CHAMPAIGN - Dee Brown thought he was giving Rich McBride a wholehearted endorsement.

"He's lost so much weight you can see his rib cage now," Illinois' senior-to-be point guard said, referring to the 23 pounds that the shooting guard from Springfield has shed since the end of the season.

But in the spirit of playful give-and-take that continues to mark the Illini basketball team's tight camaraderie, McBride fired back.

"Well, he should know," McBride said. "He's right there at eye-level. Five-foot-seven."

McBride is in a joking mood nowadays, and that's a pleasant change from the sometimes dour disposition that tends to grab athletes when they're not performing or contributing the way they'd like. That describes McBride through much of the memorable 2004-05 season, one in which Illinois finished 37-2 and second in the country.

He landed at Illinois after finishing as Springfield Lanphier's all-time leading scorer, a muscular guard with NBA shooting range and deft ball-handling skills. He averaged 24.6 points and 7.9 rebounds as a senior and surprised nearly everyone his freshman season at Illinois when he accepted coach Bruce Weber's challenge to knuckle down on defense.

His signature game came during his freshman season when he drilled six of 10 3-pointers and scored 22 points in a 74-64 victory over Memphis. That left Memphis coach John Calipari dumbfounded and left Illini fans thirsting for more.

But as a sophomore, there was precious little more. McBride, who has been slowed by constant foot problems, shot 32.2 percent for the season including 31.0 percent from 3-point range. He averaged 2.6 points and despite playing 546 minutes, got to the free-throw line just seven times.

Thankfully, Illinois was flush at guard, with Deron Williams, Luther Head and Brown all earning some type of all-America honors. But McBride knew he could have made the Illini even better with a more consistent shooting stroke. So when the season ended - and with Williams and Head leaving for the NBA - McBride saw it as his opportunity to take a giant step forward.

Now, he looks markedly thinner, in the body that now has more definition and through his face. "I've replaced burgers and fries with chicken and rice," he said. "The coaches said the weight kind of snuck up on me."

Indeed, Weber was surprised when McBride's weight crept to 228 pounds late in the year. "That's a lot of good eating down the stretch run of the season at a time when he wasn't playing as much and practice time is cut. Suddenly, you're bigger.

"But I think Rich has seen this as his opportunity. He has been patient and waited two years. Hopefully, losing the weight and feeling good about himself again will help him. And not having to go against Luther, Deron and Dee every day should help, too. It can be frustrating going against those guys. Mentally, you get defeated."

McBride has worked hard on his shot - and on his ability to get it.

"I'm taking a lot of jump shots going to my right and to my left," McBride said. "Now that I have that weight off me, I can jump higher than I ever have in my life. I feel great. I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life. Giving up McDonald's has helped."

Weber said McBride's commitment this summer tells him he understands status quo wasn't going to get the job done. "He just took 3-point set shots his whole life," Weber said. "That's all he did. And all of a sudden you're not the bigger, stronger guy and you can't do that anymore.

"Rich needs a boost of confidence. You wish he could get another game like Memphis right away to get him jump-started. There's no question he's worked hard. He's really trying to make some strides."

Perhaps the thinner and quicker McBride can even begin taking the ball to the hole. It's a missing element in his game and would help earn more visits to the free-throw line.

In an effort to help McBride with his foot problems, a specialist has been brought in to film McBride in action. An analysis of the way he cuts and shifts his weight helps in the shaping of an orthodic device that cushion the soles of McBride's feet.

"I'm moving my feet defensively pretty good," said McBride, who now appears to be launching 3-point shots with more lift. In pickup games, at least, the results have been encouraging.

"I want to be in that starting lineup," McBride said. "I wish we could get started tomorrow."

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