CHAMPAIGN - When run properly, motion offense can be a delight to watch on the basketball court.

Constant movement will test a defense's conditioning and its ability to fight through screens. A well-orchestrated motion offense will almost always create openings for a shooter.

One reason a struggling Illini basketball team played better late last season was that young players, like guard Demetri McCamey, began to better understand the nuances of the motion offense.

Head coach Bruce Weber is constantly telling players to cut hard as they circle behind screens. But a young player's definition of cutting hard and a coach's definition of cutting hard are two different things, and it takes time to learn the difference.

If you watch film of Deron Williams as a junior and Luther Head as a senior, you will see players making crisp, precise cuts in the motion offense. The abruptness of their movements made it difficult for defenders to keep up.

In his year away from competition, it's apparent that guard Jamar Smith has been working on his role in the motion offense. At practice last week, his cuts were sharp and, according to assistant coach Wayne McClain, he has learned how to use screens, how to deceive defenders and how to create for himself more space with which to launch his shot.

"He's so smart. He can read angles much better," McClain said. "He's worked at it and he's gotten much better at it.

"He knows how to bait you. He understands it now. He knows how to set guys up with his eyes. That's important. The good players can do that.

"One time, he came off a screen kind of slow, and I said, 'Whoa! Whoa! Go back and watch that Michigan game when Dee Brown took the ball behind his head to James Augustine. He came off his man hard, and that's what made the play successful.'

"Jamar knew the play I was talking about. He knew the difference."

New players like transfer Alex Legion say they are gradually getting the hang of the motion offense and how it can work to their benefit.

"It's coming," Legion said. "It helped to watch them run it last season. You can see what they're trying to have us do."

Coaches have also made it a priority to eliminate casual stationary shots during practice.

"Every time I drill them, we will very seldom shoot set shots," McClain said. "Everything Jamar does is off the dribble. He's always shooting on the move."

One drill McClain ran for Smith and Brian Randle, who is working out with the hope of playing professionally in Europe, was positively exhausting.

The player would take a jump shot at one end of the court. McClain would grab the ball and throw it toward the other end of the floor, and the players would sprint after the ball, retrieving it before it went out of bounds and taking one dribble before shooting again.

Then the ball was thrown back toward the other end, and the sprint-dribble-and-shoot drill was repeated. And repeated. And repeated over and over until players were doubled over in pain.

Long distance

The Illini practice court now features the new 3-point line players will be shooting from this coming season. The distance has been moved back one foot, to 20 feet, 9 inches, a more challenging shot than the 19-foot, 9-inch line they've been accustomed to using.

Women's college basketball players will continue shooting from the distance of 19 feet, 9 inches.

On the mend

It's a good thing there's not a game this week. Several players are out with injuries.

Chester Frazier was smacked in the face and suffered what coaches believed to be a broken nose. Center Mike Tisdale was sitting out with a strained abdominal muscle.

Bill Cole was shooting but was not involved in practice as he continues to rebound from a stress fracture. Trent Meacham is still wearing a boot following surgery to remove bone spurs.

Defense, please

One concern looking to next season is finding someone who can be counted on as a defensive stopper, especially against forwards.

Randle filled that role the past few seasons, which is one reason Illinois completed well against nationally ranked Purdue. Randle's ability to hold all-conference freshman Robbie Hummel to an average of just nine points a game in three meetings negated one of Purdue's most reliable weapons.

With Randle gone, who takes over that role?

Perhaps the best candidate is Calvin Brock, who at 6-foot-5 should be able to defend both guards and forwards. In practice, Brock played like he's eager to assume that role.

Brock played an in-your-face brand of physical defense against Legion, making the University of Kentucky transfer work for every shot.

If Brock decides to make defense his specialty, he can be assured of winning playing time with Weber.

Mark Tupper can be reached at mtupper@herald-review.com or 421-7983.