Talk with Illinois men's basketball beat writer Paul Klee
Paul Klee (moderator) — 12:33 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Good afternoon everyone, thanks for coming by for another Illinois basketball chat. I'll be there until about 1:30. Then it's off to lunch at Farren's. Fire away.
Klee
Jimmy from Dallas, TX — 12:34 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Klee, any news on how David and Bertrand are recovering from their injuries? Thanks
Paul Klee (moderator) — 12:35 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Jimmy
Tom F from Oak Brook, IL — 12:36 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Paul, who do you think plays more this season Tyler Griffey or Brandon Paul?
Paul Klee (moderator) — 12:40 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Tom
Chris Yates from Grand Rapids, Michigan — 12:41 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
There has been quite a bit of chatter about recruiting Bradley Beal and Chasson Randle, but how are the Illini doing in recruiting the talented in-state wings from the class of 2011, such as Sam Thompson, Dre Henley, and Jacob Williams?
Paul Klee (moderator) — 12:43 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Chris- Illinois continues to pursue Sam Thompson, and the staff was on the phone with the Thompsons last week, I think it was. The Illini also were in Carbondale at Brehm Prep earlier this week. That's where Dre Henley goes to school. I'm sure they were looking at James Siakam and Emmanuel Ochenje as well.
Klee
Scott from St. Louis, MO — 12:43 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Paul:
AFter watching the illini's practices, do you see significant player development from Davis and Tisdale similar to last year?
Paul Klee (moderator) — 12:50 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Scott- Honestly, that's a tough question to answer. I think Mike Davis was playing with a great deal of confidence in the spring, before the injury. That's coming back gradually after a long hiatus over the summer. The two Mikes don't look any different. They're still skinny. Both players say they're stronger.
But that thin (size-wise) frontcourt is one reason I think the three most important players on the roster are Dominique Keller (frontcourt girth, physical play), D.J. Richardson (to run the point when Illinois needs scoring, allowing Demetri McCamey to move off the ball) and Alex Legion (to average double-digits in the scoring column). And by most important, I mean those three guys will have a big say in Illinois' season.
Klee
Brent from StL, MO — 12:52 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Paul,
Given the current state of affairs with the football team, it makes me reflect on how much I appreciate Coach Weber. He always seems to get the most out of the talent he has available to him, and for the most part we as Illini fans know that we are at least going to be competitive in any given matchup. On the other end of the spectrum, we have Coach Zook who seemingly has loads of talent that get us all excited, but so often it seems that potential is not being maximized. What is the key difference in their coaching styles? What is Bruce's secret?...game planning?...focus on fundamentals?...motivation?
Paul Klee (moderator) — 12:54 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Brent- Wish I could help you there, but I really can't answer that question, because I'm not around football often, so that wouldn't be right. I do know that nobody on this chat was asking me for Bruce Weber's secret two years ago, during the 2007-08 season. Opinions are fickle like that.
Klee
Scott from Peoria, IL — 12:56 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
How is recruiting going for '11? Is Miller still going to visit? Is Beal close to a decision? Any infromation would be much appreciated!
Paul Klee (moderator) — 12:58 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Scott- Recruiting for '11 is at full throttle. Here's some info: an Illinois coach was on the west coast in the last few days to see Kevin Johnson, the 2011 big man. You're always looking for a connection, and his high school coach has connections in central Illinois. We'll see if that's enough of a connection.
Klee
Joe from Laurel, MD — 01:00 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Paul,
Do you think October is the month when we start to see some more definitive action on the recruiting front? Personally, I'm expecting at least one verbal next month. Remember that it was two years ago when we had the bonanza with the 2009 class and the dominoes are currently lined up for 2011.
Paul Klee (moderator) — 01:05 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Joe- Having three home football games in October should help the basketball coaches. Nnana Egwu is scheduled to be on campus Sunday - he's not much of a football fan, so that's probably why he won't be at the Penn State game.
And then you have Illini Madness on Oct. 16, an event that's critical for UI recruiting.
"This is by far the event that we put the most time into each year. There
Greg from Willard, Ohio — 01:06 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Are going to pick up the pace this year, or is going to be another boring, plodding walk up the floor?
Do we ever have good Bb and football teams at the same time???????
Paul Klee (moderator) — 01:11 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Greg- The coaches have told me numerous times it will be a quicker pace with more scoring. I have my doubts, because I have yet to cover an Illinois team that has averaged more than 64 points. But these guys coach to their team's strengths, and the strength of recent Illinois teams has been on the defensive end and limiting possessions. That's the short answer.
But I know that if you go back to Weber's early days at Illinois and his days at SIU, his best teams put up numbers. His 2001-02 SIU squad advanced to the Sweet 16 and averaged 75.5 points. (For comparison's sake, the Big Ten leader averaged 72.9.) His 2002-03 SIU squad made the NCAA tournament and averaged 74.4 points. (The Big Ten leader averaged 71.2.)
In a four-year stretch - covering seasons at SIU and Illinois - Weber's teams ranked first or second in their league in scoring.
So that should give you hope, Greg. As for good basketball teams and football teams at the same time, you might have to move to Denver. The Broncos are 3-0 and the Nuggets are coming off a berth in the Western Conference Finals. Not to mention the Rockies... but I digress.
Klee
pippin from champaign, il — 01:14 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
deron williams seemed to make Weber's motion offense work. which of the current guards can ignite the motion?
Paul Klee (moderator) — 01:16 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Pippin- Think a big question heading into this season is how well D.J. Richardson handles the point when they move Demetri McCamey off the ball. I think he'll be up to it.
Klee
Myron Moore from Chicago, IL — 01:20 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
What's going on Klee. I admire your work on the future "Flying Illini Part 2!" You are tremendously well connected. What is the deal with this whole Wayne Blackshear, Mike Shaw saga? It looks like Wayne Blackshear might be wavering on making the move in committing to Louisville & is still considering Illinois. I read yesterday that Mike Shaw convinced him to take a visit with him to Champaign soon? Can we possibility get both of these guys. If so, that would be the biggest recruiting coup in the Bruce Era and would go a long way towards having the stat of Illinois on lock when it comes to recruiting the best plyers.
Paul Klee (moderator) — 01:23 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Myron- I would be surprised if Illinois lands Wayne Blackshear. Not saying it can't happen, but it would be a surprise. All of the college coaches I've spoken to lately believe he's Louisville-bound - at least right now, and these things change. He's awfully talented.
Klee
Michael from Chicago, Illinois — 01:25 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Klee,
On the message boards it stated that Quincy Miller was plannining on visiting U of I on 9/23. Did he in fact visit, and if so how did it go?
Paul Klee (moderator) — 01:26 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Michael- I don't believe he was on campus. For what it's worth, his coach told me Quincy Miller wasn't going to make a college decision until his senior year. That one appears to have a ways to go. Klee
Jancy from Urbana, IL — 01:28 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Hey, Paul - Since you are our official hoops guru, just how tough do you think that the Illini pre-season schedule is? If I remember correctly, you've mentioned the ACC/Big Ten Challenge game where the Illini are at Clemson on December 2nd could be tough, but what do you think about the schedule overall? Thanks much.
Paul Klee (moderator) — 01:29 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Jancy
Mark Fox from Ludlow, IL — 01:31 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
In last week's session, you thought only 4 commitments would be taken from the Class of 2011. I see there are about a gazillion SG offers. What kind of position mix is Coach Weber actually looking for out of this class?
Paul Klee (moderator) — 01:35 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Mark- They have the point guard in place with Tracy Abrams, and I think they'd like to add another guard (Demetri and Alex will be gone) and a big man. The fourth could be a wing or another big man. That could change, it usually does.
Klee
Ryan from Oswego, IL — 01:36 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
I don't know much about Gonzaga's team this year, but I am considering getting tickets to the game. How does that matchup look? Will it be worthy of a United Center-filled crowd?
Paul Klee (moderator) — 01:40 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Ryan
Feets31 from Plymouth, IN — 01:40 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Has Keller been benched by the Twitter police? He only had one post yesterday.
Paul Klee (moderator) — 01:44 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Feets- Not that I'm aware of. That man loves Twitter. He was benched from media interviews for a few days after he told Klee last season how he truly feels about Indiana, but other than that he's been one of the most insightful quotes in years.
I'm sure he'll be back on Twitter before long.
Klee
Paul Klee (moderator) — 01:44 PM on Wed, 09/30/2009
Posted a question on Twitter (PKlee_IlliniHQ) today - Where would you rank Illinois in the preseason poll? - and your responses will publish in the Corner on Sunday.
Going to wrap this up. More hoops coverage coming later this week on HQ. Thanks again, we truly appreciate your time.
Good afternoon everyone, thanks for coming by for another Illinois basketball chat. I'll be there until about 1:30. Then it's off to lunch at Farren's. Fire away.
Klee
Klee, any news on how David and Bertrand are recovering from their injuries? Thanks
Jimmy
Paul, who do you think plays more this season Tyler Griffey or Brandon Paul?
Tom
There has been quite a bit of chatter about recruiting Bradley Beal and Chasson Randle, but how are the Illini doing in recruiting the talented in-state wings from the class of 2011, such as Sam Thompson, Dre Henley, and Jacob Williams?
Chris- Illinois continues to pursue Sam Thompson, and the staff was on the phone with the Thompsons last week, I think it was. The Illini also were in Carbondale at Brehm Prep earlier this week. That's where Dre Henley goes to school. I'm sure they were looking at James Siakam and Emmanuel Ochenje as well.
Klee
Paul:
AFter watching the illini's practices, do you see significant player development from Davis and Tisdale similar to last year?
Scott- Honestly, that's a tough question to answer. I think Mike Davis was playing with a great deal of confidence in the spring, before the injury. That's coming back gradually after a long hiatus over the summer. The two Mikes don't look any different. They're still skinny. Both players say they're stronger.
But that thin (size-wise) frontcourt is one reason I think the three most important players on the roster are Dominique Keller (frontcourt girth, physical play), D.J. Richardson (to run the point when Illinois needs scoring, allowing Demetri McCamey to move off the ball) and Alex Legion (to average double-digits in the scoring column). And by most important, I mean those three guys will have a big say in Illinois' season.
Klee
Paul,
Given the current state of affairs with the football team, it makes me reflect on how much I appreciate Coach Weber. He always seems to get the most out of the talent he has available to him, and for the most part we as Illini fans know that we are at least going to be competitive in any given matchup. On the other end of the spectrum, we have Coach Zook who seemingly has loads of talent that get us all excited, but so often it seems that potential is not being maximized. What is the key difference in their coaching styles? What is Bruce's secret?...game planning?...focus on fundamentals?...motivation?
Brent- Wish I could help you there, but I really can't answer that question, because I'm not around football often, so that wouldn't be right. I do know that nobody on this chat was asking me for Bruce Weber's secret two years ago, during the 2007-08 season. Opinions are fickle like that.
Klee
How is recruiting going for '11? Is Miller still going to visit? Is Beal close to a decision? Any infromation would be much appreciated!
Scott- Recruiting for '11 is at full throttle. Here's some info: an Illinois coach was on the west coast in the last few days to see Kevin Johnson, the 2011 big man. You're always looking for a connection, and his high school coach has connections in central Illinois. We'll see if that's enough of a connection.
Klee
Paul,
Do you think October is the month when we start to see some more definitive action on the recruiting front? Personally, I'm expecting at least one verbal next month. Remember that it was two years ago when we had the bonanza with the 2009 class and the dominoes are currently lined up for 2011.
Joe- Having three home football games in October should help the basketball coaches. Nnana Egwu is scheduled to be on campus Sunday - he's not much of a football fan, so that's probably why he won't be at the Penn State game.
And then you have Illini Madness on Oct. 16, an event that's critical for UI recruiting.
"This is by far the event that we put the most time into each year. There
Are going to pick up the pace this year, or is going to be another boring, plodding walk up the floor?
Do we ever have good Bb and football teams at the same time???????
Greg- The coaches have told me numerous times it will be a quicker pace with more scoring. I have my doubts, because I have yet to cover an Illinois team that has averaged more than 64 points. But these guys coach to their team's strengths, and the strength of recent Illinois teams has been on the defensive end and limiting possessions. That's the short answer.
But I know that if you go back to Weber's early days at Illinois and his days at SIU, his best teams put up numbers. His 2001-02 SIU squad advanced to the Sweet 16 and averaged 75.5 points. (For comparison's sake, the Big Ten leader averaged 72.9.) His 2002-03 SIU squad made the NCAA tournament and averaged 74.4 points. (The Big Ten leader averaged 71.2.)
In a four-year stretch - covering seasons at SIU and Illinois - Weber's teams ranked first or second in their league in scoring.
So that should give you hope, Greg. As for good basketball teams and football teams at the same time, you might have to move to Denver. The Broncos are 3-0 and the Nuggets are coming off a berth in the Western Conference Finals. Not to mention the Rockies... but I digress.
Klee
deron williams seemed to make Weber's motion offense work. which of the current guards can ignite the motion?
Pippin- Think a big question heading into this season is how well D.J. Richardson handles the point when they move Demetri McCamey off the ball. I think he'll be up to it.
Klee
What's going on Klee. I admire your work on the future "Flying Illini Part 2!" You are tremendously well connected. What is the deal with this whole Wayne Blackshear, Mike Shaw saga? It looks like Wayne Blackshear might be wavering on making the move in committing to Louisville & is still considering Illinois. I read yesterday that Mike Shaw convinced him to take a visit with him to Champaign soon? Can we possibility get both of these guys. If so, that would be the biggest recruiting coup in the Bruce Era and would go a long way towards having the stat of Illinois on lock when it comes to recruiting the best plyers.
Myron- I would be surprised if Illinois lands Wayne Blackshear. Not saying it can't happen, but it would be a surprise. All of the college coaches I've spoken to lately believe he's Louisville-bound - at least right now, and these things change. He's awfully talented.
Klee
Klee,
On the message boards it stated that Quincy Miller was plannining on visiting U of I on 9/23. Did he in fact visit, and if so how did it go?
Michael- I don't believe he was on campus. For what it's worth, his coach told me Quincy Miller wasn't going to make a college decision until his senior year. That one appears to have a ways to go. Klee
Hey, Paul - Since you are our official hoops guru, just how tough do you think that the Illini pre-season schedule is? If I remember correctly, you've mentioned the ACC/Big Ten Challenge game where the Illini are at Clemson on December 2nd could be tough, but what do you think about the schedule overall? Thanks much.
Jancy
In last week's session, you thought only 4 commitments would be taken from the Class of 2011. I see there are about a gazillion SG offers. What kind of position mix is Coach Weber actually looking for out of this class?
Mark- They have the point guard in place with Tracy Abrams, and I think they'd like to add another guard (Demetri and Alex will be gone) and a big man. The fourth could be a wing or another big man. That could change, it usually does.
Klee
I don't know much about Gonzaga's team this year, but I am considering getting tickets to the game. How does that matchup look? Will it be worthy of a United Center-filled crowd?
Ryan
Has Keller been benched by the Twitter police? He only had one post yesterday.
Feets- Not that I'm aware of. That man loves Twitter. He was benched from media interviews for a few days after he told Klee last season how he truly feels about Indiana, but other than that he's been one of the most insightful quotes in years.
I'm sure he'll be back on Twitter before long.
Klee
Posted a question on Twitter (PKlee_IlliniHQ) today - Where would you rank Illinois in the preseason poll? - and your responses will publish in the Corner on Sunday.
Going to wrap this up. More hoops coverage coming later this week on HQ. Thanks again, we truly appreciate your time.
Klee