Paul Klee: Good afternoon everyone, thanks again for coming by the News-Gazette's Illini sports chat. A long list of questions illustrates, once again, the tremendous interest - even in July. We appreciate it.

Our football writer, Bob Asmussen, is on vacation (still) so we'll be light on the football questions. Apologize for that. I think he'll be back for the chat next week, so we'll save most of the football questions until then. But I'll get after the basketball questions - it's a busy time for college and NBA hoops, with plenty of movement in both in the near future (July evaluation period, free agency/contract extensions (Deron Williams)/summer leagues (Pruitt, Randle, Dee Brown), etc.).

Chat on.

Mike Perry, Decatur, Illinois: Hello Paul, thanks for taking my question. After Stan Simpson's MVP performance in Bloomington, what is the chance he plays significant minutes next year for the Illini ?

Paul Klee: Mike- Hearing good things about Decatur's own Lewis Jackson. A few months back I wrote that Matt Painter said Lewis is going to be in the conversation as a backcourt starter as a freshman. You add him to the mix and Purdue has to be considered the Big Ten favorite.

As for Stan Simpson, I think there's going to be a longer adjustment period for the Simeon product. He's a "potential" recruit. As an upperclassmen, perhaps earlier, I think he'll develop into a solid Big Ten forward. He's an active player, about the same height as Billy Cole and Mike Davis. I don't see him playing significant minutes as a freshman, and that's not a bad thing. If Stan Simpson is playing significant minutes, it probably means the more experienced players ahead of him aren't producing. Illinois really likes what he could become.

Bob, Urbana, IL: Hey guys,

any news on what CJ Jackson is going to do?

And depending on which sport he does do, how does he fit in?

Paul Klee: Bob- I've seen C.J. Jackson at the basketball practice facility most days since the second summer session started. He's scrimmaging, working out, with the basketball guys. I think he'll join the basketball side, and Bruce Weber said there is a scholarship available for a 13th guy. I can tell you that the players like that idea - he's a popular teammate.

Seth, Chicago, Illinois: Paul

I remember back in the 2004/2005 seasons, the players were commenting on how intense their scrimmages were and how they hated to lose. You have alluded to the fact that some of the players are more willing to call out other guys who are dogging it. You stated that Weber has challenged McCamey to never lose. has the level of play increased in these summer scrimmages? Do the players run their motion offense like they will in the fall or is it more of a pick-up game at the local Y? Thanks and have good weekend.

Paul Klee: Seth- I'll try to keep this brief. One of the more eye-opening sessions took place about two weeks ago, when Luther Head and Dee Brown joined the fray. The intensity of the pickup game -- compared to what I've witnessed over the last two years -- was ratcheted to another level. The difference is readily apparent. Dee and Luther Head played like it was a Big Ten game, and others were forced to, as well, or risk being run off the floor. That's what I think Illinois needs to relocate.

"The ability is always going to be there at Illinois. They just got to get that swagger when they go on the floor," Dee Brown said after the scrimmage. "It's Illinois so everybody's always going to be shooting for you. You have to that swagger; that's what made us good."

I have a theory -- feel free to shoot it down. The players that were at Illinois for the tail end of the great run, and those that arrived shortly after, only saw the end results. They saw the championships and media attention and campus attention but didn't witness what Dee Brown, Luther Head, James Augustine and those guys did to get to that point. I think they're getting back to that, but time will tell.

As for the motion offense, Illinois has an advantage now that it didn't have the past two offseasons. The pickup games are controlled by a pack of quality guards that, more or less, have a considerable understanding of what is expected on offense. Demetri has a year under his belt, Jamar Smith can run a clinic on motion, and Chester Frazier and Trent Meacham are motion veterans. That's a plus. But yes, it's still a pickup game, and you rarely know how it will carry over when coaches are present.

Thanks.

Jason, NYC, NY: Klee -

Thanks for all of your work covering the beloved O&B. Your "corner" reports are terrific, and prove a depth of coverage that no one else in print matches.

Reading about some emerging in-state big men prospects in the class of 2010. Have you see much of those mentioned, or have an educated opinion? How do you see another 2010 recruit fitting-in with the current commitments (and outstanding offer to L Smith)? How long do they wait on L Smith?

Appreciate your hard work.

Paul Klee: Jason- Thanks for the question. I'll be in your city in about.... nine hours.

In regards to Lenzelle Smith, the best scenario for Illinois is that he waits to make a decision. That's what he's said he plans on doing, taking his time with the recruiting process. But you never know when a kid will make his decision. Illinois has the advantage of being in attendance for most, if not all, of Lenzelle Smith's AAU games in July. Smith is teammates with UI recruit Brandon Paul with Team NLP. I asked Dickey Simpkins about Lenzelle Smith last week. The Team NLP coach said that what stands out about the 2010 prospect is how he's progressed since this time last year, a curve that bodes well for how he improves in the future.

"I think Lenzelle has positioned himself well, where he will be playing at a high-major Division I level," Simpkins said. "If you asked me that question last year, I wouldn't have known if he was a high-major Division I kid. Now I know he is."

The program to look out for in regards to Smith: Florida. Simpkins said Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins has also shown considerable interest. Smith is an excellent student, Simpkins said.

Illinois clearly has a need for a big man in 2010, so it will be interesting to see if they go big or go small. Meyers Leonard, a 6-10 kid from Robinson, has received interest from Illinois and Purdue the like, so there's one guy to keep an eye on. One coach from outside the Big Ten figures Leonard is a late bloomer who potentially could be very good as a junior and a senior. That's just one man's opinion.

As for how long Illinois will wait, that's one of the areas that has changed in their recruiting approach: they don't wait. Or at least they haven't in the past nine, 10 months, and that altered approach seems to have paid dividends.

Thanks.

Sean Thomas, Cville, VA: Hi Paul

a few weeks ago, there was a story about Deron, which was a really good read. however, the setting for the story talked about Deron golfing with Dee, Jerrance and Tracey Webster. um, Tracey Webster? Given calls Webster has been alleged to have made to the Richmond family, it is not clear why he would be invited to golf with those other three. can you shed light on that? especially after comments Weber made last fall that suggested Webster was maybe more looking out for himself than for Illinois basketball.

Paul Klee: Sean-Thanks for the question. I thoroughly enjoyed writing the Deron Williams story.

Yes, I wrote about Tracy Webster playing golf with Dee, Deron, Jerrance. There were a handful of others, as well, including the UI's Jay Price. Webster was close with those guys during his time at Illinois. And it was a charity event. Because there's bad blood between some Illinois people and Webster -- and there is considerable bad blood, believe me -- doesn't mean the likes of Dee Brown and Deron Williams are going to cut off ties with an old friend, and vice versa.

(Now, they're going to stick up for their school and Bruce Weber, too. Something that surprised me was how much Dee Brown and Deron Williams knew about Illinois recruiting. They don't follow it as closely as you do, but they were quite knowledgeable.)

Illinois has to protect its commitments from other recruiters. That's part of the deal when you take a kid before his junior year. I think that if there is some wavering from any of their recruits, it won't be for a lack of planning and work on Illinois' part.

You'd be hard-pressed to find another high-major assistant who has been more productive on the recruiting trail -- over the last 20 months or so, and that's an estimate -- than Tracy Webster. I don't know if there is one. Jereme Richmond, Dominique Ferguson, Darius Miller. That's 14 stars right there. Not to mention Demetri McCamey and Mike Davis, two key players in Illinois basketball's immediate future. Love him or leave him, he's a very good recruiter, and the results show as much.

Thanks, good observation.

Jason, NYC, NY: Paul -

A second question for you....anything new re: Deron Williams and the Jazz potentially returning to Assembly Hall for an exhibition?

And a third....know where one can score a DWill Team USA jersey?

Paul Klee: Jason- Nothing new since I wrote about the possibility of an NBA preseason game at the Assembly Hall. I do think it's going to happen, middle of October, with the Bulls (Derrick Rose) vs. the Jazz (Deron Williams). But it hasn't been officially announced, so that means A) It's not finalized or B) They're not ready to announce it or C) Something else.

Deron Williams' people -- he has lots of people -- told me they're hoping the Jazz point guard can attend the Illinois football game Sept. 13, to announce the scholarship fund he wants to establish. That's the day after the Sept. 12 "Illini Hoops Legends" fundraiser at the Palmer House in Chicago (if you want tickets: www.deronwilliams.net), so he'll be in the area.

As for a Deron Williams Team USA jersey, I'd check with www.usabasketball.com every so often. They have an online store, though I didn't see a Williams jersey. If you see an Iverson jersey, let me know.

Sam, Goreville, Illinois: Bob,

Mr. Hood of the Athletic Dept. mentioned recently that the South End Zone would look like the North End Zone, with possibly an upper deck. Do you know of any drawings that can show this?

Paul,

I recently attended a Saluki Basketball function and an SIU assistant mentioned that Bruce really missed out on not getting Justin Bocot of Bloomington. Do you feel the same? Also how has Semrau looked in scrimmages?

Paul Klee: Sam-Thanks for the question. I'll let Bob know about your Memorial Stadium question.

SIU was patient and took an educated chance on Justin Bocot. They felt they could afford to have him sit out as a freshman and become eligible, and he did. The SIU coaches feel Bocot is a scorer who can create his own shot, something they lacked last season. He has a slight frame, but is arguably the best athlete on the roster. Great hops. The guy to keep an eye on: Ryan Hare. SIU coaches feel he could be a special player over time. There's competition for playing time in the Saluki Dome, and the coaches want to use that to create an atmosphere of accountability. If you don't get it done, they have another option.

Hope that helps.

Charles Burnett, Paxton, IL: It has been about 6 months or so since I heard about a baseball farm team coming to the U of I to play at the baseball stadium. What I remember is that an upgrade of the stadium would happen and that a A, AA, or AAA team would come to town. What happened to that? What franchize would be playing here?

Paul Klee: Charles- I polled our minor-league-baseball-to-Champaign-Urbana expert, staff writer Jeff Huth, and here's what he said: This is for an Independent league team (Frontier League), not one of the MLB-affiliated leagues. It is scheduled to begin play in 2009 if various groups, including the team owners, UI and city of Champaign can reach agreement on all the details.

Hope that helps.

Bill, Morton, Illinois: Any update on Bill Cole's redshirt chances?

Paul Klee: Last time I spoke to the UI compliance office about Bill Cole's redshirt dilemma, there was no news. He does not fit the traditional criteria for a medical hardship waiver, so I wouldn't bet on it. Still, he's back to 100 percent, as we wrote in Klee's Corner on Sunday, and eagerly awaiting his first full season. He's hoping to play in a charity golf event in the Peoria area pretty soon, so keep an eye out for him Billy Cole on the links.

Paul Klee: All right, we've gone over for today, so I'm getting the boot. Thanks again for the questions - tremendous list of questions for July 2. See you back here next week.