Summer hoops comings and goings

Posted In: Herald & Review Mark Tupper Illini
Date: Monday, July 12, 2010

Back from vacation, just as the Illini basketball coaches are on the road recruiting through Thursday. Then they come in for an NCAA-mandated five-day break before returning to the road through the end of the month.
It’s been a busy summer for the Illini basketball team with players scattered here and there.
Demetri McCamey participated in Deron Williams’ point guard camp and he was involved in Lebron James’ skills academy, which was really good, because he got to play in games against some of those guys. Demetri is back on campus now.
Mike Tisdale leaves July 18th to play with the U.S. Select team. That begins on the 19th in Las Vegas and they’ll provide the practice competition for the U.S. National team. That should be something. Tisdale, who was up to 252 pounds last week, has had no one substantial to bang against in practice, especially with Meyers Leonard just now cleared to play in pickup games following his foot setback.
But Tizzy against Dwight Howard? That’s some serious banging. I’d suggest Tizzy might roll out to 18 feet and cut loose with his jumper. No matter what happens, that’s going to be a valuable eye-opener for Tisdale.
Crandall Head and Jereme Richmond are also on campus and while Head is playing in the pickup games, trainer Al Martindale is keeping a close eye on him and pulling him after a couple of games. They don’t want him overdoing it with his knee and he’s got plenty of time to knock the rust off before things heat up in the fall.
Summer classes end Aug. 7 and fall classes begin Aug. 23.
There has been a steady flow of past players showing up throughout the summer with Chester Frazier, Jamar Smith, Trent Meacham, Brian Randle, Dee Brown, C.J. Jackson and Roger Powell among those who have checked in.
Some former Illini are playing in NBA Summer League action. Dee Brown is on the Toronto roster, James Augustine with Atlanta and Shaun Pruitt with the Phoenix Suns. Those teams are playing in the Las Vegas Summer League. Augie is also listed on the Utah Jazz roster in the Orlando Summer League.
Jamar Smith is on the Minnesota Timberwolves Summer League roster and I hope the Bulls are giving him a look. I mean for a team that needs outside shooting, it costs nothing to take a peek at an athletic kid who can drill from 3-point range.
Meacham, who was in Austria last year, is hoping to land another pro assignment overseas. Ditto for Randle, who had a very nice season in Israel. And C.J. Jackson is hoping to get a chance to play overseas as well.
This is a critical year. Expectations will be high, and they should be. It will be great once practice begins because there is going to be some serioius competition for playing time and a spot in the rotation.
Time to get back in the national spotlight. Time to get back there for good.

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