Reach Tate for his Monday chat here

CHAMPAIGN – December arrives Tuesday with momentous decisions facing the UI Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. The shape of the coming years lies in the balance.

Where do we start?

Assembly Hall

Almost forgotten in the din of competition is the plan to initiate the first phase of Hall renovation. It takes money ... Big Money that could go beyond the $120 million required to modernize Memorial Stadium with revenue-producing suites and boxes.

Groundwork has been laid by UI fundraisers to the point where, in the next two to three months, presentations will be made to five major entities for the acquisition of naming rights, a sum in the neighborhood of $2 million per year for the next 20 to 25 years. Only after naming rights have been established to the tune of $40 or $50 million can the massive process move forward.

The leadership vacuum

The past chain of command was clear with athletic director Ron Guenther reporting to former UI chancellor Richard Herman while the Board of Trustees used sports-minded liaisons Robert Sperling and then Dave Dorris, both now gone.

While the new board has other pressing matters, it would be helpful if this situation was clarified at the December meeting. And, more than anything, it is critical to learn whether Guenther wishes to extend his contract beyond the one year remaining.

If Guenther elects to stay through 2012, and the board approves, issues related to the Assembly Hall and the shaky football situation could be handled routinely. But if Guenther intends (or is asked) to step down in December 2010, work should begin in the spring to locate a new director ahead of the fall semester because ... as is becoming clear, results from next football season could require a difficult decision by someone who intends to stay beyond 2010.

And in a matter perhaps unrelated, talks are surfacing on the idea of eliminating the chancellor's position at all three campuses. Interim president Stanley Ikenberry is in charge, but there is a feeling of instability that needs to be clarified.

Football problems

In each of Guenther's two football hires, the recruiting had slipped to a point where neither Ron Turner nor Ron Zook had much hope for early success. In their first two seasons at Illinois, Turner went 3-19 and Zook went 4-19. It is ironic that both peaked by reaching BCS bowls, only to slide back again.

While Guenther has announced Zook will be given another year, numerous factors must weigh into the ultimate evaluation after Saturday's game with Fresno State: (1) can serious recruiting slippage be turned, (2) what are the chances of Zook producing a winner against the difficulties of the schedule, (3) are there staff problems that need to be resolved and (4) what would be the severest financial setback, a buyout or the lost ticket revenue next season?

Short of Zook masterminding a stunning revival, it is a no-win situation. The current freshman class appears average by Big Ten standards, and the Illini are behind on the recruiting front for 2010. If this is compounded with further player acquisition shortfalls next year, the repercussions could be felt for years.

Meanwhile, next year's senior class has been diminished with washouts taking roughly half of the 21 original signees.

Basketball reappraisal

Two disappointing losses in Las Vegas require an agonizing reappraisal of Bruce Weber's cagers.

More than 1,000 UI fans watched the debacles, and one of them reverse-paraphrased Dennis Green when he said: "We aren't who we thought we were."

You'll recall Weber asked in the preseason, "Who's gonna guard?" He is still looking for that answer. Dribble penetration is just one of the concerns for a club that is being outmuscled.

The Alex Legion situation is becoming serious. Weber started the Kentucky transfer in both halves of Saturday's 72-68 loss to Bradley, removed him early and played him eight minutes altogether. Freshmen Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson, who impressed in early outings at home, unraveled on the Orleans court. These multiple problems influenced Weber to give Jeff Jordan 19 minutes Friday against Utah and 25 minutes Saturday, an indication that the coach is searching less for scoring and more for tenacity.

And it must be noted that while Mike Tisdale used his medium jumper to score 30 points in the two Vegas games, he didn't always win the post-up battles. Bradley center Will Egolf scored twice on layups to cut into the UI's 66-61 lead as the inspired underdogs outscored the Illini 11-2 in the final minutes.

What we saw in the non-televised events were widening cracks in the UI basketball foundation, cracks that may not be healed overnight.

Loren Tate writes for The News-Gazette. He can be reached at ltate@news-gazette.com.