For Beckman, it's a start

He held similar events in his three seasons at Toledo. The first year, the crowd wouldn't have filled one section of the Assembly Hall. But it grew each time, which is what Beckman expects to happen at Illinois.

"It's something that I believe in," Beckman said.

After meeting with fans in the Assembly Hall entryway, Beckman took to the temporary stage. Set up on the west side of the court, it seemed suited for a political campaign speech.

Asmussen