CHAMPAIGN - The University of Illinois basketball team won't be going far this season without steady play from veterans like Brian Randle and Shaun Pruitt. But in two exhibition games and another scrimmage, coach Bruce Weber will be looking closely at his newcomers.

That process intensifies tonight in the exhibition opener against Quincy, a team that was 20-10 and played in the Division II national tournament last season.

"It's real important for the new guys more than anything," Weber said Tuesday. "I'll try to get everybody 15 to 20 minutes if I can … but I may not play the older guys very much at all."

Weber is trying to make two determinations before the regular-season opener Nov. 11 against Northeastern and, more importantly, before the team heads to Hawaii to play in the Maui Invitational on Nov. 19-21.

"We have decisions to make on redshirting. Also, who's going to be in our top eight or nine guys?" Weber said.

In making those judgments, Weber will be making decisions on freshmen such as Mike Davis and Bill Cole, now that it seems almost certain that 7-foot-1 freshman Mike Tisdale of Riverton will play as a true freshman. Weber said he has even considered redshirting sophomore center Brian Carlwell, although that conversation, he admits, may have taken place to get the attention of the big man who is bouncing back from a serious head injury and now battles a weight problem.

"Bill Cole in the last week has really been a nice surprise," Weber said of the 6-9 freshman from Peoria. "The first part of practice, he wasn't really a factor. You wondered if he could deal with the physical play. But he has learned. He's coachable.

"He ran motion in high school. He's smart enough to know if he screens for someone and steps back, he'll get an open shot. But who can he guard? Can he guard a (power forward), a (small forward)? That's the dilemma with all of the guys in that mix."

Weber said Carlwell took a positive step during Sunday's Orange & Blue scrimmage, when he grabbed 10 rebounds.

"I thought that was as good as he's done since he came back," Weber said. "In August, it finally clicked in, and he realized he had to get his butt in gear. School was here, basketball was here. He realized he had too much weight and couldn't keep up. He is trying. He got himself in a little hole, and now he has to dig out."

Weber said he might redshirt Carwell, who missed the final eight games last season after suffering a severe concussion in a car wreck with teammate Jamar Smith.