Moderator: Thanks for stopping by on what is, at least in C-U, a dreary Friday. The forecast for Saturday's game is miserable, which probably will help the stodgy Buckeyes. Asmussen has Ohio State winning 42-17 in Saturday's N-G (and later today on HQ).

Some programming notes:

- Bad news: neither UI basketball game on TV today. Good news: we'll have live ingame reports at both sites. Tony Bleill is in the mecca of Fort Wayne, Ind., for the 1 p.m. women's start. And Paul Klee already his hightops laced for the 8:30 p.m. opener at the Assembly Hall. Both writers will have frequent updates during the games at HQ.

- Asmussen and Jeff Huth will handle Saturday's ingame report from Memorial Stadium. It starts at 9 a.m. E-mail Asmussen at rasmusse@news-gazette with questions you'd like him to ask Ron Zook afterward.

- The N-G's college basketball section ran in Friday's paper. It will be online Saturday afternoon. Klee did his usual bang-up job.

On to some questions.

Tom, Champaign, IL: Jim,

will Tony be having a chat during the womens season?

Moderator: Tom,

Tony Bleill had so much fun during his chat test run last Tuesday that he has volunteered to make it a regular feature on HQ. Starting next week, he'll chat at 2 p.m. each Wednesday. You can submit questions now.

Tony loves his women's college basketball. He's been an AP poll voter since he took over the UI beat in 1998.

Since no other paper devotes so much time and energy in covering Jolette Law's program, Bleill is the one to go to for insight.

I'm looking forward to his ingame reports, starting with today's debut in Fort Wayne. Did I mention Fort Wayne is a beautiful city with much to offer?

Ed, Palatine, IL: "Bottom line, if he did a little more right, and made the right call every time under pressure situations, he probably wouldn't be at Illinois for many more years. He's pretty hireable, if that's a word."

I'm not sure I understand this statement. Are we as Illini fans supposed to be satisfied that Zook has obvious shortcomings in-game, because if he was a better coach then he’d be gone? If that’s the sentiment, I certainly don’t understand it. Not that I’m necessarily surprised: I have heard this opinion before. I mean I've heard it from fans, not the press. I don’t know if it’s a Chicago/Downstate split, if it divides along age groups or if its big city vs. small town but the dichotomy is there. I’ve run into plenty of people who think that Illini football is only a way to kill time before hoops season. I only hope that Ron Guenther doesn’t agree with your statement. Any organization should be going for the best talent out there. If you develop talent such that the person is hired away, your organization should be attractive enough to get another good person. Alabama didn’t worry about Franchione bolting for Texas A&M; they went out and got another top coach. LSU lost Saban and hired someone from Oklahoma State. Illinois shouldn’t be different.

Moderator: Ed

Thanks for coming back. I like the way you think.

Let me clarify last week's thoughts: If Ron Zook turned Illinois into a consistent Rose Bowl contender, I think he'd get offers too good to turn down. I compare it to Bill Self's situation. Why would he turn down Kansas? That doesn't mean Illinois fans should be OK with an average Zook. Just the opposite. But they shouldn't be surprised, if Zook becomes a hot coaching commodity, if he leaves for a better situation. The good news there is, if that's the case, it will be much easier to hire the next coach assuming the program is on solid ground (which hasn't been the case since Mackovic left).

Hope I'm making sense.

Jim, Champaign, IL: Jim,

Over the last few years, the N-G writers have come out with a few books.

Anything else being planned at this time?

Moderator: Jim

I'm trying to get Klee to write "The Tatum Bell Story" but otherwise nothing's in the hopper.

For years, we worked with Sports Publishing to do a number of books on Illinois basketball (Brett Dawson, Loren Tate) and other projects (Fred Kroner on Brian Cardinal, for example). But we've taken our publishing inhouse since.

Tate's book, a collection of his favorite columns, is our latest offering. It's really good stuff that Tate worked on for about a year. You can order it on HQ.

Brett, Lexington, KY: Care to comment on the rumor going around that you're retiring from your basketball career with Office II/MES?

Moderator: Brett

Are you still collecting royalties from your book on the Illini's Final Four season? If anyone needs an Illini basketball pick-me-up, that book will do it. It's still available at the N-G so e-mail me (jrossow@news-gazette) if you're looking for a copy.

Usually, Champaign's park district leagues include a former Illini or two. This year, former Southwest Missouri State standout Coleco Buie is the main draw. His team is 2-0 and favored to win the league.

Nupe Roy, Calcutta, Bengal: Juice's yards per carry has dropped significantly in the past few games. Are defenses scheming him better? How effective can he be when they take away his running ability? Where do you rank him in the big ten, especially compared to Pryor?

Moderator: Nupe

Juice is hard to figure out. Asmussen lists Juice as his All-Big Ten quarterback. Statistically, he's got a point. But Juice to me hasn't been playing up to that level recently. Too many interceptions. Not enough scrambling on designed passes. Seems to me he is reluctant to take off after he's left the pocket, almost as if coaches have told him not to in hopes of avoiding injury. That said, the Big Ten doesn't have many quality QBs. Daryll Clark has been awful the last two games. Brian Hoyer is OK. Whatever happened to Kellen Lewis?

Pryor is a season away from making a really big impact.

Thanks for the question.

mitch, pesotum, ilinois: jim,

how are the all area teams decided?

Moderator: Mitch

Great question.

There's an N-G writer in charge of every All-Area team. That writer solicits opinions from area coaches, other media types and fellow N-G prep writers before determining his list of firt-teamers, second-teamers, honorable mention, etc.

Stats are one criteria but probably not the most important. Being on a winning team helps, for example.

We pick from about 50 high schools in our circulation area. Some really big ones (like Danville), some tiny ones (like DeLand-Weldon).

I've often been asked why we don't pick a big-school All-Area team and a small-school All-Area team, the argument being the fourth-best lineman at Centennial probably would be all-conference at Monticello. Anyone else like that idea?

For more, hit up prep sports coordinator Fred Kroner, who chats every Thursday.

Thanks

Rick, Springfield, IL: Any chance of Illinois getting a men's soccer team? Sports like wrestling seem to be in decline on the high school level while soccer is growing.

Moderator: Rick

Probably not. Although Illinois is in good gender equity shape, Jeff Huth tells me that he hasn't heard any rumblings of adding a men's team. He thinks improving the school's facilities, like the much-talked-about Olympic complex near the South Farms area, is the top priority.

Soccer seems to make sense with its popularity. How about making men's hockey a varsity sport? The UI Ice Arena is as popular as a Green Street pub on weekend nights when the Illini are at home.

Thanks for the question.

Moderator: The chat police indicate I've gone too long. Be sure to check HQ for continuous updates this week. And check out our "Signing Day Special" for a quick, easy guide to our basketball recruiting coverage earlier this week.