Dennis,

Josh Augusta is still very much on the radar, and Illinois has a solid chance at getting him. I do think the staff will be a little more selective now that the commitments are rolling in, but Augusta is a talent that you take anytime.

Receiver and defensive back are the biggest areas to concentrate on now, no doubt about it. And yes, the offensive line is still a focus as well, but with three O-linemen on board you can be more selective there. LaQuon Treadwell is still the priority at receiver. It's going to be hard to get him, but having Aaron Bailey on board has and will help. Just have to wait and see.

Parkie,

Yes, in the past I've made it to the football camps and basketball shootouts on campus. Always nice when they come to Champaign. Haven't gotten out to any AAU events this spring, couldn't work it into my schedule with covering high school sports in this area. I'll get out in July.

Guys I'm high on? Cliff Alexander, for one. And I know everyone is high on him, but I'll explain. He's really raw, doesn't have great footwork or go-to moves in the low post yet. When he refines those skills and just gets two good post moves -- a go-to and a counter -- he's really going to be able to dominate games. And when he gets the ball more. He's never gotten it consistent post touches when I've seen him play, and I've seen him four times since last summer.

Let's put it this way: College coaches are salivating over what they can build him into with lots of hands-on coaching at that level.

Other guys I like: Larry Austin Jr. because he's always in attack mode. Maybe a bit of a tweener but he'll be successful in college. Steve Taylor going to Marquette. He just fits in with a Buzz Williams team.  A.J. Riley of Peoria Manual because he's a bulldog, and I hear he played great out at Philadelphia. Riley looks to be headed for a mid-major of some sort, and he's going to be a good signing for whoever that is. He's a guy you might see pop up in the NCAA tournament someday and remember from his prep days.

PJ,

Anything's possible, I suppose. But without looking something up or making a call, I'm not sure to tell you the truth. I'll ask about it sometime. Or you can ask Klee in his chat next week, I bet he has a better idea. Never thought of the situation you just proposed.

Good hypothetical, but just that. A hypothetical because it was never happening.

Anonymous,

Barring a drastic change of course, Ty Isaac is not coming to Illinois. So throw those dreams out the window. Everyone you bring up, and the top uncommitted players in the state, are still reasonable targets. I do like Illinois' chances with Darius Mosely (O'Fallon DB), and I think the Illini are there with Ethan Pocic (Lemont OT) as well. Treadwell will be hard to get, but they're still in the game and will pitch the Bailey-to-Treadwell idea. And he'll at least listen.

So outside Isaac, anything is reasonable. Getting all of them? Not reasonable. But you should like what this football staff is doing recently. Got some solid commitments, including Jarrod Clements. They really like the DE from Trotwood-Madison in Ohio. He was a good snag and could help with a couple other Ohio guys he's friends with: Reon Dawson and Darrien Howard.

Seeing as guys like Treadwell and Bailey types aren't five-star players, I would venture to see it's going to be awhile before you get a five-star guy. It's merely semantics though. Treadwell, for example, has just as good of a chance to be productive and play early as a player rated a few spots ahead of him with five stars. You're splitting hairs at that point.

My advice: Don't worry about the stars. Look at the other offers that the player had. Did a bunch of other big-time programs want Aaron Bailey? Sure did. That's when you know it was a job well done.

Joe,

Like the question. I'm going to go with Beckman is off to a better start in the current cycle, for two reasons. One, John Groce hasn't taken a prep player yet. Just two transfers. So really hard to read there. And two, Beckman and the football program got Aaron Bailey. He was the No. 1 player on their board, and it wasn't close. That deserves a pat on the back.

And I'm actually going to add a third reason. The football staff has added three defensive linemen, getting more depth there. They've really been on a roll lately.

Quick answer for the Big Ten question: Illinois falls somewhere in the middle. Michigan and Ohio State have killed it. Nebraska and Michigan State are also off to quality starts. Penn State has (miraculously) rebounded from the Sandusky scandal to put together a phenomenal class so far in 2013. Props to Bill O'Brien there, he's doing work.

Wisconsin again has recruits that are probably going to make you say "meh." And somewhere Bret Bielema is smiling, because he knows those guys will maul your guys on the field in three years. I think Illinois starts getting into the discussion after that.

Mike,

Not recruiting related, but I'll share a few thoughts as I feel qualified having graduated from U of I.

I think volleyball gets pretty good fan support. Always has when I've gone to matches, so not sure I agree with you there. The hard part is that students aren't going to travel on the road for volleyball like they would a football bowl game. At least not the masses. So it's hard there, and that's really the same for all Olympic sports. You're not going to travel.

You bring up some interesting ideas about a parade or quad rally. Could be an idea for the DIA to look into, but they do a quality job now. Always have umpteen promotions and events.

In general, I don't think the fan support for Olympic sports at U of I is really any different than that at other schools. Now in the south, for example, basbeall is a bigger deal. But that's a different animal, and things will change from region to region.

Bweb,

Little early for that question, pal.

John,

Good question. In football, I think Aaron Bailey already went a long way toward that. Getting LaQuon Treadwell would really solidify that further. Isaac seems out of the question.

Jabari Parker is the obvious answer and would do that. Cliff Alexander or Jahlil Okafor would be the next two guys. And FWIW, right now I think the staff has a better chance at Alexander. I suspect this staff can draw in some quality guards, guys like Kendrick Nunn and such. You'll know they can really recruit at a high level if they get an Okafor-Alexander type.