Each week, HQ know-it-all Tony Bleill takes your questions:

Q: Look into your crystal ball and tell me where the Illinois basketball teams – men and women – will be seeded for the 2010 NCAA tournaments.

A: For the men, I would forecast a No. 4, with a small chance at a No. 3.

That might not seem like much of a step up, but keep in mind the Illini were overseeded as a No. 5 this season. They had lost three of their last four entering the NCAA tournament and were without the heart and soul of their team in Chester Frazier. The Illini might have earned a No. 5 seed based on their earlier play, but they were more like a No. 6 or 7 when the tournament began.

To get a No. 3 in 2010, the Illini need Alex Legion to become a consistent force, for the incoming backcourt players to make an immediate impact and for someone, anyone, to step forward to become the type of leader that Frazier was.

As for the women, I'd peg them as a No. 9 or 10. I think they'll finish fourth or fifth in the Big Ten, which would likely put them somewhere on the NCAA bubble, and I think they could wind up being one of the final teams selected to the field.

Q: Where does Thursday's loss to Western Kentucky rank among the Illini's string of NCAA tournament disappointments?

A: Well, Austin Peay (1987) and Chattanooga ('97) made sure the bar was set pretty high, so I wouldn't say Thursday's loss ranks up there with those.

But it probably would land near the 1990 first-round loss to Dayton, which, like Western Kentucky, was a No. 12 seed. And I'd also throw in the 2007 first-round loss to Virginia Tech. That Illinois team was a No. 12 seed without high expectations, but keep in mind the Illini blew a double-digit lead in the game's final minutes.

Q: Are future World Baseball Classics already on the schedule?

A: The only thing we know is the next one will take place in 2013. After a three-year break since the inaugural event, Major League Baseball has elected to go with four-year breaks between events. There also is talk of expanding to 24 teams, which would force alterations in the schedule and format.

Q: Who's considered the best Illinois wrestler of all time?

A: Joe Sapora (1929-30 at 115) and Bob Norman (1957-58 at heavyweight) are the only wrestlers who have won back-to-back national titles, so they'd have to be in the discussion.

Among the more recent competitors, three are hard to separate: Ernest Benion (158), Adam Tirapelle (149) and Matt Lackey (165). Each had a first, a second and a third at the NCAA meet. I'd probably go with Lackey, who has the highest winning percentage in school history (.896).

Q: Central in '08, Centennial in '09: What area boys' basketball team is going to make state in '10?

A: I'm going with Salt Fork in Class 1A. The Storm won 28 games and reached the sectional final before losing to eventual state champ Meridian. Every starter was an underclassman, so the future holds good things for Salt Fork.