Chris- I keep hearing next week, but possibly later this week. Illinois is finished with its portion of the schedule and has been finished for some time, with a late change. (No, I don't know what that is, but we'll find out.) So now the Illini are awaiting the Big Ten portion of the schedule so they can release the whole thing. Some schools release the non-conference portion before the league office announces its half. Illinois and most -- if not all -- of the Big Ten prefers to release the whole deal all at once. Looking forward to the finished product, though. -pk

Jacoub- See above (below?) for the scheduling question. The highlights of the nonconference portion will be Clemson (ACC beat writer and good friend Jack Daly thinks the Tigers will be somewhere in the fourth- to fifth-place range in the ACC), Vanderbilt, Georgia, Mizzou and the South Padre tournament. Hopefully I'm not forgetting one.

Glad you asked about Alex Legion's expected debut. I just asked Bruce Weber about it, and the coach is hoping to have Legion available for at least one game prior to the Missouri game. The Braggin' Rights atmosphere is a tough venue for an introduction, so I know they'd like to get him acclimated for at least one game prior to the Mizzou contest. I'm thinking Legion will be eligible Dec. 20, or right around there. And that would be before the Missouri game.

Hope that helps.

Jancy- That doesn't surprise me with Brian Randle. In a few years of beat writing, I haven't met a more polite and gracious student-athlete. I think anyone who has worked with Brian Randle would tell you the same. I'll find out where he's headed and get something in Klee's Corner on Sunday.

On that subject, I am told that Warren Carter is probably headed to Spain. The former Illini forward has signed with a franchise in Spain, a considerable step up from his previous assignment in Turkey. Good for him.

And Jancy, I don't think you are a crazy stalker. Although I am worried about you getting lost in Urbana.

pk

Bryan- Shortly after the Jamar Smith dismissal, I wrote that Chris Colvin would be an Illinois recruiting interest once again. And he was. Now, it's my opinion that has changed, and I don't think Chris Colvin is in the picture with Illinois -- and vice versa. Things change quickly in recruiting, as you can tell, and that could change again. But that's where it stands at the moment.

Really good player, that one. I'm thinking Kentucky, Florida State, maybe somewhere else, for the Whitney Young standout. That should be a fun team to watch this prep season.

Hope that helps.

Chris- Very good. I thought he was Illinois' best player in the spring. There was a rise in confidence that was evident shortly after the 2008 Big Ten tournament, what I think will be considered Demetri's coming-out party. You could see it in pickup games and in workouts. The most telling statement about McCamey came from strength and conditioning coach Jimmy Price, who spends the most time with the players in the offseason. Price said, "(He's) definitely turned the corner. He's doing what he needs to do." The thing with Demetri has been maintaining a high level on and off the court at all times. As his high school and AAU coaches often said, he can be awfully good when the lights go on, but what he needs to do is keep that pace at all times.

I still think he's an NBA point guard, sooner rather than later. But if there was one player who would have benefited the most from having Jamar Smith on the wing, I think it would have been Demetri McCamey.

"He has a chance to be a special player," Bruce Weber said today.

I've written about Demetri quite a bit -- the Illinois coaches think too much, but they want to keep him level-headed -- just not lately because he's back home in the Chicago area. We'll get back with him when the players return at the end of this month. The fall semester begins Aug. 25.

pk

Dan- I think there's a chance, yes. Jeff Jordan has told me several times that Marcus really enjoys visiting the UI campus and staying with him. Wouldn't surprise me if Marcus Jordan makes an unofficial visit at some point during the fall.

I thought, at the Illinois team camp at Moody in June, Marcus Jordan was a much improved player than when I saw him previously. He's clearly worked at it.

Shortly after a tournament in Orlando, after the July evaluation period, I spoke with Rising Stars coach Brian Davis, who has coached the Jordans for several years with the Joy of the Game AAU program.

Brian Davis said, "He's (Marcus) played very well for us. I think he's a top-10 player here at this tournament. His stock has risen to the point where he's a high-major player."

Hope that helps.

Klee

Mike- See above in regards to Marcus Jordan. As for DeAndre McCamey, he's a point guard like his brother, but plays much differently than his brother. He could be in the picture with Illinois as a 2010 recruit. I think early playing time will be a factor in DeAndre McCamey's recruitment, and he deserves that, because he's good enough where he can play alot of places as a freshman.

I can tell you that one of the biggest Illinois fans at the Big Ten tournament was DeAndre McCamey. He was there for each game and had a ball watching his brother enjoy a breakout weekend. Since DeAndre McCamey underwent knee surgery earlier in the summer he wasn't in the AAU spotlight in July. That's probably why you haven't heard much about him of late.

Hope that helps.

Klee

Charley- I got on a boat once in Bellingham. Beautiful place. It's no Spokane, but I digress...

I threw this question over to Bob Asmussen, our football beat writer, who should be named an honorary Rantoul resident for all the time he spends there.

Here's what Bob said:

"While I certainly believe Juice Williams can play at the next level, I think it's premature to project high in the draft after his junior year. The pro scouts are going to want to see his passing stay consistent for a longer stretch. His game will work in the NFL (see Vince Young), but the better his passing skills, the higher he goes in the draft.

"I'm sure Juice wants to take care of his family, but he will also listen to the coaching staff at Illinois. And they'll tell him another year in college might mean millions. I think the Heisman is an extreme long shot for Juice this season, but a strong possibility his senior year. Tim Tebow is the favorite this season having won it as a sophomore. I have a vote and last year's didn't go to Tebow. I'm open to voting for anybody, including Juice."

Thanks to Bob for the insight.

Greg- Thanks for the question. Yes, I do think D.J. Richardson will sign with Illinois in November. That he's been one of Illinois' better recruiters for a while now should indicate how he feels about Illinois, I think. He spoke with Meyers Leonard on several occasions in the days leading up to Leonard's commitment, for example.

Tell you what kind of surprised me -- way back on July 20 I wrote that prep school was an option for D.J. Richardson and there was little to no reaction. That also means the option of prep school has been in the picture for a while for Richardson, and they've done their homework.

Tough deal for the kid, though. Richardson said it's going to be hard to have to leave family and friends, especially in such a tight-knit basketball community like Peoria.

In regards to your question about Chris Colvin, I think any time a program has a fleet of guards committed, there will be a smoothing-over process with the other guards to keep everyone happy. Yes, good players want to play with good players, but they don't want to feel crowded or recruited over. The same thing happened when three guards committed to Illinois in less than a week's span last fall. The players and parents had to be reassured that there was plenty of PT available.

Yes, there will be an Illinois presence at plenty of D.J. Richardson's games with Findlay Prep. He is a top priority with Illinois and has been since his freshman season -- perhaps earlier -- in Peoria.

Hope that helps, thanks for the question.

Todd- Thanks for coming by www.IlliniHQ.com, we appreciate it. It's a good point you bring up. I just asked Bruce Weber about the frontcourt rotation, and it's something the Illinois staff has talked about, how to get the most out of a frontcourt that lacks girth.

One player that could make a difference in the toughness/size aspect is Dominique Keller. He's bigger than Rodney Alexander, he's a more physical player than the other forwards, and he seems to have accepted that type of role thus far, from what players have said. Keller is very different from the other big men. You'll hear the term "unorthodox" thrown around alot.

But I liked what I saw from Keller, at least later in the summer. He's not afraid to throw his body around. As long as he doesn't shoot a bunch of 3's, I think Dominique Keller will be in the mix for a starting spot. Weber said he's pleased with how Dominique Keller asserted himself in the classroom during the summer sessions, as well. So that's a plus for Illinois.

"He's got a chance to give us something that we don't have," Weber said of Keller.

Weber made an interesting comparison to what he's seen in the Olympics. Some teams mix-and-match their lineups so that you might have a 6-foot-8 center, or a 6-6 power forward, if that plays to your strength. I think you'll see a lot of mix-and-match type of lineups for Illinois, especially early in the season, to see what works.

That was long-winded, but I hope it helps.

Ryan- See above. Like most juco transfers, the transition will probably be gradual. But I think he can make a difference in the toughness aspect. The biggest thing for Dominique Keller will be whether he accepts a role of rebounding, screening, getting put-backs, that sort of thing.

Randy- Physically, Richard Semrau has all the tools to be a contributor. Bruce Weber said it's "a confidence issue" much of the time, and the coach said Semrau is a kind of "X factor" heading into the season. No one has locked down the 4 spot, so there's room there. I would guess Mike Tisdale will play about the same number of minutes (around 20) per game as Shaun Pruitt did as a sophomore, so there's room there.

Richard Semrau has gone through more than a guy should have to go through. The opportunity is available, though, especially next season.

Hope that helps.