Talk with Illinois men's basketball beat writer Paul Klee.
Paul Klee (moderator) — 12:31 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Good afternoon everyone, thanks for coming by for another Illinois basketball chat. Feel free to send your questions, we've got a bunch, and I'll be here for the next hour or so.
Bob Asmussen is across the office from Klee, conducting his signing day chat, and sports editor Jim Rossow says Bob will be here all day answering your questions. Bob wasn't given a vote in the matter, but Jim just fed him cottage cheese, so he's happy.
Fire away.
Klee
Tom from Urbana, IL — 12:31 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Klee,
where does the Assembly Hall rank in terms of Big 10 arenas? And how is it for visitors?
Paul Klee (moderator) — 12:35 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Tom- Not sure how you mean, but I
Luke from Champaign, IL — 12:36 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Klee,
I think people are making to much out of this Legion situation so far. He is going to be a good player for us in the future. But he couldnt play for the first 2 months, so the other guys have pretty much developed a rotation. Give him the rest of the season and this summer especially to improve his weaknesses(ball handling, defense). I expect him to be a big contributor next season. Your thoughts?
Paul Klee (moderator) — 12:39 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Luke- I have this argument with Loren Tate all the time. We come from different schools of thought on freshmen (and Alex Legion
Eric Taylor from Los Angeles, CA — 12:40 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Paul: I am really concerned about Mike Davis. Is it a mental thing or are teams defending him differently now? Also, who do you feel should come off the bench first - Brock or Legion? And why? Thanks,
LA Illini
Paul Klee (moderator) — 12:44 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Eric- Wrote a blog on HQ about this very subject. Mike D has two things working against him, and I think it's going to continue to be a challenge, because he hasn't faced this kind of adversity before.
One, he's not healthy, and that's been apparent in practice, and he said yesterday he's on medication for a condition they're calling tonsillitis. (Aside: Kenyon Martin sat out the Nuggets-Spurs game last night with tonsillitis.)
Two, teams didn't know what to do with him early this season, because they didn't have much film to go on, and he took advantage of ill-informed scouting reports. Now, Big Ten teams are scouting him better and, "I'm not getting open shots," as he said yesterday.
To answer your second question, Calvin Brock should come off the bench first. Brock was asked yesterday if it makes a difference if you beat a team in the first matchup, as Illinois did with Wisconsin.
Brent from Chicago, IL — 12:45 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
How much is Davis' tonsilitis limiting him? Does it limit him constantly, or is it just something that flares up occasionally?
Also, has there been anything in practice to suggest that Trent and/or Legion are likely to snap out of their shooting slumps anytime soon?
Paul Klee (moderator) — 12:49 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Brent- See above, and on HQ. Mike D said his condition flares up when it's cold outside, and it's really, really cold outside.
Here's what he told me yesterday:
Bud from Dayton, OH — 12:49 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
This season has been interesting. I never would have guessed 3 months ago that we would be where we are or with who we are. 'Tis and Davis have been a pleasant surprise. What has happened to Semrau? In your opinion, what has kept Legion from making more steady progress? Inquiring minds in Dayton, OH want to know. And have you seen our Flyers play?
Paul Klee (moderator) — 12:53 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Bud- Bruce Weber has gone with an 8.5-man rotation in Big Ten play. Richard Semrau isn't one of their 8.5 best players at the moment. He hasn't given up, though, and played hard in practice yesterday.
Yes I
Kevin from Shelbyville, IL — 12:54 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Bruce Weber puts a premium on practices. How have they gone this week?
Paul Klee (moderator) — 12:55 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Kevin- Fine. They've only had one, and no cups were thrown, no doors were slammed, and the Illini are better prepared for Wisconsin than they were before they walked into Ubben.
Klee
Kenny from Urbana, IL — 12:57 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
I am really nervous about Illinois playing Wisconsin on Thursday and not as nervous then they play Purdue on Sunday. With the Badgers losing 6 in a row, how do you see the Illini playing Thursday and then come back on Sunday to play Purdue at home.
Thanks
Paul Klee (moderator) — 01:00 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Kenny- If I'm an Illini fan, I'm more nervous about playing the angry Boilers than the down-in-the-dumps Badgers.
More on this tomorrow on HQ, but your coach on Thursday will play one of two Big Ten teams that he has a losing record against.
Bruce Weber
Phil from Mahomet, IL — 01:01 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Paul, who is the one player not getting alot of minutes right now that you would play more if you were the coach and why?
Paul Klee (moderator) — 01:02 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Phil- Bubba Chisholm. Illinois is 9-1 when Bubba gets in the game.
Klee
Paul Klee (moderator) — 01:04 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
And Phil, I'm kidding. Bruce Weber is playing the guys that give him the best chance to win. At times last season, I think he used different opportunities for developing players and getting them experience. They practiced differently, too, with the mini-practices. But right now, he's coaching to win the Big Ten.
Klee
Lewis Jackson from Purdue, Indiana — 01:06 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
What is Trent's current state of mind? How does he get out of this slump? It doesn't seem like he's getting open, and he's shooting much less.
It would be a shame if his remarkable and inspirational career as an Illini ended this way.
Paul Klee (moderator) — 01:11 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Lewis- I thought you got fouled at the end of regulation last night. So did Steve Lavin.
Trent's state of mind? As far as his basketball goes, his confidence isn't what it has been. He acknowledged, too, that he needs to be more aggressive. In fact, when I asked him about his Big Ten assists (24) to turnovers (4), he said that isn't necessarily a good stat.
"There's times when I can try to make things happen a little more, attack the basket," Meacham said.
Non-basketballwise, he's doing great. His fiancee is leading the Atlantic-10 in scoring at 20.9 ppg, and he's well on his way to earning a Master's degree. His next diary in the News-Gazette is two weeks from Sunday.
Trent's a positive guy. You folks are lucky to have him at Illinois.
Klee
George Karl from Denver, CO — 01:12 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Thank god Pop decided to sit all of this stars last night or we could have really got thumped.
Seriously though, which current Illini do you think have a shot at the NBA right now?
Paul Klee (moderator) — 01:15 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Popp- Let's remember, K-Mart didn't play, either, and Chauncey didn't play past the second quarter. So it was almost evened out. But you're right, last night was not the Nuggets' finest hour. Except for the Birdman.
Does anyone draft better than the Spurs? George Hill is another late-round pick that's producing.
Demetri McCamey and Mike Davis come to mind. But they each have a long, long, long way to go before that's a possibility.
Klee
Todd Stimpert from Minonk, Illinois — 01:17 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
As of right now, how are the Illini sitting on available scholarships for the upcoming recruiting classes.
Paul Klee (moderator) — 01:18 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Todd- At least for right now, the next time Illinois will have an open scholarship available is in the 2011 recruiting class, when they figure to have five spots available, though Tracy Abrams will take one of those.
Klee
Kelvin Sampson from Chicago, Illinois — 01:19 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Who do you see in our starting line-up next season? Tisdale, Davis, Legion, McCamey and Jordan?
Paul Klee (moderator) — 01:20 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Kelvin- McCamey, Legion, Richardson (provided he qualifies, and he told me he's right on track), Davis and Tisdale. That's my guess.
Klee
Nupe Roy from Chicago, IL — 01:22 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
I think Weber is a great defensive coach. I was wondering what your thoughts on his evaluation of talent. Hummel would have love to come here, but he took Cole instead. The LewJack saga has been well documented. There were rumors that he didn't think much of Evan Turner till too late. I do think he was pretty astute with Tisdale though. Any thoughts?
Paul Klee (moderator) — 01:32 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Nupe- Robbie Hummel had plenty of ties in Champaign (still does). And let's hope his back injury is not as bad as it appears, great kid. Here's what he told me in October:
"My grandpa was a professor there. He taught chemistry at the U of I. My grandma went there, got her teacher's license," he said. "My dad, two uncles and aunt all went to school there. My dad played tennis there. My grandparents still live in Champaign. So I've been there a million times."
Lewis Jackson, I've been saying forever he deserved a closer look than he received. Illinois people will tell you, "Which one of the 2009 guards would you give up?" But that's not the issue. The Illini's weakness right now on offense is getting in the lane, and no one in the Big Ten gets in the lane better than Lewis Jackson.
Evan Turner, his recruitment I wrote about in a Live In-Game Report. He was theirs to have, and he's at Ohio State.
All of that said, they also evaluated Mike Tisdale, Mike Davis, Demetri McCamey and tracked Brandon Paul before many others. All coaches hit and miss. I'd say Illinois is an awfully comfortable spot right now. If they don't fall apart, you're looking at another long run of NCAA tournament berths.
Klee
Matt from Champaign, IL — 01:33 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Can anyone acknowledge the fact that Tisdale cannot defend the pick and roll and has a hard time defending any big man who is remotely athletic? It is like he is playing defense in mud. He has a sweet shot but seems to get lost playing defense. Also, is there a reason why Semrau's playing time has decreased to almost non-existant levels?
Paul Klee (moderator) — 01:35 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Matt- Tough crowd. Mike Tisdale is arguably the most improved player in the Big Ten. And yes, he's a poor defender that hopefully (for Illinois' sake) will improve in time.
Klee
Bill Self from Lawrence, Kansas — 01:36 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Did you expect Keller to have the impact he has? Is he the break-out player of the year? Or would you give it to Tisdale or Davis?
Also, has Weber effectively silenced his critics. He's winning with his own player, and he's recruiting top talent.
Paul Klee (moderator) — 01:39 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Bill- Dominique Keller was an excellent recruit, and pivotal to Illinois' success this season. He gives them a productive backup center, and his work off the court might be as valuable. He's one of their better recruiters. Can't tell you how many times I've been on the phone with D.J. Richardson or Tyler Griffey, and one of them said they just got a text from Dominique Keller. That stuff helps, and you can't teach it.
As Jim Rossow has written in his weekly Big Ten Report, Bruce Weber should be the Big Ten Coach of the Year if the season ended today.
Klee
Paul Klee (moderator) — 01:43 PM on Wed, 02/04/2009
Going to wrap this one up. On HQ today and tomorrow, we'll have complete preview coverage of Thursday's game at Wisconsin and a Live Report from Kohl Center, so send your questions there.
Good afternoon everyone, thanks for coming by for another Illinois basketball chat. Feel free to send your questions, we've got a bunch, and I'll be here for the next hour or so.
Bob Asmussen is across the office from Klee, conducting his signing day chat, and sports editor Jim Rossow says Bob will be here all day answering your questions. Bob wasn't given a vote in the matter, but Jim just fed him cottage cheese, so he's happy.
Fire away.
Klee
Klee,
where does the Assembly Hall rank in terms of Big 10 arenas? And how is it for visitors?
Tom- Not sure how you mean, but I
Klee,
I think people are making to much out of this Legion situation so far. He is going to be a good player for us in the future. But he couldnt play for the first 2 months, so the other guys have pretty much developed a rotation. Give him the rest of the season and this summer especially to improve his weaknesses(ball handling, defense). I expect him to be a big contributor next season. Your thoughts?
Luke- I have this argument with Loren Tate all the time. We come from different schools of thought on freshmen (and Alex Legion
Paul: I am really concerned about Mike Davis. Is it a mental thing or are teams defending him differently now? Also, who do you feel should come off the bench first - Brock or Legion? And why? Thanks,
LA Illini
Eric- Wrote a blog on HQ about this very subject. Mike D has two things working against him, and I think it's going to continue to be a challenge, because he hasn't faced this kind of adversity before.
One, he's not healthy, and that's been apparent in practice, and he said yesterday he's on medication for a condition they're calling tonsillitis. (Aside: Kenyon Martin sat out the Nuggets-Spurs game last night with tonsillitis.)
Two, teams didn't know what to do with him early this season, because they didn't have much film to go on, and he took advantage of ill-informed scouting reports. Now, Big Ten teams are scouting him better and, "I'm not getting open shots," as he said yesterday.
To answer your second question, Calvin Brock should come off the bench first. Brock was asked yesterday if it makes a difference if you beat a team in the first matchup, as Illinois did with Wisconsin.
How much is Davis' tonsilitis limiting him? Does it limit him constantly, or is it just something that flares up occasionally?
Also, has there been anything in practice to suggest that Trent and/or Legion are likely to snap out of their shooting slumps anytime soon?
Brent- See above, and on HQ. Mike D said his condition flares up when it's cold outside, and it's really, really cold outside.
Here's what he told me yesterday:
This season has been interesting. I never would have guessed 3 months ago that we would be where we are or with who we are. 'Tis and Davis have been a pleasant surprise. What has happened to Semrau? In your opinion, what has kept Legion from making more steady progress? Inquiring minds in Dayton, OH want to know. And have you seen our Flyers play?
Bud- Bruce Weber has gone with an 8.5-man rotation in Big Ten play. Richard Semrau isn't one of their 8.5 best players at the moment. He hasn't given up, though, and played hard in practice yesterday.
Yes I
Bruce Weber puts a premium on practices. How have they gone this week?
Kevin- Fine. They've only had one, and no cups were thrown, no doors were slammed, and the Illini are better prepared for Wisconsin than they were before they walked into Ubben.
Klee
I am really nervous about Illinois playing Wisconsin on Thursday and not as nervous then they play Purdue on Sunday. With the Badgers losing 6 in a row, how do you see the Illini playing Thursday and then come back on Sunday to play Purdue at home.
Thanks
Kenny- If I'm an Illini fan, I'm more nervous about playing the angry Boilers than the down-in-the-dumps Badgers.
More on this tomorrow on HQ, but your coach on Thursday will play one of two Big Ten teams that he has a losing record against.
Bruce Weber
Paul, who is the one player not getting alot of minutes right now that you would play more if you were the coach and why?
Phil- Bubba Chisholm. Illinois is 9-1 when Bubba gets in the game.
Klee
And Phil, I'm kidding. Bruce Weber is playing the guys that give him the best chance to win. At times last season, I think he used different opportunities for developing players and getting them experience. They practiced differently, too, with the mini-practices. But right now, he's coaching to win the Big Ten.
Klee
What is Trent's current state of mind? How does he get out of this slump? It doesn't seem like he's getting open, and he's shooting much less.
It would be a shame if his remarkable and inspirational career as an Illini ended this way.
Lewis- I thought you got fouled at the end of regulation last night. So did Steve Lavin.
Trent's state of mind? As far as his basketball goes, his confidence isn't what it has been. He acknowledged, too, that he needs to be more aggressive. In fact, when I asked him about his Big Ten assists (24) to turnovers (4), he said that isn't necessarily a good stat.
"There's times when I can try to make things happen a little more, attack the basket," Meacham said.
Non-basketballwise, he's doing great. His fiancee is leading the Atlantic-10 in scoring at 20.9 ppg, and he's well on his way to earning a Master's degree. His next diary in the News-Gazette is two weeks from Sunday.
Trent's a positive guy. You folks are lucky to have him at Illinois.
Klee
Thank god Pop decided to sit all of this stars last night or we could have really got thumped.
Seriously though, which current Illini do you think have a shot at the NBA right now?
Popp- Let's remember, K-Mart didn't play, either, and Chauncey didn't play past the second quarter. So it was almost evened out. But you're right, last night was not the Nuggets' finest hour. Except for the Birdman.
Does anyone draft better than the Spurs? George Hill is another late-round pick that's producing.
Demetri McCamey and Mike Davis come to mind. But they each have a long, long, long way to go before that's a possibility.
Klee
As of right now, how are the Illini sitting on available scholarships for the upcoming recruiting classes.
Todd- At least for right now, the next time Illinois will have an open scholarship available is in the 2011 recruiting class, when they figure to have five spots available, though Tracy Abrams will take one of those.
Klee
Who do you see in our starting line-up next season? Tisdale, Davis, Legion, McCamey and Jordan?
Kelvin- McCamey, Legion, Richardson (provided he qualifies, and he told me he's right on track), Davis and Tisdale. That's my guess.
Klee
I think Weber is a great defensive coach. I was wondering what your thoughts on his evaluation of talent. Hummel would have love to come here, but he took Cole instead. The LewJack saga has been well documented. There were rumors that he didn't think much of Evan Turner till too late. I do think he was pretty astute with Tisdale though. Any thoughts?
Nupe- Robbie Hummel had plenty of ties in Champaign (still does). And let's hope his back injury is not as bad as it appears, great kid. Here's what he told me in October:
"My grandpa was a professor there. He taught chemistry at the U of I. My grandma went there, got her teacher's license," he said. "My dad, two uncles and aunt all went to school there. My dad played tennis there. My grandparents still live in Champaign. So I've been there a million times."
Lewis Jackson, I've been saying forever he deserved a closer look than he received. Illinois people will tell you, "Which one of the 2009 guards would you give up?" But that's not the issue. The Illini's weakness right now on offense is getting in the lane, and no one in the Big Ten gets in the lane better than Lewis Jackson.
Evan Turner, his recruitment I wrote about in a Live In-Game Report. He was theirs to have, and he's at Ohio State.
All of that said, they also evaluated Mike Tisdale, Mike Davis, Demetri McCamey and tracked Brandon Paul before many others. All coaches hit and miss. I'd say Illinois is an awfully comfortable spot right now. If they don't fall apart, you're looking at another long run of NCAA tournament berths.
Klee
Can anyone acknowledge the fact that Tisdale cannot defend the pick and roll and has a hard time defending any big man who is remotely athletic? It is like he is playing defense in mud. He has a sweet shot but seems to get lost playing defense. Also, is there a reason why Semrau's playing time has decreased to almost non-existant levels?
Matt- Tough crowd. Mike Tisdale is arguably the most improved player in the Big Ten. And yes, he's a poor defender that hopefully (for Illinois' sake) will improve in time.
Klee
Did you expect Keller to have the impact he has? Is he the break-out player of the year? Or would you give it to Tisdale or Davis?
Also, has Weber effectively silenced his critics. He's winning with his own player, and he's recruiting top talent.
Bill- Dominique Keller was an excellent recruit, and pivotal to Illinois' success this season. He gives them a productive backup center, and his work off the court might be as valuable. He's one of their better recruiters. Can't tell you how many times I've been on the phone with D.J. Richardson or Tyler Griffey, and one of them said they just got a text from Dominique Keller. That stuff helps, and you can't teach it.
As Jim Rossow has written in his weekly Big Ten Report, Bruce Weber should be the Big Ten Coach of the Year if the season ended today.
Klee
Going to wrap this one up. On HQ today and tomorrow, we'll have complete preview coverage of Thursday's game at Wisconsin and a Live Report from Kohl Center, so send your questions there.
Thanks for all the questions.
Klee