>>John Groce Believes Illini Improving Offensively
Illinois basketball coach John Groce (GROHS) says that as the season's start approaches, his team is showing some signs it will be better on offense.
Groce has said this team should score more than last season's low-scoring team. Illinois averaged just 64.2 points a game. In the Big Ten only Northwestern was worse.
Groce said Thursday the Illini showed some offensive promise in a closed-door scrimmage against Dayton last weekend. He said the shooting was the best his team has managed since his first season at Illinois.
But he said his team's defense was "just OK."
Defense has been Illinois' hallmark under Groce.
Illinois scrimmages Quincy on Friday and opens the season at home against Georgia Southern on Nov. 14.
>>Krzyzewski Expects Top Freshman To Be One-And-Done
(Durham, NC) -- Duke head basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski [[ shuh-SHEV-skee ]] believes top freshman forward Jahil Okafor [[ jah-HEEL OH-kuh-fore ]] will be one-and-done. "Coach K" told reporters "We won't have him long," and that Okafor already projects as one of the top picks in next summer's NBA Draft. CBS Sports picked the 6-foot-10, 265-pound big man as its preseason player of the year. Okafor notched 15 points in the Blue Devils' exhibition game on Tuesday.
