Moderator: Good afternoon everyone. Thanks for coming by for another Illinois basketball chat. I'll be here for about an hour and try to get to as many questions as possible. There's a lot, though, so a few might be left out.

As always, IlliniHQ.com will have a Live Report from the Illinois-Penn State game tonight. So stop by and send a question or observation and we'll get it posted.

Klee

Melvin, Sibley, IL: I saw that Mike Hall is the sideline reporter for tonight's Illinois-Penn State game. And I saw he's done this recently, too. He is awesome in the studio. Is he moving more toward a sideline gig?

Moderator: Melvin- We'd like to get a BTN analyst in the office for an online chat in the future. Maybe Mike Hall would agree to the idea.

I asked Big Ten Network public relations director Mike Vest, who relays this answer to your question:

"We think Mike Hall does a great job in the studio and on the sidelines. His versatility allows us to give him a variety of assignments. He hosted Big Ten Friday Night Tailgate in the fall, he continues to host Big Ten Tonight a couple nights per week and he has been our sideline reporter for selected basketball games this season."

Klee

Walter Solala, Elmwood Park , IL: Klee - Do the Illini have any plans to break out the retro jerseys for any of the upcoming games? If I remember correctly, I think wore the old school orange jerseys for one of the games last year because I rememeber thinking to myself, "Man, what are they wearing??!!"

Moderator: Walter- The Illini have three sets of jerseys: white, orange and blue. UI sports information virtuoso Derrick Burson also is on the jersey beat and provides you with this answer:

Illinois hasn't worn "retro" jerseys since the Centennial season in 2004-05, when they wore orange jerseys against Minnesota for the 100th-year reunion. Those jerseys were modeled after the jerseys worn by the 1989 Final Four team.

Klee

Sam, Milwaukee, Wisconsin : Hey Paul,

What's with AH not selling out this season? I can't believe it's not sold out for tonight's game. How can we go from ridiculous sell out streak to not being able to sell out a huge game like tonight?

Samwise

Moderator: Sam- An official in the UI ticket office informs me there were 1,400 tickets remaining for tonight's game, as of yesterday. So we'll see if they get those sold. The ticket office, in my opinion, does a fine job. It's not their fault.

I'm sure there are plenty of reasons for why folks aren't snapping up the remaining tickets. One, it's not cheap to take a family of four, etc. Two, the students haven't latched on like the powers would prefer.

I know some people have pointed out that Indiana, which has won a single Big Ten game, had a capacity crowd on Sunday. That's largely because the upper-balcony seats were going for $5. If you don't have that promotion, it's not going to be a sellout.

For the record, Illinois has enjoyed four official sellouts at the Hall this season (Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa and Purdue), though there were plenty of empty seats for those sellouts.

Klee

Al Ryle, Champaign, Il: Bob,

Terry Hathorne had great numbers as a punter any thought about him doing it in the fall he would be a threat to take off at any time,

Moderator: Al- I'm a basketball guy. Don't follow the funny ball nearly as much. But here's what Bob Asmussen, who is eating Cheetos, had to say about Mr. Hawthorne's punting skillz:

"From what I understand, Terry got a lot of roll on his punts. Still, having him back there in punt formation might give opposing teams something to think about. If Ron Zook decides he wants to at least have the threat of Terry as a punter, he will show it early in the season. That will force opposing special teams coaches to spend time on it before every Illinois game."

Klee

Dan, Nashville, Tn: Hey there: I don't recall ever seeing Keller, Davis, and Tisdale in the game at the same time. Wouldn't we want to at least give it a whirl once in a while to get us ready for different NCAA tourney opponents?

Moderator: Dan- Right now, Bruce Weber isn't coaching to experiment, he's coaching to win the Big Ten. So you won't see him throw guys out there to give it a whirl, unless you're up by 21 at Indiana and you clear the bench in the first half, which proved to be a mistake. Last season Weber tried some stuff - mainly in practice - that he normally wouldn't do, because he was planning for the future. He does that a lot, planning ahead.

Case in point: He started telling me about, "Who's going to be Illinois' source of toughness next season?" way back in January. He wanted guys like Demetri McCamey and Jeff Jordan to notice.

With the three guys you mentioned on the court at the same time, I don't know who's going to guard a quicker 3 man. Illinois' team defense is based on nobody breaking down, and that lineup would increase the chances of a breakdown.

Klee

John, Champaign, IL: What can Illinois do to make the crowd at the Assembly Hall one of the best?

Moderator: John- Water balloons.

Moderator: But really, Illinois has a good homecourt advantage when the team is good. It's pretty simple. The Illini have enjoyed three undefeated records in Big Ten home games since 1999 (8-0, 2004-05; 7-0, 2002-03; 8-0, 2000-01). Not coincidentally, the Illini earned top-4 seeds in the NCAA tournament those years, so they were good.

Illinois currently is 6-0 in Big Ten home games, with Penn State, Minnesota and Michigan State yet to visit the Assembly Hall. And the crowds gradually have gotten more rowdy.

Klee

Brendan Burfeind, Lincoln Way, IL: Klee - Where does Calvin Brock's tip dunk on Saturday rank for the Illini's "dunk of the year."? I think Chester has to be #1 just for the surprise factor, but Calvin's is definitely in the Top 3. Neither of them compare to Fitz getting dunked on at the Sig house back in 2001, but they come pretty close. What do you think?

Moderator: Brendan- Was there a keg stand involved? And is Fitz's dunk on YouTube?

Dunks of the year:

1. Chester Frazier, September- After an hour of pickup games, with the session winding down, Chester got a steal near the right sideline. He motored down the court and found Mike Davis waiting under the basket. Instead of laying it in, Chester surprised everyone in attendance (the Illini and me) by smoking it over the 6-9 forward. It stunned everyone, and Chester ran out of the gym, indicating the games were over.

2. Calvin Brock, at Indiana- I thought this was No. 1 until I remembered Chester's offseason dunk.

3. Chester Frazier, the one you talked about. It was alot like the dunk at Ubben, only 15,000-plus were there to see it.

That's the quick rundown, sure I'm forgetting a few.

Klee

Ryan, Cooksville, Il: Paul,

Got in too late last week, but same question. Last week the Bulls honored Red Kerr, great ceremony for those who missed it. I would have to say that he is the best center in Illinois history with Dave Downey getting mentioned as well. Where does he rank historically in the Big Ten-in your opinion or Mr. Tate's as well.

By the way, you can view the ceremony on the Bulls website. It runs about 30 minutes.

Thanks for the chats and your time.

Moderator: Ryan- Ryan- Thanks for the question and the note. You can also go on IlliniHQ.com and see Red Kerr’s interview with Tate and Turpin last Saturday.

Here’s what Tate just told me, and he has a better handle on these sorts of things. Tate says Red Kerr is the best center to play for Illinois. He was the MVP of the Big Ten in 1954. Tate also says Dave Downey wasn’t a center. On another note, I would love to have Dave Downey as an online chat guest. Hopefully we can work that out.

Klee

Dirtsmasher, St. Louis, MO: Klee - Why do you think there is so much love for Missouri on a national level? In my opinion we have a better resume than them, and beat them bad on a neutral court, yet they are getting more love from the pollsters. What gives?

Jered Cook, Warrensburg, Illinois: Paul,

If Illinois wins out, including wins the Big 10 tourny what seed do you think they will get? And why is Mizzou ranked ahead of us? We play in a better conference we killed them at a Neutral site. Whats gives them a top 10 ranking and not us?

Moderator: DS and Jered- The Mizzou ranking is tough for me to figure. In my AP Top 25 ballot on Monday, I voted Illinois at No. 16 and Missouri at No. 17. After the debacle in St. Louis, I would have a hard time justifying voting Missouri ahead of Illinois. But that was a lifetime ago (in basketball years), and if Illinois loses two games this week, that will happen.

As for the Big Ten vs. the Big 12, I don't see as much of a difference as you guys do. They're pretty much the same league (with vastly different styles of play). The Big 12 has the No. 1 team in the country (on Klee's Top 25 ballot) in Oklahoma. The Big Ten has a top-15 team in Michigan State. Then you have three of four strong teams - Kansas, Missouri and Texas from the Big 12; Illinois, Purdue, Ohio State, Wisconsin, etc., from the Big Ten. The middle of the packs are comparable. The bottom halves are both terrible, but that's usually the case.

Ken Pomeroy has the Big 12 rated much higher than the Big Ten. Then Jeff Sagarin, for another example, has the Big 10 rated higher than the Big 12.

So there's not an enormous difference.

But yes, to answer your question, I don't think Missouri should be ranked ahead of Illinois.

Klee

James Scott, Bloomington, IL: What is the real deal with Bertrand and Prep School? I am reading and hearing things like he is headed to prep school and Darius Miles might step in. Can you clear the air?

Moderator: James- I talked with Sterling coach Peter Goff a few times this week. He told me Joseph is not going to prep school and plans on the Illinois campus in June. Coach Goff talked with Joseph Bertrand on Monday and the senior guard was as surprised as the Sterling coach was. So that’s what they’re saying.

This is one of those times when an Illinois assistant has planted an idea with a pro-Illini voice on the Internet to spread it. Happens alot.

Sure, it could happen. But right now that isn't the plan, according to the good people in Sterling. And I'm a fan of the good people in Sterling.

If Darius Miles commits to Illinois, the NCAA will probably follow up on it. But you’re probably talking about Darius Smith, a senior at Marshall, who formed a dynamite tandem with D.J. Richardson on the AAU circuit last summer. For Darius Smith, I'm hearing Indiana or Kentucky, though it wouldn't surprise me if Arizona State is in the picture, among others.

Klee

Matt Cornell, O'fallon, IL: Ask Tracy: Of all the 2011 baskeball players that he knows, whom would he most like to see join him in the O&B? What would his "dream" class look like in 2011: Tracy Abrams and ??????

Moderator: Matt- I spent the afternoon with Tracy Abrams at Mount Carmel's practice yesterday. Quick hands. Very, very quick hands, and mature for his age. That's what stood out to me.

As for his friends in the 2011 class, here's what Tracy said:

"I talk to Mike (Shaw) a lot. We're friends. I didn't really call him after I committed, but we've talked about it. We talk about a lot of stuff," he said. "I would like to have him with me (at Illinois) because he's a good player, not just because we're friends.

"I think it's going to be a while before he's making a decision. It's his decision, it's up to him. I'm not going to tell him (where to go). That's his decision."

Klee

David, NYC, NY: Brendan Burfeind from Lincoln Way, IL wrote: Klee - Where does Calvin Brock's tip dunk on Saturday rank for the Illini's "dunk of the year."?

Where did Brock's block during the last minutes of the Purdue game rank for Illini's block of the decade? That was one of sickest, most emphatic blocks I've ever seen.

Moderator: David- Calvin Brock had a big block at Northwestern, too. It helped turn the tide. He's been one of the unsung basketball heroes for these guys this season.

Klee

Jeremy Lindhorst, Benton, Ill: Hey,Paul I wanted to know with bill cole getting little playing time if you think he will stay ,or try to play some were els.Also I heard that after one of the home game every one at the game would be in A team photo.Is this A sign that they are not selling out the Home games.Thanks Love your show

Moderator: Jeremy- Billy Cole hasn't given any indication he's going anywhere. That doesn't mean it won't happen, just means he hasn't given any indication it's going to happen.

Yes, the DIA has said the students in attendance will be able to get a photo with the team - on the court, after the Minnesota game - if Illinois beats Penn State and Minnesota.

Klee

Mike, Urbana, Il: I would take 3-2 to end the season in a heartbeat. Do you see anything better than that even being remotely realistic given the competition?

Moderator: Mike- I think you're underestimating these guys. They're capable of going 4-1 or 5-0, though the Ohio State game Sunday is going to be tough. Illinois hasn't won there in five years. The key for Illinois is staying unbeaten at home. That would put them at 24-7, 12-6, and within range of a protected seed (1-5).

Klee

Frank, Champaign, Illinois: I heard on CBS the announcers say Mike Davis is the best player on the court for the illini usually no question? do u agree or do you think Mccamey is?

I also heard them say Jajuan Johnson and Davis are the best forwards in the leauge. I would agree, but what are your thoughts? Do you think they will leave after there Junior Year?

Moderator: Frank- Demetri McCamey has been Illinois' best player, though I think Mike Davis, if he continues at this pace, could be a Big Ten POY candidate as a junior.

I think JaJuan Johnson has one more season left at Purdue. Mike D has further to go before he's in line for an early departure.

Klee

Ben Barnard, Springfield, IL: Do you see us getting a 3 seed if we win the Big Ten tournament? Also, will the Ram be the official Illini bar again? I love me some wings.

Moderator: Ben- You got it. Here's the list of the pre- and post-game stops in Indianapolis:

-Illinois fans are invited to gather at the Ram, 140 S. Illinois St., 317-955-9900.

-Indiana fans & Iowa fans are invited to gather at Jillian's, 141 S. Meridian St., 317-822-9300, ext. 1.

-Michigan State fans are invited to gather at Slippery Noodle Inn, 372 S. Meridian St., 317-631-6974.

-Minnesota fans are invited to gather at Hard Rock Café, 49 S. Meridian St., 317-636-2550.

-Northern Illinois fans are invited to gather at Houlihan's, 111 W. Maryland St., 317-266-8711.

-Ohio State fans are invited to gather at Champps, 49 W. Maryland St. (Circle Centre mall). 317-951-0033.

-Purdue fans are invited to gather at Alcatraz Brewing Co., 49 West Maryland St., (Circle Centre mall). 317-488-1230.

-Penn State Fans are invited to gather at Harry & Izzy's, 153 S. Illinois St., 317-635-9594.

-Michigan fans are invited to gather at O'Reilly's Irish Bar and Restaurant, 36 Pennsylvania St., 317-974-0674.

-Wisconsin fans are invited to gather at Buffalo Wild Wings, 7 East Washington St., 317-691-2935.

Klee

Jacoub, Chicago, IL: Assuming Illinois stays on course and gets a 4-5 seed in the tourney. What teams do you think will give Illinois fits on the first weekend of the tourney assuming they will face a 12-13 seed on the first day and a 4-5 seed on the second day?

Moderator: Jacoub- Two under-the-radar teams that I've watched and should make an Illinois fan nervous: Dayton and Siena. Both could be dangerous.

Klee

Juan Walker, Quepos, Costa Rica: This isn't a question, merely a statement: Trent Meacham rules. The people of Quepos, Costa Rica, all agree.

Without him we don't win at Northwestern. In fact, without him we are a much weaker team over the last three seasons.

So maybe I do have a question: best walk-on in the history of the Fighting Illini?

Moderator: Juan Walker- Rod Cardinal would be a good source on this one, so I'll track down a list of the best walk-ons. As for Trent, yes, you all are fortunate he transferred from Dayton. Imagine your shooting guard corps the last two-plus seasons without him.

Klee

Al Ryle, Champaign, Il: Paul,What coaches do you see on the hot seat is see Wainwright smolderring and Billy G. getting warm?

Moderator: Al- I think we saw last night (against Vanderbilt) that Kentucky is not an NCAA tournament team without Patrick Patterson.

As for DePaul (0-13 Big East), it had some company for meager league records heading into this week: Georgia (1-9 SEC), Georgia Tech (1-10 ACC), Oregon (0-13 Pac-10) Colorado (1-9 Big 12), Arkansas (1-9), Rutgers (1-11 Big East), Indiana (1-11 Big Ten).

More on that subject in Tuesday's College Basketball Insider on IlliniHQ.

Klee

Wayne (IlliniJake, Freeport, Fl.: Paul, You and your cohorts are doing a fantastic job of keeping us informed about Illini info. Thanks for that.

In the last couple of days there have been rumors of Dunigan transferring back to U of I and Bertrand going to prep school for one year. Also, where are we on schollies for the next couple of years? Are we filled for the 2009 and 2010 years? And, how many scollies would we have for 2011 if no one transferred?

Thanks

Moderator: Wayne- Thanks. Illinois' 2009 and 2010 recruiting classes currently are full, in terms of scholarships available. The Illini expect to have a minimum of five scholarships available in 2011, and Tracy Abrams will assume one of those.

Klee

Seth, Deerfield, Illinois: Paul

This year, there seem to be 4-5 (Pitt, UConn, UNC, OK teams that are appear to be better than anyone else. Most of the 'experts' are projecting Illinois to be a 4 or 5 seed. Given the fact that seeds 5-13 are probably all about the same, i would much rather have Illinois seeded 6 or 7 then 4 or 5 and have a potential Sweet 16 matchup with one of those four schools. I realize that would require 2 wins in the tourney, but the potential 2 seeds (MSU, Louisville, Duke, Memphis, Marq) are much weaker inside than those likely No. 1s, each of which has a big man who Illinois doesn't matchup with well.

Thoughts?

Moderator: Seth- Solid analysis.

Klee

Josh waldbeezer, chicago, il: Klee - My friend Dave left the NW game with 6 minutes to go and missed the finish. What do you think about that?

Moderator: Josh- I hope she was good looking. Buy him a beer. He missed a dandy.

Klee

Ging, Sterling, IL: Paul,

The good people in Sterling appreciate you clearing the air about Bertrand and prep school. I spoke to Joseph about this yesterday and he said most definitely that he is NOT going to prep school.

BTW, JB has been on fire lately. 17 out of 20 from the field in his last 2 games and 45 points scored.

As for a question, do think JB will redshirt next year?

Moderator: Ging- Hoping to get up there for the playoffs. Shoot me an email some time.

With the influx of '09 guards, coupled with the holdovers (Demetri, Alex, Jeff) it's going to be tight. This season, for example, only four guards have averaged more than 10 minutes per game in Big Ten play.

Based on that, yes, I think a redshirt is a good possibility. But there's a long way to go.

Klee

Awais, Chicago, IL: What are the marquee non-conference game we are looking at for next season? Return games with Vanderbilt, Georgia? Is the Gonzaga contract official? Any idea what November tournament we might be in?

Moderator: Awais- Illinois is scheduled to play in another Las Vegas tourney over Thanksgiving. The other teams in Vegas: Oklahoma State, Bradley and Utah.

Add a Big Ten/ACC Challenge road game to your list. A big part of the reason Illinois scheduled Vanderbilt to a home-and-home is because the Illini knew they'd have an ACC/Big Ten Challenge road game, so they wanted to balance it out.

And start guessing who you would like to see (Carolina, Duke, Clemson again?) in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

Klee

Moderator: Note: Watching Vanderbilt last night - and in November - made me realize the Commodores will be a formidable opponent next season. They should be picked right up near the top of the SEC, in fact. I think Vandy freshman Jeff Taylor has SEC Player of the Year potential in the future.

Klee

Mark, Normal, IL: We heard a lot last season about Coach Weber having trouble getting his team to commit to extra time in the gym, the players who were reported to work the hardest have shown significant improvement this season.(Tisdale, Meacham, etc)

Looking to next year, who is spending the most time doing the extra work, and who if anyone needs to put in more time?

Moderator: Mark- Alex Legion is one of the guys. Last week he spent several mornings at Ubben, shooting jumpers with Bruce Weber. That's not something you see often in the heart of the Big Ten season.

Klee

Andy, Champaign , Ill: I think a reason for some of the no shows at the games is after the 04-05 season the went with season tickets for every one and all you well to do people got their tickets because it was the thing to do. Then when they werent doing as well those people just dont show up because they are the real fans, ones that stick with the team thru thick and thin.

Ryan, Springfield, IL: If the Illini win out in their final games, could they break the AP top 10? And if they do win out, what would be an appropriate seeding?

Moderator: Ryan- That's an awfully tall order. But yes, if they won out, they would be ranked in the Top 10. A No. 2 seed would be appropriate under that scenario, as Illinois would have won 11 consecutive games, if you are including the Big Ten tournament.

The 2003-04 team won 10 straight games to close the regular season and win the Big Ten title. It probably will take a similar effort (eight straight in the regular season) for Illinois to share the Big Ten title this season.

Klee

Jeff, Chicago, IL: Klee, what did you think of Seth Davis not ranking Illinois this week? Did he just forgot us or is there something else?

Moderator: Jeff- I think, most likely, Seth Davis now understands the wrath of Illini fans. And his email inbox probably looks a lot like the Illinois beat writer's.

One thing to understand when you are analyzing voters' ballots: instead of saying "Notre Dame shouldn't be ranked" or "Dayton is too high" you have to find someone to put in their place. This season, more than any other, it has been tough to fill in the final 10 or so positions. There's a lot of parity and mediocrity in college hoops right now.

My poll was perfect this week. Just go by that one.

Klee

Gaeta, West Orange, NJ: A year from now, what is Illinois playing for? Big Ten championship? Tournament birth? Please don't cop out.

Moderator: Gaeta- Illinois is looking at a 25-win season right now. Given the chance to enjoy that next season, I think you should take it and run.

Klee

Simon, New Lenox, Illinois: Jeff Jordan looks like he's going to take over Chester's role as defensive stopper next year. What do you think are his offensive strengths? Where has he made strides as far as you've seen? Any chance a light comes on and he may be come a late bloomer like his dad? Who would win in a dunk contest between JJ and Mike Davis?

Moderator: Simon- Jeff Jordan and Mike D already had a dunk contest. They squared off in the 2007 Illini Madness dunk contest (the pink-out) and Mike Davis was crowned champion. The champ is the champ until someone proves otherwise.

On a related note, the Illini put on a semi-dunk contest before the Indiana game in Bloomington on Sunday. Instead of their usual laid-back layup lines, the players dunked, delighting the UI fans who showed up early. And they raced to a 21-point lead.

Klee

Moderator: Tony Bleill, who penned an excellent story on Jamar Smith on Sunday, is here for an Illinois women's basketball chat.

Going to wrap this up, we went way over. Enjoyed it today. See you at the Assembly Hall tonight, and plenty of coverage coming the rest of the week.

Klee