NC- Thanks for writing in. I'd look at it in a different way. Adding another PG is a good thing for Tracy Abrams. He’s cool with the idea of playing 33-34-35 minutes per game. But he wouldn’t mind having some help with ballhandling duties, taking off some of that pressure, and he’s told me as much. These coaches really like Abrams' competitive streak. He still needs to improve in some areas – winning more pickup games, defensive technique – but they like his edge. I love his edge. I want Tracy Abrams on my team. And I expect Abrams will be the host for Demetrius Jackson on his campus visit. That’s the kind of trust they have in Tracy Abrams, and they want to pair like-minded players with each other on campus visits. Hope that helps. Klee

Jack- Think there are a few things at work there. Spain's playing together longer. That's a roster of guys familiar with each other. Think it has five NBA guy, including a couple All-Stars in the frontcourt, which plays against the Americans' weakness, if there was a weakness. Might be a different game if Marc Gasol doesn't get an early fourth foul. Days of the U.S. dominating international competition - at least against the better teams - are pretty much over. If they go to a 23-under format, it gets even tighter. Seems like this is kind of a high-major/mid-major/recruiting rankings argument. For example, Ohio's roster didn't have the recruiting rankings or budget or seed of Michigan, but the Bobcats ran circles around Michigan for 30 minutes in the NCAA tournament last season. Back to the question - Spain was awfully good. Klee

Chris- First, he’s eating again. That’s a plus. For a guy that likes to eat as much as Brandon Paul does, that broken jaw was a pain. He went over five weeks without a proper meal – one that wasn’t mixed in a blender or sucked through a straw. But the Illini did get a good look at the team without its best player. This hasn’t been said before, but Rayvonte Rice is one of your top 2 or 3 players, at the least. There were many days when Rayvonte Rice was your most complete player. He's got a knack for scoring. The key for Rice - and it's a big key - will be staying cut-in and motivated during a season in which he’s not playing. Klee

Mike- Thanks for mixing it up. On a related note, I thought one of the best parts of these Olympics was Doc Rivers in the studio. Hopefully you didn’t turn off the game when the game was over. His analysis of Team USA – its inner workings, the personalities on the team, etc. – was often as good as the game itself. He was tremendous as an analyst. Back to the question. The little that I know - hardly an expert on this - Doc Rivers would be my choice. Players seem to respect him, he's dealt with egos, and that would seem to be the most important quality for the head coach. You'd think he also has a relationship with Jerry Colangelo (Austin Rivers played for Coach K, Coach K is tight with Colangelo, etc.). I expect Doug Collins will be on the short list. His son has been connected with USA Basketball for several years, and Doug Collins would be a sympathetic choice due to his ties with the '72 silver-medal squad. If you’re looking at the college ranks – and if they move to an Under-23 format – Bill Self would be on my short list. Hope that helps. Klee

Just- I’ll go with one, Demetrius Jackson. Landing him would accomplish a number of important things. You fill the biggest position of need (PG) and speed up the process. You score an elite-caliber prospect from out-of-state, which doesn’t happen often at Illinois. Three, John Groce excels with gifted point guards. You also start to break down that barrier that stands between Illini basketball and the state of Indiana. He’s the kind of talent that Big Ten title teams are built around. Hope that helps, going quickly. Klee

Shark- Thanks for writing in. Don’t know about the rebranding in regards to basketball. Coaches aren’t certain about any changes to the uniform, so I’m certainly not certain. No one knows who completes a recruiting class. There will be a point guard, even if it's not one of the big two. Among those four players, I lean toward Myke Henry. Not that he will be a major player, but he’s in line to receive the most playing time among those four guys. Klee

Anonymous- Illinois is in good shape there. Talked about it again last night on SportsTalk - here's the podcast. Where "exactly" does Illinois stand? No one is certain except him. None of the schools recruiting him - and at least one that was recruiting him, but isn't anymore - have an exact grasp on where he's leaning. He's like a ninja. Keeps everyone guessing. Again, expect him on the UI campus in early September. Klee

O- Yes, said it many, many times, he needed to adjust the staff, no need to rehash it here. His new staff ran into an unfortunate situation in Brazil. Four ejections (two from the Brazilian squad, which wasn't reported) and more free throws than you see at the Kohl Center. Between the Georgetown/China disaster and K-State's bizarre deal, teams might start rethinking their overseas tours. Klee

Pistol- You won't see this defense extend out from the basket as much as recent Illini teams. So there won't be as susceptible to point guards beating you off the dribble. "It's more of a packed defense," D.J. Richardson said. His teams were good at generating steals - third nationally last season. To answer your question, Tracy Abrams is a capable defender due to his competitive streak. They're working on his technique, footwork, that sort of thing. Klee

Deuces- To answer, wouldn't say it's a surprise, just that it's going to be a tougher climb than most care to admit. What they've seen is that this is going to be a process and won't happen overnight. You see Illinois recruiting out-of-state more often than in the past. One, after the elite guys, the state is still soft on talented, legitimate prospects. Two, the perception of the program is better out-of-state. You get a guy like Demetrius Jackson and much of that changes, of course, and the process speeds up. It's all wins and losses, plain and simple, and Illinois hasn't been a Top 25 team at the end of a season since 2006 (for just one example). That's a long time in basketball years. I'd love to write analysis and articles and chats about the rise of Illinois basketball and the prospect of a Big Ten title team. I haven't had the chance. Going to take some time, but you've got the right guy in charge. Hope that answers the question. Klee

Olive- They haven't played for him yet, so it's hard to say. In terms of their interactions in the basketball office and in the limited time on the practice court, the reception has been promising. Helps that guys like Evan Turner (to Brandon Paul) and D.J. Cooper (to D.J. Richardson) told the current Illini they would enjoy playing for John Groce. These summer workouts were a positive - but, as Groce told me the other day, the amount of actual team practice time only equates to about a week's worth of practice in the fall. Klee