Illinois dominated the Hoosiers for a majority of Sunday’s game. Mike Tisdale and Mike Davis were lights out shooting the rock, and Chester Frazier (nine points, seven rebounds, seven assists, three steals) filled up the stat sheet.

Somewhat hidden in Illinois’ 13-point victory was the lack of offense by the heroes earlier in the week at Northwestern: Demetri McCamey and Trent Meacham. Both guards combined for five points on 1-for-9 shooting.

Their performances didn’t matter Sunday, but they will matter in March.

All season long, the Illini have fed off one or two standout players on a game-by-game basis.

One game it’s McCamey. The next it’s Davis. Sometimes it’s Tisdale. And whenever Illinois plays a team from Michigan, it’s Calvin Brock. Look it up.

What I’m getting at is simple. Illinois needs its bench down the stretch. To me, that was the biggest aspect of Sunday’s win in Bloomington, Ind.

Bruce Weber’s bench players notched 57 minutes against the Hoosiers, posting 19 points, 10 boards and only one turnover.

Illinois can make some noise in the field of 65, but if they really want to be a bracket-buster, they’ll need everyone playing their roles. That is, unless McCamey or Meacham decide on pulling a Stephen Curry.

Brock embodies power, passion and persistence. He is the Illini’s sixth man this season. Every time he checks into the game, he brings a Dennis Rodman-like energy, as well as invaluable senior leadership, to the floor.

The Illini guard hustles for every loose ball and averages only 0.7 fewer rebounds per game than 7-foot-1 Tisdale. In case you’re wondering, Brock is listed at 6-foot-5.

Jeff Jordan hasn’t received much playing time this season. The Illini are chalk full of guards, so his time will come. But Weber uses Jordan as a defensive stopper. Jordan’s no Frazier but keep an eye on No. 13 to help lock down Illini opponents in postseason play. And hey, he even got himself a couple buckets Sunday.

Dominique Keller, like Brock, brings a swagger with him onto the court. The junior college transfer still needs to polish his defensive skills, but he’s more than capable of scoring in the paint while giving Tisdale or Davis a breather. It’s also apparent from some of his postgame press conferences that Keller knows how to keep the guys loose with laughter.

Last but not least, Alex Legion might single-handedly win a few games for Weber in the tournament. He definitely has the talent. Legion’s main problem is his impatience. The Kentucky transfer feels like he needs to make something happen whenever he touches the ball.

If Legion settles down, his raw shooting talent and athletic ability could mature just in time for some of those Curry-like performances.

Illini fans will learn about their favorite team’s resolve during the final few weeks of the regular season. The Orange and Blue are almost guaranteed an NCAA Tournament berth, so it’s going to be interesting to see how well the entire roster plays down the stretch.

While it’d be nice for a leader to emerge and throw the team on his back, I don’t know if such a player is necessary for this group of guys to succeed.

Ryan Dixon is a senior in Media. He can be reached at [email protected]