Jim Benson covers Illinois State for the Bloomington-Normal Pantagraph, which means he has a heated rivalry with Dave Reynolds of the Peoria Journal-Star. One is Donewald and one is Versace, although I’m not sure who is who.
Q: You said Champ Oguchi would make a big impact quickly and you were correct. How did he adapt so quickly to a new team?
A: ISU’s players saw what Oguchi could do last season in practice. They knew what an impact he would make this season. The big question coming into the season was how he and Eldridge would co-exist together. Would they need more than one basketball to satisfy both? That hasn’t proven to be a problem at all. When one is hot, they get the other the ball and vice versa. Eldridge is in a bit of slump right now, but Oguchi is more than willing to carry the load. Oguchi has played in many hostile enviroments during his three years at Oregon and seems to like silencing an opposing crowd.
Q: Is Illinois State a little more vulnerable on the road, or did injuries and illness play a big role in their losses?
A: Early in the season, ISU played well on the road and didn’t seem fazed by it at all. But in mid-December, they squeaked out a win at Central Michigan against a mediocre team and have looked shaky at times since. Oguchi’s bad back at Bradley and Eldridge’s flu at Indiana State didn’t help in their two losses, but they have gotten rattled at critical junctures in those games which shouldn’t really happen to a veteran team. It will be interesting if that happens at Wichita State with everyone in good health. If it does, that doesn’t bode well for future road games at UNI, Evansville, Southern Illinois and Creighton.
Q: How would you put together a non-conference schedule for the Redbirds next season?
A: This is a touchy subject with Tim Jankovich. He refuses to play anyone unless they come to Redbird Arena, so there goes most (if not all) of the BCS schools. What ISU needs to do is get into a really good exempt tournament like Wichita State did in Orlando. You get marquee teams on a neutral court. Also, ISU should find some decent mid-major schools such as Creighton is doing against St. Joseph’s and Dayton and get a home-and-home there. Many ISU fans were a little peeved about this season’s non-conference schedule and lack of playing a decent name. That probably will change next season.
Q: As we near the halfway point, pick your Valley champion and player of the year.
A: With all the quality road wins that UNI has, you have to pick the Panthers to win the league. Ben Jacobson has done a great job blending in some newcomers with his veterans. The Valley Player of the Year is up for grabs. No one has separated themselves from the pack. If I had to pick one today, I would select Oguchi. That’s not being a homer, either. Once you see him, you’ll know why he was playing in the Pac-10. He’s playing out of position at the 4, but averages 6.1 rebounds. Eldridge can still sneak in there, but he’s going to have to ramp up his offense. Wichita State fans might not want to hear this, but he’s due for a big game.