"I don't really think we've had anybody like him, to be honest," Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. "He can do so many things, especially as a forward."

Or as a guard.

rivals.com

One of the better finds of the event, the 6-foot-8 Holmes will certainly be in the discussion when we re-tool the Rivals150 for the class of 2011. A long, 6-foot-8 four man from San Antonio (Texas) Antonian Prep, Holmes has a super motor, above average athleticism and a pretty high skill level. He gets to the free throw line, makes some jumpers and is very active on the glass. New Colorado coach Tad Boyle made him a priority on both Friday and Saturday while other Big 12 programs like Texas Tech, Baylor and Texas A&M will soon be ramping up their interest.

rivals.com

cbs2chicago.com

rivals.com

kcchiefs.com

Tisdale called the USA Basketball camp "the best basketball experience" of his career.

@PKlee_IlliniHQ

WICD video

What happened to the Illinois defense?

For all the ups and downs of Bruce Weber's tenure at Illinois, there has always been one thing the Illini do well: defend. Weber's teams aren't hard to figure out, but they've always been consistent. They play tenacious man-to-man defense out to 30 feet. They lock down perimeter threats and hedge ball screens before rotating, recovering and forcing the offense to start all over again. They don't give you anything easy.

espn.com

Who is "the University" and that's a very good question. It varies depending on the subject. Who speaks for UI in regard to athletics. I say it's a combination of the trustees, the University administration, and the most powerful faculty reps (who, perhaps surprisingly, might carry the greatest economic and philosophical weight on the topic). Some of the academic and especially research heavyweights are like loan brokers in banks--they are the "rain makers" for the University. They are the ones whose reputations, programs, and prowess draw major gifts and contributions that fund supercomputer labs and the like. When they talk, people listen. From my perspective as the son of a UI non-ac professional employee, himself a UI grad, and a lifetime follower and supporter of the UI across the board and an alum, I've sensed a lot of friction on this subject. The battle over the Chief, supposedly on altruistic philosophical grounds, was, IMO, an extension of the academic v. athletic trench war that has been waged on the C-U campus for literally decades, for as long as I can remember. Some of the deepest roots of this conflict go back to the mid-60's and those scandalous days. I really believe a "Never Again" attitude was birthed and has evolved into a deep-seated contest for the identity and fame of the University.

OrangeFever

"I don't worry about the job. You don't go into a season or a game worrying about your job security. You do the best you can do. You do everything you can do. If it's good enough, great. If it's not good enough, you take the next job."

espn.com

Weber said he wants to go deeper next season. Efficiency from the players is an example of how he can do that. I asked him about Mike Davis and here's what Weber said he'd like to see from the senior (who's playing well right now, for what it's worth):

"You don't need 36 minutes to get the double-double," Weber said. "Get the double-double in 28 (minutes) and we'll get somebody else in there."

Klee chat

Rock already knows two of the current Illini: quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase and defensive tackle Corey Liuget. He ran into Scheelhaase during a campus visit earlier this week.

"We hugged and he said 'The Rock is in the house,' " Rock said.

Asmussen

Howard, Illini assistant Jay Price, current Wisconsin and former Bradley assistant Howard Moore and Minnesota assistant Vince Taylor are the leading names mentioned. Moore's experience and Chicago ties apparently make him UIC's lead candidate, sources said.

The school has formed a search committee, spokesman John Jaramillo said. UIC athletics director Jim Schmidt will head the committee.

Supinie

nusports.com

rivals.com

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed second-round rookie wide receiver Arrelious Benn to a four-year contract that includes a $2.1 million signing bonus, according to a league source.

nationalfootballpost.com

Mark Wilson isn't going to play at Illinois. After some initial concerns about his academics, he was a late qualifier. But he wanted to go a different direction and Illinois released him from his scholarship.

I haven't found out yet where he will be going to school. He had other options, including Indiana, Iowa, South Florida, Southern Miss, etc.

Asmussen

Asmussen

wicd15.com

Point is: From all indications, it appears the UI is obliged to build a football team via modest contributions from the Chicago area (tackle Jeff Allen and center Graham Pocic are the state's only offensive starters), from a few Ohioans who escape Buckeye clutches (watch sophomore guard Hugh Thornton), and from contacts in Florida and elsewhere in the south.

Long-range, it is difficult to paint a pretty picture.

Tate

"Eddie is a guy we can use in a lot of different ways,'' Petrino said. "The (wildcat) package is something that can help take a little pressure off Nathan at times, let him relax and know he's not always the focal point of every single play.

"It will help take some hits off Nathan, help Eddie be a playmaker. He's always made plays.''

Supinie

The main reasons why Abrams rates an edge over every other guard in Illinois from the 2011 class are his toughness and his competitive edge. Abrams isn't afraid of anybody and has the best one-on-one ability of any guard in Illinois. Randle had some outstanding moments and was at his best when pulling up and nailing shots from beyond the arc and converting off of the dribble-drive. We still believe that Randle leans more toward being a 2 than a 1, but there is no question that he has the skills which make him an ideal combo guard.

ilprepbullseye.com

Tate chat

Mycheal Henry #4, Tracy Abrams #9, Nnanna Egwu #14.

Henricksen

For college coaches, the second part of the July live evaluation period has little to do with actually evaluating players.

As one college coach said: "We don't need to evaluate anybody now. We already know who we want. Now we just have to babysit kids and make sure we are seen at every one of their games."

suntimes.com

"I'm not setting any (personal goals). Next year is not even about me anymore," the 6-foot-9 senior forward said after a recent workout. "The previous years I wanted to get stats and stuff like that. Next year is all about wins. It's about getting a championship. Next year is not about stats. It's about getting a ring. If that means getting my mid-range jump shot going, getting rebounds, whatever, it's about getting wins."

Klee

Perry, a Georgian who apparently wants to be closer to her ill father, will be missed.

Tate

Big Ten Conference football media days are Aug. 2 and 3 in Chicago, and all 11 head football coaches and 33 players will be on hand to generate a little juice for the coming season.

But it's what will be going on behind closed doors that will have everyone's interest.

That's where the 11 athletics directors, plus new incoming University of Nebraska AD Tom Osborne, will huddle up with Commissioner Jim Delany and others to decide how the two six-team divisions will line up, formalize an announcement about a 2011 Big Ten Conference football championship game and discuss the logistics of travel as the league expands with its 12th and western-most member next year.

Tupper