Paul Klee, basketball beat writer for the News Gazette, has written up a bullet-pointy season preview. For starters, let me praise Klee’s usage of tempo-neutral statistics in his evaluation of last year’s team defense. John Gasaway left Big Ten coverage in good hands. The high level of play we’ve gotten from the Illini football team this year; plus the excitement of how skilled, strong, and deep the basketball team is looking will carry me through to Spring Training with no problem. Add in the fact that people in Champaign are watching hockey now that the Blackhawks hoisted the cup last season and this winter looks pretty damned tolerable.
