"It’s painful to watch sometimes," he added. "The ability’s there, the talent is there and the leadership is there, but they just can’t get it all consistently. You see them win three straight games, and then the next three games you’re like, ‘What the hell just happened?’"

Bradford, who played at guard for the Illini from 1998-2002 and ranks fifth in the all-time record books in scoring, blames the inconsistency of this year’s team on the fact that Illinois doesn’t have enough vocal leadership.

"I think (Demetri) McCamey has to be that leader," Bradford asserted. "I think that he’s the guy that everyone trusts and the guy that’s been proven that can make plays whether for himself or for a teammate on the offensive or defensive end."