One QB likely out for super hoop matchup

Posted In: Peoria Journal Star Illini
Date: Friday, February 5, 2010

The show inside the show is unlikely to go on stage.
With Kalin Lucas doubtful because of a sprained ankle, ESPN and College GameDay might miss one of their featured attractions in a prime-time slot — Michigan State junior guard Lucas vs. Illinois junior guard Demetri McCamey —when the Illini play host Saturday to the No. 5 Spartans in men’s basketball.
Injuries already have played a role in the Big Ten Conference season. Ohio State lost three games while Evan Turner recovered from a back injury, Purdue missed point guard Lewis Jackson and Northwestern played without star Kevin Coble all season. It makes you wonder.
What would happen to the Illini if something happened to McCamey? A junior from St. Joseph High School in Westchester, McCamey is a do-it-all guy on offense. If he’s not scoring the basket, he’s setting it up with an assist. He’s putting up the numbers that force him into consideration for first-team all-Big Ten.
He’s the one player the Illini can’t afford to lose. In the Big Ten, McCamey is the player most valuable to his team.
“He’s our quarterback,’’ Illini forward Mike Davis said. “It would be like Peyton Manning going down for the Colts.’’
McCamey leads the Illini by averaging 15.8 points a game. He leads the league with 7.1 assists in Big Ten play. In conference games, McCamey has accounted for 48 percent of the offense. He’s scored 158 and assisted on another 168 points.
“When you study the numbers, they’re very impressive,’’ Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. “He hit the game-winner last week. We have to depend on him for so much. Some of the other teams that have very good players, they have a few more weapons around him.
“His run in the last month, or two or three weeks, it’s been pretty consistent. I know I get on him. I will stay on him. At the same time, I will be the first to tell you he’s improved and made an effort to do a lot of things that we’ve asked. If we have any chance to make any kind of run in the second half (of the Big Ten season), that has got to continue.’’
Since he was first pulled from the starting lineup, McCamey developed into more of a leader, and the team voted him co-captain. He’s also averaging 23 points and seven assists over last eight games.
“I had to get better personally, be a better leader and try to win games,’’ McCamey said about his starting-lineup absence. “(Weber) knew I was capable of it. He wanted to wake me up. It wasn’t punishment. I had to get better as a player.
“If you come into the game with a bad attitude, you usually come in and not play well. I decided to have a good attitude. It’s about you and your teammates and trying to win. It’s not about starting and trying to get numbers.’’
As for all-Big Ten, McCamey first must battle through the eight games against teams that played in the NCAA tournament last year.
“I’m just trying to win,’’ he said. “Whatever we have to do to win, if I have to score 20 or 30 points, I do it. If it’s nine or 10 assists, I will do it. It’s about trying to win a Big Ten championship.’’
Besides McCamey, Illinois is searching for reliable scoring options.
Davis felt confident after playing better Wednesday in a victory at Iowa, where he started the second half and made a clutch basket late. Yet he’s failed to reach double figures in six of the last nine games. Center Mike Tisdale tweaked his knee in the at Iowa but practiced full speed Friday. Tisdale struggled against physical defenses in the first meetings with Michigan State and Purdue.
“I’m feeling more confident,’’ Davis said. “I play well in big games, and this is a big game. I have to play. I have to help Demetri score. He can’t do it by himself. I have to come up with a big game.’’
Lucas rolled his right ankle during a loss Tuesday at Wisconsin. He was carried from the floor, and he sat with the swollen ankle dunked in a bucket of ice during practice Thursday.
“I just watch him walk and I say, ‘If you can barely walk on Thursday, how can you play on Saturday, in a big game?’ ’’ Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said.
John Supinie can be reached at Johnsupinie@aol.com.
 

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