Cory Joseph hit a jumper with 24 seconds to play to put Texas up by two, but Illinois quickly responded with a game-tying drive from freshman Jereme Richmond. The Longhorns regrouped heading into overtime and burst out of the gates in the extra five minutes. Texas surged ahead by scoring the first eight points of overtime and withstood a late barrage of threes from Bill Cole to hang on to a 90-84 win.

What looked good

The first half was an offensive showcase for both teams. Illinois and Texas combined to shoot 53% from the field while lighting up the scoreboard with 90 points. Despite the up-and-down tempo, Texas controlled the basketball. In the first half, the Longhorns coughed it up just four times, and finished with just 10 turnovers in 45 minutes of basketball.

More importantly, Texas dominated the fast break scoring in a game with very few offensive miscues. While Illinois only had 12 turnovers of their own, Texas scored 17 points off of then. The Illini, meanwhile, managed just seven points off of the Texas miscues.

The breakout star of the game was freshman Tristan Thompson. In each of his first two games, the Canadian product played 25 minutes. Against the Illini, he led all Longhorns with 40 minutes on the court. He contributed in every way possible, and didn’t show any signs of fatigue down the stretch. He was lights out from the floor, shooting 8-of-11 on the night. He showed off a beautiful turnaround jumpshot for the national TV audience, and emerged as a shot-blocking machine. Thompson had five swats in the game, many coming as he provided help D on a teammate’s blown assignment.

A huge concern for this Longhorn team is the lack of frontcourt depth, but Alexis Wangmene played well in his brief relief of Thompson. Typically, the bench forward position has been split between Wangmene and Matt Hill, but with Thompson playing 15 more minutes than usual, Matt’s role was rather limited.

Wangmene finished the night with six points, essentially doubling his career average. He knocked down both his free throws — quite a noteworthy accomplishment for any Longhorn — and added a putback and a silky J from the elbow. Wangmene still had some defensive lapses, including one play where he closed out on an already-guarded three-point attempt, leaving his man all alone for an easy rebound and putback. But if Thompson is playing as well as he did last night and can stay out of foul trouble, this kind of simple, quality performance is all Texas will need from the Wangmene/Hill combo.

What needed work

As always, the most glaring deficiency for the Longhorn team could be found at the charity stripe. Texas finished with a 56.8% free-throw percentage in the game, but that number dipped as low as 45% midway through the second half. The one glimmer of hope in the midst of the perpetual free-throw nightmare was how Texas performed at the line in crunch time. As they struggled through that seven-minute field-goal drought, the Horns knocked down 8-of-10 free throws to stay in the game.

A huge cause of those lengthy field-goal blues was the terrible trend of the Texas offensive possessions turning into simply isolate-dribble-shoot. Jordan Hamilton was a repeat offender, often driving the lane before forcing up bad shots against two and three defenders. The Texas guards were also guilty of this on numerous ocassions, so the team will have to work on kicking it out for midrange Js, three-pointers, or simply to reset the offense.

Another cause of the second-half futility came from the lack of Texas depth. With Coach Rick Barnes trying to steal some rest for his starting five — who combined to play more than 78% of the team’s total minutes — the lineup combinations in the second half made it tough to score.

There was actually a brief stretch where Dogus Balbay, Jai Lucas, and Wangmene were all on the court at the same time. With Lucas’ short stature and Balbay’s allergy to any shot besides a layup, that group was essentially buying rest for the starters while trying their hardest to maintain the Longhorn lead.

Without a doubt, the lack of depth is going to lead to a few losses this season. Whether it’s a result of foul trouble or just a tired starting five, the Texas bench will have to play extended minutes at some point this year, and there’s simply not enough offensive skill waiting on the pine for that to work.

Defensively, both teams had issues last night. Illinois was working hard all night freeing up Demetri McCamey and D.J. Richardson, running the Texas guards through screen after screen off of the ball. Unfortunately, the Horns had problems with switching on those screens, and they gave up a lot of open looks as the Illini guards zipped past Texas bigs on the perimeter. Fortunately, Texas made adjustments down the stretch and guys stuck with their man.

Looking ahead

With the win, the Longhorns now advance to the championship game of the 2KSports Classic benefitting Coaches vs. Cancer. For the second time in as many years, the Horns will tangle with the Pitt Panthers in their November tournament championship.

Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 local time here on the east coast, but that is of course subject to the length of the preceding consolation game between Maryland and Illinois. A pregame look at the Panthers is headed your way in the next few hours.

After last season’s monumental meltdown, Texas fans were treated to a new-look Longhorn squad last week as they opened the year with a pair of easy victories in the 2KSports Classic. The Texas offense moved more freely, Jordan Hamilton seemed to be a completely different player, and the defense suffocated its first two opponents to the tune of a 34.3% effective field goal percentage.

Skepticism could still be found in all corners of the Burnt Orange Nation, and with good reason. After all, last year’s team looked unstoppable as it marched to a 17-0 start. But this week’s hot internet topic is the fabulous breakdown of the Texas coaching clinic by Scipio Tex of Barking Carnival, and it has some fans drinking the Kool-Aid once more.

In Scipio’s breakdown, we learned of Rick Barnes’ off-season dedication to overcoming his coaching shortcomings, namely by developing a coherent offensive attack. When pieced together with what we saw on the court last week, it all makes sense. What Barnes and Co. claim to have worked on has already translated to game-time action. But, fans are also well-aware of the glaring deficiencies this team has, and are also well aware of the fact that neither Navy nor Louisiana Tech could exploit those weaknesses.

Tonight, Texas will finally be pushed by a quality opponent in the Illinois Fighting Illini. Not only is Bruce Weber’s team much more talented than the aforementioned 2KSports whipping boys, but they are also the first challenge for a thin, undersized Texas frontcourt. The Longhorns certainly have the athletes to hang with the Illini — Vegas currently has the Horns as 3.5-point underdogs — but will they have the grit to pull off a tough upset?

By the numbers

While Illinois’ average tempo of 69.4 possessions per game is just 82nd in the country, there’s no doubt that they have the most success when pressuring opponents into mistakes. The Fighting Illini are forcing just over 18 turnovers per game, which equates to more than 21% of their opponents’ possessions.

Offensively, the Illini have been tough to stop. Their 59.7% effective field-goal percentage (a statistic giving added weight to 3-point buckets) ranks 25th nationally, while their eye-popping 63.2% success rate inside the arc puts them 13th in the country.

Statistically, the two offensive weaknesses for Illinois are found inside. They fail to attack the rim enough to earn many free throw attempts, getting to the line just 26.7% of the time they shoot the ball. When Illinois misses shots, they also are failing to grab a significant number of offensive boards. With just 29.8% of their offensive rebounding opportunities being capitalized upon, the Fighting Illini rank 214th nationally. Against a much-smaller Texas team, look for those numbers to improve tonight.

Meet the Illini

The Illinois team lives and dies with senior point guard Demetri McCamey. At 6’3″, 200 lbs., he’s a strong, stocky guard with prescient court vision. In a game against Purdue last season, McCamey dished out 16 assists, and this year is averaging eight per game through the first three contests. He’s quick enough to get to the rim, strong enough to finish there, and even has enough self-control to log a few assists each night after he’s already left his feet with the basketball. While Demetri is certainly one of the best point guards in the country this season, he’s also a quality scorer that leads his team with 14.7 points per contest.

Joining McCamey in the backcourt is sharpshooter D.J. Richardson. The 6’3″ guard was a teammate of Avery Bradley and Cory Joseph at Findlay Prep, and as both Longhorns are well-aware, he needs only inches of space to get off a quick three-pointer. After a season in which he was named the Big 10′s Freshman of the Year, Richardson has started off on the right foot, knocking down 46% of his long-range attempts in the first three games this year. When D.J. isn’t dropping long-range bombs, he can also be counted on to lock down the perimeter, where he is arguably the team’s best defender.

At forward, senior Mike Davis is making a big impact this season. He’s been a rebounding machine, snagging nearly a fifth of the team’s boards so far. Davis bulked up in the offseason in the hopes of being more physical in the tough Big 10 Conference, which could make him a difficult matchup for the Longhorns. Freshman Tristan Thompson and the platoon of Matt Hill and Alexis Wangmene will have to contend with this bruising style of play and keep Davis off the glass.

A constant double-double threat, Davis is averaging more than 12 points per game. But while he’s a great rebounder and a quality post defender, his favorite way to score is with the midrange jumper. Thompson and Gary Johnson are serviceable defenders away from the rim, but Hill and Wangmene often have difficulty when their defensive assignments pull them away from the paint. It will be interesting to see how the Texas frontcourt handles Davis on the defensive end.

The other Illini starting forward is Bill Cole, a scrappy player who earns praise from the coaches for his hustle. He’s not going to fill up the stat sheet — Cole is averaging just 3.7 points and 3.3 boards per game — but he’ll often be found diving to the floor for loose balls or setting screens to open up the Illinois scorers.

In the middle, Coach Weber relies on 7-foot, 1-inch Mike Tisdale. He can score at will, but was often criticized last season for incredibly weak defense. This year, he’s still not going to win any All-Conference honors for his work on D, but his length has an undeniable effect down low. Tisdale’s averaging 9.3 points and a team-leading 7.7 boards per game, while blocking more than two shots per game. Like Davis, Tisdale can knock it down in the midrange, and will again cause matchup issues for the Horns.

If having the 7’1″ Tisdale wasn’t enough for Weber and the Illini, freshman Meyers Leonard also checks in at 7-feet. He’s still a raw talent, but all high school scouts have been drooling over just how much raw talent he posseses. Leonard is only playing about 17 minutes a game off the bench, yet still averages four rebounds and more than five points per contest. For a Texas team that will likely struggle in the paint tonight, having a second giant on the bench is just one more edge for Illinois.

The Illini essentially run nine deep, with Brandon Paul being the busiest reserve. He’s playing more than 19 minutes a game, and is still the team’s third-leading scorer despite coming off the bench. He’s undoubtedly an explosive scorer that can change the fabric of any game, but his questionable decision-making is the thing holding him back. So far this season, the sophomore seems to be making better choices with the basketball. Texas has to hope, however, that they can pressure him into a few mistakes.

Also coming off the bench is freshman Jereme Richardson, who is making a quick impact. He’s the most-heralded recruit to arrive at Champaign-Urbana in years, and it’s likely just a matter of time until he usurps Cole for the starting role. He has incredible handles for a 6’7″ kid, leading to the inevitable “point-forward” label. His length enables him to grab a lot of rebounds when he’s not in the ideal position, and he should log his fair share of boards against Texas.

The final contributor for the Illini is forward Tyler Griffey, a sophomore in the mold of Cole. There’s only so many minutes on a team for the scrappy, “glue guy,” so for now Griffey’s impact is limited by Cole’s presence. In future seasons, he’ll likely slide right into that role. For now, though, he’s good for a few points a night.

Keys to the game

It’s a recurring theme throughout this game, and it will be a recurring theme throughout the season. This Texas Longhorn team is simply smaller in the frontcourt, and lack any real depth at those positions. Against Illinois, Texas must hold its own in the paint. They can’t let Illinois dominate the rebounding battle, and they cannot afford to give up a ton of easy points inside. If the Longhorns can somehow turn this into a battle of the backcourts, their odds for upset are much better.

Although the Illini are more experienced, they can often be careless with the basketball. They are averaging nearly 15 turnovers per game, coughing it up on roughly 20% of their possessions. If Texas can force Illinois mistakes, it will fuel the transition game and lead to easy buckets. The Longhorns scored 41 points off of turnovers in their first two games; if they can continue that trend, it will certainly make this game interesting.

Finally, Texas must stay out of foul trouble. Illinois is already deeper than Texas, and the Longhorns are thinnest in the frontcourt. Thompson, Gary Johnson, and Hamilton cannot be sitting on the bench for extended periods of time with foul trouble if the Longhorns are to have any hopes of winning this game.

A final DVR note

Since tonight’s game is the second of the semifinals, there is almost no chance that tipoff is actually happening at 8 P.M. central. We’ve put our best guess in the header bar at the top of this preview, but make sure to leave a lot of extra recording time as you set your DVR, VHS, or Betamax.

Texas opens the season with the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament, which culminates in a pair of games at Madison Square Garden against two of the tournament’s other three regional hosts — Illinois, Maryland, and Pittsburgh. The Terrapins and Panthers were both NCAA tournament teams in 2010, and both advanced out of the first round. While the Illini did not make it into the Big Dance, hopes are high for their 2010-11 campaign, and ESPN’s Andy Katz even ranked them 15th in his first preseason poll.

The Longhorns also face a trio of perennial powers in this season’s non-conference slate. Texas first travels to Greensboro, North Carolina to tangle with the Tar Heels on December 18th. As we reported on Twitter last week, the two schools were in talks to move this year’s game to the Bahamas. With this year’s contest staying Stateside, it fulfills North Carolina’s “semi-home” game in the current contract and now leaves the two schools free to revisit the Nassau option in future seasons.

While the Tar Heels were sent reeling following their loss to the Longhorns last December, they seemed to put the pieces together in the post-season and surged to the NIT finals, where they lost to Dayton. With another year under the belts of the young and talented Carolina team — plus the addition of freshman stud Harrison Barnes — the Tar Heels are set for a solid 2010-11 campaign.

Just four days later, Texas heads to East Lansing for an on-campus match-up with Michigan State. The Spartans are coming off their second-straight Final Four, and return all of their key players outside of Raymar Morgan. Although the Longhorns escaped with a victory against MSU in Austin last December, they have historically had trouble with Tom Izzo‘s teams. A true road game against a preseason-Top 5 squad will certainly be a challenge for the Horns.

In early January, Texas hosts Connecticut at the Frank Erwin Center. Like the Tar Heels, the Huskies had an abnormally mediocre season last year. Unlike North Carolina, however, Connecticut managed to knock off the Horns in the midst of their struggles. The Huskies are bringing in a pair of 4-star guards and return Kemba Walker, so expect coach Jim Calhoun to have his team ready for another exciting match-up.

The Longhorns will also face two more major conference opponents in Southern Cal and Arkansas. Texas knocked off both of those teams in 2009-10, and are looking for another clean sweep this year. The Trojans are still embroiled in NCAA drama, as their school’s lawyers are fighting sanctions that were handed down earlier this month. Coach Kevin O’Neill certainly has his hands full rebuilding the program, but his squad matured nicely at the end of last season.

The Razorbacks, meanwhile, will be without star guard Courtney Fortson, who declared for the NBA draft and signed with an agent in April. Arkansas fans are lamenting the decision, as Fortson went unselected in Thursday night’s draft. They can take solace in the fact that sharpshooter Rotnei Clarke will still be on the court for Coach John Pelphrey, though.

In addition to the major names, the Longhorns filled the remainder of their non-conference slate with a slew of mid-major opponents. Navy and Louisiana Tech are Texas’ opening round opponents in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, while in-state foes Lamar, Rice, and Sam Houston State are all making trips to the Frank Erwin Center. North Florida and Coppin State round out the non-conference sked for the Horns with match-ups in December.

Texas’ opening round opponents will be announced later, along with the dates for those two match-ups. Fans can likely plan on the opening round games being played at the Erwin Center on November 8th, 9th, or 10th. Maryland, Illinois, and Pittsburgh are the other three regional hosts that will join Texas for the final two rounds in New York City.

The Longhorns took part in the 2006 edition of the tournament, defeating Alcorn State and Chicago State in opening round match-ups. In the semifinals, Texas lost on a last-second bucket against Michigan State, but defeated St. John’s in the consolation game a night later.

Bruce Weber is fired up about his team’s defense
(Photo credit: Robert K. O’Daniell/Associated Press)

#2 Duke Blue Devils 73, NC State Wolfpack 56 – After twenty minutes, the second-ranked team in the nation trailed State by four, thanks to a paltry 29% shooting clip in the first half. But Coach K’s team shot a ridiculous 20-of-29 in the second half, while holding the visitors to just one field goal in the final eight minutes of play. Gerald Henderson led the way for the Dukies, posting 21 with seven rebounds.

#24 Illinois Fighting Illini 67, Ohio State Buckeyes 49 – Bruce Weber’s defense continued its stifling play, forcing the Buckeyes into 20 turnovers on the night, a season high for the visiting club. Dominique Keller provided a spark off the bench for Illinois, dropping in 12 points to go with his six boards in only twenty minutes of play. The win keeps the Illini tied for second in the Big 10, with a huge home game against Wisconsin looming on Saturday afternoon.

Texas Tech Red Raiders 63, Colorado Buffaloes 55 – With sharpshooting senior Alan Voskuil suffering from the flu and limited to only three points, Mike Singletary was asked to carry the load for Tech on Tuesday night. The big man bruised his way to 20 points and nine rebounds in only 22 minutes off the bench, propelling the Red Raiders to their first conference victory of the season.

Top 25 Action

Ohio State (13-3 overall, 3-2 Big 10) at #25 Illinois (15-3, 3-2) | 7 PM ET, ESPN
Bruce Weber and the Illini have bounced back from an awful 2007-08 season much faster than anyone might have expected, but a tough stretch to open conference play has left them in the middle of the standings. Ohio State finds itself in the middle of that same pack, but enters tonight’s game in Champaign as winners of five straight against Illinois. The Buckeyes will have their work cut out for them, however, as they are ranked 250th in the country in offensive rebounding and are facing the nation’s 10th-ranked defense.

North Carolina State (10-5 overall, 1-2 ACC) at #2 Duke (16-1, 3-0) | 8 ET, ESPN Full Court
Duke has been playing absolutely lights out as of late, most recently shutting down Georgetown on Saturday afternoon at Cameron Indoor. They are sporting an NCAA-best +0.345 efficiency differential, just ahead of their Tobacco Road rival, North Carolina. In simpler terms, the Blue Devils outscore their opponents by 0.345 points per possession, which means that even if the Wolfpack can slow things down to their tempo, they will only lose by……approximately 22 points. Uh oh.

Big 12 Games

Colorado (8-8 overall, 0-2 Big 12) at Texas Tech (10-7, 0-2) | 8 PM ET, ESPN Full Court
It’s a game matching two teams that have the potential to be the absolute worst squads in the Big 12! If that doesn’t scream “must watch,” I’m not sure what else does. Perhaps a marathon of the Ryan Seacrest-produced reality show, Momma’s Boys?

Around the country

Tennessee (11-5 overall, 2-1 SEC) at Vanderbilt (12-5, 1-2) | 9 PM ET, ESPN
Last year, these two teams put on one of the most exciting games of the season, as the Commodores eked out a three-point win over their cross-state rivals, who had just reached No. 1 for the first time in school history. This year, there’s not nearly as much on the line, but excitement is still on tap. Just ask stat guru Ken Pomeroy, who hopes his new FanMatch feature can pinpoint the most intriguing match-ups of the night. And according to Mr. Pomeroy’s brand-spanking-new ranking system, this particular Battle of Tennessee has a 71.7% chance of kicking major ass. Guaranteed.