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Illini's Lou Henson on committee for new tourney

Posted by: Paul Klee

Monday, January 26, 2009 3:57 PM

The inaugural CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament is scheduled to start this season, with 16 teams that don't qualify for the NCAA tournament or the NIT.

Not sure how the NCAA feels about this development, though I do know the NCAA was none-too-pleased with the creation of the CBI. At one point, it appeared the CBI was an option last season for Illinois - read about that here and here - but I don't think it would have happened, if Ron Guenther had anything to say about it, and of course he does.

Anyway, there's an Illini connection with the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. Lou Henson is one of nine former coaches on the selection committee. So are Gene Keady and Nolan Richardson.

- Our Top 25 ballot today. The teams ranked from Nos. 11-25 (roughly) are getting tougher and tougher to distinguish. After a week of watching games and such, I usually spend an hour to 90 minutes on ballot-making, sometimes longer, but rarely less than that. Today's ballot was much longer, as I debated with UCLA or Utah State at No. 25 (went with UCLA, because the Pac-10 is better than it's given credit for), and whether to drop Michigan State below Illinois (I think Illinois is the better team right now, but Michigan State beat Illinois, and head-to-head is a determining factor in positioning teams). There were some other poll battles in my head, but you're probably not that interested in what's going on in my head.

- Updates on UI recruits Tyler Griffey, D.J. Richardson, Brandon Paul coming in Tuesday's Insider on HQ.

pklee@news-gazette.com