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A belated thanks to Illini head basketball coach Bruce Weber and associate head coach Wayne McClain for coming to Decatur to do my radio show Sunday night at Hickory Point Golf Course. We had a great crowd of 300 on hand for a two-hour show and the coaches were great.

A few followup basketball notes:

Wednesday night is the Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser at “The Beef House” in Covington, Ind., where 400 Illini and Purdue fans will gather to hear Weber and Purdue coach Matt Painter talk basketball and jab fun at each other. Helping them do it is former Flyin’ Illini-turned-TV analyst Stephen Bardo, and former Purdue assistant-turned-TV analyst, Steve Lavin.

I know Coach Gene Keady will attend, too.

Former Illini coach Lou Henson attended along with Keady in the past but this year Henson is back at New Mexico State, where he’s on a committee to select a new university president. Among the final five candidates is former Illinois chancellor Richard Herman.

Weber is also hooking up with SIU Coach Chris Lowery for a similar fund-raiser Nov. 9 in Marion.

On the subject of Illini basketball scheduling, you should know that Illinois is likely to participate in the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament next season, in New York City. Illinois has yet to formally accept the invitation, but it’s on the table and I would expect the Illini to say yes. When you have a talented team, that’s a great way to kick off the season. Pittsburgh has already been penciled into the lineup.

If Illinois does that, they will push their trip to Cancun, Mexico back to the 2011-12 season. That, presumably, will be a Thanksgiving-time exempt tournament.

While he was in Decatur the other night, Weber was asked when he plans to play SIU-Carbondale in a game. It’s not Weber’s favorite question, which he made clear. He said it’s a tough game to schedule. He said St. Louis is the ideal location (but improbable because it would take some of the spotlight off the Braggin’ Rights game against Missouri) but that Chicago is a better possibility. But I imagine SIU would want a three-year deal, with one game in Chicago, one in Carbondale and one in Champaign.

The truth is, neither Weber nor Lowery is in any hurry to schedule this game. They’re close friends and they don’t relish the idea of playing against each other. I think Weber once felt his attitude about the game would change after the players he recruited to SIU graduated. But that hasn’t changed his feeling.

Anything is possible, but I’d be surprised if it ever happens.

So what does it mean, Illinois’ 38-13 victory over Michigan Saturday?

Does it mean that all of Illinois’ football woes are over and forgiven? No, even coach Ron Zook agrees that it does not.

Does it mean that Illinois will win at Minnesota this week? No, doesn’t mean that either.

But does it mean that we should overlook it completely? That it’s one meaningless game in a grease fire of a football season?

No, it doesn’t necessarily mean that either.

First of all, it’s a victory over Michigan and that hasn’t happened in Champaign since 1983 when the Rose Bowl-bound Illini won 16-6. So it’s kind of historic.

Second of all, it was a victory that came about thanks to the spark generated by one amazing play. Terry Hawthorne’s never-say-die sprint that tracked down runaway Michigan wideout Roy Roundtree with an amazing thing to behold. And it brought the Memorial Stadium crowd to its feet.

Even when the play ended, however, no one was sure what it meant. The officials ruled that Roundtree had crossed the goal line and the play was called a touchdown. But there was also the possibility that he fumbled. A video review concluded that Roundtree was down at the 1 and that gave the defense a chance.

Energized by the singular effort of Hawthorne’s play, the defense responded, four times stopping Michigan inside the one-yard line.

And that fired up the offense, which promptly moved 99 yards for a touchdown that gave Illinois a 14-13 lead it would never relinquish. Mikel Leshoure’s 70-yard run accounted for the score and it started a 31-point second half for the Illini.

All of a sudden, Illinois ran harder, tackled better and played with more spirit. The body language of the team changed on the sideline. Players were packed near the edge of the field to see the action. Alums and former players there for Varsity I weekend were jumping around, high-fiving, feeling proud.

Hey, if you’re an Illini, it’s fun to watch Michigan go down, no matter how grim the season has looked.

And when Illinois rolled up 500 yards in offense, more than 400 of it coming in the second half, it was a welcome relief from what had become a smothering sense of failure.

And for one game, at least, it means there’s a coach who might feel worse that Ron Zook. I can’t imagine it was a peaceful night for Michigan’s Rich Rodriquez. He’s got his own mess to get sorted out, on and off the field.

Bruce Weber said whenever he speaks to a service club, he knows which question is coming early.

“They ask, ‘So, are you going to have all those 35-second plays and take bad shots and dribble it out?’”

The answer, based on Friday night’s exhibition opener, is quite obviously no.

Illinois never once bumped heads with the shot clock in a 95-67 victory over Missouri Southern at the Assembly Hall.

Yes, turnovers and personal fouls were an issue, especially in the first half. But with five players scoring in double figures, and with the athleticism of the freshmen standing out, it’s obvious this is not the offensively challenged basketball team fans remember managing all of 33 points against Penn State last season.

“If you have more guys who can create, it definitely helps,” Weber said.

Demetri McCamey helped the Illini finish the first half with a flourish and ended up as the leading scorer with 16 points and seven assists.

Freshmen D.J. Richardson (14 points) and Brandon Paul (13 points, 5 rebounds) flashed the attack-the-rim athleticism that makes shot clock plays less of a worry.

Dominique Keller added 12 points, Mike Davis 10 points and Mike Tisdale grabbed nine rebounds as the Illini threatened the 100-point mark.

Although it was just an exhibition game, the Assembly Hall vibrated with more “ooos” and “ahhs” than any time in the past few years as the Illini raced up and down the floor, often led by McCamey and the two freshmen.

“Pushing the ball comes with the hard work I put in during the off-season,” said McCamey, who dropped 12 pounds since the final game last year. “We get easy baskets and easy transition and that’s one thing we didn’t do last year. And we get to the free throw line.”

One of the highlight plays came when Paul led a fast break and shoveled an alleyoop pass to McCamey that was a little high and a bit off-target. But McCamey went above the rim and steadied the ball with one hand, guiding it into the basket before crashing to the floor.

“I’ve got my high school bounce back,” McCamey said. “I can finish now above the rim. I don’t have that weight on me. Everyone on the team can run pretty well and that’s a plus for us.”

Illinois jumped to a 22-3 lead, but 15 first-half turnovers slowed the onslaught.

“A little sloppy would be an understatement in the first half,” Weber said.

Missouri Southern closed the margin, getting to within eight points at 32-24 with 4:01 to go in the half.

But Illinois closed strong, thanks in part to McCamey. Illinois outscored Missouri Southern 17-4 to end the half and in the final two minutes McCamey had six points, a steal and two assists.

Then, while limiting the turnovers to four in the second half, the Illini pulled away even further.

Weber distributed his minutes well, although two players did not participate.

Center Stan Simpson was benched for academic infractions.

“He has to take care of business off the court,” Weber said. “I hope he’ll get the message and get his nose to the grindstone and take care of his classroom stuff next week.”

Jeff Jordan, who rejoined the team on Oct. 16, was withheld while he tries to catch up on his physical conditioning. “I told him we’ll kind of play it by ear next week,” Weber said.

The second exhibition game is Sunday, Nov. 8 against Quincy.

The regular season begins Nov. 13 at home against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.

Missouri Southern (67)
Adams 2-9 1-2 7, Crittendon 2-5 0-1 4, Thomann 1-2 1-3 3, Price 1-9 4-5 6, Bowlin 5-12 5-9 17, Hester 4-8 1-2 11, Baker 1-2 0-0 3, Williams 0-0 1-2 1, Jones 1-4 0-0 3, Doss 2-2 2-2 6, Wicklund 0-0 0-0 0, Borries 1-4 0-0 2, Scruggs 2-6 0-0 4. Totals 22-63 15-26.
Illinois (95)
Keller 5-7 2-3 12, Davis 4-7 2-2 10, Tisdale 1-6 1-2 3, McCamey 5-8 5-6 16, Legion 2-6 0-0 6, Richardson 5-8 5-6 16, Bertrand 2-3 2-6 6, Paul 3-7 7-10 13, Chisholm 0-1 1-2 1, Cole 3-4 0-0 6, Griffey 2-3 2-2 6, Semrau 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 33-63 26-37.
3-point shooting: Missouri Southern 8-22 (Adams 2-5, Crittendon 0-1, Price 0-4, Bowlin 2-5, Hester 2-2, Baker 1-1, Jones 1-4); Illinois 3-15 (Keller 0-1, McCamey 1-2, Legion 2-4, Richardson 0-2, Paul 0-3, Chisholm 0-1, Cole 0-1, Griffey 0-1). Rebounds, Missouri Southern 35 (Scruggs 7, Borries 6); Illinois 47 (Tisdale 9, Keller 6, Cole 6, Davis 5). Assists, Missouri Southern 14 (Adams 3, Price 3); Illinois 16 (McCamey 7, Paul 3).
Att. – 14,454 (tickets sold).

Just back from Big Ten Conference basketball media day in Rosemont and if you attended, you’d come away knowing the Big Ten is out on a limb this season.

And it’s about time.

On paper – and only on paper – the Big Ten appears loaded. A total of 18 players who were named to some kind of all-conference recognition return including the entire first-team all-league squad led by last season’s Player of the Year, Kalin Lucas of Michigan State.

The stars have aligned for the Big Ten and barring a string of significant injuries, this should be the year the conference finally wins the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and makes a big-time splash in the NCAA Tournament.

The top 25 coaches’ poll came out Thursday and the league had five teams in the Top 18 with Michigan State at No. 2, Purdue at No. 7, Michigan No. 15, Ohio State No. 17 and Minnesota No. 18. Illinois is at No. 27, which Bruce Weber said was “just about right. We still have a lot of questions to answer and no one knows what we’re going to get from our freshmen. But I think we can be a top 20 team.”

The media picked Michigan State to win the title followed by Purdue and Ohio State (the league only releases the top three teams). Kalin Lucas was the pre-season Player of the Year.

At the heart of the league is a monster junior class and that’s the heart of the Illinois team, too, with McCamey, Davis, Tisdale and Legion as juniors who could start.

For Friday night’s exhibition opener against Missouri Southern, Weber said that although freshman D.J. Richardson probably deserves to start, he is inclined to go with a more veteran group, then let Richardson work his way into the lineup. That would mean starting Tisdale, Davis, Dominique Keller, McCamey and Legion.

Doesn’t really matter right now.

I’m very excited to see this team come together, knowing all the while there will be some big challenges ahead once Big Ten play begins. You’d better come ready in this league, or you’ll be headed home a loser.

Amazing how different the Illinois-Michigan football game looks today compared to how it looked one year ago.

Can you remember back that far?

The poster boy for that difference is Juice Williams, who I wrote about in a column (Wednesday) that can be found elsewhere on our web page.

But consider the game Juice had quarterbacking the Illini last season at The Big House in Ann Arbor.

Illinois fell behind 14-3 in the first quarter, then rallied big-time for a 45-20 victory. It was the most points Illinois put up against the Wolverines in school history and the most points scored against Michigan on their home field since 1991, when Florida State scored 51.

Juice Williams completed 13 of 26 passes for 310 yards and two touchdowns. Plus he ran 19 times for 121 yards and two more touchdowns. The 431 yards was the highest single-game total offense mark ever recorded in Michigan Stadium.

The next week Illinois suffered a disappointing 27-20 homecoming loss to Minnesota. But in that game, Juice completed 26 of 42 passes for 462 yards with one interception, two touchdowns. He had 503 yards in total offense in that game, the most in Memorial Stadium history.

The point is simply to underscore how far things have veered off track. No longer is Juice the unquestioned leader of the offense. This week he’ll share the job with redshirt freshman Jacob Charest and, let’s face it, if Charest can impress, more and more of the job will become his. That would be appropriate, since this team must already look to the future and the future will not include Juice Williams.

It may not include Charest, either. This is a produce-under-fire audition for him, not just to win, but to show that he has the poise and smarts and arm to direct this team. And since he’s not a great option runner, he’ll have to do it more with accurate passing.

Nathan Scheelhaase, the true freshman, won’t play this season unless there’s an injury, Zook said Tuesday. But he might be the quarterback of a very uncertain future. At this stage, can any of us predict how this will all play out?

“God forbid someone gets hurt and Nathan is chomping at the bit to do it,” Zook said, describing the scenario in which Scheelhaase would burn a year of eligibility at this point. “But this is Jacob’s opportunity. He threw for almost 8,000 yards in higih school and there was no question in our minds when we recruited him that he can help us win.”

As the Michigan game ended last October, I sure didn’t realize Charest would be looked to for a badly needed victory this quickly. I wish him well, but that kid has a tough assignment on Saturday.

Sunday brought some welcome relief from a painful football season.

The Illini basketball team staged its annual Orange & Blue scrimmage at the Assembly Hall and there was plenty to feel excited about.

For me, start with Demetri McCamey. Quicker, smarter, more confident, McCamey was outstanding. “Best he’s played in two years,” associate head coach Wayne McClain said. “His team kept winning because he dominated.” McCamey scored 16 points, had 11 assists and one turnover.

But I’m sure everyone left the Hall buzzing about Alex Legion. He made 11 of 15 shots including 6-of-8 from 3-point distance and led all scorers with 28 points. It was a good confidence boost for Legion, who shot the ball effortlessly.

But there were more players who stood out.

Mike Tisdale made nine of 12 shots and scored 21. Dominique Keller scored 21 also. Freshmen D.J. Richardson and Brandon Paul each scored 18 points and showed the kind of athleticism that will earn them playing time. Mike Davis had 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Lots to be excited about.

Bruce Weber said they hoped to show more full-court pressure on defense and he said they’ll try to do more of it Friday night in the exhibition opener against Missouri Southern.

They’re still looking for a backup to Tisdale. Stan Simpson showed some flashes. Richard Semrau had a bunch of fouls but missed practice on Friday and Saturday to attend the funeral of his grandmother. Weber mentioned that Keller or freshman Tyler Griffey could move to the middle in a pinch.

Early in the scrimmage, I kept thinking that McCamey and Richardson have a chance to make up a fun-to-watch backcourt. But if Legion can shoot like that, he’ll need to be on the court, too.

All and all, a nice problem to have.

But quickly back to football. Earlier on Sunday, Ron Zook said he’ll be using both Juice Williams and Jacob Charest at quarterback the rest of the way. He said he didn’t know how the rotation will work, but it’s a two-QB system from this point forward. That leaves Eddie McGee at wide receiver and Zook promised some use of McGee that other teams will have to take note of.

The more I’m around, the less I understand.

That’s how I feel thinking about AD Ron Guenther’s statement made earlier today outside his box in the Ross-Ade Stadium press box at halftime of the Illinois-Purdue football game.

On Tuesday of this week, Guenther had an athletic department spokesman pass along his sentiments on the Illini football coaching situation. Everyone has wanted to know what Guenther is thinking and although he hates to issue that kind of comment, he simply said he’d evaluate the program at the end of the season and have something to say at that time.

Fine. I get it. Let the season play out and then declare.

But when former University of Minnesota coach Glen Mason phoned Guenther late this week, Guenther said more. So by the time the local scribes had assembled at Purdue Saturday, we wanted Guenther to at least say the same to us.

When he emerged at halftime, here’s what he said:

“The question that has come up and continues to come up, is there a change in Champaign? The reason the (Big Ten Network) got it was that Glen Mason and I are going to have dinner next week and I said, ‘Let’s put one thing to rest. There will be some changes, but there will not be a change on the top.

“There’s a great deal of frustration, obviously, with the program at the moment and that’s all I have to say,” Guenther said. “We’re still going to evaluate (at the end of the season), but I think it was really unfair to start jumping at the end of the fifth year on the guy. That’s what I wanted to put aside.”

Hmmmm.

I can hear many of you grumbling already.

Let’s put aside Guenther’s belief that Zook is the man to fix the football program.

What I find most puzzling is that Guenther feels compelled to make that decision now. Why? Because it’s tough to recruit? Too bad. That’s what happens when your team is playing this poorly. Because it’s causing you personal anguish? I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, but that’s one of the reason they pay coaches $1.5 million a year, to offset the pressure and sleepless nights. It’s not a job for everyone.

What if this team finishes 1-11 and really, REALLY falls apart down the stretch? What if the team stops playing hard (despite what some of you might think, that hasn’t been the case)? It just makes sense to me to reserve the right to make my statement after I’ve seen the full body of work from this season.

What is Guenther really saying that five years isn’t enough time to make a decision? He did not take followup questions, so I couldn’t ask him.

Guenther does seem to imply there will be changes on the coaching staff. I’d think anyone with the word “coordinator” on his title should be concerned. But who wants to come to a school whose head coach is sitting on the hottest seat in all of college football? For a possible one-year gig?

Truly, I hope Ron Zook can find the answers and fix the problems. But if he can, why can’t he find any of them this season? That’s a fair question, isn’t it? And if Zook can’t find the answers next season, with Nathan Scheelhaase running the show at quarterback, Guenther’s gamble will have backfired and very, very few people will have faith in Guenther’s ability to find the next head coach. I know a large number of you already lack that faith.

So I won’t bore you with my thoughts about University of Houston coach Kevin Sumlin, who I had at the top of my list if Guenther decided to make a change. There will be no change, not this year and not next year.

Like I said, I hope Ron Zook fixes the problems. I hope Ron Guenther’s gamble is on the money.

There’s an awful lot riding on Guenther’s decision.

AD Ron Guenther said Saturday that Ron Zook will return to coach the Illini in 2010, a decision that essentially gives Zook 18 games in which to fix the University of Illinois football program.

He’s going to speak with us at halftime, but I’m posting it now as a heads-up.

Well, here we go again.

My biggest fear about the Illinois-Purdue game on Saturday is that we won’t see anything new. Nothing different.

From a purely selfish standpoint, I’m bored with seeing the same game over and over and over again. I’d like to see something different. I’d like to see a spark and quarterback and I don’t care if it comes from one of the current guys, from redshirt freshman Jacob Charest, from true freshman Nathan Scheelhaase (but only if they’re committed to starting him the rest of the season), or by dragging Kurt Kittner out of the radio booth.

I’m tired if seeing the offense struggle, the defense get knocked around, Illinois fall far behind, then – when the game is already decided – stage some meaningless rally for a couple of late touchdowns.

I’m tired of writing the same story week after week.

When I sat down with tight end Michael Hoomanawanui earlier this week, I asked him if he’d thought about the differences this season compared with 2007, when he was a sophomore and Illinois was winning its way into the Rose Bowl.

He said he’d thought about it a lot. It’s not talent, he said. Illinois has as much talent now as it had in 2007, probably more. What’s missing, he said, is “want, heart, soul.”

He talked about how the 2007 team had J Leman and safeties like Justin Harrrison and Justin Sanders, a solid defensive line and good linebackers across the board. They he lamented that the current team seems unable to “let it loose, have fun, do what you used to do on the playground.”

I listened closely, because he’s one of the few voices who has at least offered up a reason for the decline.

This has to be an extremely frustrating season for Hoomanawanui, and maybe a financially costly season. He is a guy I thought might have a big year, with decent catch totals, and make himself into a catch-block tight end the NFL people had to take a look at. Maybe they still will. But through six games, he has a grand total of six catches (OK, five games, because he sat one out with a bad ankle).

So my battle cry this week is simple: WIN ONE FOR OH-OH!

Sadly, I don’t expect it to happen. Regardless of what happens at quarterback, it won’t solve serious problems on the defensive side of the ball, where Illinois ranks last in the Big Ten in rush defense, pass defense and total defense. That ain’t good, kids.

I’ll be in West Lafayette, Ind., Saturday, hoping to see the unexpected. I go there with low expectations.

Here is a copy of my column for Wednesday, which deals with Ron Guenther’s patient evaluation of the Illini football program.

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CHAMPAIGN – This is just about the time I felt Illini Athletics Director Ron Guenther would need to send out a public message on the state of his wheezing football program.

Sure enough, on Tuesday Guenther pinned a note to one of his lead bird dogs, who delivered a message shortly after head coach Ron Zook held his weekly session with the media. The Illini are 1-5 as they prepare to visit Purdue Saturday and Zook arrived and left without surprises Tuesday, saying he is not prepared to say who will start at quarterback, only that, “We’ll keep on working, keep pushing buttons and if we have to make changes we’ll continue to make changes until the light finally comes on.”

While Zook is waiting for some illumination, impatient fans want to know what’s going on behind the scenes, where Guenther rules an athletic department that depends greatly on the financial health of the football empire.

And while fans can afford to be impatient, Guenther never is.

He is a careful, loyal man who has never been prone to quick reaction. So anyone holding their breath waiting for Guenther to fire Zook mid-season should exhale and calm down.

“Ron will do what he always does, and that’s to evaluate all aspects of the program after the season has ended,” said Kent Brown, the assistant athletics director in charge of media relations.

In truth, Guenther evaluates the football program every day of his life, as he should. It’s the most important property in his department and Guenther, as a former Illini football player, cares deeply about its well-being.

But that has never compromised Guenther’s willingness to move deliberately and only after meticulous inspection.

Illinois is 1-5 today, and things seem grim. But I’ve learned the feeling changes from week to week. If Illinois was to win at Purdue Saturday, then upend Michigan in Champaign the following week, the feeling would be more upbeat.

Likewise, if Illinois loses at Purdue and loses to Michigan, the 1-7 record will feel even more grim. The drumbeat for change will sound more urgently.

What if Illinois loses the rest of its games? What if Illinois finishes the season 1-11, which would make the team 6-19 since it arrived in Pasadena, Calif., for the Jan. 1, 2008 Rose Bowl?

Guenther’s biggest question is this: Can the football mess be fixed and can Ron Zook be the fixer?

Then he has to ask: What is the cost of making a coaching change vs. what is the cost of not making a coaching change?

Guenther is evaluating all of these things.

There are some who believe that even if Illinois goes 1-11, Guenther will retain Zook for another season.
Why? He may believe Zook can still fix the problems, although it’s hard to imagine that Guenther would not insist on some significant coaching staff changes. Guenther may also look at Zook’s contract buyout and believe it is financially impractical to make a change now.

That buyout, said to be nearly $1.4 million a year owed over four more seasons, is significant. Plus there are a couple of assistant coaches who have multi-year contracts. Call it $7 million total.

I’ve mentioned this before, but Guenther finds himself in an odd situation with an interim president, Stan Ikenberry, no chancellor, an interim provost and a mostly-new Board of Trustees.

I suppose he reports to Ikenberry, who is stepping in temporarily in the wake of the admissions scandal that has flipped the university hierarchy on its ear. Ironically, Ikenberry was president in 1992. In fact, he hired Guenther, so the men are more than familiar with each other.

No one seems quite certain if Guenther has free reign to do as he pleases. Is he under pressure to keep Zook for financial reasons? Is he under pressure to fire him? Does anyone care? No one knows.

My guess is that Ikenberry would feel he has plenty on his crowded plate, especially now that Dr. Richard Herman has resigned as chancellor. My guess is that he’d be inclined to leave the football decisions to Guenther.

At 1-11, though, Guenther could be in a tough spot.

Ticket sales for next season are an issue. So are lease renewals for the luxury suites and priority seating areas. Influential donors, grumbling now, might really howl.

But since Illinois installed a points system that rewards loyalty over time (with preferred seating, post-season ticket allocation, etc.), season tickets holders might be less inclined to dump their seats if it means going to the back of the line. And although some suite occupants are already unhappy, history says they’re a pretty loyal group.

If Illinois finishes 1-11, yes, ticket sales will fall. A few donors may bail. And Guenther, who has experience understanding these repercussions, will weigh that fallout as part of his overall evaluation of the program.
I’m just saying to understand the situation requires understand the man who will make the call. And it means understanding the unusual situation that currently exists at a university that, frankly, has never insisted on football excellence as a university-wide priority.

This is not Michigan, Alabama or Florida. This is Illinois, and there’s a difference.

I don’t pretend any of that will make the masses happy. They just want to win, and they wonder why decision-makers don’t see more urgency in making it happen.

It’s just not meant to be, is it?

It’s not that Illinois had played well enough to win the game late in the third quarter. It hadn’t. But still, Indiana had made enough mistakes to keep it close and its lead – 13-7 – was about to be overtaken with the Illini poised at the 5-yard line.

Second down and five more yards and Illinois could be ahead, 14-13

But when you’re having the kind of season Illinois is suffering through, and when you have a knack for making killer mistakes at the worst possible moment, bad things happen. And bad things did happen.

Quarterback Juice Williams, who got the start, ran with the ball and fumbled. Indiana scooped it up and returned it 26 yards. And in a short time later, the Hoosiers found the end zone and went up 20-7.

A moment later, Juice was hit trying to pass and fumbled again. Indiana recovered and bingo!, another touchdown pass and a 27-7 lead.

That’s how a team mired in misery finds itself at 1-5 now, the only team in the Big Ten without a conference victory.

Just so you know, a couple of things are worth reporting on:

One, why did Mikel Leshoure, who ran so effectively early, stop getting the ball? Answer: Ron Zook said he sprained his ankle and could not continue. OK.

Two, what about Donsay Hardeman, the safety who was carted off the field on a hard stretcher? Hardeman was taken to a hospital for tests after feeling numbness in his limbs. Remember, he had a herniated disc last season and underwent surgery in the winter to fuse together vertebrae. Zook said initial reports were encouraging and he seemed to be doing well, but we’ll have to hear more on Sunday and Monday. Scary moment.

Can Illinois win another game? Or will it finish 1-11? At this point, I can’t imagine picking them again. Certainly not at Purdue next week, not after what the Boilermakers did to No. 7 Ohio State Saturday.

This was the first time I’ve seen Indiana’s renovated Memorial Stadium. They did a nice job with the north end zone project. Looks great. But why they needed a more empty seats is beyond me.

What I really liked was Indiana’s offense. Sure, probably too much trickery, but for a team that won’t outman others in the Big Ten, why not? And it was fun to watch.

By the way, the “madness” basketball stuff Friday night was OK, at least the intrasquad game, in that people could see the talent level of the freshmen, and I think they could see that Demetri McCamey really has become a leaner, more explosive guard.

If that’s the starting point for D.J. Richardson, he’s going to have a great career.

The son of Michael Jordan is back with the Illini basketball team.

Bruce Weber made it official Friday night, saying Jeff Jordan had convinced him he is ready to dedicate himself to rejoining the team.

Jordan played as a “preferred walkon” the past two seasons, but told Weber after this past season he was leaving the team, staying in school and would concentrate on academics.

But this fall he met with assistant coaches and expressed an interest to return to the roster.

On Friday, Weber issued this statement:

“Jeff recently indicated his interest in coming back to the team. After meeting with him and discussing the situation, we are pleased to give him this opportunity.

“He has obviously missed a great deal of time away from the program the last six months and he has a lot of work ahead of him. There are conditions Jeff must meet to fully earn his way back. At this time, his focus needs to be on his academic work and catching up to his teammates in practice.

“Jeff is a determined young man, and he has expressed to us that he is willing to make the total commitment necessary for a successful return.”

Maybe it says a lot more about Indiana than Illinois, but I’m picking the Illini to win Saturday night in Bloomington, Ind.

Truth is, I’ve seen nothing to make me believe Illinois has turned a corner. And I’m probably a little too influenced by the lop-sided nature of Indiana’s game last week, a 47-7 loss at Virginia. Also, I still remember seeing Indiana at Illinois last year in a 55-13 Illini victory.

I have to remind myself, though, that was a very different Illini football team.

Still, I’m making a couple of assumptions.

One, I assume Juice Williams will start at quarterback. I think that gives this team the best chance to win.

Two, if I’m not going to pick Illinois this week, when am I going to pick them? Aren’t they “due?” Isn’t it about time that this offense somehow, some way, figures out a way to find the end zone? Speaking of which, isn’t about time Rejus Benn finds the end zone, since the last time he was standing in it with a football was exactly one year ago against these Hoosiers? That’s incredible, and I’m betting that drought ends tonight.

I don’t know that Illinois can win big. I don’t know that Illinois can win small. I don’t really know that Illinois can win at all. But I’m picking them, 26-20, with this fair warning: Do NOT wager one single penny on this game based on anything I say. Cherish your money! Donate to your church.

By the way, glad to see that it appears ESPN is not moving Bob Knight to the Big Ten game, as I was told. That might open some opportunities for Stephen Bardo. Knight on the Big 12 would relax a lot of Big Ten fans.

Here’s a bunch of quick-hit items from Illini basketball media day on Tuesday.

I’m going to be optimistic, perhaps overly so, while acknowledging that none of what I say matters until we see results on the court during games that matter against opponents who are worthy. Football has been a good reminder of that lesson.

That said, I truly am optimistic.

Demetri McCamey, who Bruce Weber said Tuesday was the most important player on his team, seems to have undergone a significant transformation. And that should be great news. He checks in at 197 pounds, down 12 pounds from his playing weight at the end of last season and down 20 from the 217 he weighed when he arrived on campus during the summer of 2007.

He looks and sounds like a different kid. Even his voice sounds different. He was laughing at himself, the way someone laughs at someone who is no longer around. He admitted he was both lazy and out of shape last season and said he’s quicker, more explosive and feels better. Yes, he’s been pushed by the arrival of the freshmen, but he also agreed with Weber that he needed to make changes when they were urgently suggested after the NCAA Tournament loss last season.

A team manager snuck into the locker room and placed a picture of McCamey in the Western Kentucky game in McCamey’s locker (could the coaches have put the manager up to it???) and McCamey said it has motivated him to put that disaster behind him.

Weber even recently complimented McCamey on his defense, an occurrence so rare McCamey thought Weber was talking to D.J. Richardson.

Mike Davis is up to 218 pounds (from 212 at the end of last season), but looks about 15 pounds heavier because he has made visible gains in the weight room. He has grown into his body some and his arms and legs both look thicker. Davis said he is holding his own better inside, where Weber has challenged him to grab more rebounds and get a couple extra put-back baskets a game.

D.J. Richardson is a wonderful prospect. He has won everyone’s respect, including Weber’s, as a relentless worker with a nose for defense. I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t end up starting.

Alex Legion, who I won’t speculate on until we see him in games, said of Richardson: “He’s a D-Wade type player. He has the mindset that he wants to stop you defensively and if you score, he’s mad.”

Joseph Bertrand, the freshman who had surgery to repair his torn meniscus, said he is about 80 percent and should be close to 100 percent by Nov. 1. Weber said Bertrand has worked extremely hard and doesn’t want to redshirt. “He reminds me of a Calvin Brock who can dribble,” Legion said.

Weber said Tyler Griffey and Davis are the two best big men in the running drills. And Griffey has shown more toughness and willingness to get his nose dirty than he expected. He’ll have chance to play if he can do some of the dirty work in games.

Brandon Paul impresses everyone with his athleticism. “I thought I had shooting range, but that kid can shoot it all the way out to the Block-I at center court,” Legion said. “He shoots it quick and high and he can get to the rim.”

Weber has about three themes for the season. They are: Rising up. (Translation: We have to take our game to another level, Weber explained). Also, Blue collar, orange pride (Weber said baskets will be easier to come by, but that blue collar toughness will still be critical). And, finally, Finish. (That’s a reference to finishing games and, of course, finishing the season with NCAA Tournament success).

Weber said the coaching staff is taking a more serious look at playing some zone defense. In fact, when the staff goes on a retreat today, they’ll be looking at some tapes of zone defense as played by Louisville and other teams. “If we’re going to play it, I want it to be aggressive,” Weber said. “Louisville plays it aggressively. It has man principles, but it’s zone.”

One reason he’d play some zone is to get a player like Bill Cole onto the floor. Cole can shoot, but who does he defend? With Illinois’ length, Weber said the makeup of this roster might be right to play a little zone. We’ll see.

Also, Weber named Wayne McClain as associate head coach, saying he had earned the recognition and that McClain will be in charge whenever he’s out of the office.

Also, he said he’s taking his time on the Jeff Jordan matter. Jordan wants to return to the team as a third-year walkon after saying he was leaving the team but staying in school. Jordan has talked to the assistant coaches and met with Weber on Monday. He said he wants to be sure Jordan is totally committed to rejoining the team and may have a decision by the “Madness” stuff at the Assembly Hall on Friday night.

Finally, I hear that good friend Stephen Bardo was in line to do Big Ten games on ESPN, but now may be shifted to other assignments to make way for a different Big Ten analyst. That analyst: Bob Knight.

There’s more – lots more – but that will come in future installments.

It’s interesting how coaches and players think.

After Illinois’ 24-14 loss to Michigan State Saturday, coaches and players were saying they had seen improvement in the second half – offensively and defensively – and that they just have to forget the first half and use that positive stuff from the second half to create momentum going into the next game at Indiana.

Hmmm.

Forget the first half.

Funny, but scoreboards have a foolproof memory. Scoreboards remember and keep count. They don’t forget that Illinois played an absolutely abysmal first half, gained all of 60 yards in the first half and trailed 17-0 at the end of the first half.

Eddie McGee was just terrible and I never imagined he could have played that poorly. It’s true, his offensive line didn’t help much, but McGee looked worse than Juice Williams ever looked on his way to losing the starting job.

When McGee had an interception returned for a touchdown in the third quarter, Ron Zook had seen just about enough. He said he saw the look on McGee’s face and knew it was time for a change. So, welcome back, Juice Williams.

It’s true, the defense played much better in the second half. And the offense scored two touchdowns with Juice in there. But this football team is no closer to playing a complete game than they were five weeks ago.

And until we see that, this is just a bad football team.

They can talk all they want about “being close,” and “making strides,” but I see a team that isn’t getting much better. Zook wouldn’t talk about the quarterback plans from this point forward, but I assume Juice is back as the starter. McGee looked overwhelmed.

Up next are a pair of road games (Indiana and Purdue). On paper, both of those teams are beatable. But not by a team that still hasn’t scored a meaningful touchdown against a good team until the outcome is pretty well decided.

Improvements late in a game against an opponent who already has you whipped are not impressive. Not to me. I was expecting more.

Congratulations, by the way, to the Illini basketball staff for getting a commitment from Nnanna Egwu of St. Ignatius in Chicago. He’ll join Tracy Abrams in the Class of 2011.

When Ron Zook announced that he was switching to Eddie McGee as the starting quarterback this week, he was quick to say that Illinois’ football troubles are not the result of just one person.

True, Juice Williams can’t be blamed for everything.

But why is it that an awful lot seems to be falling on McGee’s shoulders as we go into Saturday’s homecoming game against Michigan State?

Everywhere I went this week people seemed pleased with the switched. And fans who seemed to have no hope a few days earlier discovered something to hang onto with the news about the QB change.

I’d be careful about that. More than the quarterback has to change for Illinois’ football fortunes to change.

The play-calling has to change. And it has to improve. I haven’t given up on Mike Schultz as the offensive coordinator, but he’s got to step up his game as much as any player does. Get a feel for the option. Stretch the field with some longer pass routes. Find the tight end. Settle on a tailback and let that runner get some rhythm.

The defense has to step up. Yes, I know they were worn down last week when the offense kept going 3-and-out. But the tackling is still poor and they look vulnerable to both the pass and the run. Not a good situation.

The special teams have to improve. Looks like Terry Hawthorne is on the kick return team, which I called for. But I thought he looked a little tentative in his first appearance against Penn State. Maybe he can get rolling this week.

And would it be too much to ask for a touchdown pass to go to Arrelious Benn? Do you realize he hasn’t caught a touchdown pass in nearly a year, since Oct. 18 of last year against Indiana? That’s crazy.

Missouri was a very good team (despite their St. Louis Cardinal-like ninth inning collapse Thursday night against Nebraska). Ohio State is a good team. Penn State is a good team. But Michigan State is probably a cut below those teams. Plus it’s homecoming.

I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that Illinois desperately needs to beat Michigan State.

Some fans have already given up all hope. I understand that. But a victory over Michigan State and there would still be a measure of hope. A loss, however, and I see no hope for the rest of the season. Coaches will say there’s still a mathematical chance, but c’mon. Really?

Must win. That’s how I see the Michigan State game.

No wonder a lot seems to be landing in Eddie McGee’s lap.

I was interested to see if Illini football players were convincing in their support for Eddie McGee as the quarterback replacement for Juice Williams, and after visiting with them on Monday and Tuesday, I’d say they are ready for any change that might affect this struggling football team in a positive way.

Juice Williams is very well-liked. But so is Eddie McGee.

Juice helped set the tone by meeting with McGee on Sunday night. And on Monday, he was side by side with McGee in the film room, looking closely at the Michigan State defense. Juice’s positive attitude toward McGee will short-circuit any taking of sides.

After the initial jolt of the news, I think the players have rather quickly thrown their support behind McGee, who is a fourth-year player and no stranger to the scene. He is probably, in fact, the most experienced backup quarterback in the Big Ten.

One anecdote about McGee that shows his loyalty to the program: After the Rose Bowl, a former player started to make fun of linebacker J Leman because Leman was crying. The loss to Southern Cal really hurt the All-American linebacker and he was emotional about it. When McGee heard the former player making fun of Leman, he grabbed him by the jersey and got in his face. “Do you realize all that guy has done for this program?” McGee chided. “You’ll never mean what he did to Illini football!”

And this was an offensive guy sticking up for a defensive player.

The incident made an impression and earlier this year, when players got up to speak, the three voices that filled the room were Juice Williams, Arrelious Benn and Eddie McGee. So his voice carries some weight and is heard with respect.

That alone won’t complete a single pass for him Saturday vs. Michigan State. Nor will it make a tackle on defense or avoid a costly turnover. But it should help rally the troops as he tries to get the team headed in a better direction.

On the injury front, the one injury that could be a problem Saturday is the ankle sprain to tight end Michael Hoomanawanui. Ron Zook said he is “questionable” pending progress made the rest of this week. Everyone else who was nicked up on Saturday vs. Penn State should be ready to go, Zook felt.

Juice is serious in the huddle. All-business. McGee (according to starting center Eric Block) is more of a jokester, more likely to have fun. Maybe, given the bleak situation that seems to surround the team, a little light-hearted humor might not be a bad idea.

This Illini teams needs to play better on offense, defense and special teams. But they would also benefit from a break or two, one of those crazy-hop turnovers in the first quarter that leads to an unexpected score. They need something to give them hope and get the crowd behind them.

The crowd didn’t boo until the third quarter against Penn State and, giving the homecoming setting, I’m sure the crowd will be supportive Saturday against Michigan State. But if Illinois plays poorly and fans don’t see any signs of progress, they’ll voice their displeasure.

It would be nice to avoid that ugly noise. Maybe Eddie McGee can help make sure that happens.

Don’t be fooled by that little flourish in the fourth quarter.

Illinois is still very far away from fixing its problems and Saturday’s 35-17 loss to Penn State didn’t do much to make me think they’re getting much closer.

Yes, the offense was definitely better than it was the week before at Ohio State. But both of the touchdowns came in the fourth quarter after the outcome had been decided. And although Juice Williams made some nice throws, he also made some awful throws and was guilty of the game’s biggest penalty, an intentional grounding call that prevented Illinois from either a field goal or possibly a touchdown just before halftime.

That might have given Illinois a burst of momentum at the perfect time. Penn State’s lead was only 7-3 and the defense had played fairly well. But the penalty pushed Illinois back to the Penn State 43 and a Hail Mary pass at the half was deflected and intercepted.

Then, in the second half, the defense got knocked around.

This is not a real good Penn State offense and they ended up with more than 500 yards. Not a good sign.

Illinois did not generate a first down in the third quarter and that’s when the fans at Memorial Stadium started booing. Hey, they’re frustrated, too.

So where do we go from here?

If Illinois can’t beat Michigan State this coming Saturday, it will be 1-4 with road games at Indiana and Purdue looming. What if Illinois is 1-6 at that point?

Zook said Saturday that his team will be tested to maintain its unity.

“There could be some splintering,” he said, noting that’s what can happen during times of extreme frustration.

I don’t see it happening yet. But at 1-6?

It’s not a pleasant thought.

Juice will start against Michigan State, I’m sure. But if he struggles, it will probably be time to make a change. I don’t think his confidence is in the best of shape, and his struggles can become a distraction of their own.

Like I said, not a pleasant thought.

It should come as no surprise that Juice Williams will start at quarterback Saturday against Penn State. And, frankly, I agree that he should remain the starter.

Juice has become a lightning rod for criticism, having gone from being the face of the Illinois football program to the face of the Illini football disappointment of 2009. As you can tell if you read the responses on this blog, when in doubt, lash out at Juice. He’s a convenient target.

It’s the nature of the quarterback position and, to be truthful, he hasn’t played very well in the two games in which the Illini have been soundly beaten. So criticism is merited.

Juice has always earned his share of criticism. He has a habit of staring down receivers, of making some questionable decisions and some of his worst throws have come at a time when they hurt the Illini in close games. He’s a long way from perfect.

But, contrary to what some of you believe, he has improved in most areas every season. He was in over his head as a true freshman, led the Illini to the Rose Bowl and was honorary mention all-Big Ten as a sophomore and as a junior he led the Big Ten in passing and was second-team all-league.

He is a very respected player in the locker room. Teammates like him and look up to him, and that matters.

Entering his senior year, he was poised to set a number of Illinois school records and even some Big Ten records leading what should be a very good offense. But he has struggled and looked uncomfortable doing so, averaging 83 yards a game passing with three interceptions and no touchdowns. Disappointing by anyone’s standards.

The two areas he needed to improve were his overall completion percentage and his touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio. His completion percentage is actually up a small amount, but his TD-to-INT ratio is awful.

But at 1-2, unless you want to really push the panic button, you stick with him. At least for now. One reason you do is that his backup, Eddie McGee, is more turnover prone than Williams. And McGee doesn’t run the option as well. Yes, he’s quicker and faster and I love to watch him in the open field, but if you’re going to gamble, you probably should gamble that Williams will figure it out and improve.

I asked Zook Tuesday about the transition to new offensive coordinator Mike Schultz. Zook took many steps to ensure that the transition was as smooth as possible, sticking with the terminology that the players already knew while keeping the basic system in place. But have there been unexpected hiccups that could have caused some of the difficulties we’ve seen?

Zook said he has spent restless nights wondering the same thing. What could he have done differently? He said, “maybe we should have been a little tougher on them and not taken it for granted that we would be pretty good (offensively).”

I take that to mean they overestimated the smoothness of the transition, but I’m not sure how a different approach would have manifested itself. Should they have ridden players harder? Should Zook have ridden his own coaches harder? Should they have somehow road-tested the offense in a different way while still in Rantoul?

No one can quite put their finger on it, and maybe we’ll come to believe that Schultz is the wrong man for the job. His play-calling has at times been puzzling. Too early to say for sure.

Zook also said they should start trimming the tailback rotation. He said Jason Ford did not play as well as they would have liked and sounded inclined to let Mikel LeShoure and Daniel Dufrene get a larger bulk of the carries.

One thing we didn’t get into was special teams, but here’s my suggestion: Put two freshmen back there. Use Terry Hawthorne and Justin Green in place of Regus Benn and A.J. Jenkins. I love Benn as a player, but don’t like him as a kickoff return man, even though he has a touchdown to his credit against Penn State. I don’t like kickoff return people who don’t routinely get up to full speed. I like return specialists who blast in there with the accelerator nailed to the floor. Try Hawthorne and Green, unless they can’t be trusted to secure the ball.

On the basketball front, Joseph Bertrand is ahead of schedule following his surgery. In fact, they’re a little worried about slowing him down. He’s doing some stationary shooting, but they want to limit his running and jumping for the time being.

I’m sure, however, that since it’s football season none of you are even thinking about basketball.

There had better be a serious, closed-door meeting today involving the Illini football coaching staff, because something is very wrong.

After Saturday’s 30-0 loss at Ohio State, there is not a single thing this football team is doing well right now. Nothing. There’s nothing they can point to with pride and say, “We’re really good at this part of the game,” because they are struggling across the board.

Offense has been remarkably inept and they don’t have the answers. A lot of fingers will point at Juice Williams and the quarterback always takes the heat. Juice hasn’t been very good with three interceptions and no touchdown passes. Some will point at new offensive coordinator Mike Schultz. Something isn’t work there, whether it’s the plays, the communication or the confidence in the system.

Fingers will, of course, point at Ron Zook. If this staff is teaching and preparing during the week, it is not translating on game day.

This is not a good tackling team, special teams are (as usual) very weak and I’m afraid if there was any confidence left in this group, it’s in real danger of being washed down the drain. Very little is working right now and it wouldn’t take much imagination to see this entire season fishtail into the ditch.

In fact, I would go so far as to say it would take a minor miracle to salvage anything now. A bowl game? That might qualify as a major miracle.

Penn State comes to Champaign Saturday, so it’s not like there’s a dropoff in the quality of the competition.

There’s a lot that needs to be fixed and fixing on the fly is never easy. I’d say this team is in trouble and you’ll pardon me if I join some of you counting down the days until basketball begins in earnest.

And guess what? If the football team rebounds remarkably, we’ll have one whale of a story to watch unfold. I hope that happens. But I’m sure not holding my breath.