SIU coach Chris Lowery brought up an old topic in a phone conversation with Illinois coach Bruce Weber a few days ago.

The possibility of an Illinois-vs.-SIU basketball series.

So at least they're talking about it again. And they're closer than they were before, though that's not saying a ton, because they've never been very close. But we'll take progress where we can get it.

Here's how it stands - right now. Weber told me today that Illinois and SIU won't play next season. He left the door open for a single game against SIU - or the start of a three-game series - during the 2010-11 season.

Weber indicated the most likely scenario - at least right now - is for SIU and Illinois to play one game in Chicago. Another possibility is a three-game series involving games in Champaign, Carbondale and Chicago. Those are the two main possibilities. The third is that SIU would go to Illinois for one game, but that's not how the Salukis schedule, and I don't see that happening.

Neither coach wants to play each other. Lowery said yesterday he doesn't want to coach against Weber, and Weber doesn't really want to coach against Lowery. Personally, I would be pleasantly surprised if Illinois and SIU play each other as long as Weber is the coach at Illinois and Lowery is the coach at SIU. But Weber has promised his friends in Carbondale that he will, eventually, schedule a game or a series with his former school. He has a lot of friends in Carbondale, and he's pretty good about keeping his promises.

So at least Illinois and SIU are discussing it again, which is a good thing, because I think they should play. And Weber and Lowery will talk about it over the next few months, as well, when they vacation together again.

- As the Kentucky drama unfolds, and columnists stake out donut shops, I'm also watching to see if Memphis assistant Josh Pastner will join John Calipari in Lexington. Several Big Ten assistants have said they're interested to see if one of the nation's top recruiters will go with Calipari, or if Pastner would pursue a head coaching job somewhere.

Was asked yesterday if I think Calipari going to Kentucky would affect Illinois. I think it would affect Illinois, mainly with the elite-level Chicago kids. Those are the caliber of players he's targeted in the past, and I don't see that changing with a different shade of blue.

- Weber said he will serve as a coach - along with Purdue's Matt Painter - in the Hershey's College All-Star Game at the Final Four at Ford Field in Detroit on Friday.

- On HQ and in the N-G tomorrow, a season-wrapping interview with Bruce Weber.

pklee@news-gazette.com