Quincy Exhibition Game

It was great to watch the first exhibition game against Quincy, since I have not seen much of these younger Illini players, and it means the regular season is almost here. Some thoughts on the players:

Bill Cole has not been discussed much, but he is really active for a big guy, and showed he can shoot from long range, has good passing skills and can block some shots. He needs to add weight, but he actually impresses me with his movement and reminds me of a tall Lucas Johnson. I could see Bill Cole helping the team off the bench this year, even though he might be redshirted. I am optimistic about his future with the Illini.

Mike Davis showed he likes to get airborne, and he likes to dunk the ball. He showed some nice jump shots as well, and complements the others with his energy on the offensive end. I would like to see Davis play this year, even though he does not have a Big 10 body and needs to gain weight. The Illini have a huge upside with Davis.

McCamey is compared to Deron Williams, but he really reminds me of Bruce Douglas of Illini past. He could be the starting point guard by the end of the season rather than Frazier, but I don't see him as a shooting guard.

Rodney Alexander is a guy who definitely plays like a 3, not a 4, and is a nice addition this year. He is very active, quick, athletic, creates offense and can shoot and dunk the ball nicely. He seems ready to play and might be in the starting five this year.

Steven Holdren can shoot the ball, which is refreshing after last season when the Illini had trouble scoring. He plays like a 2 guard, has decent size, and is very active on the court. He could get lots of minutes this year if Weber gets comfortable with his defense.

Trent Meacham looks good and will probably get lots of minutes at shooting guard this year. He is really not a point guard, and should benefit from being at SG, which is a more natural position for him.

Jeff Jordan is young, but could develop into a capable point guard over time. He showed he can elevate, has good quickness and passing, and can hit jumpers when open. I think Jordan has been underrated by most people in terms of his potential. The more he plays, the quicker he will develop.

Tisdale looked OK, but was not as impressive in this exhibition as I expected. Tisdale has been discussed as ready to play this year, but I didn't really see that in this game. I will watch for more out of him in the next exhibition game.

Semrau looks like a center who specializes in defense, based on this exhibition game. He did not really show anything on offense, but seems to focus on the defensive end. He looks tall and big enough to back up Pruitt at center this year, but might not be able to score.

Carlwell looks like the guy most likely to redshirt this year, based strictly on this exhibition game. I know he would need to qualify for a medical redshirt, since he played in Canada, but this should be considered. Carlwell fouled out of the game, and looked bad when he could not finish his shot at the rim against some smaller players. Basically, he plays soft for a big guy, and his game needs much more development.

Randle looked healthy again, but his strength is still dunking, rather than outside shooting. Randle is an excellent defender, but my impression is that Alexander has a better offensive game at the 3.

Pruitt, Frazier and Brock had the night off, which is a smart move after all the injuries last year. Frazier still has his thumb immobilized from his injury.

In terms of guys to redshirt, I'm not convinced Cole and Davis are the right ones, based on this exhibition game. I liked both Cole and Davis, because they add so much on the offensive end of the court. I was least impressed by Carlwell and Semrau, but perhaps they are still held back from a physical standpoint. I would also consider Tisdale as a redshirt, since Semrau has the body to back up Pruitt in the Big 10, as does Carlwell.

This year's team almost looks like a football squad, with an offensive team and defensive team:

Offense
McCamey
Holdren
Alexander
Davis
Pruitt

Defense
Frazier
Meacham
Brock
Randle
Pruitt

It's unfortunate the players need to play both ways in basketball.