Nov. 14--Illinois coach John Groce said he huddled his assistants before the season opener, letting them know he thought the Illini were well-prepared but expected them to be in for a fight.
They were hardly ever in it.
For the first time since 1998-99, Illinois lost its season opener 93-81 to North Florida on Friday night at Prairie Capital Convention Center.
The 93 points were the second-most the Illini have given up since Groce became coach, behind only a 95-point effort by then-No. 4 Wisconsin in 2014.
"You can't panic," Groce said. "It's a long season. ... I worried about the habits of some of our young guys."
Said junior guard Malcolm Hill: "We have a lot to get better at."
Mainly defense.
Illinois never led and trailed by 23 to the Ospreys, who tied a team record by making 17 of 33 3-pointers. The Illini hit only 5 of 16.
Mike Thorne Jr. led Illinois with 25 points and 14 rebounds, while Hill added 20 and 10.
Point guard Jaylon Tate left with 4 minutes, 19 seconds left in the first half with a dislocated finger. His status for Sunday's game against North Dakota State was unknown immediately after the game.
Hill would play the point, as he did at times against North Florida, if Tate is out.
Another body on the bench is the last thing the Illini need.
Forward Leron Black, recovering from a preseason knee injury, was considered a possibility to play but remained on the bench because of soreness and swelling. The Illini are also without Tracy Abrams (Achilles, out for season) and Kendrick Nunn (thumb, out until mid-December).
While the loss set Illinois fans on edge early, it's worth noting North Florida isn't a slouch. The Ospreys have four starters back from a team that won 23 games last season, beat Purdue and earned an NCAA tournament berth by winning the Atlantic Sun tournament.
Dallas Moore led North Florida with 26 points, and Beau Beech scored 25.
The Illini are playing their first four home games in Springfield while the State Farm Center renovation wraps up. They play their first game in Champaign on Dec. 2 against Notre Dame.
sryan@tribpub.com
