There is no such thing as an off-season in college athletics.

Bruce Weber had a grand total of one day to smile, have a cold beer and reflect on Illinois’ marvelous season. On Wednesday, he had to hit the road recruiting. And hit it hard.

The next five months will decide the next five years of Illinois basketball.

Columnists love to make over-the-top claims that are not always true to get people’s attention. This isn’t one of those.

Illinois basketball is at a crossroads. For every Duke that builds off its first Final Four and becomes a national power, there is a Maryland; they strike it hot once and become just another team a few years after its success.

Which is it going to be, Illinois?

The first telling hint for Illinois’ future: the recruits it signs. If Illinois can not make a splash in recruiting now, it never will. Coaches have been able to recruit prospective basketball players for the last week before taking most of this week off. Starting April 15, basketball coaches have the rest of April to charm the young athletes into playing for their programs. Then the whole process begins again in the summer. The next five months is when the Class of 2010 will sign.

And debate will begin as to who will be the favorite for the 2008 national title.

Illinois will be an attractive destination for recruits. There will be playing time. After next year, Dee Brown and James Augustine will definitely be gone. Weber structures his offense to his players’ strengths, and he gets players to the NBA.

What more do players want? Well, let’s not answer that.

All Illinois needs is one recruit to sign to get things rolling. Not just any recruit. The right recruit. One to fit into what Illinois will do. Duke parlayed its first national title appearance in 1986 into signing Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley and Grant Hill.

Poof. Two national titles.

Maryland signed a top-class, too, after winning it all in 2002. John Gilchrist – top-5 point guard. Travis Garrison – top-25 player. Nic Caner-Medley – top-100 player.

What has the group done leading Maryland? An NIT Final Four appearance and second loss in the tournament in the last two years.

The toughest part of winning is to consistently do it. No one has ever said it is easy to pick out which teenagers have it in them to develop into stars, can handle the pressure of hitting a game-winning shot to get to the Final Four and stay eligible all at once. But the Dukes, Kentuckys and Michigan States find a way to do it.

Jon Scheyer, Sherron Collins or Thaddeus Young could be that one player Weber needs on the wing. Albert Jackson or Casiem Drummond could be that player in the post.

I do not know who that player should be. Weber will have to decide. Do not underestimate who Weber signs. Illinois is on the verge of something really special. Pick the right talent, and Weber will lead Illinois to where all Illinois fans want the program to go – national power. Not just Big Ten power.

Weber has shown that his coaching encyclopedia of a brain, coupled with top players, creates success. Lots of it. The same can easily happen with the Class of 2010 and snowball from there.

The only stage between the Class of 2010’s arrival and now is next season. Success should not be a problem next year. Granted Brown returns.

With Brown and Augustine, Illinois will be among the top three or four teams in the Big Ten and spend the season in the bottom of the Top 25. If Illinois finds a way to sign Brandon Rush this spring, next year’s expectations will be higher than that.

With Brown still in orange and blue, the media will cover Illinois. The media love Brown. Illinois will be on ESPN. Dee may even get a few more magazine covers. Illinois will still be on recruits’ minds. The only thing you can’t guarantee with Brown returning is a Sweet Sixteen appearance, and people remember winners in the tournament. Tournament success can not be predicted.

Who would have figured so much was riding on one little “off-season”?