They don't even know Frank Williams, but they can name three or four players on Duke. That strange phenomenon probably came to an eye-popping end in living rooms around the country late Friday night. This was probably the first extended look many fans gave the nameless Fighting Illini, who promptly took names and kicked butt. Going in, most fans probably had too much respect for Kansas, but at least that heightened the respect for the way Illinois took apart the Jayhawks. It certainly looked as if the Orangemen quit as Kansas pulled away in the second half, perhaps fueling false expectations about what Kansas could do to the orange-trimmed Illini.
Somebody get the number of that truck.
Mentally, Kansas was beaten in the first few minutes. For this team, the season didn't start until the NCAA tournament. What happened Friday night at the Alamodome almost wasn't fair. Much of the night Kansas guards Kirk Hinrich and Jeff Boschee had trouble getting the ball across half-court. Instead it was Williams, who introduced himself to America with his defense alone.