Illinois vs Minnesota at Assembly Hall on Saturday Feb. 27, 2010. Minnesota beat the Illini 62-60.

Sunday's crowd featured a who's who of Illinois recruiting targets, including Indianapolis junior Mike Conley Jr., sophomore E.J. Gordon and swingman Marques Johnson, a junior from Fort Wayne, Ind., and E'Twaun Moore, a sophomore guard from East Chicago, Ind.

"We talked the other night — and maybe I shouldn't have — that we're getting down to four home games, three now, for the seniors and everybody," Weber said. "Maybe you try to do too much."

About 400 shots worth of work before the game. After taping the opening segment of ESPN’s College GameDay early Saturday morning with Bob Knight, er, Digger Phelps, Davis hit the gym after the team meal to hoist a bunch of jumpers.

GRADES

Player of the Game

The Assembly Hall was a super-charged Roman Coliseum for a night, an ear-splitting audience pleading for success against favored Michigan State and charging the court when it ended 78-73.

"I saw Illinois slipping down. I didn't want that. I wanted to come in here and help the program," Richardson said after Illinois beat No. 5 Michigan State 78-73. "All four freshmen, we believed in that. We knew we could get it back."

Special found its way back to the Assembly Hall on Saturday. The Orange Krush rushed the floor and Demetri McCamey leaped on the scorer's table as the final buzzer sounded.

* * *

If it looks like the guys from College GameDay are having fun, that's because they are. ESPN's Saturday morning college hoops showcase made its first visit to Champaign ahead of Illinois' showdown with No. 5 Michigan State, and Rece Davis, Jay Bilas, Hubert Davis and Digger Phelps endeared themselves to the 4,134 fans who got up early to attend.

ILLINOIS 78, No. 5 MICHIGAN ST. 73

We'll give them an A minus.

CHAMPAIGN - That's why the Illinois freshmen signed on a straight line 15 months ago.

To help rebuild Illinois basketball into what it used to be.

With ample contributions from rookies Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson, and another stirring performance from Demetri McCamey, Illinois knocked off No. 5 Michigan State 78-73 before a capacity crowd of 16,618 believers Saturday.