Illinois Vs. Southern Illinois-edwardsville

ILLINOIS VS. SIU-EDWARDSVILLE 7 p.m., Assembly Hall, Champaign WIRL-AM (1290) ILLINI KEY Get the big men involved rather than gunning it from the perimeter.

ILLINOIS (0-0) F Mike Davis C Mike Tisdale G Alex Legion G D.J. Richardson G Demetri McCamey

PPG RPG Jr. Jr. Jr. Fr. Jr.

SIU-EDWARDSVILLE (0-0) F Denykco Bowles F Mark Yelovich C Dobrivoje Macrak G Stephen Jones G Aamir McCleary

6-9 11.3 7-1 10.2 6-5 3.5 6-3 — 6-3 11.5

8.1 4.0 1.5 — 2.6

PPG RPG Sr. So. Jr. Sr. Sr.

6-4 3.2 6-6 13.7 6-9 — 6-0 2.4 6-1 9.4

2.4 4.7 — 1.8 3.1

COUGARS KEY Play better against the Illini than they did in an exhibition loss to Division III Illinois College.

Scoring, rebounding averages from 2008-09, where available

NOTEWORTHY: Richardson led Illinois by averaging 18.5 points per game in the two exhibitions. He shot 66.7 percent from the floor and 50 percent from the field. McCamey was second in scoring (12.5 ppg) and led Illinois with 14 assists. Tisdale grabbed 14 rebounds in the two games to lead the Illini. ... Freshman guard Joseph Bertrand isn’t expected to play to rest his sore knee. ... SIUE is a transitional Division I program. The Cougars (10-20 a year ago) are in the second year of a four-year reclassification process to Division I status. SIUE had been Division II since its beginning in the 1967-68 season. ... Zeke Schneider, of Metamora, is an SIUE freshman forward. Cougars junior guard Cody Rincker played at Lincoln Land College in Springfield. ... SIUE lost 78-76 in overtime to Division III Illinois College last week. PREDICTION: Illinois 84, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville 54