Injured guard Chester Frazier is a long shot to play in Illinois’ NCAA Tournament opener against Western Kentucky.
If the senior defensive workhorse does play on Thursday, it’ll only be a little—which coach Bruce Weber said he’d take against the Hilltoppers and their talented guards.
Western Kentucky (24-8), a 12 seed, relies heavily on its guards. Weber says the Illini could use Frazier’s perimeter defense.
Whether Frazier plays or not, Weber said he’ll lean heavily on his other starting guard, inconsistent sophomore Demetri McCamey, and a bench that was seldom tested this season.
McCamey was the leading Illinois scorer this season with 11.5 points a game. But he disappeared in many games, didn’t play as much defense as Weber would like and spent much of the season in the coach’s dog house.
