The one constant on Illinois' pregame availability report this season has been Ty Rodgers. His name has appeared ahead of all eight games, with the veteran wing listed as out each time.

But not out for the season. That determination has not been made as Rodgers continues to rehab his surgically-repaired left knee after partially tearing his patellar tendon in a summer pick-up game back home in Michigan.

Rodgers remains out indefinitely. As in no definitive timetable to his return. But some progress is being made.

"So the one thing that has just started with Ty is light jogging," Illinois coach Brad Underwood said Monday on his weekly radio show. "He has not been able to do any running. You know, I think that there were a couple of complications that Ty had that set him back, but he's done a lot of just like one-legged layups and simple things in his rehab, in his recovery. He's moving.

"Now he's doing light jogging. I asked him the other day if he had any pain from it. He said he did not, which is a good thing. He's lifting. He's doing everything that he can. The young man spends hour upon hour in the training room and with (strength and conditioning coach Adam Fletcher)."