John,

I don't believe so. Jordan Diamond seems pretty set on choosing between Michigan, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Arkansas and Auburn. And to my knowledge, there wasn't a Beckman staff-Diamond connection before the coaches came to Illinois, so it'd be difficult this late in the game.

When will the staff have a "really good quality" class? I don't know for sure, but 2013 is a great chance. There's some decent depth in regards to quality in-state players, and the staff has a whole year to hit the recruiting trail. At the initial glance, the staff seems to be a good group of recruiters. And I've heard positive feedback from people they've talked with. But they still have to prove they can get the players -- so watch closely in the 2013 recruiting cycle.

Andy,

It will be near the bottom -- in the bottom one-third. Where in there is arguable, but that's the basic area. Might not be what fans want to hear, but it is what it is. That's what the people who make a living rating players are saying. They're right far more often than they're wrong.

I expect there will be some quality players who contribute and make a difference, but the quality depth just isn't there in this 2012 class. That's not the fault of Beckman or his staff. They came in late, were in a difficult situation and have done their best in picking up a few good youngsters.

Red,

The Jon Davis signing day steal was a good one last year; I think he's going to be important next fall. I don't think you'll see Illinois make a last-minute grab and get someone who is as highly regarded as Davis, but there are some quality players whose decisions will go to the 11th hour.

Here's two names: DT Vincent Valentine of Edwardsville, Ill., seems set on deciding on signing day, and DT Terrell Jackson of Columbuns, Ohio, is likely going to make one more visit, mull his decision and then announce it on signing day. So watch out for those guys. Each would fill a need for the Illini and be good last-minute get.

Dennis,

Rapid fire here, try as best I can to get all these. I've struggled to get any read on the Vince Valentine recruitment from Day 1. Just didn't quite get the Florida interest in a good-but-not-great player from Edwardsville, Ill. So I think it's between Illinois and Nebraska. Pull a name out of a hat and you'll have as good of an idea as I do. So decent chances for the Illini, though.

I don't think you'll see Dondi Kirby or Clint Tucker here. I forget all the details, but if they weren't qualifiers out of high school, usually you have to go to juco for two years (or at least 1 1/2 semesters). On the quick take here, I forget their exact situations. But with a new staff too, I think that ship may have sailed.

The coaches are already recruiting the 2013 class. They had a bunch of juniors on campus on Sunday, about 25. They are watching film on the 2013 players too. That class is a huge priority, they've been focusing on it almost as much as 2012, from what I understand.

We could be here all day talking recruiting rules. Here's the short of it. From Feb. 3 until mid-April, it's a quiet period, meaning juniors can come to campus but coaches can't go out and visit them. Then from April 15 until May 31, it's an evaluation period, where they can go to high schools. But even then, there are restrictions on the contact they can have with recruits.

John B,

I don't know of any players from out West because Illinois isn't recruiting out there. And this staff won't recruit out there unless there's a direct tie to a player. It takes more resources to go recruit out there, and there aren't any previous inroads really, be it with the recent past at Illinois or with this staff. You can't recruit everywhere; there's only 10 coaches to be places. This staff will stick to the areas where there's talent and where it has connections. It's a good plan.

Stumpwalsh,

To clarify, you never had Vin Ascolese. Not sure you can lose a recruit if he wasn't yours in the first place. He's from New Jersey. He gave Illinois one visit, considered it and went elsewhere, in this case choosing Arkansas today.

Illini,

Good question, and there is a player out there like that. He's interested in Illinois, too. Tyler Ulis of Marian Catholic is one of those quick, undersized point guards. He's listed at 5-foot-7. He visited Illinois recently, though he doesn't have an offer. It's still very early in the sophomore's recruitment, but the Illini will keep an eye on him. He handles the ball very well.

Not sure if Ulis is the answer, but I do agree that an infusion of speed that can also handle the ball well would be a help for Illinois. The Illini have some great athletes (and lost one in Crandall Head as well), but you're only as fast as you can dribble the ball.

Optimistic,

In the sense of being the lead recruiter on guys, no they haven't had an impact yet. Teko Powell's main recruiter was Keith Gilmore; Jevaris Little and Mason Monheim both knew Beckman and the Toledo guys previously; and Mike Ward was important in T.J. Neal's decision to choose Illinois.

They've still had an impact in the sense that a lot of kids were on campus last weekend, and they were pushing hard to get them to come to Illinois. In the end, it's still a team effort more than anything. So they still been very involved, and maybe we'll see one of them be the lead recruiter on a kid who makes a late decision in the next couple days.

Also worth noting is that of the six recruits Beckman has picked up since taking over at Illinois, at least four (maybe five, depending on where Justin Hardee plays), have been defensive players. So that's why Beatty and Gonzales haven't been as front and center. Illinois needed to fill defensive needs more so than offense; the Illini got a bunch of O-lineman last year, a good TE and don't really have to get a QB in this class.

CU,

I don't know of any local kids right now. That's something we can ask the coaches about later. Obviously, there's not any local seniors who will be offered scholarships. And walk-ons will be decided later, so part of it is just waiting.

Buzzmaster,

You in large part answered your question at the end. He's a junior.

The new staff, as a whole, has been in place for about two weeks. The coaches needed to finish out the 2012 class. And in the 2013 class, there are other players who are bigger priorities right now. So the staff hasn't had time to get everywhere, to see everyone. So give it some time. If he's that good, the Illinois staff will find him.

Larry,

Illinois hasn't offered that many point guards in the 2014 class. Off the top of my head, I think of Johnnie Vassar, but there's some questions there, I think, after he left La Lumiere. And I'm not sure if Larry Austin will be a true point guard. He seems more of a combo guard right now. So if someone were to commit before Austin (can't think of anyone right now who would), he would still be on the radar. Can't have enough ball-handlers.

In a case where someone who the coaches view as a lesser talent is about to commit when a greater talent is still undecided, they would tell the player they want more and give him the opportunity to commit. Kind of push the decision in a way there. That doesn't have anything to do with Austin's situation, but just trying to clear up a hypothetical and realistic situation for you.