Ask Sergio McClain about Shane Battier, Duke’s player of the year candidate, and the low-key Illinois forward suddenly has his interest piqued.
“What do I know about Shane Battier? I know everything about him,” said the 6-foot-4-inch, 230-pound McClain, one of only three seniors playing for the ninth-ranked Illini.
“He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated,” continued McClain on Battier. “He’s on all of the ESPN highlights. He’s the golden child of college basketball, and he really deserves it.”
Ask McClain about going head to head with Battier and Duke on Tuesday night in Greensboro, N.C., as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, and he reacts very matter-of-factly. It’s not a disinterested or cocky reaction. In all honesty, McClain can’t wait for the nationally televised contest.
It’s the attitude of someone who has been there before, and that’s because the Illini have. The Blue Devils will mark the second top-ranked opponent in the last week for Illinois, which fell 79-76 to then-No. 1 Arizona last Wednesday in the Maui Invitational final.
“I talked to [former Illinois coach] Lon Kruger, and I thanked him again,” Illinois coach Bill Self said with a laugh concerning Illinois’ early schedule against Arizona, Duke and Maryland, with another game against Arizona coming up Dec. 16. “Really, it’s great. I don’t know if there’s a team in recent memory who played two No. 1s and a No. 5 in the first 12 days.”
Self wasn’t involved in Duke’s 72-69 victory over Illinois at the United Center last season, giving each team two victories in the series. But many of the key players have returned for the encore.
Battier had 12 points and 10 rebounds in the win, while then freshman Jason Williams finished as high scorer with 17 points. For Illinois, Cory Bradford and Frank Williams each finished with a team-high 14, and Williams’ three-point attempt to tie the game bounced off the back iron at the buzzer.
Williams has seemingly emerged as the Illini’s leader this season, both in scoring and on the court, after a somewhat erratic freshman year. Bradford, the team’s leading scorer last season, is struggling despite his consecutive three-point field goal streak of 69 games.
Bradford is shooting just under 30 percent from the field and averaging only eight points per game.
“I wasn’t aware of the streak, and I don’t think Cory worries about it,” said McClain of Bradford. “He’s really not struggling. Cory has done a lot of big things for us in terms of rebounding and being a floor leader.”
The Illini have never fared very well against No. 1 teams, with an all-time record of 1-18. The only victory came against Magic Johnson and eventual national champion Michigan State in 1979. Poised to be No. 1, the undefeated Illini lost their next game to Ohio State and eventually didn’t qualify for the NCAA tournament.
Illinois (4-1) has its sights set on eventually reaching the point where Duke currently sits. The Blue Devils are 5-0, including a 63-61 victory over Temple in the final of the Preseason NIT. Arizona’s loss Saturday to Purdue left an opening at the top of the rankings for Duke. This is the fourth straight season, and the ninth in Mike Krzyzewski’s 21 as coach, that Duke has been No. 1 at some point in the season.
For Illinois, the three-point loss to Arizona was not considered a moral victory–just a loss in a game they knew was winnable.
“We aren’t some middle-of-the-pack team,” McClain said. “We have underachieved some in the past, and we want to change that.”
Added guard Sean Harrington: “This team can’t be intimidated by anyone. If you are, you can’t expect to win. We will be confident going in [to Greensboro].”
While the young Illinois lineup has matured, the same can be said for Duke’s. All five starters are averaging in double figures, led by Carlos Boozer’s 19 points per game.
But Battier has come to expect, even relish, all the attention placed on his shoulders by the opposition. He is looking right back at the Illini and ready to go again.
“Illinois is playing as well as anyone,” Battier said. “It’s an exciting week for us. This is why we come to Duke.”
“You have to love this,” McClain added. “Playing big-time teams with big-time players is the chance of a lifetime.”
