Freshman center Stan Simpson figures to see a few more minutes in the Illini’s final exhibition game Sunday against Lewis University as a decision on whether he redshirts draws closer.

Some additional playing time might have been created Wednesday when Mike Tisdale suffered what coach Bruce Weber called a sprained knee in practice while chasing a loose ball.

“I don’t know if we’ll push him in practice today,” Weber said. “Hopefully he can play Sunday.”

Simpson played seven minutes against Florida Southern and finished with six points and six rebounds. However, the progress of Richard Semrau as a backup center in recent weeks might be a factor in the Simpson decision.

“We’re going to have to sit down next week and talk about it,” Weber said. “I’ve said, he’s probably more talented than I thought. He’s got to show it on a day-to-day basis. We’ll have to evaluate it. I’ve talked to his mom several times and we’ll sit down and kind of see where we stand.”

Weber said Simpson is more physically ready to play than other freshmen, but he is unsure if he is ready for the intensity and urgency that is needed. Because Sunday will be the last chance to see him in a game situation before deciding, Weber said he hopes to play Simpson more.

“It would be nice to get him a few more minutes than the last game,” he said. “I tried to emphasize, ‘You have to earn the minutes.’ But at the same time, we have to make a decision on him so we want to see what he can do.”