For 10-0 Illinois, there’s still much to prove

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Illinois’ Tracy Abrams is one of four freshmen returning home to play at the United Center. Abrams attended Mount Carmel. | John Dixon~AP

Updated: January 18, 2012 8:11AM

With apologies to its game against Missouri on Thursday in St. Louis, No. 19 Illinois makes its annual visit to the United Center on Saturday in a show-me state.

The Illini (10-0) are showing determination and harnessing their talent, but Bruce Weber knows the key is to keep building on that promising foundation. He knows that’s the way Illini Nation will be feeling when it gathers Saturday to see Illinois take on UNLV.

“All of a sudden, people are like, ‘What’s going on here?’ ” Weber said. “But we still have a long way to go.”

Illinois, which has lost four of its last five on West Madison since its 18-game winning streak ended, can take another step today. The last loss, a head-scratcher to UIC, didn’t sit well with the fans or the team.

“We’ve talked about it,” Weber said. “If you are a different team, go show it at the United Center. I’m not harping on it.”

Shockingly, none of the current Illini, who lost to Gonzaga on the West Side two years ago, have won at the UC.

“The juniors brought it up to me,” Weber said. “We’re undefeated in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, but we haven’t won in the United Center.”

A decent turnout is expected, but plenty of tickets remain for a game that’s a homecoming for starters Sam Maniscalco and Brandon Paul, sophomore reserve Crandall Head and four freshmen.

“It’s going to be crazy,” said freshman Tracy Abrams, from Mount Carmel. “I’ve been getting calls left and right all week. We’re going to have a lot of people there.”

Like Weber, the players want to show that they’re going to build on their best start since 2005-06.

“We’ve shocked a lot of people,” Abrams said. “People thought we were very young and inexperienced, but we just go out there and play hard and play together. I think we’ll accomplish a lot.”

With six Big Ten teams ranked in the Top 25 and the league topping the national RPI chart, the Illini also know that past performance is no guarantee of continued success in conference play.

“The league really has been a big surprise nationwide,” Weber said. “It’s going to be a heck of a league race. It’s positive for the league, but it also means it’s a big challenge coming up. That’s why we have to continue to make progress.”

UNLV, which shocked then-
No. 1 North Carolina 90-80 on
Nov. 26, remains true to its Runnin’ Rebels nickname under first-year coach Dave Rice, hired when Lon Kruger left for Oklahoma.

“They really like to push the ball,” Maniscalco said. “They’re very explosive; we have to guard them. When it’s going in, they’re awfully good.”

In other words, another good measuring stick for Illinois.