Demetri McCamey started his campaign for the Big Ten all-freshman team a little late in the season and couldn’t make up enough ground, failing to make the list of the conference’s five best newcomers.But the Illinois guard had has two best offensive games late in the season against opponents with two of the best freshmen in the conference.McCamey scored 31 points on Feb. 7 against Indiana and Eric Gordon. And he had 26 points Friday night in the Big Ten Tournament against Purdue, which featured E’Twaun Moore, Robbie Hummel and Scott Martin, and was huge down the stretch when the Illini needed someone to get them over the hump in another close game.
In both games he outscored the more highly touted freshman, and now coach Bruce Weber wants to see it more consistently. In fact, Weber said he challenged some players to prove in the tournament that they were deserving of honors from the Big Ten.
“I brought it up all along, and something I tried to sell was that if you win, you get honors,’’ Weber said. “I said if you think you should have been (honored), here’s your chance to show some people maybe you were good enough. You have one more opportunity. Maybe he took advantage. And now he has to come back if it’s going to mean something.’’
The Big Ten all-freshman team included Gordon, Moore, Michigan’s Manny Harris, Purdue’s Robbie Hummel and Ohio State’s Kosta Koufos.
Considering the company, McCamey wasn’t exactly slighted because his emergence came late. But he said he didn’t find any extra motivation in not making the team.
“It doesn’t have anything to do with the freshman class and comparing us,’’ he said. “It’s about trying to win a game. I’m trying to get us back on the map, and it doesn’t matter if I’m first team, third team or not even mentioned.’’
Several Illinois freshmen played huge roles against Purdue. They scored 40 of the team’s 67 points. Mike Davis made a bid for more playing time by telling Weber before the game that the Illini were 8-2 in games that he played more than 15 minutes.
Weber gave him 17 minutes against the Boilermakers, and Davis responded with 10 points on five-of-seven shooting, including a pair of baskets in the overtime. Jeff Jordan played a career-high 15 minutes and scored four points, helping in place of Trent Meacham.
Davis saw some additional time because Brian Randle ran into foul trouble in the first half and fouled out in the overtime.
“Brian got in foul trouble and he told me to go in and play with confidence,’’ Davis said.
Illinois has had to rely on freshmen since the decision was made not to redshirt any, including Mike Tisdale and Bill Cole. The mix of veterans has largely been unproductive. But on this night, the freshmen did more than their share.