1 Trent Meacham
Guard
6-2, 195
Junior
Champaign (Centennial)/Dayton
Born: Sept. 26, 1985.
Major: Sport management.
Last year: In first year on court after transfer, averaged 5.0 points and shot 40.2 percent from the 3-point line
Honors: Big 12 Conference MVP and Champaign News Gazette Area Player of Year as prep senior.
This year projected: Candidate for shooting guard.
Personal: Involved in Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Loves ice cream.
Gives the team: Perimeter shooting and Division I experience.
2 Chris Hicks
Guard
6-2, 195
Senior
Chicago (Whitney Young)
Born: Dec. 25, 1985.
Major: Kinesiology.
Last year: Member of the team, played 27 minutes in 12 games.
Honors: Member of Chicago Public League all-academic team as prep senior.
This year projected: Reserve guard.
Personal: Hopes to attend medical school.
Gives the team: Practice player who's well-liked by teammates.
3 Chester Frazier
Guard
6-2, 190
Junior
Baltimore, Md. (Lake Clifton-Eastern)/Notre Dame Prep
Born: April 14, 1986.
Major: Sport management.
Last year: Averaged 7.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists despite string of injuries.
Honors: All-Big Ten defensive team selection last season; second-team all-prep school by Scout.com in 2004-05.
This year projected: Early-season starting point guard.
Personal: First Baltimore native to sign with Illini. Lists winning NCAA tournament game last season as best sports moment.
Gives the team: Toughness, desire, strength and the usual intangibles from point guard.
13 Jeff Jordan
Guard
6-1, 185
Freshman
Highland Park (Loyola Academy)
Born: Nov. 18, 1988
Major: Psychology
Last year: Averaged 15 points a game.
Honors: Second-team all-state as a senior by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association. Three-time all-Catholic League selection.
This year projected: Reserve point guard.
Personal: Father, Michael, plans to attend some Illini games. First basketball memory was the Bulls' first title in 1991.
Gives the team: Incredible athlete, possible contributor as a walk-on and a public relations gold mine.
22 Steve Holdren
Guard
6-5, 200
Junior
Champaign (Centennial)/South Dakota State
Born: May 1, 1986.
Major: Sport management.
Last year: Redshirted after transfer from South Dakota State.
Honors: First-team all-Big 12 Conference and all-area pick by Champaign News-Gazette as prep senior.
This year projected: Candidate at shooting guard.
Personal: Wears No. 22 in honor of Kiwane Garris, his favorite Illini player.
Gives the team: Big-bodied scoring guard who must improve his defense.
23 Rodney Alexander
Forward
6-7, 225
Junior
Benton Harbor, Mich./Redlands (Okla.) Community College
Born: April 7, 1987
Major: Speech communication.
Last year: Averaged 13.8 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 59 percent from the field.
Honors: Selected to play in Michigan all-star game as prep senior.
This year projected: Leading candidate as small forward starter.
Personal: Cousins Wilson Chandler and Anthony 'Pig' Miller have NBA experience. Standout prep baseball player.
Gives the team: Athletic wing forward, good shooter and versatile player who does number of things well.
24 Mike Davis
Forward
6-9, 195
Freshman
Alexandria, Va. (T.C. Williams)
Born: Oct. 21, 1988.
Major: Sport management.
Last year: Averaged 17.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.5 blocks to lead team to quarterfinals of state tournament.
Honors: Second-team all-Metro pick by the Washington Post.
This year projected: Athletic power forward whose best years are ahead of him.
Personal: Grandfather was "the person who put a basketball in my hands and taught me to play.''
Gives the team: A dilemma -- play him despite his light frame or let him sit and develop for next season.
25 Calvin Brock
Guard
6-5, 200
Junior
Chicago (Simeon)
Born: May 5, 1986.
Major: Sport management.
Last year: Averaged 5.0 points and 3.6 rebounds while playing in all 35 games.
Honors: Chicago Sun-Times player of the year as prep senior; member of Chicago Public League all-academic team.
This year projected: Reserve wing forward.
Personal: Graduated in top 7 percent of high school class. Fifth Illini player from Chicago Simeon.
Gives the team: Athletic reserve whose perimeter skills showed improvement last season.
30 Bill Cole
6-9, 210
Freshman
Peoria (Richwoods)
Born: June 12, 1989.
Major: business.
Last year: Averaged 19 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks as prep senior.
Honors: Two-time Class AA Player of the Year by the Peoria Journal-Star. First-team all-stater as prep senior. Class AA MVP in state all-star game.
This year projected: Redshirt candidate brings skill, size and tough attitude.
Personal: Helped Richwoods to Class AA state title game in 2006. Father, Terry, played defensive end at Illinois from 1980-83.
Gives the team: Skilled perimeter shooter with heighth who is getting comfortable in Illini's motion.
31 Jamar Smith
Guard
6-3, 185
Junior
Peoria (Richwoods)
Born: April 7, 1987.
Major: Sport management.
Last year: Averaged 8.1 points per game while starting six games. Missed final eight games following car crash.
Honors: Member of Big Ten all-freshman team. First-team all-stater as prep senior by IBCA.
This year projected: Redshirt.
Personal: Sister, Britney Jordan, played basketball at Temple.
Gives the team: Talented shooter who must bounce back from personal issues.
32 Demetri McCamey
6-3, 205
Freshman
Bellwood (Westchester St. Joseph)
Born: Feb. 21, 1989.
Major: Sport management.
Last year: Averaged 16 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for a Class AA supersectional team.
Honors: First-team all-stater by Chicago Tribune, Sun-Times, Champaign News-Gazette and IBCA. Second-team pick by Associated Press.
This year projected: Developing point guard.
Personal: First scholarship player at Illinois from perennial powerhouse St. Joseph, which also produced former NBA star Isiah Thomas.
Gives the team: Big, physical future star with good feel for the game, reminiscent of former Illini Deron Williams.
33 Brian Carlwell
Center
6-11, 265
Sophomore
Maywood (Proviso East)
Born: Oct. 18, 1987
Major: Undeclared.
Last year: Averaged 1.7 points and 1.4 rebounds. Played in 26 games before missing the last eight while recovering from head injury.
Honors: First-team all-stater, West Suburban Gold Conference MVP as prep senior.
This year projected: Reserve center.
Personal: Brother, Ronnie, played basketball at Illinois State. Changed jersey number after wearing 21 last season.
Gives the team: Size. Player who has yet to tap into enormous potential.
42 Brian Randle
Forward
6-8, 220
Senior
East Peoria (Peoria Notre Dame)
Born: Feb. 8, 1985.
Major: Sport management graduate student. Earned bachelor's degree in agricultural finance.
Last year: Averaged 7.4 points and 5.0 rebounds while playing 23 games in injury-filled season.
Honors: All-Big Ten defensive team member in 2005-06. Three-time prep all-state pick by Champaign News-Gazette.
This year projected: Starter at power forward.
Personal: Hobbies include cars, cooking and fishing.
Gives the team: Explosive fifth-year senior leader who wants to go out with a big year.
50 Richard Semrau
Forward
6-9, 235
Redshirt freshman
Grafton, Ohio (Lutheran West)
Born: Dec. 25, 1987.
Major: Business.
Last year: Played in five games before sidelined with infection that required surgery.
Honors: Three-time first-team Division III all-Ohio pick.
This year projected: Reserve power forward.
Personal: Sister, Adrian, plays volleyball and basketball at Villanova. Prep coach, Phil Argento, played at Kentucky for Adolph Rupp.
Gives the team: Skilled power forward attempting to make contribution after tough first year.
54 Mike Tisdale
Center
7-1, 215
Freshman
Riverton
Born: Sept. 15, 1989.
Major: Sport management.
Last year: Averaged 28.6 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks, including 41 points in his final game.
Honors: First-team all-stater. Two-time Class A Player of the Year by the Springfield State Journal-Register.
This year projected: Mobile, skilled post player considered redshirt candidate because of slender frame.
Personal: Hobbies include golf, hunting and fishing.
Gives the team: Redshirt candidate with positive attitude, a center who can move away from the basket, shoot from 3-point line.
55 Shaun Pruitt
Center
6-10, 245
Senior
Aurora (West)
Born: Nov. 22, 1985.
Major: Speech communication.
Last year: Averaged 11.4 points, ranked third in the Big Ten with 7.5 rebounds per game and fourth with 54.9-percent shooting.
Honors: Preseason first-team all-Big Ten. Third-team all-Big Ten last season.
This year projected: Veteran center who started every game over last two seasons.
Personal: Lefty uses right hand to write. Wants to pursue career in corporate communications.
Gives the team: Durable post man and most decorated Illini heading into the season.
