Illini basketball has seen better days.

With five players now battling injury and illness and Rich McBride still trying to regroup after missing four games while suspended, head coach Bruce Weber says the Illini (7-2) are a far cry from the team he expected to see by this point in the season.

“People always talk about close games. Sometimes you get the calls in your favor, the ball bounces your way,” Weber said Tuesday. “Overtime, though, sometimes it doesn’t happen.”

The Illini hope to bounce back tonight against Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis. But with each successive injury, Weber knows what would have looked to be an easy victory earlier in the season is quickly turning into another tough challenge.

Illinois players who have been out the longest are forward Brian Randle and guard Jamar Smith, both of whom have missed most of the regular season. Randle is still recovering from a groin injury that required surgery late last month, and Smith is nursing a high ankle sprain that didn’t heal as quickly as he hoped.

Then there’s point guard Chester Frazier, who would be benched – or at least seeing limited minutes – if Illinois’ backcourt wasn’t already spread so thin. Frazier has a minor ankle sprain that, while not as bad as Smith’s, continues to cause pain and limit what he can do on the court.

“We just need to get Chester through this week, then we can rest him a few days,” Weber said. “He’s showing some toughness. He loves to compete, so he’s playing with a lot of pain.”

Next is Shaun Pruitt. The starting forward injured his left hand – his shooting hand – against Arizona, and while tests Monday showed that it isn’t broken, Pruitt sustained what Weber called a “chipped bone.” He is expected to play today but will likely be inhibited by the injury.

To top it all off, freshman Rich Semrau was hospitalized Tuesday to undergo more tests. He suffered a contusion when he was hit in the back last week and is now suffering from flu-like symptoms.

“It just seems like it’s non-ending,” Weber said. “That’s it for right now, but stay tuned for today’s practice.”

Illinois’ schedule slows down this week, with only three games during the next ten days. The Illini hope the break in competition will give them a chance to rest and recuperate, and prepare for the remaining games before heading into the Big Ten schedule.

“It was tough going from game to game. Having a little break in between, getting to learn more about the teams is certainly helpful,” forward Warren Carter said. “I’m disappointed we didn’t win those games (against Maryland and Arizona). But if you feel pressure it’s going to lead to nervousness, and then you don’t play as well. So we just need to get out there and get it going again.”