Brian Carlwell doesn’t like to talk about the Illini’s first official team practice on Oct. 14. After all, it was a far cry from the shorter workouts the team took part in the three previous weeks.

“We don’t want to speak (of that practice); that was intense, that was really intense,” Carlwell said.

But in the time since then, the freshman center has grown to like the Illini’s running style and has even found a silver lining in head coach Bruce Weber’s intense three-hour practices.

“I think I can get through (practice) because we have fun with it, and we are always competing against each other,” Carlwell said of his teammates. “I think that’s what makes it easier to get through.”

And although Carlwell admits he finds himself wanting to take little breaks at times, he has learned the ways of veteran big men like Brian Randle and Warren Carter, and tells himself to keep going.

During Illinois’ Media Day on Oct. 13, Weber said Carlwell could potentially be one of the best big men in Illini history and different than any big man to wear an Illinois uniform. Viewed as a work in progress and a player who could be a significant contributor for the Illini in two to three years, Weber said Carlwell’s size, ability and instincts could benefit the team this season.

“You knew he was big, you knew he could run, but I think the thing that I’m most pleasantly surprised with is that he is learning very quickly,” Weber said. “He wants to learn. With some guys, you’re not sure that always happens.”

Carlwell said he is the type of person that only needs to be told once what he should do and where he should go on the court and then is able to pick up on those directions quickly.

Weber also says one of the things working in Carlwell’s favor is his humility. Coming out of Proviso East High School, the Maywood, Ill, native averaged 18.8 points, 12.4 rebounds and 5.4 blocks per game during his senior season. Weber also said he has not been around a player who can block shots like Carlwell.

“He’s a kid that maybe wasn’t recruited that highly; he is a little bit humble,” Weber said. “He wants to do well, whereas sometimes the kids are told they’re great and they’re at a different level and then they don’t always listen and then think they know everything.”

While it is uncertain how much of an impact Carlwell can have for the Illini, an even bigger question mark is freshman Richard Semrau. At six-foot-nine-inches, the Grafton, Ohio product is a big body on the court, but Weber said it remains to be seen if he can guard players, especially those from the Big Ten. In high school, his size worked in his favor, but now that he is competing against players comparable in height, he is at a disadvantage on the defensive side.

“All of a sudden you have to go out and close out on somebody, like a Brian Randle and contain him,” Weber said. “You have to play post defense and try to deny the post, and he’s just never done that. He has no habits to doing those things and it’s going to take a while, and we just have to continually try to help him.”

Semrau is also quick to admit that his defense is lacking. At this point in the season, Semrau said he has mixed feelings about his development on the court so far.

“Sometimes I have my good days and sometimes I have my bad days,” he said. “I’m just trying to get my confidence up and try to reassure myself.”

Semrau has started to reassure himself through shooting and has even started making a habit of shooting after practice ends.

And while things haven’t been going his way on defense, he said his biggest strides have come on offense.

“I’ve improved the most in picking and popping and shooting the ball,” said Semrau, who is likely to redshirt this season. “I’m trying to get more confidence in my shot so I can just roll off and hit it.”