Paul Klee: Welcome to the News-Gazette's weekly Illini chat. Bob's here, Klee's here, we'll get started right away. As always, thanks for stopping by.

Mike Perry, Decatur, IL: Paul, when will Keller and Simpson be on campus and when will they begin to work out ? Also, when will all the players return from their overseas teams ?

Paul Klee: Stan Simpson is expected on campus in early June, and I believe Dominique Keller is scheduled to arrive later in June or in July. And apparently Dominique Keller goes by the nickname "DK." I was hoping for 'Nique.

Mike Davis, Demetri McCamey and Jerrance Howard have the longest trip. The China tour goes for 13 days, until May 25. There were more details about the trip - the history of the tour, who they play, who's on the team, what Bruce Weber expects of Davis and McCamey, etc. -- in Sunday's Klee's Corner.

An Athletes in Action spokesperson said there is a tour of Poland from May 19-26. That's the tour that is expected to include Alex Legion.

Hope that helps.

Ted, Chicago, IL: Please, let's put aside the nitpicking over semantics and get to the gist of the matter. I'll boil it down to a "yes or no" question for you: Would Ron Zook have kept Walter Mendenhall on scholarship next season if Walter wanted to return to the Illini?

Bob Asmussen: Ted,

No.

It really isn't a "yes-no" question. There are so many things to consider, starting with Walter's status on the team. The truth is, he wasn't as good as his brother. And he isn't as good as the guys who are returning at the position. So, do you want a fifth-year guy sitting on the bench as the fifth-string tailback? No, you don't. No matter who the guy is.

I don't believe for a second that Ron Zook plays favorites with his players. He wants to win. Period. There are no politics involved. If Zook thought using his worst enemy in a game would help him, he would do it.

Walter simply didn't fit into the plans. While he had a year of eligibility remaining, there was no obligation on Zook's part to bring Walter back. Same with Billy Garza, Dan Motuliak, etc.

What complicated this situation is the potential damage done to the relationship between the school and the Mendenhalls when you tell a guy he isn't in the plans.

Maybe it would have been easier for Zook to bring Walter back. But being honest with the player and telling him he doesn't fit in the plans seems like a good idea in this case. Walter has a chance to play somewhere in 2008. If he had stayed at Illinois, he wouldn't have gotten on the field, in my opinion.

Nick, Deland, IL: Hey guys, I had a question regarding Mikel Leshoure. As a senior in high school he was in the running for the Army All-American Game, and didn't make it. That game is for the elite prospects in the nation...right? Why then on all of the recruiting boards did they have him tabbed as a 40 overall grade (the lowest possible for a player)? I know he got hurt, but he's still better than a 40 grade. I think he will prove that in college at the University of Chief Illiniwiek!!!! Your take please. Thanks guys.

Bob Asmussen: Nick,

I think Mikel would tell you he didn't have the kind of senior season he was hoping for. Injuries played a part in it.

As for the All-Star Game, he was under consideration, but needed to have a great senior season to make the cut. Not all the players in the game seem worthy of the honor, but most have standout credentials. Mikel was a two-time News-Gazette All-Stater, but he was stronger as a junior than as a senior.

His Illinois career got a great boost when he enrolled in January. He's got to learn the demands of tailback at the big-time college level. Working with Lou Hernandez and Reggie Mitchell will be a help.

I think he will get playing time in the fall, but not as the starter.

Alan Ryle, Champaign, IL.: Paul,

Will you be able to get reorts of the Illini playing overseas? Also there were reprts of Jerome Richardson wavering. Ipersonally don't buy it, but want your perspective

Paul Klee: The tour organizer, who travels with the team, said he would email updates on the team's games and whereabouts. Jerrance Howard, the head coach, said the same. Given the helter-skelter nature of these tours, I expect reports will be spotty but will certainly pass them along in the News-Gazette as I receive them.

As for Jereme Richmond, you have to expect anxious times when you take a commitment from a 14-year-old high school freshman. And after the EJ Gordon situation, though it was so rare in Illinois' recruiting history, you can't blame Illinois fans for being ultra-sensitive. What Jereme said to a reporter - a respected reporter who was doing his job - was simply a kid wondering aloud. Jereme has said the same thing to me on more than one occasion -- at an AAU event, at the Shootout at the Hall and at North Shore Country Day; what kid wouldn't wonder what the recruiting process would have been like if he had not committed so early. The family has told me the family is committed to Illinois, and I don't believe that has changed. But I would be surprised if this is the last time something like this happens - it comes with the territory. If Illinois and its recruits want the uproars to stop, have some accountability in what is said and don't blame a reporter. I prefer honesty, and it seems to me Jereme Richmond, 16, was merely being honest.

Peter, Rockford, IL: Bob,

What are the chances Illinois/Missouri get snubbed by ESPN and they take the College Gameday crew down to Atlanta for Alabama/Clemson on Aug 30th?

Bob Asmussen: Peter,

I think there's a great chance that GameDay will be in Atlanta. That game was moved there for a reason. The game is already set for prime time on ABC or ESPN. I'll be stunned if ESPN goes to St. Louis.

But, there will be plenty of attention on Illinois-Missouri, starting with the coverage. Don't be surprised if the game airs on ABC as a national game, probably at 2:30 p.m. If you look at the options for ABC that day, there aren't many. Cal-Michigan State is already set for prime time and will likely be a split national with Alabama-Clemson.

Many schools are using that first weekend to get in their I-AA games. In the Big Ten, Iowa, Indiana and Ohio State are playing I-AA teams that weekend.

Jesse Hill, St. Louis, MO: Bob, I know that the athletic department is still processing season ticket requests, but I'm curious coming off the success of last season and the pending stadium renovations if any season ticket numbers have been released yet?

Bob Asmussen: Jesse Hill,

I don't have the numbers yet, but I will put them in the chat and in the paper as soon as they become available.

Student season tickets will be up, as will the public. In the horseshoe, there are about 13,000 or so. I'm guessing the final number will approach 40,000 season tickets, a good number fo r Illinois.

If the team keeps winning, I think you could see Illinois be close to a presellout in a season or two. It won't happen immediately. I also think most of the games this year will be sold out.

Dan, Chatham, Illinois: Will the rumors of a Jereme Richmond decommitment simply hover over him until the day he signs?

Paul Klee: Yes, barring a public decommitment, I think there will be concerns from Illinois fans for roughly the next 17 months.

(Stan Simpson signed with Illinois on Nov. 14 = today is May 14 = the 2010 recruiting class will sign somewhere around Nov. 14, 2009.)

As for hovering over a recruit, the current mini-firestorm was the product of a statement that was made. It didn't appear out of nowhere.

A caller on our radio show Monday night said that, given their recruiting hauls in 2009 and 2010, Illinois will be fine if it loses Jereme Richmond. No. You don't ever want to lose a talent like Jereme Richmond, and I don't think that will happen. Jereme is still the most highly regarded recruit of the Bruce Weber era -- and the Bill Self era, and the Lon Kruger era -- and probably will continue to be so.

Jan S., Urbana, IL: Paul:

Lakers-Jazz -- who wins the series, and in how many?

(And you can call me 'Nique, if it makes you feel better about DK.)

Paul Klee: Jim Rossow and I had this discussion prior to the playoffs. We had to predict different NBA champions for the purpose of a column. He took the Celtics; I took the Jazz. I'll stick with the Jazz. Against the Lakers? I'll take the Jazz in six, though Kobe's health certainly will play a factor.

As I wrote in Klee's Corner on Sunday, the Assembly Hall is expected to host a Jazz exhibition game in October. Theoretically, Deron Williams could be an NBA Finalist and an Olympic gold medalist at that point. And here's a scenario for you: Jazz-Bulls or Jazz-Pacers at the Assembly Hall, with EJ Gordon on the opposing roster. Under that scenario, you have the man (Deron Williams) who told me "I don't know who that is" against the man who, well, he didn't know.

Would that be juicy or what?

Reggie, Boston, MA: Paul, assuming he's back, how good is Jamar Smith going to be? Is he close to a level where he could contend for Player of the Year in the Big Ten? Or is he simply going to be a pretty good player on (hopefully) an improved team?

Paul Klee: On the court Jamar is improved, a more complete player than before he injured an ankle against Austin Peay in the 2006-07 opener. Big Ten Player of the Year next season? No. Jamar Smith was dynamic at times, but Demetri McCamey was the team's best player during spring workouts.

Thanks for the question.

Bill, Kirksville, MO: How is Richard Semrau looking and is he planning on going on any overseas trips?

Paul Klee: He's healthy and went through all of the spring workouts. Rich Semrau participated on a tour of Germany last summer. Last time I talked to him, which is before he returned home to Ohio following finals, Semrau said he wasn't going on any overseas trips this summer.

Paul Klee: That's all for today, thanks again for coming by. Hope to see you back here next week.