by Mark Tupper, Herald & Review, Decatur, Ill. , Herald & Review

One year ago, Illinois was being held back by freshmen who played without the physical strength or mental confidence to sustain quality play.

That's not my opinion, it's the opinion of ESPN college basketball analyst Steve Lavin, who Tuesday singled out Mike Tisdale and Mike Davis (now sophomores) as two of the most improved players in the country.

One year ago, Illinois was being held back by the decision making of Chester Frazier, who without the benefit of strong shooters concluded he had to shoulder more of that responsibility himself. Unfortunately, that was the weakest part of his game, and his erratic shooting made it difficult for fans to see the contributions he made as a defender and a courageous warrior who played as hard as anyone in the Big Ten .

That's not my opinion, it's the opinion of Purdue coach Matt Painter, who cited Frazier's influence as a savvy senior ball-handler and as the steadying force that has helped transform team chemistry into a unifying factor that is bringing Illinois together.

Add up the negatives-turned-positive, and you have a 13-1 Illini team whose only loss came against Clemson, which is one of just five unbeaten teams in the current Top 25.

This is in no way a champagne-induced New Year's proclamation that Illinois is a great college basketball team. Despite the improvement, it's still a team with flaws to fix and consistency to discover.

But after sinking to 16-19 last season -- that's more losses than any team in Illini history -- it can officially be said that Illinois is back as a program of note, a factor in the Big Ten and a team no one really wants to tangle with right now.

The differences in chemistry, attitude and performance in one program-changing season are compelling, as Purdue's Keaton Grant alluded to Tuesday night in the haze of his team's overtime defeat.

"I remember last year they were arguing on the court," Grant recalled. "This year, they played more as a team. They seem to be a lot closer this year than last year."

Indeed, Illinois experienced a second-half meltdown in West Lafayette, Ind., last season, a flameout that spilled over to the post-game locker room, where sounds in the hallway indicated shouting and items being kicked or thrown.

The next game, at Ohio State, coach Bruce Weber did not play center Shaun Pruitt, ending his senior's string of 87 consecutive starts.

"It's a team matter," Weber said. "I hope he has a positive attitude."In that loss at Purdue last season, Tisdale scored four points and played seven minutes. Davis was scoreless and played five minutes.

They were frail freshman not yet ready for more meaningful roles.

On Tuesday, Tisdale led Illinois with 18 points and played 30 minutes.

"I played 30 minutes, and it felt like two hours," said Tisdale, who over the past five games has averaged 19 points, six rebounds and 29 minutes.

Davis has blossomed into a completely different player, an electric leaper and surprising jump shooter who starts, is on the floor for nearly 30 minutes a game and who shares the team scoring lead and is Illinois' top rebounder.

Are there still rough times to endure? Sure, they're both acclimating to new roles, but the results have been encouraging.

Finally, Frazier is quite clearly the glue that holds this team together. He played 41 minutes Tuesday against one of the most demanding defenses in the country and handled the ball almost flawlessly.

His decision making is solid, and even when the shot clock is melting away, he now has the patience to find an open shooter rather than take an awkward shot himself. His impact was not lost on Painter.

"I think Chester is very important," Painter said. "He played 41 minutes and only took three shots and you say, 'How can he be that important?' But he had seven rebounds, seven assists and one turnover. The guy cares.

"They have great chemistry. You can see it on film, and Chester is a big part of that."

Frazier, Trent Meacham and Calvin Brock are seniors, and before the season began, Weber said, "It will really help if our seniors can just be consistent."

They have, with Meacham improving as a ball-handler who has discovered he can get to the basket, and with Brock coming off the bench as a mid-sized athlete who can provide an instant boost so long as he plays within himself.

It could have been an unsettling issue when Weber put Demetri McCamey on the bench with seven minutes to go in regulation and didn't put him into the game until halfway through the overtime period.

Had McCamey sulked and pouted, he may not have been ready to help Illinois win the game at the end. But in his brief return, he made four free throws, drew a charge and created a steal. He's to be commended for having the maturity to realize that when his number was called, he needed to be prepared.

It's still a long road in the Big Ten battles that remain, and it won't be easy to win at No. 23 Michigan on Sunday.

But this team is light years more prepared to succeed than last year's team.

The growing pains of last season were felt mostly in pain. This season, we can finally see the growth.

mtupper@herald-review.com|421-7983

To see more of Herald & Review, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.herald-review.com Copyright (c) 2009, Herald & Review, Decatur, Ill. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

Copyright 2009 Herald & Review
	Terms & Conditions     Privacy Copyright © 2009 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.