Since I won't be having a weekly recruiting chat today — I'm covering the Urbana boys soccer team in the Class 2A semifinals at 1 p.m. — I'll try to fill that void by answering a few of the leftover questions from my chat last week.

I should be back at 1 p.m. next Friday, Nov. 9, for another chat. Thanks for reading.

From SeanO,
 If I've counted right, we have one scholly to offer in 2013 and one more in 2014, assuming no one leaves early.  We have 3-6 (depending on whom you believe) outstanding offers for 2013 now that Moore committed to SMU:  Henry, James, Pryor, Colbert, Hamilton & Schilling. First come, first taken...sorry to the other five?!  For our one 2014 slot, we have 13 offers outstanding (assuming Finke not yet offered): Okafor, Vaughn, Alexander, Lyle, Allen, Austin, KBD, White, Bluiett, Yarbrough, Vassar, Turner, & O'Mara. Doesn't that seem like a lot of offers for two slots, even given that several are long shots?

Hi SeanO -
I think what John Groce and his staff have done is typical among college recruiting circles. You always want to extend offers to players who coaches feel fit their system and would leave a mark on their program. I'm not sure what Groce will do for the final scholarship slot for the Class of 2013, but it's better to have multiple offers out to prospects than trying to chase one down. For the players that do have scholarship offers from Illinois right now, knowing that Illinois has only a few spots to fill for the Class of 2013, should also help the recruiting process for them. If they're strongly considering Illinois, it would probably be best for them to decide while there's still a spot available. With more high school players committing earlier every year, it's pretty rare to have high school seniors who are Division I prospects that are uncommitted at this point in the calendar.

From can't wait for the season to start,
Matt,Wondering if you could shed some light on how a few parts of recruiting work.  Coaches seem to always offer more players scholarships than the number of scholarships that they have available.  What if a secondary player or two (players that the staff offered more as an insurance policy) commits to to the school taking the last avaiable scholarships.  What can/does the staff do, when they would rather have the 4 star or 5 star recruit?  Especially since they still want to get that top recruit!can't wait for the season to start

Hi can't wait for the season to start -
Good question, much along the lines of what SeanO asked. WIth recruiting today, if a school likes a kid's talents and thinks they could fit in their system, they'll offer a scholarship. Some players will jump on that chance (think Jalen James in the summer of 2011 when he was offered a scholarship and accepted it on the same day). Some recruits will make their decision right away after receiving an offer. Others will take their time. That's the risk/reward coaches have to take in recruiting. Do they offer a player early, even though they might want to get a higher-ranked player later on? Or do you hold off on the scholarship offer to a player who is solid, but not spectacular right away, and go harder after that elite prospect that most of the other schools are coveting? All Division I programs have a solid recruiting plan for these scenarios, and every situation is different.

From Nick Bauer -
Hey Matt,Who is the next Illinois recruit to make a decision? I know that Groce said he would like to get 5 guys in the 2013 class, so who do you think is the most likely to commit to Illinois next?Nick

Well, Nick, I'm about to pull out my magic crystal ball that will shed light on who is next in the Class of 2013 ... Just kidding. In all seriousness, it's impossible to predict what college a high school senior will ultimately end up at until the words have come out of their mouth and their signature is starting to dry on the letter of intent. Some possibilities in the Class of 2013 are power forward Austin Colbert from New Jersey, power forward Tony Farmer from Garfield Heights High School in Cleveland, Ohio, center Demetrius Henry from Faith Baptist Christian School in Florida and Gavin Schilling, the former Chicago De La Salle power forward who is now at Findlay Prep in Las Vegas, among others. I'd expect Illinois to land either an athletic four or five post player or another point guard. That makes the most sense if you look at the current Illinois roster and the Class of 2013 commits so far.