Personality on sports teams can be a tricky thing, the right personality can keep a team loose, and make the team more interesting to the fans, the wrong personality can cause conflicts between players coaches and even the fans (example: the 07-08 Illini).

Dominique Keller is the former, and thankfully not the latter. And with that personality along with his style of play, Keller has added some much needed fun to this season.

Its not like going 21-5 to this point wouldn't have been fun, but the personalities on the starting five, while very talented, don't have the sort of swagger or confidence that can really define the team to the rest of the nation. Enter Dominique.

Keller is the sort of player who relishes posterizing an opponent on national television, taking cartoonishly acrobatic shots underneath the hoop, and hurling off balance threes that seem to impress even him. Perhaps best of all, he is not afraid to give a good quote.

"I've only been in this rivalry for one year, and I can tell you right now, I do not like this school," Keller said. "I don't like the coach, and I don't like the fans. As a matter of fact, I don't like the gym. It's just something about Indiana I just don't like. You can quote me on that." (HT Paul Klee of the News Gazette)

I am of the opinion that the best quotes always end with the line "you can quote me on that". I think it is fair to say though that it is pretty easy to see why Keller has fast become a fan favorite. But aside from the "your coach is so fat" type comments Keller reminds alot of people of the eternal fan favorite Dee Brown. Someone who loves to play it up for the crowd, loves to talk and most of all loves to win.

If you think about it most of this team's most fascinating charecters come off of the bench from the explosion of heart and effort that is Calvin Brock  (Technical fouls are fun too) to the royalty of Jeffrey Jordan, to the bowling ball of a player that is C.J. Jackson (that guy plays basketball?) to the invincible Bubba Chisholm who's name alone makes him the greatest Illini walk on of all time.

Facts are as personality goes, the bench has more than enough for the rest of the team.