Paul Klee: Good afternoon everyone, thanks for coming by the N-G's weekly Illinois sports chat. Bob has returned to handle the football side of things. Plenty going on, so fire away with your questions.

Jason, NYC, NY: Paul -

Did I read that Frank Williams made an NBA summer league roster?

He was the most effortless scorer in the college game that I can remember. Always wondered how high his ceiling could've been with a focus/drive as strong as D Will's. Kind of player that always left you wanting something more.

Glad to read that he's been seen at Ubben. Need his swagger to rub off onto D McCamey.

Did you enjoy your trip to nyc?

Paul Klee: Jason- Your city is great, as always. Thanks for asking. (If you're ever looking to scalp Yankees tickets, check with the bouncers at the area bars. They double as ticket brokers.)

Frank Williams is on the Hornets' summer league roster, alongside Shaun Pruitt and your favorite Hawkeye, Adam Haluska. The Hornets' roster will compete in the NBA summer league that takes place in Las Vegas from July 11-20. Frank Williams was in C-U last week, scrimmaging with the current players. The coaches are fond of his efforts with the point guards, especially Demetri McCamey.

If this isn't Frank Williams' last shot at the NBA, he can see his last shot from here. He's aware of that and looked to be in good shape and well-prepared while he was in C-U. Jerrance Howard spoke to Frank Williams recently, and both know what's at stake for Williams this summer. If it doesn't work out with the Hornets -- or another NBA roster -- look for him to return to Italy.

Actually, Vegas will become some type of Illini Central in late July. Frank Williams, Shaun Pruitt and Dee Brown are in the NBA summer league. Deron Williams continues training with USA Basketball on June 21. And I just learned there's a good chance that Luther Head could be involved with the NBA select squad that scrimmages against the Olympians during their training sessions. (He could be. It's not set in stone, but he could be. We'll keep an eye on that and get confirmation for Klee's Corner on Sunday.)

And, of course, the Illinois coaches will be in Vegas for the massive camps that take place in late July. Bruce Weber and Jerrance Howard, at the least, are hoping to attend one or more of USA Basketball's training sessions, as well.

Hope that helps.

Josh, Pesotum, IL: Any news regarding the Big Ten Network on Mediacom?

Bob Asmussen: Josh,

I just put in a call to Tom Larsen, who works at the Mediacom headquarters in New York. He is good about calling, so maybe I will get an answer before the end of this chat. I can anticipate what he will say: "We are continuing negotiations with the Big Ten Network and hope to add the channel.

Bottom line for all cable companies in the Big Ten region is that Comcast has set the bar, and the rest should follow soon with deals. If not, they face the loss of customers to the satellite companies, a fact that had to help Comcast move forward.

A big question about the network is what kind of programming it will have during the summer. Right now, there are a lot of Greatest Games being run, which is fine. Other than baseball, there isn't a whole lot on any of the sports networks during the week.

If you are a Big Ten fan, it seems like the channel is a must. Not only are there games provided, but the studio coverage for football and basketball are overwhelming. Instead of watching SportsCenter for an hour to see an Illinois-Minnesota snippet, you get it all the time on the Big Ten Network.

Sean, Springfield, Illlinois: Are you/were you surprised that Keller and Simpson are off limits to the media? Do you think it's in reaction to anything that happened with Alexander prior to last season, i.e. the extra hype placed upon him by fans?

Paul Klee: Sean- Yes, I was surprised. But Illinois is better than most with media access, and the sports information department is top-notch. Then again, the News-Gazette is the media contingent that attends summer workouts and pickup games, so there's not necessarily a need for an Ubben lockdown in the offseason, because there aren't many offseason interview requests coming from elsewhere.

The decision to make Dominique Keller and Stan Simpson off-limits until August, a decision made by Bruce Weber and enforced by UI sports info, had nothing to do with Rodney Alexander. Fans are going to hype their own players regardless. Weber said he wanted the two newcomers to focus on their summer schoolwork and routines before diving into anything else. I don't like the decision and think players should be available. But I also think Jamar Smith should have been available to media a long time ago. Fans want to know what's happening with the players, and I think it enhances accountability within the program. Just one man's opinion.

Thanks for the question.

Dan, Chatham, Il: When should we expect the complete basketball schedule to be announced?

Paul Klee: Hi Dan- August, or thereabouts. If Illinois isn't done with its non-conference, it is very close. But the Illini prefer to release their entire schedule at one time -- including both the non-conference and Big Ten portions. I'd guess you'll see something in August.

Bob Asmussen: Before I get to the next question, I want to go back to Josh's question about Mediacom. Tom Larsen did call back and he said negotiations are moving forward. He said he thinks Comcast's deal will make it easier for other cable providers to work with the Big Ten Network. Mediacom did hear complaints about the lack of the Big Ten Network, but the subscribers grew in the first quarter of 2008 for the first time in three years. In other words, not many are fleeing to satellite companies.

Peter, Champaign, IL: Bob,

I share your disappointment in the 11 AM kick-off for the Re-opening of Memorial Stadium. In fact, you might say I'm furious. Our good friend the Big Ten Network, has scheduled Illinois, Purdue, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan State for 11 AM kick-offs on Sept 6th. While the Indiana-Murray State game gets the prime-time 6PM time slot. They are apparently not planning on covering a game in the afternoon. Not only does their scheduling make little sense, I can't figure out why the University wouldn't fight this to the bitter end. One has to wonder if the TV exposure at 11 AM is worth it. Wouldn't it almost be better for the University to tell the TV crew to take a hike and plan the party of the century?

Bob Asmussen: Peter,

Without being in on the meetings, we dont know for sure what Illinois wanted for the first game time. It's very possible that the school was OK with an 11 a.m. kickoff. While I believe the Big Ten Network played a part in the scheduling of the game, I dont think it necessarily made the final call.

From a football standpoint, the program has plenty of night games already scheduled, although only Indiana is at home. If you asked the coaches at most schools, they would favor playing during the late morning or early afternoon. As soon as the game ends, they are working on the next week. When you play at night, they feel like they are starting on the next weeks game about a half a day late.

And don't try to tell them "it sjust Eastern Illinois and Louisiana-Lafayette." Coaches arent lying when they say they prepare for every team. Nothing could be worse for the Illinois program than to lose to Eastern Illinois or Louisiana-Lafayette, so the coaches will take every chance they have to prepare.

All that being said, it is a shame that there wont be a daylong buildup for the grand reopening of Memorial Stadium. Let the fans hang out in the parking lot all afternoon then come to the building at 4 p.m. to get a closeup look. With an 11 a.m. start, its going to make it very difficult to give everybody a total feeling for the new place. The stadium will be full for the opener and putting that many people in the stands for an 11 a.m. kickoff wont be easy. Maybe for that one week, the school will consider opening the gates three hours early, offering better access to a curious fan base.

illinihq.com

Rick, Carson City, NV: Hello again, guys.

Any updates on Semrau? Is he on campus this summer, how does his game look, etc.

Bill Cole was recently cleared to play again - how does he look? How much stronger does he appear, since he was said to have gained 10-20 lbs while rehabbing.

Coach Weber mentioned Legion still needed to work a lot on his D - have you seen how well he is doing on D lately?

And of course, any other first hand hoops tidbits are welcome!

Thanks.

Thanks for all

Paul Klee: Rick-Richard Semrau is on campus, yes, he was one of the first players to return in May. He only went home for a couple days. Semrau said that when he's in C-U he's closer to the gym than when he's at home. I think he's still in search of a niche at Illinois. You'd be hard-pressed to find another player on the Illinois roster who's had a worse run of misfortune than Richard Semrau. Minutes are available at his position -- power forward or backup center -- so we'll see what happens. The competition at the 4 will be worth watching. That's really the only position where a starting spot is up for grabs between three or four players.

Billy Cole is fired up to be healthy again, having been cleared in May. His golf game is in good shape (better than Mike Tisdale's, according to Cole) and Spain won the Euro Cup on a goal by Fernando Torres, Cole's favorite player. Bill Cole will be in the mix for minutes at the 4. It's too early to tell how many minutes, but he was good enough last offseason to be referred to as a possible starter. Illinois says he put on 10-20 pounds -- I'm not sure that's completely true -- but he is certainly stronger. Despite the knee injury, Cole was able to continue weight training workouts with strength coach Jimmy Price. So that area of his regimen didn't suffer.

Alex Legion is wired as a scorer. That's what he does. Legion said he's aware he needs to improve his defense. That's not a mystery. (Aside: Legion's coach with Athletes in Action in Poland asked him to defend the opponent's best player in the fourth quarter of a narrow game, and the coach said Legion responded with his best quarter. So that's promising for Illinois.) But he's a talented scorer, especially with his mid-range game, and that's going to be his calling card. Fans should exercise patience upon his return: remember, he's only played in seven college games, and those games were played in an uncomfortable (for Alex Legion) situation at Kentucky. He's going to be a popular teammate at Illinois.

Other tidbits: recruits Jereme Richmond and Brandon Paul are two of the players expected to be at Joy of the Game in Deerfield tomorrow. And Brian Randle had a DNP and 9 minutes in his first two games with the Oklahoma City (Sonics?) summer league roster. He's teammates with D.J. White.

And my guy Courtney Lee -- referred to as the next Rodney Stuckey in Klee's Corner last week -- went for 27 points yesterday. He's going to be a good pro. Too bad the Nuggets passed on him.

Thanks for the questions, Rick, as always.

Jim, Tampa, Fl: Bob who did you see the Rays play at the Trop and what were your impressions of the facility and the team? Are there any other players besides McCray that you can comment on that may not be back? Go Illini and go Rays!

Bob Asmussen: Jim,

I saw the first game of the Rays-Red Sox series. Good thing the game was inside, because there was a violent storm during the later innings. The park was fine for a dome. Moving around inside was a pain, mostly because of the larger-than-expected crowd. Great concessions. Nice, inexpensive seats. The team is building a new park on the water, which looks like it will have a retractable roof. That will be awesome. My son adopted the Rays as his team two years ago, so we will be going back whenever possible. The Tampa/St. Pete/Orlando experience was awesome. And the traffic wasnt nearly as bad as people said it was.

This is the time of the year when you will hear rumors about player defections. I do not believe anything until I see who arrives at Camp Rantoul in early August. I have not been able to confirm DAngelo McCrays status. I will try to get an update on his situation ASAP.

Jason, NYC, NY: Paul -

Do you have a pre-season NCAA top 10 yet? If you had to ponder guess at the Illini's record, what would it be (assuming Jamar is able to shake off the rust)?

Paul Klee: Here was my top 10 the day after the Kansas-Memphis title game:

1. North Carolina

2. UCLA

3. Duke

4. Connecticut

5. Purdue

6. Marquette

7. Kansas

8. Notre Dame

9. Tennessee

10. Memphis

Here's my top 10 now -- off the top of my head -- after NBA defections/transfers/coaching changes. Subject to change before the N-G's first AP Top 25 ballot:

1. North Carolina

2. Connecticut

3. Duke

4. UCLA

5. Pitt

6. Gonzaga

7. Purdue

8. Notre Dame

9. Louisville

10. Memphis

Next five (in some order): Michigan State, Texas, Tennesse, Marquette, St. Mary's.

Too early for record predictions. I do think Illinois will be the toughest in the Big Ten to gauge.

Paul, Hudson, IL: What is the prospect for Hoo hoo man getting significant opportunity for receptions this season. Seems like our offense usually ignores the TE position.

Bob Asmussen: Paul,

Michael Hoomanawanui caught five passes last year, which was up from 0 his first season (He did have a two-point conversion catch that doesn't count on the official stats).

I do think his role will increase, especially with the improvement at the receiver position. You can't cover everybody, and if I'm an opposing defensive coordinator, I'm a whole lot more worried about Arrelious Benn and pals than I am about the Illinois tight ends.

Hooman has been slowed a bit by injuries during his career. But he certainly has the skill set to be a top tight end in the conference. Plus, he'll be getting pushed by the incoming freshman tight ends.

Kyle, Elgin, IL: Do we have any clue if all our signees made it on campus? I'm thinking of Patrick Nixon, Cordale Scott, and AJ Jenkins. Thanks.

Bob Asmussen: Kyle,

Last time I talked to one of the coaches, the incoming class was in good shape. That doesn't mean they are guaranteed to start with everybody. Players often fall off before the start of their freshman years for a number of reasons. But there seems to be a good rapport with the staff and the players, which will help when it comes to limiting unexpected losses.

Paul Klee: That's all for today, another tremendous showing for a July chat. We appreciate your participation. Klee's Corner coming up Sunday. See you then, or back here next week.

pk and ba