Up the steeply banked arena ramp chugged Illinois coach Bill Self. Tie loosened, face drained of the usual pink glow, Self looked as if he had had a long day at the office. Who wouldn’t after coaching and scouting the kind of turnover-plagued, sudden-death games that make the NCAA tournament a blast for everyone but coaches?
For No. 1 seed Illinois, the long climb toward the Final Four began Friday morning with an 11:15 a.m. game against a team that lost to Arkansas by 68 points, 115-47. Purple-clad Northwestern State had far less business being in the NCAAs than the Northwestern Wildcats would have. But with seeds being spat out as if the bracket monster took a giant bite of watermelon, Self was worried.
What if the 9,000-student school from Louisiana came out voodoo-magic hot? What if Self’s student-athletes had lost too much confidence in losing to Indiana in the Big Ten tournament? Throughout the season Self’s team has displayed all the killer instinct of a team of surgeons. It makes an incision and sews it right up. Opponents always live longer than they should.
But this time the Illini went right for an unprotected jugular. Before you could say Natchitoches–NW State’s hometown–it was down 10-zip on the way to 30-8. The Demons’ eyes were as round as flying saucers. It was as if they thought you can be called for three seconds in the lane on defense.
Self would live to coach another day but didn’t appear to enjoy coaching the rest of this necessary evil. This can be the kind of low-intensity playground frolic–Illinois 96-54–that builds false confidence and grooves bad habits. NW State barely won the turnover battle 20-17.
“We went through a stretch [after 30-8],” said Self, “when we just didn’t play very good. They chased down loose balls better. Half in jest I told our team before the tournament that we’re going to run a new offense. We’re going to cut sharp and screen somebody.”
This is a nervous coach’s way of gently prodding his season-long underachievers. Self, who coached overachieving Tulsa within a game of the Final Four last season, knows pure hustle can be even more valuable than Illini muscle this time of year. In early rounds the team that wants it worst often overcomes nerves and superior talent.
Bombing a bunch of crazy-hot three-pointers doesn’t hurt either. Cory Bradford suddenly appeared on radar, making 4-of-5 against NW State. But what happens Sunday when Self really needs Bradford to visit the can’t-miss zone against Charlotte? With this guy–and this team–you never know. Will the Illini hit on five cylinders or one? Play hard or play it cool?
I’m glad I’m in my press-row seat and not Self’s.
So here he came up the ramp, having watched the demise of a team that underachieved even worse than his. “Tennessee,” he said, “is the most athletic team in the country–as quick and talented as anybody.”
So was he relieved eighth-seeded Tennessee had been cleared from his path by ninth-seeded Charlotte 70-63? “No, no,” he quickly corrected. “Charlotte is sound and Rodney White is a great player–a great player.”
Tennessee has three or four players who might make it in the NBA, but the Vols don’t seem to care for their Southern preacher of a coach, Jerry Green, or for each other. Against Charlotte they played furious man-to-man and zone-trap defense–“hardest they’ve played [all year],” Self said–but they missed 6-of-7 second-half free throws and several easy shots. On offense they played as if they wanted their amateur careers to be over.
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They did cool off one of the nation’s deadliest three-point teams–Charlotte managed just 8-of-27. But freshman White, a 6-foot-9-inch Shareef Abdur-Rahim type, took over. White made the biggest shots, snatched the critical rebounds and calmly dribbled through Tennessee’s tornado press. Heavily recruited out of Philadelphia, White signed with Pittsburgh, then opted for Charlotte after Pitt coach Ralph Willard was forced out.
The older, stouter Illini should be able to neutralize young White. So it will come down to which team makes the most threes. Charlotte will get–and make–more open threes against a less intense Illini defense. I’m sticking with my Charlotte pick but rooting for Self.
He has done a nice job with a devil of a team to coach. Note to Self: Worry only about what you can control, which isn’t all that much.