CHAMPAIGN - The University of Illinois men's basketball team on Friday kicked off its first season without any of the starters who carried the Illini to the NCAA championship game in 2005.

"We feel we have a new team, an inexperienced team, and we have to figure a lot of things out,'' head coach Bruce Weber said as the season got off to a rocky start with recruit Eric Gordon going back on his oral commitment in favor of playing for Indiana.

Illinois brought some of its favorite alumni back to Champaign with members of the 1989 Final Four team joining Entourage star Jeremy Piven to warm up the crowd before the current team was introduced.

The "Illini Entourage'' then formed the judging panel for a slam-dunk contest before a scrimmage.

"Tonight we kick things off, but it's also the last time we get to go out there and goof around and have fun before we get down to business and get into the season,'' junior forward Brian Randle said.

Illinois returns three starters from last season, but will be missing the experience and leadership of guard Dee Brown and forward James Augustine, who graduated in the spring. Brown and Augustine led Illinois in scoring last season and recorded more career victories than any players in Illini history.

"We lost one of the greatest personalities in Illinois basketball in Dee Brown,'' Weber said.

Weber pointed to his sophomore guards as candidates to absorb much of Brown's role. Shooting guard Jamar Smith has become a vocal leader in preseason workouts, and Weber said point guard Chester Frazier is the lead candidate to run the court.

"Losing Dee and James hurt us a lot, and other people have got to step up. I took it upon myself to step up and become a leader on our team,'' Smith said. "Right now we're not focused on Dee and James not being here. Right now we're focused on the bunch of guys we have, taking what we have and working with it.''

The team likely will take another hit early in the season when senior starter Rich McBride serves an expected suspension after being charged with driving under the influence Sept. 29. Weber said the Big Ten is young across the board, and that the team whose underclassmen adapt fastest is likely to win the conference.

"Everyone has one or two guys back, the key is what the other guys do,'' Weber said. "How much do they improve and where do they fit in? That's going to determine who's competing.''