David- Crandall said Sunday that he expects to be able to return to the court in January. That's the timetable.

"But I'm thinking about sitting out the whole season, just getting better before I come back down here," Head said.

So there's a chance the general public might not see him on the court until Illini Madness next year. Much will depend on how the rehab goes. He's off crutches now.

Klee

Cort

Rob

Lance

Ryan- Against Quincy, the four guards shot 41 times and the top three big men shot 11 times. Need more balance there. Mike Davis needs more shots. I thought he played awfully well in the practices leading up to the Quincy game, so his four points were a surprise.

This won't go over well, but these Illini are too soft. Need to get tougher. The defense has a ways to go, too, but I think it will improve with game experience. It's early.

Klee

Josh- Tough to say before they get on campus. But one thing that helped the current freshmen mesh with the veterans is that they committed so early in the process. They spent a lot of time on campus before they arrived for good.

There hasn't been a recruit that has spent more time on campus than Crandall Head or Jereme Richmond. That helps. The current players treat those guys as an extension of the team.

But I do anticipate some issues. Not everybody will play as much as they like - or as much as their parents would prefer. Flare-ups are inevitable.

Klee

TK- I think you're looking too far into his comment. Jereme Richmond has talked with the coaches about how long he'll play at Illinois. One Saturday afternoon last fall, for example, while driving around on Jerrance Howard's golf cart, that subject came up in a conversation.

I think there is a long way to go before that should be a talking point. Currently, I don't think he is a one-and-done player. Those rarities possess a certain drive that has yet to come out in Jereme. But I think he has the natural gifts where he can put himself in a position to leave early - if he works hard enough.

Klee

BF- The coaches have spent more time on defense this fall than last year. This team needed more work, and it had more pieces to initiate. The freshmen haven't seen defense emphasized like Bruce Weber emphasizes defense.

Last week in one practice, they spent a long time working on a zone, but I don't think you'll see a zone very often, if at all. Bruce Weber would see that as "giving in" to the players. The defense will improve - it always does under this staff - but I don't see that being a team strength.

To answer your question: On Jan. 1, the defense will be preparing for a Gonzaga team that nearly beat No. 3 Texas in a closed scrimmage at Denver's Pepsi Center on Saturday.

Klee

Alan- Thanks. The fax appears to be the best way. I'm sure they would find another means if it were more dependable. How many scholarships they use in '12 will depend on how many they use in '11 - and whether a player leaves the program. I would guess two recruits in 2012, but it could be three. And I reserve the right to change that opinion, since it's still 2009. Klee

Andrew- I think Meyers Leonard can have an impact next season. You'll have veterans Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale in the frontcourt, so his impact as a freshman could be minimal. You won't need a big impact, but he could help.

Meyers Leonard told me he's around 225 pounds. He has a frame that could put on more weight. We'll see.

Klee

ND- Stunt the growth might be dramatic, but these guards have a different motivation when they get in the lane. Chester Frazier looked to set up the big men. These guards look to score. Their scoring numbers could dip... unless their offensive rebounding numbers go up. Klee

Drew- Look forward to it. I'll have a Dos Equis. Klee

Quinn- If he's healthy this season, I have little doubt Jereme Richmond will play in the McDonald's All-American game. The 2010 event is on March 31 in Columbus, Ohio.

Klee

Paul- That was the biggest adjustment moving to the Midwest a few years back. Fly fishing options are few and far between. There's a spot over near Danville. There are a few farm ponds with generous ranchers. There's a pond on the front nine of a local golf course... but I probably shouldn't divulge which one.

Any ideas? Please send them my way: pklee@news-gazette.com.

Klee

RG- The A.D. has a say in basketball scheduling, but not as great as it is with football. Guenther has a certain number of basketball home games that he wants to have. And football scheduling has affected basketball scheduling in at least two instances just this season (Western Michigan series, Gonzaga game was moved to January to avoid a football conflict).

Illinois basketball would tell you it doesn't have a lot of wiggle room for "new" games or series. They're tied into the required home games, the Braggin' Rights game and the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. That's the short answer.

Klee

Tom- Our friends at Scout.com - Dave Telep and Evan Daniels - ranked the Big Ten's 2010 recruiting hauls like this:

1. Ohio State
2. Illinois
3. Michigan State
4. Purdue
5. Michigan

Klee

Peter- Brandon Paul. That's just my opinion. Klee

Bob- Yes. But then I'm sitting next to Tate, so that makes me feel better. Just kidding Loren.

I remember watching Jereme Richmond's second varsity game. He was 14 years old, a freshman at North Shore Country Day, and he drew a technical foul for slapping the backboard, midway up the white square. He had 31 points and 13 rebounds playing against guys that couldn't dribble. He stayed after the game and shot jumpers and played with his baby sister. Shortly thereafter, he signed his first autograph. About a week later, he scored 47 of his team's 49 points. That seems like a lifetime ago, to be honest, and it has never been boring, and I feel like I've known the Richmonds forever.

There were many fans and coaches and recruiting gurus that told me he would never sign with Illinois. But the Richmonds kept their word.

An interesting note: Jereme Richmond committed in late November, 2006. He actually wanted to commit in August of that year, but Illinois, which had never accepted a commitment from a prep freshman, wanted to make certain. After Bruce Weber watched a two-hour open workout with the freshman, he was certain.

Klee

Bruce- I think a redshirt becomes more of a possibility with each missed practice. Joseph Bertrand missed about a week of practice, so it's hard to say right now. They don't have to make an official decision on a redshirt, they can just keep him off the court and see how the knee progresses.

"At one time he did not want to redshirt," Weber said yesterday. "That goes back to when we recruited him in the fall (of 2007)."

Bertrand probably came back too hard, too soon. The coaches want to make certain the knee is in good shape before he plays at full speed.

"We went from 20 percent to 100 percent," Weber said. "Now we just can't have any long-term damage with his knee. We've got to be careful."

Klee