NORMAL - Some of Osiris Eldridge's toughest battles last season were never seen. Eldridge's high-flying exploits and 3-point marksmanship were on full display for all to watch in leading the Redbirds to a 25-10 record and into their first postseason tournament in seven years. | Roster | Schedule | 2007-08 stats

Champ Oguchi, sitting out after transferring from Oregon, had to be satisfied with playing on the scout team and making Eldridge and the rest of the Redbirds better in practice. No cheers were heard there.

"He's a hard-nosed guard that plays and scores the ball well. He can defend a little bit," said Eldridge, laughing, of Oguchi. "He's just a tough person to guard, and he's versatile. He can play low, post you up, shoot it, take you off the dribble."

In other words, just like Osiris Eldridge?

"I wish I had that height," said the 6-foot-3 junior.

The 6-6 Oguchi's year in the shadows has ended - and Eldridge finally gets a "wing man" to complement him.

Oguchi can't wait for the Nov. 15 season opener at Wright State and sharing the load with Eldridge, who averaged 15.8 points per game last season.

"It's going to be a great experience," said Oguchi at Thursday's Media Day. "In all my years of playing basketball, I've always played with great wing players like Malik Hairston and Bryce Taylor (at Oregon). He's right up there with those guys."

ISU coach Tim Jankovich believes the Eldridge-Oguchi confrontations behind closed doors last season "improved both of them."

"It gave them in practice a guy who took them out of their comfort zone," said Jankovich. "They're terrific for each other."

Oguchi was rated the nation's 74th best player coming out of George W. Bush High School in Houston. He was Oregon's third-leading scorer as a sophomore (9.6 ppg), starring in the Pac-10 Conference Tournament and setting a tourney record with 14 3-pointers.

After suffering an ankle injury early in his junior season, Oguchi never got back to full speed. Oregon advanced to the NCAA Tournament regional finals with Oguchi playing little.

After the season, Oguchi looked to transfer. The coach of his former AAU team in Houston was good friends with Jankovich, who was just hired at ISU, and a connection was made.

Oguchi just didn't spend his transfer year making Eldridge better. He also worked on improving himself.

"I've expanded my game a lot to where I'm not just strictly shooting," said Oguchi, who sank 68 3-pointers as a sophomore. "I'm actually getting into the paint, driving, dishing and finding open teammates. Having somebody finish those plays, like Osiris, is going to help so much."

Eldridge, a first-team all-Missouri Valley Conference selection who was runner-up as the league's Player of the Year, sounded sorry for early-season opponents without tape on Oguchi.

Well, almost.

"They don't know too much about him now because he hasn't played in a year, but when he does play it's going to be him, me and lot of good players on the court who can score the ball," said Eldridge. "They're going to have their work cut out for them."

Jankovich applauded Eldridge for improving his ball handling during the offseason. Now, the ISU coach said he would like the quiet Eldridge to "take more ownership of the team" and become a leader along with Oguchi and seniors Brandon Sampay, Emmanuel Holloway and Brandon Holtz.

Eldridge said he learned a lot from last year's unquestioned team leader, Boo Richardson.

"I want to take all that and incorporate it into this year and make this year better than last year and not try to overdo it," he said.

With forwards Bobby Hill (knee) and Sampay (hip) coming off surgeries that could keep them out of early games, Oguchi may be forced to play some power forward. Freshmen Kellen Thornton, Jeremy Robinson and Ty Modupe will join returning starter Dinma Odiakosa up front.

The lean-looking Oguchi doesn't mind putting his 198 pounds in the paint.

"I've done it in high school and a little at Oregon," he said. "Redshirting, I picked up a lot of things rebounding and playing the post better. I became more versatile."

The real work for the Redbirds starts Saturday morning with the first practice. Eldridge, Oguchi and their teammates, along with the ISU women, will take part in Redbird HoopFest at 7 p.m. today at Horton Field House. Admission is free.