight set at 206. Just to make it known, HE IS NOT ADVISING YOU TO WATCH THIS GAME. In fact, he is advising you not to. Just check the box and cut that check.

Pick of the Day: Clippers @ Cavaliers- Total Points, OVER

Record:(52-39-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

Tis' the Season

I don't know what to tell you, Mike. When people berated you for looking like a monkey, and thus argued that an actual marcupial could better defend the posts of the Big 10, I defiantly stood in your corner draped in one of those ornate, silk robes and squirted water down your threat like I was Dickie Eklund (minus the meth, of course). When people wrote you off as a 7-foot slug who would tie down Illinois' season in 2011, I argued that despite a body mass index that was comparable to Adrien Brody, your baby-hooks and delicate touch from 15 ft. could serve Bruce Weber well throughout the year. And even if it didn't, who the hell were we going to play instead? Meyers Leonard? Get real. We all know that any big who graduates high school in a city geographically lower than Peoria won't come on until at least mid-way through his Junior season (also known as the 'Champaign Supernova' rule). But why did we expect something different from Tisdale? Perhaps because we have seen his gangly wingspan swinging aimlessly around the painted area in Assembly Hall since early in his career? Because we have been witnesses of his imperfect posture and foul-prone post D for 3 years now? If nothing else, we thought that after 3 years of learning the hard way, maybe Tisdale would be able to take care of the rock in the final minutes of crucial conference games.

Last night, for the third time this season--Missouri, Ohio St., and now Indiana--Tisdale fumbled the basketball on a crucial Illinois possession in the 2nd half that led to his team's demise. In the Ohio State game, with an upset bid there for the taking, the Illini needed a 3. Somehow lost in the translation of the desgined play, Tizzy ended up with the ball and kicked it off the toe of his size 18 right into the first row. Last night, with the Illini trailing by a single point with less than :20 to go, Tisdale again proceeded to forfeit the basketball to the opposition. Why didn't McCamey have the pill in his hands looking to penetrate? I don't know. How did it end up in the mits of a guy who shot 2-10 and committed 4 personals on the night? Again, I'm speechless...I am without speech. If this sounds to you like a break-up between me and the Jungle Lover from Riverton, IL, you're right, that's exactly what it is.

In all fairness, you cannot shoulder this loss squarely on the gawky shoulders of Tisdale. Any time you lose to a team that is in the bottom 3 of the Big 10, it's not that just one guy that didn't show up--nobody did. McCamey, a supposed Natinal POY contender, had as many points (6) on Thursday as he will get phone numbers tonight at Firehouse. Bruce looked confused at times shuffling in questionable lineups and continuously leaving IU's shooters open for triples? That one dude is like 5'11', what did you think was the strength of his game? As a team, the Orange and Blue failed to reach the 50 point plateau against a beaten down Indiana squad! Yes, the same Hoosier team that gave up 91 points to Iowa! These bad road losses (Penn St., Indiana) are starting to back Illinois into a corner as they are now just 4-4 in the Big 10, a record good enough for a share of 5th place in the league. Even with the unveiling of their new unis, which is always a good mid-season morale boost, the Illini have yet to win in them. "I bet they hate the way they look, I guarantee it." Sorry, Men's Warehouse.

As for Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man is going after a player prop in the Bulls/Magic tilt to garner his 50th career win as a part of Chicago Sports Noise. For tongiht, the Pulse man likes Carlos Boozer's OVER in total points and rebounds, which is set at 28.5.

Pick of the Day: Carlos Boozer-TOTAL POINTS and REBOUNDS, 28.5- OVER

Record:(49-35-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

Battle Wound

Talor Battle has been the best kept secret in the Big-10 for nearly 4 years now. He is one of the most dangerous guards in the conference, but is locked in the basketball jail of Happy Valley, PA. Battle's talent disguised in the face of Nittany Lion basketball is like if you were to keep the Dr. Dre 2001 CD inside the Chingy Jackpot album jacket, it's simply a travesty on all accounts. Not that Illinois didn't know about Battle or wasn't prepared for him, but Talor lit up the #16 Illini for 27 in a 57-55 victory last night in Pennsylvania. Initially, you immediately thought, "how did U of I just lose to Penn St., they haven't been good since...ever." Yeah, you're right. But don't write off Talor Battle as arguably the most complete player in the Big 10. Last year, Battle was the only player in D1 college basketball to lead his team in scoring (18.8), rebounding (5.4), assists (4.1) and steals (1.1). How come you haven't heard of him? Essentially, it's the same reason why nobody had heard about The Wonders from That Thing You Do! before Mr. White (Tom Hanks) stepped in and gave Guy Patterson those shades--they are in Pennsylvania! It takes at least a calendar year for anything popular in PA to make its way to Big-10 country. Yet, there's a Big 10 school in Pennsylvania. I try to forget.

Still, whether it be to play Talor Battle or fight the Battle of Big Horn, U of I needs to start showing up on the road. All 4 of their losses have now come outside of Assembly Hall. They lost to Texas in New York, got overran by Mizzou at a neutral site in St. Louie, embarrassingly got dropped by UIC at the UC (you see? get it? nevermind) and then lost last night to Penn St. in the Bryce Jordan Center. Illinois has been tremendous at home, beating good teams (Wisconsin, Northwestern?, UNC) rather handily and looking like a sharp, well-executing, top-10 team in the process. But on the road, the story is much more slanted, and needs to be ironed out immediately if Illinois is going to compete for a Big 10 title like their preseason hopes entailed.

For me, road games are much like 22 year old sleepovers at a friends/acquaintances house. Crazy I still do it, I know. First, find your niche (offense). How good of friends are you with the apartment/house owner? Can you finagle your way into an empty bed? Test the waters a little. If you can't make headway in a hostile environment with a lot of guests (tough Big-10 arenas- Breslin, Kohl, Mackey, etc.), then find a spot on the carpet and get a few pillows (offensive boards, second chance points). Just make sure you come prepared and have something you can rely on (defense/ample space on the ground) so you don't end up sleeping on the kitchen hardwood and are shelved for the next week with a bruised hip. At this point, there is no way anyone is still following this analogy, so I'll let it die. Still, it is imperative for Illinois to 'get comfortable' on the road if they're going to be successful in the thick of the Big-10 season. Otherwise, it could be a miserable morning.

As for Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man got "Jimmer'd" last night as the BYU boy-band megastar dropped 47 on the Runnin' Utes and obliterated the 12 point spread in the process. For tonight, the Pulse Man likes the Hawks giving 4 to the Raptors in Canada. After watching Toronto twice this season, I have yet to figure out how they have beaten anyone.

Pick of the Day: Hawks (-4) @ Toronto- HAWKS

Record:(45-31-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

Up In Flames

Illinois usually schedules an early season non-conference game in the UC for a few reasons. Primarily, Bruce Weber likely finds it beneficial for his team to play in an NBA-style arena, like the United Center, in order to prepare them for the venues they might be traveling to in March (i.e. Big Ten tournament, NCAA tournament). Secondly, I'm sure Bruce also likes the opportunity to showcase his team to Chicagoland Fighting Illini alums. And lastly, Weber probably jumps at the chance to get out of central Illinois for a few days, and frankly, I don't really blame him. Ironically, Illinois has always played well in their annual Chicago trip. They beat Gonzaga at the Madhouse a year ago, and so far this season, Illinois looked to be cementing itself amongst the Big 10's elite. But Illinois found itself committing the cardinal sin in sports Saturday afternoon in the Second City--never, under any circumstances, underestimate your opponent.

Behind the stellar play of Robo Kreps, whose name sounds like either a knock-off brand of Turtle Wax or a slight deviation from pop sensation Bruno Mars, the Flames upset the Orange and Blue 57-54, marking Howard Moore's first signature win as the leader of the Flames. In Illinois' defense, the game was only being televised locally on WCIU,which is normally only good for reruns of Hanging With Mr. Cooper, and it was a Saturday matinee affair against a low-level division 1 opponent, so you can partially understand why the Illini weren't revved up like they just heard a superb rendition of William Wallace's Braveheart speech. But Illinois looked sluggish from the get-go. Their guards were getting ripped like voided checks, and UIC built an early lead and really 'never let go'. At least someone was listening to Jack Dawson's final words in Titanic. Surely losing to UIC on a neutral court will be judged as a bad loss for Weber's Wonderkin, but it might just be exactly what the Illini need to snap them back into reality.

Going into the annual Busch Braggin' Rights game in St. Louis Tuesday, Illinois wont have time to lick their wounds. Sharing the court with them Tuesday night will be the 10-1 Missouri Tigers, who is a team fresh off hanging 116 points on Scottie Pippen's alma mater. Mike Anderson's Mizzou squad is long and athletic, which is why they have become so successful playing the mid-90's Arkansas "40 Minutes of Hell" track meet-style of basketball. The Tigers are currently sitting in the 13 spot in the national polls, just one spot behind Champaign's finest. This 'Braggin' Rights' game has everything you could ask for in a good rivalry game--two wildly talented, evenly matched teams, a neutral site, and a sponsorship from a below-average beer. What is this Nascar? Regardless, Tuesday's game should be the first meaningful event to happen in Missouri since Mark Twain's departure from the 'Gateway to the West'. I just hope Illinois shows up.

As for Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man picked another winner Sunday as Matt Ryan's play propelled the Falcons over the Seahawks. For Monday night, the Pulse Man likes the under in the Bears/Vikes Monday night showdown which is set at 33.

Pick of the Day: Bears @ Vikings, total points-33-UNDER

Record:(41-27-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

Head of State

I know what you're thinking. "This guy didn't even watch the Illinois/UNC game! The 2nd half aired during the Victoria Secret Fashion Show." All I have to say to you people is, I have DVR (well, actually my parents do) and I don't have a day-job, so you can figure it out from there. While most of America watched intently as protein-deficient foreigners marched down a golden, glittery stage with giant feathers strapped to their backs, I was keeping a close eye on Illinois running all over a talented UNC team coached by Roy Williams.

Now, do I think UNC is overrated? Yes, they have been for the past 2 years prior to the thick of the college basketball season. For some reason the voters in the AP Poll think that North Carolina can consistently win with kids that can barely buy a pack of cigarettes or a MAXIM magazine for that matter. Harrison Barnes is a tremendous athlete and a phenomenal player, but he's not a first team All-American. I'm sure UNC will be back, but they're going to take there lumps again like they did a year ago. Still, what an impressive win for U of I in front of a sold out Assembly Hall. The Fighting Illini moved to 7-1 last night using a balanced attack that included Mike Davis, Mike Tisdale, DJ Richardson, Demtri McCamey and Freshman Jereme Richmond all scoring in double figures for the Orange and Blue. Assembly Hall was back in 2005 form as well, as the Orange Krush looked more hopped up on Sunkist than a 12 year old at a sleepover screening Jurassic Park. Tuesday night was a statement win for both Illinois, and the Big 10 as a whole. But about 4 hours north of Champaign on the banks of Lake Michigan, 'Chicago's Big 10 team' was quietly going about improving to 5-0 while turning heads in the process.

When comparing Illinois and Northwestern basketball, a few things are glaringly obvious. Illinois players drink more booze, sleep with more women, fail more tests and frequent more strip joints than their Evanston counterpoints. But, that's not a discredit to Illinois, they are being compared with an ivy league-like school located in middle America. The only player on Northwestern's roster that I see hanging tough with the Illini on Green St. is Michael "Juice" Thompson, but even he can't cover 13 quotas, or 13 bar tabs, unless he's at Kams. Illinois is more talented in almost every area of the game, but Northwestern is a heady, veteran club that wears down your psyche with backdoor layups and transition 3's. The Purple and White might not scare you coming off their coach bus, but they will have a viable shot to play themselves into the school's first ever NCAA tournament birth during the 2010-2011 season.

For both Illinois and Northwestern, success starts in the hands of each team's point guard. NU's point guard is affectionately referred to as a fruity liquid made from concentrate while Illinois' PG has a last name that leads you to believe he was born on the kitchen floor of the Blarney Stone on Chicago's South Side. Call them what you will, but both Juice Thompson and Demetri McCamey facilitate the as game as well as any point in the Big 10. Both guards were in the top 4 in assists and assist/TO ratio during Big 10 play a year ago and are heading into their senior season determined to end up on CBS with Gus Johnson during March in the NCAA's Naitonal Tournament. Illinois and Northwestern will only go as far as their floor-generals will take them, and Bruce Weber and Bill Carmody have to be confident in the places they'll go behind Thompson and McCamey.

One of the only areas in which I think Northwestern trumps Illinois is the ability to have a consistent "knock-down" shooter to propel the offense. The Cats boast the most unlikely of potential All-Americans in Glen Ellyn's own, John Shurna. At first glance, you would swear that Shurna was the kid who sat behind you in 10th grade Geometry that you peppered with questions the day before each unit test. But over the course of 2 years in Evanston, Shurna has made a case for himself as one of the most dangerous long-distance dialers in Big-10 play, averaging over 18 points a game a year ago and shooting over 35% from 3 point range. Illinois on the other hand, looks to stretch their defense with their Sophomore guard duo of DJ Richardson and former Warren standout and Illinois Mr. Basketball, Brandon Paul. Although Richardson is coming off a Big-10 Freshman of the year campaign in 09-10, I think Shurna is more of a consistent threat for his team, mainly because he looks like an extra from Revenge of the Nerds and the scoring presence Illinois holds in the low post.

On the block, Mike Tisdale might resemble a chimpanzee released from the Brookfield Zoo, but it is hard to argue against how effective he has become under the tutelage of Bruce Weber. However, Illinois fans need to understand what they can expect from Tisdale on a nightly basis. He will give you 12-15 points a night, a half-dozen rebounds, and will most likely foul out--that's the way it goes. He isn't athletic enough to guard the quick-footed post men of the Big-10 like Draymond Green and Jajuan Johnson, so he over-relies on his 7 foot frame and uses his fouls. You cannot expect Tisdale to be an All-American. He's a 7 foot 1, 250 lb, Academic All-American from Riverton, Illinois, let's be realistic. Is he better than Luka Mirkovic? Absolutely. Is your college girlfriend better than Luka Mirkovic? If she was graded higher than a C in high school P.E., then I would assume so. Don't get me wrong, Mirkovic has done a fine job with his pipe-cleaner arms and a haircut he stole from an investment banker at the Board of Trade, but the Big-10 boasts too many solid big men that Luka (not the guy that used to be on ER) is going to have to defend on the block.

Outside of the staple categories like backcourt and frontline lies the intangible category that just might be the most influential in determining the success of both Illinois and Northwestern this year, ladies and gentleman, low and behold, the honorary "good glue guy" (shout out Matt Demars). Both the Illini and Wildcats have the "get the job done then spit in your face" Cortland Finnegan-type player. For the Illini, it's Jereme Richmond. Jimmy Dykes referred to him in last night's telecast as a type of guy who, "throws you into the lockers and takes your lunch money" and for the first time in both mine and Jimmy Dykes life, we agree on that. Richmond is a relentless athlete, a long, rangy defender, and an overall catalyst for Illinois success. Sure, he's going to jack up a few ill-advised, unwarranted 19-footers in pivotal moments, that's part of being a Freshman. But the Mr. Socko Mick Foley-esque toughness he carries on his sleeve is going to exude more pros than cons for this year's Illinois squad. For Northwestern, the good glue lies in it's swingman, Drew Crawford. The Naperville product is the son of long-time NBA official, Danny Crawford, so you already know that Drew was born with the thick skin to withstand the raucous rants from student sections he'll surely hear across the Big-10. He is a secondary scorer for NU, but his true presence is on the defensive with his tenacity and intensity. Think Sean Elliot/Charles Oakley hybrid human. God damn do I support stem cell research.

As for Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man skated by the skin of his teeth last night as Wake defeated the lowly Iowa Hawkeyes by a meager 3 points in the final minute, thus covering the 2 point spread. For tonight, the Pulse Man likes the Bulls giving 2 points to the magic at home, a risky call. Because of the Pulse Man's recent betting record, I have received a tremendous amount of inquiry via telephone, fax, email and snail mail about what the Pulse Man actually looks like. To avoid giving him a reputation like "Son of Sam" or the "Unibomber", I have posted a picture of the Pulse Man in his finest hour. Eat your heart out girls.



Pick of the Day: Magic @ Bulls (-2)- BULLS

Record:(36-24-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

Sweet and Sour Sixteen

There a few moments in life that prompt a "LET'S GO!" (shot-out Matt Meyers) moment and instantly rejuvenate you to perform the task at hand with added vigor. Perhaps hearing the sounds of Miley Cyrus' "Party in the USA" blasting through the blown-out speakers of your mid-level sedan may add some elation to your usual lifeless commute home. Maybe you sting a 3 iron from 190 after chili-dipping your tee shot and give yourself a shot at saving par and making some greenbacks off your visor-clad, cholo golf partner. Or, maybe you just found out that your state University who returns five starters and signed their first McDonalds All-American since Dance Dance Revolution was invented in '03 is ranked #16 in the first preseason polls for college basketball. LETS GO! Yes, Illinois has become relevant again. Hopefully those long Wednesday nights of watching the Illini get run over by Dayton in the second round of the NIT are over--at least for this year.

The Chief and Co. return all 5 starters from a team that was as sporadic as a seismograph in 2010. They lost to Bradley early on, then rebounded to steal a win @ Clemson in the ACC/Big 10 challenge to maintain a formidable start. Then, the Fighting Illini dropped their last 3 of the regular season, only to rebounded to beat Wisco in the Big Ten Tourney quarterfinals and came within a regulation layup of downing Evan Turner and the tOSU in the semis, leaving them outside of the 65 team NCAA tournament field and in the NIT, which attracts less of an audience than the Andy Griffith show on Nick at Nite. Following Illinois basketball last year was like waiting for a public defense lawyer--you never knew who the hell was showing up, and in the end, it didn't work out that well. This year though, Assembly Hall is loaded with talent. DJ Richardson and Brandon Paul are unidentifiable on the court as they were basically xerox copies of each other--fast, energizing and athletic. But more so than anything else, both players were inconsistent as Freshman. With added experience headed into their Sophomore campaign, hopefully DJ and and BP can feed off the playmaking ability of Senior Demitri McCamey, who became arguably the Big 10's most complete player with the exception of his high school teammate, Evan Turner and his marshan voicebox. At 6'3'', 200 lbs., McCamey is the size of a refrigerator but can heat it up faster than Jamar Smith in his old "microwave" days before he started playing too much Cruisin USA while blacked-out in his dorm and thought he could replicate the scenario in real life.

In the frontcourt, Illinois returns Mike Davis, who interestingly enough attended the same high school (T.C Williams) where Remember the Titans was filmed (I don't really care for Mike Davis' game, so we'll leave it at that). In other news,my personal favorite member of U of I's basketball team also returns, Mike Tisdale. At first glance, you would think that Tisdale is just a scrawny, agriculture major you'd want to recruit for intimidation in the paint for your C-League intramural squad. But Mike uses the window better than a chic interior designer devising the floor plan for a family room and is the proud owner of a soft, feathery touch that would make the Charmin bear blush. As far as core players go, Illinois definitely has the pieces to make a run at the Big 10 title.

The wild card however, is Freshman All-American Jereme Richmond. Hailing from the ultimate sewer of Lake County (Waukegan), Richmond is one of the biggest recruits Bruce Weber has ever tied down in his tenure in Champaign. But in this case, talent comes in the most volatile of packages. There is no doubt Richmond is talented, but there is even less doubt in his own self-confidence. Jereme is an athletic freak who can change the momentum of the game with a highlight reel alley oop or a pin-block that trickles back to the halfcourt stripe. If you haven't seen Richmond play, this video is all you need to see (1:21 pause). However, Richmond is also the guy who used to kiss the floor before high school games and walked around with the same swagger Vinny Barbarino displayed in Welcome Back, Kotter. Getting him to be comfortable in a reserve role with 5 starters returning could be like fitting a 12 year old into a carseat, lots of squirming and immaturity can ensue at any point. With that being said, Illinois is lucky to have gotten the last two Illinois Mr. Basketball award winners as Bruce must strike a chord with the resident 'basketball wives' of Lake County. Throw in Luther Head's younger brother, Crandall, as a lucky, rabbit's foot like legacy on the 2011 squad and Illinois has all bases covered.

Still, U of I finds itself ranked #16 overall, which is great in its own right, but that ranking still trails conference foes Michigan St.(#2), Ohio State (#5) and the now Robbie Hummel-less Purdue Boilermakers (#8). Often times people say that the only thing less important than your preseason ranking is the score at halftime, and maybe the attractiveness of your undergrads (as evidenced by Duke and Butler last year), which definitely has the tendency to hold true. But Illinois has to deal with each of the aforementioned teams twice in the conference season after dealing with perennial power UNC (#9) in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge, a date in the dry-land with Texas (#25), and a highly anticipated and always intense border battle with Missouri (#15). There's a warhead in every goodie-bag, and Illinois strength of schedule could sway the Illini back atop the nation's elite in 2011, or plummet them back to the Roady's Humanitarian Bowl (Bowling Green vs. Idaho last year) of college basketball--the NIT.

As for Pick of the Day, hopefully the weekend brings the Pulse Man some solace as he makes the trek down to Charleston, Illinois to visit his proud alma mater, Eastern Illinois. Before departing, he left me with his Saturday 6 pack and drove himself back to a land where mercilessly making passes at younger girls wasn't going to have to cost him a $7 cover charge. Anyway, here are his picks:

Saturday 6 Pack:

2 Team Parlay:

1. Duke (+27) @ Virginia Tech- DUKE
2. Maryland @ Boston College, Total Points 41.5- UNDER
Total: (+273)

3 Team Parlay:
1. Nebraska @ Oklahoma St. (+6)-OKLAHOMA STATE
2. Wisconsin @ Iowa, Total Points 47.5- UNDER
3. LSU @ Auburn- AUBURN, moneyline
Total:(+435)

'Big Ticket' Pick of the Day:
Marshall @ East Carolina (-12.5)- EAST CAROLINA

Now I'm done. Rack Me

Frost