ROUNDBALL DAILY

2012-13 College Basketball Preview: Illinois Fighting Illini

10. Illinois Fighting Illini

WHY THEY’RE SCARY: Senior guard Brandon Paul is a prodigious scorer and NBA draft prospect. He hung 43 on Ohio State last year in an upset win, and has the ability to carry the Illini all by himself. He’ll have some help in senior guard D.J. Richardson (11.6 ppg), but other than that, the scoring load could be Paul’s to carry. New coach John Groce is an intense motivator, having led Ohio U. to three NCAA Tournament wins in the last three years. He’ll have the Illini playing hard.

WHAT SCARES US: This team is young, and doesn’t appear to have much depth. The loss of first-round pick Meyers Leonard stings, especially because he was just coming into his own on the college level. Sophomore Nana Egwu will look to step up in Leonard’s absence.

 

FINAL DESTINATION: Unless Paul can put the team on his back Greg Jennings-style, this looks like an NIT team. With Groce in place though, the future looks good.


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  1. Pingback: 2012-13 College Basketball Preview: Illinois Fighting Illini | JockSpin.com Sports News and Opinion Aggregator and Publisher

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