CHAMPAIGN – The barbecue grill already needs a cleaning from serial use over the past two, three, maybe four weeks. That thing already has a layer of bratwurst cooked into it that needs a scrubbing if your grill is anything like the one in this backyard.

Folks are already into the Little League season. We’re talking games, not practice. And the pool has already been opened for most of the month of May.

The Indy 500 signals the start of summer this weekend, so it seems a little late to be playing too casually when it comes to Illini basketball still in the midst of a search for one more assistant coach. Yet Illini boss Brad Underwood showed no concern during a meeting with the media Tuesday through the Zoom camera.