Fighting Illini Win, move to 13-0 The Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team recorded their 13th consecutive win to open the season with an 89-64 victory over Southeast Missouri State. Mark Tupper gives the effort a "B" and says the Illini managed to avoid the Christmas hangover.

After watching the game, Illini Wonk had a few thoughts, many of which are similar to Tuper's:

• Does Jamar Smith ever miss? The freshman was 5-5 tonight (4-4 on three-pointers) and is among the best three-point shooters in the nation.
• Warren Carter had the best game Illini Wonk has ever seen him play. He was solid on defense, crashed the boards (including one impressive tip-dunk) and played with a lot more energy than usual. His effort showed up in the stat-sheet: 14 points on 6-11 shooting and 7 rebounds in 18 minutes.
• Dee Brown looked like an All-American at times and other times...not so much. He had some great drives for baskets and some that he forced shots or committed offensive fouls. He had some great outside shots that came from the flow of play and he had some that he forced. It's used so often in sports that it's becomea cliche, but with Brown it's true: when he lets the game come to him, he's great. When he tries to take over, he has trouble.
• The bigs looked good, but still didn't dominate the way they're capable of dominating.
• It's good to have Chester Frazier back on the court. He gave Illinois some nice minutes and didn't show any signs of an injury.

Ultimately, it's tough to draw too many conclusions against such an inferior opponent. Murch more will be revealed once the Illini hit conference play. Photos of the game are available on ESPN.

  posted by Illiniwonk at 11:04 PM