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Twenty fours in Champaign accompanied by Northbrook Chief’s Dad (GBN and Wash U star point guard) started out with dinner at Ferron’s with my frat boy son and my buddy’s sorority girl daughter and their respective roommates. They quickly ditched us for “greener pastures” and after checking into the I Hotel, we walked over to “the Hall” to check out the “Bruceables”. We sat in a box with a couple boosters and low and behold, the kids can play. In particular, the Freshmen class is the most athletic and skilled class since Dee, Deron and Augie in 02. Although Stan Simpson is technically a 2012 and did not play on Friday, he is now a member of the class of 13 and I would love to see how that “Five” would fare against the rest of the team in an organized game.

Richardson, Paul, Bertrand, and Griffey may not be the “Fab Five”, (our banners will not taken down either) but this group when combined with the current Illini junior class and next years haul and you have the makings of something truly special. “RPBG” can ball and even Griffey is athletic beyond expectations. What is most impressive about the freshmen is the skill and polish they possess at their tender stage of development. If there is a knock on this class , it is for the time being, there is no pure point with g-d given ball handling skills to provide a back up for McCamey or share the load. Bertrand who I had not seen play before has the most natural point guard skills of the three guards and he was a pleasant surprise to say the least. My guess is that any of the four frosh are capable of getting elbow high on the rim; elbows up, elbows up everybody.

What truly excites me about this group is the rare combination of athleticism and court intelligence that each of these kids apparently possess. We may not initially be as good a team as last years bunch when all were healthy, but by years end we will be armed and dangerous and ready for a sweet sixteen run.

On a sour note, Alex Legion appears to be one dimensional and merely capable of spot shooting when we face a zone. I wish the kid well, but it hasn’t clicked for him yet.

Saturday started with lunch at Legends; the fish of course, followed by our showdown with dreaded Wolverines as we try to turn back the clock to 1983 (our last home win v. UM). If this were a movie, the title would be “Dumb and Dumber”. Rodriguez clock management at the end of the first half was as bad or worse than RZ’s. When Adam Rittenberg of ESPN appeared on our show on the Tuesday before our OSU game, he said that UM was the third best team in the conference. Boz and I thought the Wolverines were a fraud that would benefit from an easy schedule that may gloss over a flawed football team. Well it appears that not even an easy schedule can save RichRod and the Wolves. I told Rittenberg that UM alums did not like the guy and another lousy year could spell his demise. Stay tuned, Michigan may be willing to eat RR’s astronomical buy out and move on. The dollars it would take to buy out RZ pale in comparison but mediocrity or failure may be more acceptable to the powers that be here than it is at a place like Michigan.

I’m happy for the kids and our fans and besides, I love beating Michigan. I pose the following question in closing: would any of you trade two more wins this year for two more years of RZ? Just asking.

On the way home we picked up a deep dish Papa Del’s to go and it always tastes better after a win; it’s just that that the aftertaste leaves me wondering how long our coaching indigestion will last.

Sincerely,

Mr. G