Ready.....Set.......Hut!

The Fighting Illini football team has begun their annual training camp sessions, otherwise known as Camp Rantoul, on the former Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul. If you are looking at the team for maybe the first time this season, you will undoubtedly notice some differences from last year's team, but at the same time, much of the 2010 squad returns intact. Here now is the first part of a three part preview on training camp, as well as a position-by-position look at the 2011 Fighting Illini.

If there is one thing that is abundantly clear from the start, this year's Illini team should have no problem scoring points, although their workhorse tailback of last season, Mikel Leshoure, opted to turn pro and forego his senior season. Quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase returns to lead the offense, and after throwing for nearly 2000 yards and running for almost 1000 more as a redshirt freshman last season, is poised to put up even better numbers this time around. While Scheelhaase has the signal calling locked up for the time being, he is being challenged in camp by freshman Reilly O'Toole, who has been having a good first two weeks and taking the majority of the backup snaps. But that doesn't mean that O'Toole will supplant the second string quarterback job from Miles Osei, who has a year of experience under his belt. At this time, there is no sense of burning O'Toole's redshirt just to get him on the field for a few plays. Would the unfortunate circumstance occur of Scheelhaase getting hurt, then you might look to getting O'Toole on the field.

With the loss of Leshoure, the Illini had few options at the running back spot returning, the only real possibility being Jason Ford. Ford came into training camp a few pounds over where Zook and the coaching staff wanted him, but still should see the bulk of the carries this season. However, two freshmen backs are making their case for playing time, as Donovonn Young and Josh Ferguson are both having a great training camp and making the tailback position that much more competitive. The situation with Young and Ferguson has caused Bud Golden to leave the program, Golden being pushed down on the depth chart far enough below even Troy Pollard.

The receiving corps will be one of the Illini's strengths this season, as senior A. J. Jenkins leads a talented group of wideouts on the field. Scheelhaase will have plenty of options to throw to, led by sophomores Ryan Lankford and Darius Millines. Spencer Harris, another sophomore, has looked good early on, as has true freshman Jordan Frysinger. Clemson transfer Brandon Clear has also looked good early on, and may challenge Jenkins and some of the others for catches.

The tight end position in the past has been one that has not been utilized by Illini coaches, but since the arrival of offensive coordinator Paul Petrino, they have integrated the tight end into their offensive sets. Sophomore Evan Wilson leads a talented young group of ends that should catch their share of balls. True freshmen John Davis and Matt LaCosse are both showing promise early on in camp, and senior Zach Becker seems to be healed from his injury plagued career at Illinois. Between the tight ends and the wide receivers, Nate Scheelhaase has a lot of options at his disposal.

Part of a good offensive ground and air game is the job the men up front do, and the offensive line is another strength that the Illini will bring into this season. Center Graham Pocic returns, as does guards Jack Cornell and Hugh Thornton. Tackle Jeff Allen also returns for his senior season, and the only question mark on the line is the spot that injured tackle Corey Lewis occupies. In Lewis' absence are two young players, Michael Heitz and Simon Cvijanovic, who will see action until Lewis returns, whenever that may be.

Up next week, a look at the defense, which has some question marks with the departure of two key players that decided to take their game to the next level a year early.

Are You Ready For Some Football......Big 10 Style?

Now that the calendar has rolled around to August, it is time to think about football and other happenings on the gridiron. The Big Ten Conference held its annual Football Media Days last weekend at the Hyatt McCormick Place in Chicago, and as is the case at this time of year, expectations are running high for all of the teams in the league. The conference will have quite a different look this season, as a new member joins the league for the first time since Penn State came aboard in 1990. Nebraska is the twelfth school to enter the conference, and their arrival will make possible the first ever league championship game, set to take place on Saturday, December 3rd at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Four new coaches will also lead squads as the season begins, and one of those is coming into a situation that is unenviable for anyone. But, more on that later. Now, a look around the league to see what everyone is thinking as the season commences.

Illinois coach Ron Zook (right) was the first coach to take the podium in front of the me

dia contingent. Running back seems to be the major concern, as Mikel Leshoure declared early for the draft, leaving the Illini with only one sure back, and due to some off the field

incidents last spring, is even a question mark as their training camp begins. True freshman Donovonn Young might see some action, and even though Zook has not seen him work out, is impressed by what he has heard. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase will lead the offense, and is backed by a veteran offensive line that returns virtually intact.media contingent, and as expected, the outlook for the Illini are running high. Coming off of a bowl victory in the Texas Bowl last December, Zook and company will need to fill in someholes left by some key departures for greener pastures in the NFL.

When Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema (right) went recruiting last spring, he didn't intend on finding a quality quarterback like Russell Wilson. Wilson, who is a transfer, was

highly sought after, and according to Bielema, they did an extensive background check on him to make sure that "they weren't bringing a problem into Madison". The Badgers are the odds on favorite to represent the Leaders Division in Indianapolis, and with four night games this season, should have plenty of national exposure. Bielema is especially looking forward to the game at Soldier Field in Chicago against Northern Illinois, citing that a game in the Windy City will be great for the program and could be a boost to recruiting as well.

Purdue coach Danny Hope (right) thinks that the Big 1o Championship game being played

indoors is a great idea, even though all of the venues in the league are outdoors.

Also, it doesn't hurt that the game is being played right down the road in Indianapolis,which if they are fortunate to get there, will have a huge fan following for the game. But, to get that fa

r, the Boilermakers need to get past the likes of Wisconsin and Penn State, and coming into the season with a two-pronged quarterback tandem of Robert Marve and Rob Henry will hopefully get them on the right path. Also, Purdue brough in a new strength and conditioning person in the off-season, so they are in great shape as the season begins.

Perhaps the biggest story of the off-season in the Big Ten, if not the entire country,

was the scandal in Columbus involving several Ohio State players that eventually led to the dismissal of Jim Tressel. Replacing Tressel at the helm of the Buckeyes is assistant coach Luke Fickell (right), who is walking into quite a firepit. Fickell wants to focus on what they have, not what they don't have, and the absence of several key players involved in the scandal is mainly what he is talking about. Before all of this went down, Ohio State probably was the favorite to win the prestigious Leaders Division, but that is no more. In order for the Buckeyes to represent this division, some magic will have to occur.

Indiana has a new coach this season in Kevin Wilson (right), and from all indications early on, it appears that the Hoosiers are moving in the right direction with this new hire. Wilson, who claimed that he has never watched a down of last season's Indiana team, has gotten off to a good start on the recruiting trail, landing highly touted quarterback Gunner Kiel of nearby Columbus, Indiana. Although Wilson could not speak about Kiel due to NCAA rules, he did saythat recruiting has started off on a good path since he arrived in Bloomington. The coaching staff that Wilson has assembled at Indiana will be no strangers to the Big Ten coaching rigors, since 13 of the 15 on the staff have coached in the conference at one point in their careers. Wilson himself coached under the late Randy Walker at Northwestern, so he is very familiar with coaching in the league. Seems like a good fit for the Hoosiers, and it also appears that Indiana may be on the rise as a result.

Penn State was the last team to join the Big Ten back in 1990, and long-time coach Joe Paterno (right) remembers it well being the "new kid on the block". Now beginning his

46th season as coach of the Nittany Lions, a lot of things have changed since JoPa took over in State College, and he is not sure how much longer he will continue to lead the Lions. Health

issues limited him last season, and he hopes that this season will be much better for him. When asked about the various scandals going on in college sports today, all Paterno wanted to say on the matter was that incidents were handled differently back in the "old days". He cited a specific example of disciplining a player without any knowledge from outside influences. With the advent of the internet and other social media outlets these days, that would no longer be possible.

The Legends Division features the other six teams in the league, including the newcomer to the conference in Nebraska. The Cornhuskers are coached by Bo Pelini (right), and he is

excited to be in the Big Ten because that means that they have 11 new opponents on their schedule and they will be traveling to some new venues as well this year. Pelini didn't think that the Nebraska style fits any one conference better than the other, he just thinks that football is football and you settle

the game on the field. One of the players that was represented by Nebraska was their outstanding linebacker Lavonte David, who was one of the top players in the Big 12 last year, and may have been one of the best in the country at that position. Joining the Big Ten will undoubtedly be tough, and the schedule makers did them no favors, since they have a rigorous inaugural season in the conference.

Iowa had their share of incidents last season, as the issue with training led to several

players getting sick after the season ended was a somewhat major story. Head coach Kirk Ferentz (right) likes the idea of Nebraska in the league, because it gives the

Hawjeyes a new natural rivalry. The Hawkeyes and Cornhuskers will play a trophy game called The Heroes Game,set for the day after Thanksgiving. The schools share a border, and have been familiar with each other over the years, although they haven't played one another very often. Still, Iowa has to be considered to contend for the Legends Division title with the likes of Nebraska and Northwestern.

Michigan enters this season with a new coach, Brady Hoke (right),

who had a verypositive outlook coming into Ann Arbor. The annual rivalry game between the Wolverines and Ohio State will take on a new look this season, as both schools field new coaches as the season begins. Hoke likes the idea of playing the Buckeyes in the last game of the season, and the possibility exists that the two teams could play again the following week in the title game. Hoke said if it happens, it happens. The Wolverines will once again be led on the field by their scrambling quarterback Denard Robinson, who looks to have another big season in Ann Arbor.

Michigan State head coach Mark D'Antonio (right) brings a heavy heart into the start of this season, as he is a close friend of ousted Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, and thinks it

is "gut-wrenching" to see what is going on over in Columbus. The Spartans have a good chemistry on their team, and according to D'Antonio, that is one of the strong points that they have entering this season. Another strong point is Spartan quarterback Kirk Cousins, who is one of the top signal callers in the league, if not the nation. Michigan State has been known as a bruising football team over the past few years, and D'Antonio hopes that the perceived notion will continue.

Minnesota enters into this season with a new coach as well in former Northern Illinois coach Jerry Kill (right). Kill is no stranger to the Big Ten, having coached against several conference teams during his tenure with the Huskies in DeKalb. Kill plans on using

MarQueis Gray as the quarterback for the Gophers, although he may play some wide receiver as well at some point during the season. Kill doesn't have any specific recruiting needs that he gears toward Minnesota, just players that he thinks can play at that level. From his time at Northern, he recruited athletes that could have played in the Big Ten, but chose to play at a smaller level. This could have contributed to the success that Kill has has against Big Ten opponents over the years.

Northwestern will look to rebound from last season, when they lost their starting quarterback Dan Persa to a broken leg. Persa, who is once again healthy, but not 100%, will

look to anchor an offense that was very prolific a year ago, and had it not been for Persa's injury, may have beaten Illinois at Wrigley Field. Instead, the Illini prevailed, downing the Wildcats 48-27 to

become bowl eligible. Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald (right) knows firsthand what Persa is going through, as he himself broke his leg a couple of seasons ago, so he can help him out in getting back to the way he needs to be. The Wildcats are a senior-laden group, so they will look to finish out their collegiate careers on a high note.

The stars came out in Champaign on Saturday evening, as the Alumni basketball game featuring many former Illini greats took center stage at the Assembly Hall. Some of the greatest basketball players in Fighting Illini history took the court once again, in front of several thousand fans. Fan favorites such as Dee Brown, Deron Williams, James Augustine, Brian Cook, and many others dazzled one more time, and judging by how many former players are still playing either in the NBA or overseas, the level of play was pretty entertaining. Two of the older players in the game, Steven Bardo and Kendall Gill, still look like they could suit up and play with the younger guys. Before the alumni took the floor, the 2011-12 edition of the Illini conducted a scrimmage, one of 10 practices that are preparing them for a trip to Italy against some of the better European teams. With seven new players this coming season, the team will be a young bunch, and the extra practice time will hopefully remedy that situation.

On tap for next week, a trip to Camp Rantoul to check out the Fighting Illini's first week of training camp, preparing for the first football game of the season, set to kickoff Saturday, September 3rd at Memorial Stadium against the Red Wolves of Arkansas State.

Getting to know........Nebraska

As summer nears its peak here in the midwest, the thoughts shift toward the upcoming fall season, which can only mean one thing.....FOOTBALL! This season, a new member joins the ranks of the Big Ten Conference, and that team is the Nebraska Cornhuskers from way out in Lincoln, Nebraska. I thought it would be fitting to take a little time during the "dog days" of summer to get better acquainted with our new friends to the west.

Lincoln is the state capital of Nebraska, and is the second largest city in that state. It has a population of just over a quarter million people, so just visualize an area about 1 1/2 times the size of Champaign-Urbana, and you will pretty much have it pegged. The approximate distance betwee

n Lincoln and Champaign-Urbana is 448 miles, which now makes it the second longest roadtrip in the Big Ten. That previous honor went to Minneapolis, but Lincoln is about 26 miles further. Still, Penn State is the longest drive, and now the borders of the conference stretch from Lincoln to State College, Pennsylvania, which is a whopping 984 miles. However, I don't think that anyone took distance to other schools into consideration when deciding on Nebraska to join the conference. They seemed to be the perfect fit, although not many people thought of them when all the talk about who the 12th member of the conference was going to be. The Cornhuskers are probably most known for their football team, which has had resounding success over the past few decades. They play in a venue named Memorial Stadium, which, coincidentally, will be the third stadium named that in the conference. Besides our historic landmark here on

campus, Bloomington, Indiana also calls their football venue that. In addition to football being a powerhouse, Nebraska also has been very successful in women's volleyball over the past few years, and while that might make other teams in the conference shudder, it actually will be a good thing, as it will enhance competition between the other schools and make the overall conference champion that much more worthy of the distinctive honor.

One of the major factors in bringing a twelfth member into the Big Ten was the establishment of a championship game in football. With an even number of teams now, the Leaders Division will battle the Legends Division in the first ever Big Ten Championship game to be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday, December 3. The Leaders consist of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin, while the Legends will comprise Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa, No

rthwestern, Minnesota and Nebraska.

Speaking of college football, we are just two weeks away from the official kickoff of the season with the annual Big Ten meetings in Chicago. For the Illini, it is a sense of renewed optimism, especially coming off a Texas Bowl victory against Baylor. But, there are so many questions that don't have answers right now, especially since 3 of the top players left after their junior seasons to pursue their dream of playing in the NFL. That dream seemed to be put in jeopardy, up until the last few days, where it was rumored that there could be a possible settlement to the lockout. However, Mikel Leshoure, Martez Wilson and Corey Liuget are gone, and the players coming behind them have some huge shoes to fill. Once Camp Rantoul gets going in early August, I will once again have a full preview of the season on each side of the ball.

This summer seemed to have much more action with Illini sports than normal, with the baseball team advancing into the NCAA Tournament and the arrival of seven newcomers on campus for Bruce Weber's basketball team. One of the Illini's returning players, Meyers Leonard (left), just got back to campus from playing on the FIBA U19 men's national team in Latvia. Leonard met with the media on Wednesday afternoon at the Ubben practice facility on campus and thoroughly enjoyed his experience playing with some of the top talent in the nation. He will now be one of the veterans on a team of youngsters, and will help lead them much like Mike Tisdale did for him last season. Leonard, who seemed uptight as a freshman, was much more relaxed yesterday, and hopes his sophomore season goes much better than his freshman season did. Meyers averaged just under 7 points per game for the US team in their 9 game stint in Europe. Leonard will not have much time to relax, as the Illini are preparing to go to Italy next month for a trip with the entire team. He likes the idea of traveling with his teammates this time around, and has become quite the world traveler within the past month.

The next time this page is updated will be at the Big Ten Football meetings in Chicago. Enjoy the rest of what is left of the summer months!!!

Summer Daze.......

Now that the Fighting Illini baseball team has finished their season, this concludes the sports at the University for the calendar year of 2010-11. Dan Hartleb's team made a good showing in the NCAA Regional in Fullerton, California, knocking off the hosts, Cal. State-Fullerton, along the way, before getting eliminated by Stanford. Still, this was a banner season for the Illini in many ways, most notably since halfway through the regular season it appeared that even a Big Ten Tournament bid was unlikely. But, the Illini persevered and went on a tear at the end of the season to not only get in the tourney, but garner the top seed. After the pairings were announced for the NCAA Regionals, the Illini were sent out west where they faced CS-Fullerton in the opening game, which they lost, sending them to the elimination round where they first defeated Kansas State to stay alive, followed by a sensational performance in a win over Fullerton in the rematch of the first game. This put the Illini into the championship game against the Cardinal, who proved to be too much for the Illini to overcome. However, the country came to know guys like Josh Parr, Matt Dittman and Davis Hendrickson, and the future looks bright once again for the Illini as they look toward 2012. Several Illini were drafted in the MLB draft, but it remains to be seen who will actually sign contracts and who will return to the team next season. Whatever happens, it appears that the Illini will once again be back in the hunt toward the top of the Big Ten standings.

The Illini held their annual team basketball camp this past week on campus, and several key targets for recruiting were on hand at the one day event. I had a chance to take in a couple of the early matchups at the Ubben practice facility on Wednesday, and came away with a sense of puzzlement as to why certain players are on the radar and others are not. Junior-to-be Nathan Taphorn of Pekin is one of those players, and if he intends on playing in the Big Ten, he needs to do two things, and they are to grow a little more and add some size to his body. He reminds me of Bill Cole at about the same age, and if he can mature at the rate that Cole did, then maybe that is a possibility. A couple of Missouri Valley schools have also expressed interest in Taphorn, and if he maintains his current stature, he seems to be a much better fit at that level rather than at the major college division such as the Big Ten. One player that I did not get to see that is on the radar was Chicago Hope's Jalen James, who apparently was offered a scholarship that day and accepted later that evening. James is the first of the 2013 class to be offered a scholarship, and there are many others in the class that are sure to be evaluated. Many of the top players in the state were not at the camp, since they are playing elsewhere for the summer with all-star or AAU teams. With the 2012 class being one of the weaker groups in recent memory, the focus now switches to the 2013 class in hopes that there will be a couple of scholarships to offer some of the top talent of that class.

Thursday was the first day that the media could interview and talk to the incoming freshmen class on the basketball team, and one thing is clear as summer workouts begin; there are a lot of new faces, which gives renewed optimism, but also raises a few questions. As far as the new players go, all but one of them are on campus and already going through workouts and weights with the current players. Mike Shaw (right), who committed to the Illini last October at his high school in Chicago, is really excited about getting started, which shows in his demeanor and attitude. Devin Langford (left) , who is the only out-of-state player currently on campus, is adjusting to life away from home, and seems to be ready to go as well. Langford, if you may remember, played last December in the Shootout At The Hall with his team from Alabama, and made an oral commitment to the Illini shortly thereafter. One of the players that transferred in after the current class was assembled, Sam Maniscalco (right), came over from Bradley and will slot in at the point guard position for Coach Bruce Weber when the season begins later in the fall. When coach Jim Les was fired at Bradley, it opened the door for Maniscalco to make a move, and since he is in the graduate program at Illinois, it allowed him to transfer and play immediately, something that the Illini coaches were looking for since the incoming point guard from the recruiting class, Tracy Abrams (above left), is just a freshman. Abrams also played in the Shootout with Mt. Carmel, and will be the understudy to Maniscalco, who has the experience necessary to play the point position for the Illini. Two other players, Mychael Henry and Nnanna Egwu were still lifting weights during my time down at Ubben, so I didn't get a chance to speak with them. A seventh recruit, Ibrahim Jimde, is having issues getting transcripts from his native Mali, and has not arrived on campus yet. The current group of players seem to adapt will with the newcomers, and they are gearing up for a trip overseas in August, where they will all get a chance to play together for the first time.

The NBA draft was held on Thursday in Newark, New Jersey, and of the three Illini that expected to hear their name called, none of them actually received that call. Seniors Demetri McCamey and Mike Davis, and freshman Jereme Richmond all were projected by some to be drafted, but in the end, it didn't happen for any of the three. Now they can only hope that they can catch on with an NBA team signing a free agent deal, or take their game overseas. Perhaps the most questionable decision was that of Richmond, who left school after his freshman year to test the NBA waters. But Richmond missed a couple of workouts with potential NBA suitors, thus thinning his chances of hooking on with a team. Not surprising, given the fact that Richmond had somewhat of a rocky road during his short time in Champaign-Urbana. For a player that had committed before he even played a minute of high school basketball, he chanced high schools three times in his four years, and had numerous altercations with coaches and other players along the way. Karma? You be the judge of that.

Finally, believe it or not, football season is on the horizon, and whether or not there is an NFL season come September, there will be a college season. The annual kickoff for the Big Ten takes place on July 28-29 in Chicago, where they will welcome the Nebraska Cornhuskers to the league as the 12th team. There are only 46 days until Camp Rantoul begins and the 8-game home season for the Illini, the first in the history of the program.

Uncharted Waters

Memorial Day weekend normally signals the beginning of summer, as schools across the state let out and kids everywhere start their three months of freedom. It seems strange to still be talking Illini baseball as this time of the year approaches, but the fact that they are still playing is all the more reason to give them some much needed print. After defeating Indiana in 3 straight games to wrap up the regular season, the Illini made the trip east to Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio for the Big Ten Tournament. Since schools in the midwest do not normally qualify as an at-large entry in the NCAA Tournament, the Illini would need to win the Big Ten Tourney in order to crack the field of 64 on Selection Monday, which, coincidentally, also was Memorial Day. Being the top seed in the tourney, the Illini had the pleasure of watching the other teams do battle, knowing full well that they would be facing one of the lower seeded teams when they finally took the field on Thursday. That team was Ohio State, which acted as the host school, since the tourney took place in Columbus, and what was to come about was truly epic. Down 4-1 heading into the last of the ninth, the Illini mounted a comeback for the ages, scoring 4 times in the frame on a walk-off single by Davis Hendrickson. The momentum from that game carried on into Friday evening, as the Illini took on regular season champion Michigan State. Needless to say, pitching was the name of the game as John Anderson threw a gem, going 7 1/3 innings and only allowing 1 earned run in notching the win and vaulting the Illini into the championship game on Saturday. The Illini were set to rematch against the Spartans after they dispatched the Minnesota Golden Gophers earlier in the day. In the title game, the Illini bats came alive, as Matt Dittman clubbed a grand slam over the right field wall and gave Corey Kimes all he would need, as Kimes went the distance, striking out 7 to give the Illini the Big Ten Tourney crown and the automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament. With the win, the Illini won their 8th straight game and improved to 28-25 overall, awaiting their fate on Monday.

Going to the NCAA Tournament is not a familiar trek for the Illini baseball team, as they had not been included in the field since 2000, when Itch Jones was still the coach. So, you can imagine the excitement on Memorial Day when the Illini were finally called and saw where they were headed. The destination was Fullerton, California to play Cal State-Fullerton on Friday evening at 10:00 pm central time (televised by ESPNU). The Titans are familiar to the Illini, mainly because Augie Garrido, who was a former coach of the Illini before Jones came to Champaign, was a long time coach at CSF. The Titans are the top seed in the regional and come in to the game with the Illini at 40-15 overall. The Titans play in the Big West Conference, and compiled a 19-5 mark this season to top the standings. The other two teams in the regional are Stanford and Kansas State, and for the Illini to emerge victorious and play on, they need some more of the magic that they have been able to muster for the last 10 games of the regular season, where they have gone 9-1. This Illini team is playing about as good as anyone in the country, so the prospects of them moving on is just as good as any other team making the move. Hey, lightning can strike twice, can't it?

Speaking of lightning striking, how about the turn of events over in Columbus, Ohio over the past couple of weeks? An ongoing situation came to an unforseen conclusion last week with the resignation of Buckeye head football coach Jim Tressel amid allegations that he covered up knowledge of memorabilia and other "perks" given to star players. Tressel for many years has been viewed as the picture of honesty, fielding good football teams each and every year. But, truth be told, Tressel has had a history of shady findings, even at his last job at Youngstown State, where he was also very successful. Many believe that the penalties that will be assessed to the Ohio State program will be justified, given the nature of the infractions. The Buckeyes have been on a pedestal for many years, and this will undoubtedly knock them from that perch and bring them back to the middle of the pack. With Nebraska coming into the league next month, this opens up a grand opportunity for the Cornhuskers to gain supremacy right away.

More next week, including the results of the Illini in the NCAA Regionals. It's summer, folks!!

Ch Ch Ch Changes...........

The news that surfaced last week about University of Illinois Athletic Director Ron Gunether's decision to retire on June 30 set about a flood of questions surrounding the athletic program and what this means for the future of Illini athletics going forward. It is no secret that this decision was imminent and would happen one day, but the timing of it was perhaps the most shocking revelation of the entire process. It has been well documented that many significant accomplishments have occurred under Guenther's watch, and the uncertainty that looms with him leaving mid-summer. The renovation of Memorial Stadium and construction of the Ubben basketball practice facility, Irwin indoor football complex, and the Atkins Tennis Center are just some of the feathers that Guenther can put in his cap. Amid all of the successes that he has accomplished over the years, there have been some things that have made people shake their heads in wonderment. First and foremost at the top of this list is the demise of the women's basketball program. Beginning with Theresa Grentz a few years ago and her running off players left and right, Guenther then hired Jolette Law, looking for a fresh start and a new direction for the program. What has since happened has been downright disastrous, as the program has for sure gone in a different direction, just not the one that Guenther had hoped.

So where does the next athletic director, whomever it may be, turn his attention to? There is the debate on whether or not to renovate the Assembly Hall, and the continued restoration of Memorial Stadium with the horseshoe revamping and possible lowering of the field. Among one of the first orders of business should be to look at the women's basketball program and make a change there. In order for the Illini to once again be respectable with the women's program, a clean slate needs to be done as soon as the new AD comes into power. Also, continued measures of fund raising must be achieved to keep up with the other elite schools in the nation. As has been previously mentioned, Guenther did a great job in making this happen, but the baton needs to be passed on and the new AD must take it and run the next leg of the race.

Back on April 6th, the Fighting Illini baseball team lost to Benedictine-Springfield 8-6 to drop to 9-14 overall. Certainly there was speculation that Coach Dan Hartleb was not getting the job done and might not see the end of the season. Fast forward a little over a month later, and the Illini have managed to get back to the .500 mark at 25-25, after sweeping the final series of the year at home against the Indiana Hoosiers. The Illini needed several things to take place in order for them to secure a spot in the Big Ten Tournament, which starts this coming week in Columbus, Ohio. After winning the first two games of the series, the Illini came into the finale on Saturday needing a win and a Michigan State loss to Northwestern to gain a share of the Big Ten title. The Wildcats held up their end of the deal by knocking off the Spartans, and all that was left for the Illini was to take care of the Hoosiers and get the top seed in the tourney by virtue of winning the series over Michigan State earlier in the year. Drama ensued at Illinois Field as the Illini got the winning run on base in a 5-5 tie in the bottom of the ninth. Matt Dittman stepped up to the plate, and delivered a game winning 2-run home run to send the Illini packing for Columbus as the eventual top seed. They will have a bye and will face the lowest remaining seed of Wednesday's opening round games. The Illini will play on Thursday (approx. 7:05 pm, Big Ten Network) and will go from there.

Who says the summer months are not filled with excitement? Before too long, the Fighting Illini football team will begin fall workouts at Camp Rantoul and the Big Ten will welcome its twelfth member, the Nebraska Cornhuskers. More to follow on the Illini in the Big Ten Tourney, as well as Big Ten football media days in late July in Chicago.

Questions......and answers?

What's wrong with Illinois? That's a fair question, and one that has been asked recently on a number of occasions. It all starts back with the basketball season that just ended, precisely around the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. The Fighting Illini had many question marks this season, with a senior class that underachieved by most standards, and a coach that has lost favor with the fan base and now seems on the proverbial "hot seat". Add to this mess a much heralded freshman who had been orally committed to the program for all of his high school career. When the season began, Coach Bruce Weber had high expectations, and to show his confidence, had shirts made up with a slogan geared toward the Final Four in Houston. Yes, it's nice to have goals and all that, but what transpired few people could have predicted. The team finished 20-14 for the year, including a trip to the NCAA Tourney, where they defeated UNLV before losing to former coach Bill Self and Kansas 73-59. It's no secret that this team had plenty of talent, but they didn't play up to the level that they were capable of and in some cases, looked dreadful. Bad losses to UIC at the United Center and Indiana in Bloomington created doubt for many people, and left fans wondering just what was next for this squad. The season was not without controversy either, as prized freshman Jereme Richmond was in and out of Weber's doghouse all year long. This should not come as a surprise to many, because his high school career followed a similar path. Richmond took a voluntary leave of absence the week of the Wisconsin game in Madison, and actually drove himself up to rejoin the team after dealing with some "family matters". Then, to make matters worse, the week of the Big Ten Tournament Richmond was involved in a locker room incident with another player after the loss to Michigan and was suspended for the NCAA Tournament as a result. It is clear that Weber and Richmond didn't see eye to eye on many issues, and the fact that Richmond felt that he should have been a starter all season could have played into the mix as well. So, when the news broke last week that Richmond had decided to leave Illinois to enter the NBA draft didn't surprise many, including me. It has always been Richmond's dream to play in the NBA, as it is most anyone's that plays the game of basketball at the collegiate level. The question here is, will Richmond be ready? According to some scouts, he is projected to be a late first round or early second round selection, which makes his decision one that makes sense. Apparently, Richmond was not going to class, and was in danger of becoming ineligible, but the rifts between he and the coaching staff still remain the major issue, in my opinion. Yes, this leaves a hole for next season, but also gives a glimmer of hope that nobody will transfer, instead vying for those minutes with the rest of the incoming freshman class.

Wednesday was the spring signing period, and Weber was able to add two players to the incoming class of recruits. Devin Langford of Huntsville, Alabama was one of the recruits that was showcased at the Shootout At The Hall back in December. He is a 6'7 guard/forward, that might take some of the minutes that was vacated by either Davis or Richmond. The other player that Weber added was a bit of a surprise, but a good one at that. Sam Maniscalco, who played at Bradley last season, has graduated, but under a new provision can transfer to a school that has his field of study for graduate school without having to sit out a year. When Jim Les was fired at Bradley, that gave Maniscalco the idea that he wanted to get a fresh start somewhere else, and given his ties with the Illinois Wolves AAU program, was a perfect fit for the Illini. The addition of these two players brings the total of incoming players to six, with Tracy Abrams, Nnanna Egwu, Michael Henry and Mike Shaw being the other four. Maniscalco's main role will be to play the point guard position, one that he did with good success over at Bradley. This will also give a temporary solution to the point issue that was facing Weber next season. With the departure of Demetri McCamey, it left the spot wide open, and was feared that Abrams would have to come in as a freshman and take the reins. Not so now, as Maniscalco will be more than qualified to ease Abrams into the quarterback of the offense for the 2012-13 season. Questions? Yeah, the Illini have plenty of them, and the one that remains the most intriguing will be what happens to Ron Guenther. Guenther's contract runs out in June, and if a new AD is named at that time, it might mean a possible coaching change down the road. Add to this the fact that some Illini assistants might be looking to further enhance their resumes as well, so a shakeup within the coaching staff is not a far-fetched idea either. At the annual season ending basketball banquet on Tuesday evening, Mike Davis was named team MVP, which was a good choice, since he was the most consistent of all the players this season. Yes, he had his moments just like all of the others, but towards the end of the season, it was evident that Davis cared and wanted to win more than anyone else. That showed some leadership in itself. Noticeably absent from the banquet was Guenther himself, and to nobody's surprise, Richmond was not there as well. So, in short, yes, there are plenty of questions surrounding the Illinois basketball program, and once again, what every one is asking these days is.... What's wrong with Illinois? We may find out, although it might not be known for a while.

Spring workouts have begun in earnest for the Fighting Illini football team, and coming off of a Texas Bowl victory in December, expectations are running unusually high as the annual spring game draws ever so closer. It's hard to think of a time where the football team has been more successful than the basketball team, but that time is now, and Coach Ron Zook has reason to be optimistic. With 8 home games slated for 2011, the first 5 of which will begin the season in Champaign, the possibility of starting 6-0 is a real possibility heading into a showdown with Ohio State in October. The main focus for this team during the spring workouts will be to build on what they accomplished in 2010, and back-to-back bowl trips will go a long way in achieving that. Watching offensive coordinator Paul Petrino in practice is priceless, and you had better not do something to draw his ire, because you will pay for it if you do. The man is intense, and I think the offense will do some big things this coming season. The spring game will be at 1:00 on Saturday, April 23rd, and it will be refreshing to see what these past couple weeks of practice has done for this squad.

The spring seasons are also underway for the Illini baseball and softball teams, and both teams are struggling. The baseball team is currently 11-16, and will welcome the Salukis of Southern Illinois to Illinois Field on Wednesday before heading to Michigan this weekend for a series with the Wolverines. The softball team is faring a little bit better at 18-14 overall, and are scheduled to play Purdue in West Lafayette on Wednesday in an afternoon doubleheader. Both teams have had their share of games cancelled on account of weather, something that is pretty common in Illinois during the early spring season. Once the temperatures heat up, here's hoping the bats for both teams will do the same.