Deron Williams sees team on the rise

"They've had a lot of talent in there. It seems like it hasn't panned out like coaches hoped," Williams said Monday on a conference call with reporters. "But the next couple years should be good years ahead (with) a lot of great talent coming up."

Williams is the headliner for the Illini basketball alumni game Saturday at the Assembly Hall. The current Illini will scrimmage at 5 p.m., with the alumni game at 6. Roughly 6,000 tickets have been sold, and seats in B Section still were available Monday.

Klee