Gordon's back for Bulls despite sore toe

After sitting out 10 days with a jammed right big toe, Bulls guard Ben Gordon returned to practice Thursday, though he's still not completely healthy.

"It's a lot better than it was last week, there's still a lot of soreness," Gordon said. "Today we didn't do much in practice, so it's hard to gauge it. But it felt better than before."

It's unclear whether Gordon will play this weekend when the Bulls face off twice against the Utah Jazz. The fifth-year shooting guard injured the toe in a household accident and doesn't think he took an unusual amount of time off.

"It's a big toe," he said. "You push off with it every time, so I wasn't surprised at all. And it's still sore. Those type of small injuries, they take time, I guess."

When he does return to the court, the Bulls will welcome Gordon's long-range shooting. They've hit just 29 percent of their 3-point attempts in three preseason games.

Illini reunion time: The main purpose of tonight's Bulls-Jazz game in Champaign is to bring Utah guard Deron Williams back to his college home. The Bulls will counter with Roger Powell, another member of Illinois' 2005 squad that reached the NCAA title game before losing to North Carolina.

The 6-foot-5 Powell played power forward in college and is now trying to convert to a wing position for the pros. He's a long shot to make the Bulls' final roster, but no one has spent more time in training camp working on his outside shot after practice.

Powell said he has so many fond memories of his time spent with the Illini, he can't even begin to choose a favorite.

"I think college and having success in college are really your best times," Powell said at the Berto Center. "I wish I could go back, but I have to continue with my professional career now."

Hughes still out: Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro's starting lineup experiment figures to be put on hold, since Larry Hughes skipped practice for the second straight day with a bruised knuckle.

Hughes and Kirk Hinrich started at guard on Tuesday against Minnesota and fared well in the first quarter when the Bulls opened a 30-13 lead. Rookie Derrick Rose started next to Hinrich in the other two games.