Play- His AAU coach tells me Malcolm Hill is expected to be available for his senior season at Belleville East. The Belleville News-Democrat also had a good update on the Illini recruit a few weeks ago. Here's the link. Nothing, that I know of, has changed since then. He can sign a letter of intent with Illinois on Nov. 14. As for your second question, Jerrance Howard wasn't offered a position on John Groce's staff. As for your third, Jerrance Howard was offered a position on Bruce Weber's staff at Kansas State. Klee

Brave- Yes, it's possible they would take two PGs in '13, depends on who they are. They will take one in '13 and one in '14 at the least. That's the plan. London Perrantes, the Californian, would be your best option in '13 after Jackson - at least as I type this. UI assistant Dustin Ford, among others, watched him during the July evaluation period. Klee

BTF- Too early to say for certain with Devin Langford. Didn't play in Italy, the exhibition games and was limited in the O&B Scrimmage last year. I'd prefer to see him in game situations (rather than workouts) to get a proper opinion. Coaches want him to improve his motor, play harder, shed that laidback Southern approach. Excellent teammate. Guys love him. The former staff saw something in his potential. I'm hoping to, as well. To answer your question, don't see him as a 4. Works more with the perimeter guys in workouts. He tells me that's where he's most comfortable. Klee

Dan- First question, he would've recruited some of them, sure, particularly since eight scholarship players are in-state products. All of them? No. I don't think the roster's personality - for the most part - is the same as his. John Groce is an intense guy in everything he does, whether it's a recruiting visit (where he's exceptionally detailed) or a workout or a film session. I haven't seen that scratch-and-claw intensity - in workouts or in games - from this roster. Maybe that changes next season. Second question, this staff documents most statistics in workouts, and coaches receive a printout of those stats after every workout, so they have something tangible to show players afterward. I do know the players were ecstatic with what they saw and did in the limited time they worked with coaches in the summer. Agree with your final statement. That birthright mentality - that Illinois should win simply by showing up - sometimes has been painful to watch. They've gotta get over that. Hope that helps. Klee

Andy- First question, if you get an official visit, you usually have a chance. Marquette will be a factor and will continue to be a factor in Chicago going forward, as I wrote back in June. It should help Illinois that this staff has a longstanding relationship with the family. And according to various Chicago media outlets, Kendrick Nunn's father was wholly supportive of the Paris Parham hire. If that doesn't make a difference, it's simply more Chicagospeak. Second question, yes, you have a shot with Demetrius Jackson. Not predicting Demetrius Jackson will sign with Illinois. But you've got a chance, and that's impressive all things considered. He's scheduled to make an official visit to Illinois the weekend of Sept. 1. In this case I think it improves your chances by having the first official visit. I can tell you that coaches - those recruiting and those not recruiting him - sincerely have no idea where Demetrius Jackson stands in regards to his recruitment. The key will be whether someone can draw him away from home. Klee

Just- There's absolutely nothing new with Demetrius Jackson since last Wednesday, but I know you guys want something new, so I'll do the best I can. To answer, expect Notre Dame, Illinois and KU will be factors, at least for now. Louisville and others probably would depend on their PG situations - if they get their first choice, if Jackson goes from fallback to first priority, etc. Mike Brey, who's been Big East Coach of the Year three times in the past five years, has been dogged in his pursuit and ND's recent track record is impressive. John Groce has known him for a while but it wasn't until relatively recently that Illinois got involved. It says something about Groce that Illinois is a player in this one, given the mediocre state of the Illinois program over the past six years. Groce's relationship with Jackson, the coach's personality and his history with PGs should help. You've got a chance with a top-25 prospect that happens to play your position of need, so that's a good thing. This isn't a Brad Beal-type situation where Illinois never had a shot. But Illinois certainly has a lot of work to do to close the deal. Hope that helps. Klee

J- Because you guys keep asking me about him. I can only answer the questions I'm given, whether it's in this space or on the radio or through email. Thanks for writing in, I do appreciate it. Klee

Big- That's probably a better question for Mr. Tate. If we stick to the last 20 years, I’d start two lead guards – Frank Williams and Deron Williams (off the ball, like he often played in London) – along with James Augustine and Brian Cook. I'll let you guys pick the 3-man. I'd probably go with Luther and his three-point shot and competitive edge. Or I'd lean toward a premier, versatile defender at that spot. This is a functional lineup where the pieces fit, not an alltime list. Frank Williams is the best college player I’ve seen at Illinois. During his college career I had no affiliation with Illinois yet rarely missed one of his games because of the wow factor. Yes, I'd have Self on the sideline, based on what I've learned through former players and my personal opinion of how he's able to reach different types of personalities. Going quickly here, this question probably deserves more time, maybe that's a story idea for down the road. Klee

JB- Mike Finke is one. Great family, father was a fine two-sport athlete at Illinois, Champaign kid. Illinois has been in contact with the family and will continue to evaluate his progress. Wisconsin and Iowa have offered. The Centennial standout will be a high-major recruit. Local products are always a difficult proposition for coaching staffs, and this one is a tough spot for this Illinois staff, but John Groce will continue to evaluate him and go from there. I like his potential, particularly as a college upperclassmen. And I really like him because Michael Finke has agreed to follow in the journalistic footsteps of Mikel Leshoure, Verdell Jones III, Trent Meacham, etc., as a Champaign standout that has agreed to write a diary for The News-Gazette. Looking forward to that. Thanks, Mike. Klee

Colin- Thanks for writing in. Hopefully not to offend you, but this has been discussed at length since the change was made several years go. I tend to think Mike Cation does a tremendous job. It's not easy following someone with Jim Sheppard's profile. This falls in the category of, "If Illinois was winning, we wouldn't be talking about it." Bruce Weber's voice, Demetri McCamey's defense, the uniforms, the warmup music, the empty seats in A section, etc., fall into that folder, as well. That's simply one man's opinion. And I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate Mike Cation on his recent nuptials. He got married earlier this month - congrats to the both of yous. Again, thanks for the question. Klee

Leonard- Sounds about right. I'd put 'em right around Nos. 25-40. Somewhere in there. But that's my subjective rating system, where I also take into account (in no particular order) the caliber of recruit you can get involved with, the number of NBA guys, whether the casual fan has an interest in your game on ESPN, your AP Top 25 rankings. My rating, which I've never done, would weight heavily on the last few decades. The what-have-you-done-for-me-lately metric. I don't put as much value on what happened 40 years ago as what happened in the past 10. But I suppose it always goes back to recruiting and perception for me. What caliber of player can you attract? I also put a lot of weight on what you do in conference play. To me, winning the Big Ten is tougher than reaching the Sweet 16. These are teams that know you as well as you know yourself. If you win your league over a span of three months, that's more meaningful than a hot streak one weekend in March. And all of this, of course, is very different than the rating system you describe. I saw it. Didn't agree or disagree with it. They had a points system and stuck to it. So it works, I guess. I think the Illinois coaching search shed some light on what coaches think about the Illinois job. Coaches were nervous about this job. Illinois fans have a much higher opinion of their program than the basketball world does. That's a dangerous dynamic for the coach that takes the job. I value coaches' opinion more than most, I pick their brains every day in my job, and much of what I was told in February and March wasn't flattering. And thanks for the kind words. This is also a question that deserves more time, but I've already gone over. Klee

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