Bob Asmussen: Thanks for coming by the weekly News-Gazette Illini sports chat. We appreciate your time.

In the News-Gazette today, Klee had an interview with Illinois recruit Brandon Paul, and we'll have a full page in Sunday's News-Gazette on the Illinois team camp. Asmussen will return with Bob's Blitz, a full page of Illini football coverage, in the paper on Sunday.

Plenty of questions, we'll get right to them.

jeremy, thompsonville, il: what's the latest on jereme richmond, I know this question gets old.

Paul Klee: Jeremy - Jereme Richmond questions never get old. Waukegan is scheduled to be at the Illinois team camp on Sunday at Ubben and the Assembly Hall. Waukegans play at 11:30 a.m. (Whitney Young), 1:10 p.m. (Limestone), 2:50 (De La Salle), 4:40 (Thornwood). Of course, I'm sure they'll shoot for these times, but they might be 5 minutes off here and there depending on the pace of games. The rest of the Illinois team camp schedule was in the paper Sunday and Monday. Games start at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.

As for Jereme Richmond's recruitment, June 15 is when college coaches are allowed to make one phone call per month to rising juniors. I think that's when the danger zone begins for Illinois in regards to Richmond. And yes, I expect other college coaches are going to contact him. (Whether that comes out or not is another matter.) The family has said on multiple occasions he's firm with Illinois, so that's where they stand.

We'll catch up with Jereme Richmond on Sunday at the team camp, and I'm looking forward to watching him play again. He's a terrific talent.

eric steiner, thawville, illlinios: question about past illinois high school regional champs in basketball. did pairie central win a regional in 1986. if not who did. regional was in fairbury.

Paul Klee: Eric- We went to preps guru Fred Kroner for an answer. Here's what Fred had to say:

In the 1985-86 school year, Prairie Central won a regional title in boys' basketball. The final team record was 22-6 and the coach was Barry Corban. Interestingly, the Prairie Central girls' basketball coach the past two seasons is the same Barry Corban. The 1985-86 school year was the first for Prairie Central, which was a consolidation of the former Fairbury-Cropsey and Forrest-Strawn-Wing.

Thanks for the question.

Jason, Pekin, IL: How's Memorial Stadium renovations coming along?

Bob Asmussen: Jason,

I drive by the West side of the stadium almost every day. Usually, the changes are subtle. But lately, they've been more significant. It's starting to look more like a structure and less like a construction zone.

Our stadium expert, staff writer Jeff Huth, took a two-hour tour of the facility on Monday. His story and photos will be in Sunday's News-Gazette. Jeff said the suites are partitioned off, but it still looks like there is work to do. Illinois officials told him they are on schedule. They want to get done a couple of weeks before the home opener to get all the bugs worked out. Not that there will be bugs in the building (as far as you know).

The press box is apparently split between electronic and print media. Some schools separate the media in home and away areas, which I don't like.

I think when the reconstruction is done, it's going to be one of the best remodels in the Big Ten. Being among the last to do it helped Illinois figure out what would and wouldn't work.

Kyle, Elgin, IL: Wingo, Oku, James, who you got as our top RB target?

Bob Asmussen: Kyle,

That's a tough one. After seeing Ronnie Wingo in person, he is very impressive. A big kid with sprinter's speed and good hands sounds like the perfect back for Mike Locksley's offense.

Mike James seems extremely interested in the Illini, putting them high on his rivals.com list.

But if you made me pick one guy, it would be David Oku. He looks like a spectacular prospect and Illinois has a chance to get him.

I think you will see more than one running back in the class. Just like this year. And I don't think getting Oku or Wingo would mean Illinois couldn't get the other.

Paul Klee: Thought inquiring minds might want to know....

Bruce Weber told me that Dee Brown and Luther Head are expected to be in C-U and around the practice facility the latter half of this week, perhaps as soon as today or Thursday. He wasn't certain if the former Illini will stick around for the team camp Sunday. My guess is they probably will.

I think you're going to see more and more of this in the future. What Illinois would like to do is have a three- or four-day reunion-type event for former players in July or August. Weber said Carolina has had success with this type of reunion, and it would allow the former players to work out and hang out with the current players, to tie the past with the present. The dilemma is making everyone's schedules work, though it sounds like they are optimistic it will happen.

Kyle, Elgin, IL: What have Tisdale or Davis been doing to build their strength and weight during the summer? Thanks guys for the chats...

Paul Klee: Kyle - Let's stick with Mike Davis. He went straight to the D.C. area after the China tour, so he hasn't been campus in the past few weeks. This was in Klee's Corner a few weeks ago, so hopefully it will give you an idea....

Adding and maintaining weight is the biggest challenge for Davis, a 6-9 freshman who weighed in at 207 pounds around Finals week. Bruce Weber said Davis lost 8 pounds over spring break. Davis said he wants to reach 215 or 220 pounds before next season. He's improved on the strength side.

When he arrived at Illinois, he tried to bench press 185 pounds "and I could barely get it off the bar," Davis said. During spring workouts he benched 185 three times, so that was an improvement.

As for Mike Tisdale, he's still on the high-calorie diet given to him by strength coach Jimmy Price, and coaches said he was around 235 pounds at the end of the semester. These guys are not going to be big bangers under the basket, but they don't have to be. Coaches have spent alot of time on Davis' footwork, and they want to Mike Tisdale spend more time in the paint instead of on the perimeter.

Hope that helps, thanks for the question.

Lee, Eureka, IL: Bob, I'd love to know how football scholarship offers really work. I know the Illini have numerous offers extended but I surmise some are offered conditionally perhaps for grades or whatever. Are offers extended that might work like this. Player B, if our first choice (Player A) doesn't accept by Dec 1, then the scholarship is yours? If so, might Player B find that offensive. No idea if that's what happens, just curious.

Bob Asmussen: Lee,

It works different ways with different coaches at different schools. But what I've been able to figure out about the Illinois staff is that it doesn't offer a scholarship unless it wants the players.

Conditions are taken into account before the offer is extended. If a player has grade issues, that might influence how the Illinois coaches handle the offer.

Why extend more than 25 offers? Because you know you aren't going to get every player you ask. And certainly the players are ranked in order of importance, but like you guessed aren't told about it.

As I understand it, Ron Zook keeps a tight lid on his recruiting plans. He doesn't want anyone outside the staff to know how many players he wants at a particular position. The last thing Zook wants is a rival school to say to a player, "Hey, they've already got five offensive linemen and that's all they want."

Zook said there is negative recruiting going on and that one issue has been the number of scholarships offered. But originally, the scholarship talk was meant as a pat on the back for the Illini. It seemed to other schools that the Illinois coaches had beaten them to the punch with offers to a number of players. At first, that was dealt with positively by rival coaches.

Ultimately, you get the best players you can get, which seems to be Ron Zook's philosophy. He isn't going to say no to a great offensive tackle just because he has three others in the class. To me, that makes a lot of sense.

Dave C., Champaign, Il.: Bob,

I read that Aaron Nagel left Notre Dame and is considering Illinois and Northwestern. He would seem to be a good fit with Illinois given are upcoming need at linebacker. Any word on what's going on with him?

Bob Asmussen: Dave C.,

I have seen Aaron listed as a potential Illinois transfer. But because his younger brother is going to Northwestern that seems like a more likely destination.

Aaron Nagel did have a scholarship offer from Illinois as a high school player. Hard to know how great the interest was on either end, but he did end up at Notre Dame.

Illinois has several top linebackers on its recruiting list, though an older Nagel might be closer to being ready to help.

Never say never, but it sure looks like Northwestern.

Nathan, Spokane, WA: Hey Paul,

Spokane says hello... A question regarding the team camp this weekend. Do you anticipate anyone veralling to the staff and if so, who? Thanks again for the chats & blogs for those of us who cannot read the paper.

Paul Klee: Nathan- Good to hear from Spokane. The alma mater should be awfully good this season, and the Old Spice Classic in Orlando has the premier field of the preseason tournaments.

I don't anticipate a commitment Sunday, but you never know. One of the players I'll be watching is Rock Island's Chasson Randle. His AAU coach, Mike Mullins, is high on Randle's future, and he's the reason Illinois wanted Rock Island in the team camp. I wrote about Randle last week in the N-G.

Anyone can read our Illinois coverage in the News-Gazette. Send me an email (pklee@news-gazette.com).

Jason, Greenville, SC: Any chance of Pruitt or Randle being a late 2nd round pick? who do you think the Bulls take?

Paul Klee: Chances are slim. As I wrote in the News-Gazette on Tuesday, Shaun Pruitt has a private workout scheduled with the Sonics in Seattle on Saturday, according to his agent. Mike Naiditch also said they are trying to confirm other workouts for next week. Pruitt's father, Steve Pruitt, said the Bucks, Pacers and Grizzlies have expressed interest in bringing him in. We'll see what happens there.

Ted, Chicago, IL: I really like the idea that Illinois has an active Compliance Department. For a lot of schools, when you call the phone number for Compliance the phone rings at the home of the president of the football booster's club. My point was that if a fan, a sportswriter and Zooker all thought it was possible, there will be some other school that will actually try it-and that's the only way that will get the rule changed one way or the other. Right now you've stopped Saban from "bumping" but that just gives someone else the title of "assistant coach who's the best bumper".

You did mention that the conference wouldn't go for it-is that because the conference also has rules that go beyond the NCAA's rather weak try here?

August 3: Steve Kelly will be taking viewers on a vodcast tour of Tate's office, asking "is this a softball glove or the leftovers from Loren's lunch last Monday?"

Bob Asmussen: Ted,

Loren doesn't have an office. He's got his own building. And a street named after him too.

While I agree that some schools might find a way to work around the new rule, Illinois won't be one of those schools. What I do think will happen is that the rule will get reversed before the 2009 recruiting period. The coaches might have to give something up to make it happen. Ron Zook suggested shutting down July completely. That would be great for the staffs and allow them a football-free month. That, I think, has a chance to pass.

Even without visiting the schools, Ron Zook has stayed in the public eye, which is critical. The more times he sings at Wrigley Field and rides on aircraft carriers, the better.

Jon, Batavia, IL: Paul - Projection time. Who will be the top 3 rebounders on the team next year and what will they average? What will the average minutes per game be during the Big 10 conference season for McCamey, Smith, Legion, Meacham, Jordan, Frazier?

Paul Klee: Jon - Chester Frazier is the team's best rebounder, and he led Big Ten guards in rebounds last season. The question will be whether Frazier receives enough minutes to lead the roster in rebounding. I'll project Frazier as one of the leading rebounders for two reasons: no one else has proven he can rebound consistently and Weber values Frazier's defensive abilities enough to give him minutes. Off the top of my head we'll go with Mike Tisdale, Frazier and Dominique Keller in some order. Mike Davis and Bill Cole should figure in there somewhere as well.

Average minutes in the backcourt? Good question. Real quickly I looked around for a high-major that managed a five-guard rotation like Illinois might. The closest comparison might be Marquette, which had five guards who played between 30 and 13 minutes. Together they averaged about 120 minutes. If he's in shape, I think Demetri McCamey will lead the team in minutes played. Let's go with McCamey (32 mpg) and Jamar Smith (28) -- those are your two most talented players -- and then figure in Meacham, Legion and Frazier to combine for the next 60 minutes. I was impressed with how Jeff Jordan played in spring workouts. He's built like a tailback these days.

I think Demetri McCamey, Jamar Smith and Trent Meacham are your starting guards in November. (Meacham said in the N-G on Sunday that he's very optimistic his offseason ankle surgery is going to allow for more practice time and greater mobility.) Alex Legion can contend for a starting spot later in the season, though, as Bruce Weber said in Sunday's News-Gazette, it's going to be a challenge for Legion to transition into the rotation right away.

Of course, in some games the guard at the bottom of the pecking order will see his minutes increase. I remember watching Marquette's Maurice Acker play well late in the season after being a role player up until then. He averaged about 17 minutes over the last five games and just 13 minutes for the season. In situations like that, I think Bruce Weber might take the hot-hand approach: whoever's playing well is who he plays the most.

In Klee's Corner on Sunday we devoted much of the page to Alex Legion. Among other things, Bruce Weber said "there's no guarantees" that Legion will be eligible in time for the Missouri game, though he said Illinois is going to make every attempt to make sure he's in uniform as soon as possible. There were also some more notes on Legion's tour in Poland and what the Athletes in Action coach though of Legion's abilities.

That was probably too long, but I liked the question. Thanks Jon.

Paul Klee: Thanks again for coming by, we look forward to seeing you next week. Or for those of you attending the high school team camp on Sunday, say hello.

PK and BA