When Wisconsin hosted Illinois Thursday night, I sat press row next to my childhood friend, Paul M. Banks who writes for NBC5 Chicago.com (http://nbc5streetteam.wordpress.com) and is the founder of a sports web-site www.thesportsbank.net.   Since our days growing up together in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, we’ve had numerous college hoops conversations like the one we typed out below, but now we share our observations.
 

(PMB) I can’t wait to hear Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan get angry and go off on somebody in post-game. Is it me or does Illinois coach Bruce Weber sound like the squeaky voice teen from The Simpsons?

(DK) If the Badgers drop their 7^th straight, I’m setting the odds of a Bo Blow-up at 3-2.  If I break-out into laughter during Weber’s post-game, it will be because of the Paul M. Banks impression of Weber, complete with the dead-on squeaky voice. 

(PMB) Thanks man, I only lampoon those I love. The Badgers’ style of play is the reason people around the country think Big Ten basketball is slow-paced with final scores in the 50s for every game. To their credit, they do use “stallball” to reach the conference tourney finals pretty much every year. 

(DK) Yeah, except this year, they haven't been able to hit open shots which could land them a first round home game in the NIT- apparently both an invitational and tournament…???   

(PMB) What exactly is the difference between an invitational and tournament? 

(DK) No idea…  Jason Bohannon has hit three 3’s already.  YOU’VE GOT TO GET A HAND UP ON BOHANNON!!!  Trent Meacham, not so much… just 4 of 25 in his last six games since knocking down 7 against Indiana.  Although I’m pretty sure I could drop 7 triples on the Hoosiers this year.  Badgers up 10… ruh roh! 

(PMB) Yeah I’ve lost Illinois swagger here. Meacham’s great!....against teams that play no defense. I would make fun of Marcus Landry’s Kareem style goggles, but right now my team has their own issues. 

(DK) You gotta love the rec-specs.  J-Bo just hit his fifth three of the first half, partially because Demetri McCamey is excelling at his typical half-hearted defensive effort (or lack thereof).  If Cames tried as hard on defense as he does at chucking up threes, he could actually be a good player.  

(PMB) Illinois shooting 34% from the field and 11% from three will do that. I’m sure Weber will repeat the most tired of all sports clichés “don’t get too low after the losses, or too high after the wins, keep things even.” You were right about Mike Davis living and dying by the baseline jumper! 

(DK) Don’t doubt my scouting reports.  That’s what happens when I’ve watched 160 college hoops games already this season.  I’ve been disappointed in what Alex Legion has, or actually has not contributed to the Illini this season.  I thought he would be more of an impact scorer, but still seems a little lost on the floor too often. 

(PMB) If Illinois’ defense continues to be this awful, then the media covering Illinois might have to start talking about Michael Jordan’s kid playing at UI again- even though he never plays more than 10 minutes a game. Anybody here with NBA Draft potential?

(DK) I think Leuer has the most pro potential.  He’s 6-10, can shoot from the outside, put the ball on the floor, and has a nice set of moves on the block.  He will need to get stronger- which he definitely already has over his year and a half at Wisconsin.

Illinois has the same problem the Badgers have had as of late.  If they are not hitting outside shots, they really don’t have anyone who can break you down off-the-dribble and attack the hoop.   

(PMB) They lack a real go-to-guy; someone who can carry them, and now teams have figured out how to guard the Illini. 

(DK) Yeah, if McCamey isn’t on fire, the Illini are very beatable.  Mike Tisdale just fouled out and was a complete non-factor tonight.  That doesn’t help Illinois either. 

(PMB) Like you might have heard once or twice or three-thousand times, Tisdale is on a 6,000 calorie a day diet. Sometimes when I look around in a room full of sports writers, I think they share his dining habits. Speaking of unsightly, that’s how I feel about the Illini deficit. Given that the team you cover is dominating tonight, I’ll let you have the last word. 

(DK) Badgers win 63-50, snapping their six game skid.  They got back to Badger basketball, now we will have to see if they can carry it forward  That’s three straight lackluster performances from YOUR boys.  Time to get a little worried…