By Jeff LaBelle

Staff Writer

The Illinois men’s basketball team isn’t overlooking Friday’s nonconference game against Hawaii – the team’s first opponent in a nine-day, four-game tour of the Hawaii islands – even with the Maui Invitational on the horizon.

The Maui Invite, sponsored by EA Sports, is a nationally televised event that will feature perennially strong teams such as Duke, LSU, Marquette and Oklahoma State, as well as Illinois and its first-round opponent, Arizona State. But even with the Maui event staring them down, the Illini are focusing their attention on their first away test.

“We have to take it one game at a time,” freshman center Mike Tisdale said. “Obviously, we’re facing Hawaii first, so that’s the most important thing to us right now – win the first road game and then worry about the rest later. Coach (Bruce Weber) is more focused on Hawaii, beating them first and then focusing on the tournament.”

Guard Chester Frazier echoed Tisdale’s sentiments.

“We can’t look up to Maui until we play Hawaii first,” he said.

But on Tuesday, it wasn’t the team’s focus on Hawaii or the field of teams in the Maui Invitational that truly garnered the most attention. It was the Illini’s expected nine-hour flight to their playing destination, a straight shot from O’Hare to Hawaii, that caused the most stir among players. Many were well aware of its perils.

Frazier, in anticipation of the Hawaiian weather, said he would try to stay hydrated as best he could on the long flight.

“I know I’m going to drink a bunch of water on the plane,” said Frazier, adding he remembered the Michigan State game last year in which much of the Illinois roster suffered from muscle cramps.

“We don’t need anybody cramping. We got a bunch of guys, obviously, but we still don’t need anybody cramping. I always have trouble with it because sometimes I don’t drink enough water,” he added.

Mike Davis, a freshman forward, doubted he would ever see the beach because of team practices Thursday and Friday.

But on Tuesday, Davis, a 6-foot-9 forward who played two minutes in the team’s first regular season game Sunday, said he had a strategy prepared to maximize his comfort on the flight.

“I’m going to try to get an exit row seat, stick my legs out, get comfortable,” Davis said.

But what if it comes down to a battle between Davis and 7-foot-1 center Mike Tisdale for that seat?

“It’s a long flight. I might have to fight (Tisdale) for it. Hit him. Beat him to the seat,” he said.

Illinois departed Champaign on Tuesday night by bus for Chicago, and their flight was scheduled to leave O’Hare on Wednesday morning.

The Maui Invitational will be held Nov. 19-21 and the Illini’s first game will be against Arizona State at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2 on Monday.

Although Friday’s game against Hawaii will technically be the team’s first away game this year, the Illini’s four-game swing through Canada in late September added to their experience on the road.

“Those were definitely away games since we had to deal with the crowd – so this isn’t really our first away game,” Tisdale said.

“We didn’t have a lot of guys. Me and Brian (Randle) didn’t play and I think there were some really good teams up there. I think people probably underestimate Canadian basketball,” he added.

When asked if he was excited for his freshman teammates to gain experience against quality college programs, Frazier just smiled.

“I think we’re real excited,” he said.

“We got a bunch of new guys, we got to get them ready, get them battle ready – the season’s not going to get easier in the Big Ten. We got a lot of people coming at us and not giving us the respect we think we’ll deserve.

“It’s a good schedule in terms of RPI and stuff like that,” he added. “These games should help us out.”