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The Champaign Room

Since October 2023, I have been writing for The Champaign Room, SB Nation's home for Illinois Fighting Illini News, as a Beat Reporter/Writer. I have been on the Volleyball beat since starting, and have also covered Men's and Women's basketball as well as Football.

Game Recaps

Game recaps are published promptly at the immediate end of the game, not just recapping the competition but offering a complete view of the match, even if the reader did not watch. Quotes from the head coach, players and occasionally opposing head coaches are also included post-publishing.

(Volleyball, Men's & Women's Basketball, Baseball)

Click here for all TCR Game Recaps
The Champaign Room •

Illini brush off slow start, move to 2-0 against SIU Edwardsville

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — While they had some early hurdles to overcome in the process, Illinois moved to 2-0 for the sixth consecutive season, beating SIU Edwardsville 90-58.
Five Illini scored in double digits on Friday as they continued to showcase their new-look offensive approach.
The team’s “Live by the three, die by the three” mentality continued, as 38 of their 63 field goal attempts came from beyond the arc. They sank 15 of them, converting at a 39.5 percent clip.
Typically, three-level scorin...
The Champaign Room •

Riley’s second-half explosion sparks blowout in season opener vs. EIU

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — After shaking off some rust in the early moments, Illinois started off its 2024-25 season with a 112-67 victory over nearby neighbors Eastern Illinois.
What was a 15-point lead at halftime quickly snowballed into a larger one in the second half. Illinois outscored Eastern Illinois 62-32 in the final 20 minutes.
On Monday, 100 of the team’s 112 points were scored either from three, in the paint or from the free throw line.
Twenty-three of the team’s 50 first-half points were sc...
The Champaign Room •

No. 19 Illinois falls flat in second half against Penn State

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — After a tight, competitive chess match of a first half, No. 19 Illinois couldn’t stay happy in Happy Valley, losing 21-7 to No. 9 Penn State.
It seemed like Saturday wanted Illinois (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) to win. Two missed field goals. A turnover on downs in the Illinois red zone. Illinois, at one point, was on the Penn State (4-0, 1-0) two-yard line with the game tied at seven apiece, but a bad snap and a couple of penalties set kicker David Olano up for a 45-yard try on a day...
The Champaign Room •

Passing game pushes Illinois to Homecoming victory over CMU

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Some things you don’t see too often? A September Homecoming, a pass-happy Illinois offense, and a 3-0 Fighting Illini football team.
Fans at Memorial Stadium on Saturday got to catch a glimpse of all three of those, with a Homecoming matchup against Central Michigan playing host to a fantastic day through the air for Luke Altmyer, en route to a 30-9 victory.
It’s Illinois’ first 3-0 start since 2011 when Ron Zook’s team won six to open the season before dropping its next six....
The Champaign Room •

Crowder’s gem leads Illinois to first NCAA Tournament win since 2015

LEXINGTON, Ken. — The NCAA Tournament has been host to a number of high-scoring affairs thus far, with the average game having just over 11 runs. On Friday evening at Kentucky Proud Park, Illinois, the No. 3 seed in the regional, didn’t need anywhere near 11 to take down 2-seed Indiana State.
Solid pitching, impressive defense, and just enough offensive production saw the Illini cruise to a 4-1 victory to open up their journey to the College World Series.
The victory is Illinois’ first since 201...
The Champaign Room •

Illinois wins inaugural WBIT, first postseason title in program history

INDIANAPOLIS — For the first time in program history, the Illinois women’s basketball team is crowned as champions.

Less than two years after taking over a program annually at the bottom of the Big Ten, Shauna Green and Illinois capped a sensational run in the inaugural Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament with a 71-57 victory over Villanova on Wednesday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The Illini would out-rebound Villanova (22-13, 11-7 Big East), and force the Wildcats to take
The Champaign Room •

No. 12 Illinois collapses down the stretch at Penn State

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pen. — Despite Terrence Shannon Jr. having a career night, it was the Illini defense that let itself down on Wednesday.

After an uncomfortable and high-scoring first half, Illinois seemed to settle into the game in the second half. Despite the Illini holding a double-digit lead with less than four minutes to go, the Nittany Lions would claw their way back to a 90-89 comeback victory.

The matchup was Penn State’s first conference matchup in the cozy 97-year-old fieldhouse since
The Champaign Room •

Illinois topples No. 14 Indiana in blowout fashion

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illini got their signature win of the season. Their first quad 1 and ranked victories of the season, and also their first win against Indiana since

After a huge win against Penn State on the road, Illinois was looking for a late-season spark before the Big Ten Tournament. With key matchups against No. 14 Indiana and No. 2 Iowa looming, the Illini are playing some of their best basketball to date.

Heading into the game, head coach Shauna Green was 0-3 in her career against

Notebooks

Put together quickly after press conferences and media availability, notebooks are used to view a team's current situation, with quotes from head coaches and select athletes. I've done notebooks for Illinois Volleyball and Men's Basketball.

(Volleyball, Men's & Women's Basketball)

Click here for all TCR Notebooks
The Champaign Room •

‘Your play adjusts to the way they’re calling it’: Recapping Saturday’s officiating circus

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — There was a lot to be upset about on Saturday’s 25-17 loss to Minnesota, but one group of interest for Illinois head coach Bret Bielema was the zebras.
An early missed holding on linebacker Seth Coleman had Bielema on the hashes. An expired play clock and an assessed (then given back) timeout had him halfway to the numbers. A no-call on his offense’s final drive had his entire sideline and the better part of 58 thousand screaming.
The game was frustrating enough as it was for B...
The Champaign Room •

‘I’m looking for the next Terrence’: Underwood wants more from team as offseason nears end

With just over a dozen days until his team starts its 2024-25 season, Illinois men’s basketball head coach Brad Underwood has just one preseason exhibition remaining to assess where his team stands before game time. In Sunday’s exhibition game against Ole Miss, he has an opportunity to find the answer to some questions he still has.
“We’re not gonna go into a real in-depth scout at all with Ole Miss,” Underwood said during availability to the media on Thursday. “It’s more gonna be personnel-base...
The Champaign Room •

‘It’s definitely worth it’: Illinois using crowd noise to prepare for No. 1 Oregon

If you were on campus on Tuesday morning, you likely overheard some of the crowd noise that the football team is using to prepare for a loud environment when they travel to play Oregon this Saturday.
The trip to Eugene is the program’s first conference road game with one of the four new former Pac-12 teams, with the team slated to host USC and visit Washington next year.
“I ain’t never been out there that far to the west, but it’s gonna be pretty exciting,” said defensive back Xavier Scott on Tu...
The Champaign Room •

How Illinois is studying the NBA for its pro-ready offense

In basketball, like any other field, you have to learn from the best if you wish to be the best. During Illinois men’s basketball’s on-campus media day last week, The Champaign Room spoke with members of Illinois’ coaching staff to talk NBA offenses, and how Illinois has been following trends at the highest level of basketball.
A few months ago while assessing his offseason additions, Illinois men’s basketball head coach Brad Underwood was excited at the combination of size and shooting that the...
The Champaign Room •

‘Tim was awesome’: Underwood praises Anderson after departure from program

At Big Ten Media Days in Rosemont, Illinois, Brad Underwood spoke on former assistant coach Tim Anderson for the first time since it was announced he would step away from the program indefinitely in September.
When asked by a member of the media about how his staff will fill the void that Anderson left, Underwood highlighted the rest of his staff.
“We got Orlando [Antigua] back, and Geoff [Alexander] has been killing it on the recruiting trail,” Underwood said, but acknowledged that Anderson, wh...
The Champaign Room •

‘It’s an absolute gauntlet’: Green loving the new Big Ten

Illini Nation is now entering year three of the Shauna Green experience. With two postseason appearances and one postseason trophy under her belt, Green now looks to build upon the legacy she’s built at Illinois and build towards even greater. TCR’s Zeno Jo was in Rosemont, Illinois for Big Ten Media Days, and spoke with Green and a handful of her Big Ten head coaching colleagues.
This isn’t your parents’ Big Ten conference. This also isn’t the women’s sports landscape that they grew up in, eit...
The Champaign Room •

‘Routine for him’: Illinois’ receivers showed up when it mattered most

Goooood afternoon, Illini fans. If you’re reading this on Sunday, it’s the one-year anniversary of the Illini’s loss to Kansas in Lawrence. It’s also the one-day anniversary (not sure if that’s a thing) of the win over No. 19 Kansas in Champaign. There were plenty of positives to take away from the game, including but not limited, to our receiving game.
“Holy cow, did you see that catch?”
That’s a question you could’ve asked a handful of times during Illinois’ 23-17 upset win over the Kansas Jay...
The Champaign Room •

‘Routine for him’: Illinois’ receivers showed up when it mattered most

Goooood afternoon, Illini fans. If you’re reading this on Sunday, it’s the one-year anniversary of the Illini’s loss to Kansas in Lawrence. It’s also the one-day anniversary (not sure if that’s a thing) of the win over No. 19 Kansas in Champaign. There were plenty of positives to take away from the game, including but not limited, to our receiving game.
“Holy cow, did you see that catch?”
That’s a question you could’ve asked a handful of times during Illinois’ 23-17 upset win over the Kansas Jay...
The Champaign Room •

Three questions following Illinois’ big win over EIU

What a win, huh Illini fans? TCR’s own Brandt Dolce had a fantastic column this week about Illinois football answering every question in the team’s win over EIU, but here’s a shot at playing devil’s advocate.
Illinois’ dominant 45-0 win over Eastern Illinois answered a lot of questions for fans who were in the dark following a long offseason, but it also left them with a few questions. It can’t all be good, right?
But first, what did we learn? Altmyer is the surefire QB1. An efficient outing sa...
The Champaign Room •

‘We’re gonna ball in them’: Illini react to Red Grange throwback uniforms

On Wednesday, Illinois football announced that it would honor the legacy of Red Grange and his six-touchdown day for Memorial Stadium’s rededication game on Oct. 19, when the Illini host the Michigan Wolverines.
October’s game will mark exactly 100 years since ‘The Galloping Ghost’ ran for five touchdowns and threw for another against the Wolverines. The game was Memorial Stadium’s “Dedication Game,” which honored those who served the nation in World War I.
In the first game ever played at Memo...
The Champaign Room •

Brad Underwood is building an NBA factory in Champaign

Call it an overreaction. Bradley Cole Underwood might go down as the founding father of a great basketball empire in Champaign. A tenure that started slow and with results arguably worse than his predecessor has outgrown and built upon it.
Just under two months ago, Brad Underwood, as he’s more commonly known, was speaking to the media to discuss the signing of Croatian big man Tomislav Ivisic. In the same breath that he touched on the skillset of his new 7-foot-1 Eastern European giant, he ment...
The Champaign Room •

‘Elite’: Brad Underwood’s analysis of his newest portal pickups

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — On Tuesday, Illinois basketball head coach Brad Underwood spoke to the media for the first time since the program signed Ben Humichrous and Tomislav Ivisic.

In introducing the pair of 6-foot-9-plus players, Underwood dug deep into the skills that both athletes bring to the table and what Illini fans can expect from them when they take the court this fall.

He also discussed the recruiting philosophy behind his six-man class that he’s brought in from the transfer portal and Eur
The Champaign Room •

Does Illinois have a culture conundrum on its hands?

Last Tuesday, when head coach Brad Underwood and new associate coach Orlando Antigua were made available to the media, much of the talk would be about the latter’s return to Champaign and the process behind it. As they spoke further, talk shifted towards roster construction and — you guessed it — the transfer portal.

It’s not particularly surprising, as Antigua is a phenomenal developer of talent. Over the years, he’s coached NBA-level talents like Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns and DeMarcus
The Champaign Room •

How Brad Underwood pulled Orlando Antigua back to Champaign

On Tuesday, Orlando Antigua spoke to the media for the first time since being announced as the team’s associate head coach, bringing him back to Champaign for the first time since 2021. Head coach Brad Underwood was also available to the media.

When he left, it was for his then-former employers at Kentucky and to reunite with his then-former boss John Calipari. Antigua chose not to follow Cal to his new job at Arkansas, and despite rumors of him wanting to stay in Lexington to work with new hir
The Champaign Room •

The Shauna Green Experience: Three words, two years, one trophy

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In only year two, Shauna Green has hoisted a trophy and secured a spot in the rafters of State Farm Center. Using three key words, here’s more about what Green and her staff are building at Illinois, her place in the program’s history, and the heights it could reach.

Just over two years after the retirement of former head coach Nancy Fahey, Shauna Green did something that nine Illinois head coaches b
The Champaign Room •

Shauna Green has Illinois playing its best basketball... ever?

Two months ago, Illinois’ season was looking like one of years past.

Years past of course referring to the Dark Ages of Illinois Women’s Basketball. When recording double-digit wins was a milestone and a record above .500 was a once-in-a-blue-moon-type rarity.

To open the month of February, Illinois dropped a game on the road to Purdue. Illinois played some of the worst basketball it had all season long, and checked all of the boxes of a bad Illinois loss. They had a slow start on both ends of
The Champaign Room •

‘Whole again’: Underwood, Illinois finally at full strength

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Halfway through his team’s Big Ten season, Brad Underwood is happy with where the Fighting Illini are for more reasons than just their impressive road victory over Ohio State.

“I like where we’re at because we’re whole again. We’re finally back in a position where we have our roster,” Underwood said on Saturday.

On top of Terrence Shannon Jr.’s suspension, Illinois has been without Coleman Hawkins, Amani Hansberry and Niccolo Moretti due to injury this season. “We played a lo
The Champaign Room •

Underwood, Harmon on what Shannon’s return means to Illinois

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — After a well-rounded, team victory over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Illinois hits the road to take on a team it’s faced victory against in a big way.

Head coach Brad Underwood was available to the media on Tuesday to look ahead at the in-state matchup, reflect on Terrence Shannon Jr.’s return from suspension, and touch on recruiting.

The Fighting Illini (14-4, 5-2 Big Ten) sit third in the Big Ten behind Wisconsin and Purdue, and sit just one spot above the Northwestern Wild
The Champaign Room •

Underwood comments on Shannon’s lawsuit ahead of MSU game

You’ll do hard to walk away from an Illinois basketball loss feeling good, but that’s exactly what happened last week when a comeback at No. 1 Purdue was stopped short in an 83-78 loss.

And they did it without Terrence Shannon Jr.

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood was available to the media on Wednesday and reflected on the Purdue loss and looked ahead at the Michigan State game.

“Some good, some bad, some ugly, some not-so-ugly,” was how Underwood summed up the loss to the best team in the
The Champaign Room •

Underwood: Edey and No. 1 Purdue ‘a different animal’

Illinois (11-2, 2-0 Big Ten) is back in the top ten of the AP Top 25 Poll for the first time since the star-laden 2020-21 season. They’re ranked ninth in the country and playing their best basketball of the season, without arguably their best player, and step into hostile territory with a matchup against the best team in the nation just a day away.

So, about last week...

Just a day after Terrence Shannon Jr. was suspended, Illinois blew out Fairleigh Dickinson at home, 104-71. Dain Dainja and
The Champaign Room •

Too little, too late for Illinois Volleyball?

Illinois Volleyball is in a tough spot. After notching nine wins in eleven matches, it seemed like a once-improbably push for postseason play was on the cards... until they met the Golden Gophers. More about Illinois’ once-prospective postseason hopes, the story behind Raina Terry’s return and the murmurs surrounding the RPI.

The story heading into Friday’s match against the Minnesota Golden Gophers was that Illinois had a bad start to the season. They were riddled with injuries and had a few b
The Champaign Room •

‘Everyone’s tough’: Challenges ahead in homestretch for Illinois Volleyball

It’s been an up-and-down year for Illinois Volleyball. Injuries and the nature of the Big Ten being the toughest volleyball conference in the nation have made the 2023 season tough for the Illini, but following a two-match road trip to the East Coast, they are .500 on the season.

“Everyone’s tough and you’re seeing that with results within our conference,” said head coach Chris Tamas. “The gap is dwindling between the top and the bottom.”

The team is on the longest winning streak of its season

Deep Dives

Through spending time combing through statistics to speaking with experts on topics, I've written several articles taking a deeper dive into subjects such as legal matters, opposing team previews and more.

(Men's Basketball)

The Champaign Room •

A dive into TSJ’s draft stock, days before the NBA Draft

Just days away from the opening of the NBA Draft, it seems like Terrence Shannon Jr.’s draft stock only continues to rise. With the off-court outside noise quieting to a mute, the headlines surrounding his name are back to being about his play on the court. TCR spoke with SBNation basketball editor Ricky O’Donnell to get a grasp on his draft stock and talk about not TSJ the Illini, but TSJ the NBA prospect.
ESPN’s latest mock draft has Jeremy Woo projecting Terrence Shannon Jr. going 27th overal...
The Champaign Room •

Everything you need to know about the team standing between Illinois and a Final Four

If your head is still ringing from Thursday night, here’s the cure: You weren’t dreaming. Illinois is in the Elite Eight. After reaching the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2005, they’re headed to the regional finals for the first time since then.

Thursday’s game lived up to the billing. Illinois fought off Iowa State to continue dancing in what was touted as one of the most exciting matchups of the Sweet 16. The game had everything, a quick Illinois start, an Iowa State rally, Illini in
The Champaign Room •

Everything you need to know about the team standing between Illinois and an Elite 8

As is the case with most matchups from the second weekend onwards, Illinois’ next game will be a clash between two beasts. The best of the best. The best defense against the best offense.

Off the heels of victories over two mid-major conference champs, Illinois will take on the Big 12’s conference champion, the Iowa State Cyclones. It’s Illinois’ first time in the Sweet Sixteen since 2005, the year that Deron Williams, Dee Brown and Luther Head reached the national championship game.

If the Il
The Champaign Room •

Everything you need to know about the team standing between Illinois and a Sweet 16

It’d be harsh to blame you if you knew little to nothing about Morehead State before Illinois’ 16-point victory on Thursday. With the TSJ and Dain Dainja-inspired Illini escaping the Ohio Valley Conference champs, it’s time to look into another mid-major conference champ that you, in all likeliness, know little about.

The Illini will take on the Duquesne Dukes in the NCAA tournament's round of 32. TCR spoke with Tristan Freeman, a self-proclaimed basketball junkie from Pittsburgh (where Duquesn
The Champaign Room •

Everything you need to know about Illinois’ first-round opponent

It’s not your fault if you don’t know who the Morehead State Eagles are, so here’s a shot at getting you familiar with the Eagles.

They finished the season 26-8, the same record as Illinois, and clinched the Ohio Valley Conference’s lone bid by winning the tournament as the No. 3 seed.

Preston Spradlin has led his program to four straight 20-win seasons for the first time in school history. The Eagles’ 26 wins are also a program-record.

They’ve done all that without Mark Freeman, the reigning
The Champaign Room •

Where Terrence Shannon Jr.’s legal case stands — and what’s next

In black-and-white basketball terms, Terrence Shannon Jr.’s temporary restraining order suit was the final act of a long legal dispute that allowed him back on the court.

Away from the shining lights of the court, Shannon’s day in court is still yet to come.

The Champaign Room recently spoke with Mitch Gilfillan, an attorney based in Peoria and former basketball player at Lehigh, who has been knee-deep in uncovering key details of TSJ’s legal battle in Kansas on X.

Since his reinstatement to

Timely News

From recruiting updates to player accolades to injury updates and everything in between, I've also written on-the-dot articles which require fast and accurate fact-checking.

(Volleyball, Men's & Women's Basketball, Football)

Click here for all TCR Timely News
The Champaign Room •

Illinois men’s basketball unranked following 2-0 start

Despite opening the season to a 2-0 start in dominant fashion, Illinois men’s basketball remained unranked in this week’s AP Poll.
The Illini were unranked in the preseason poll but received the most votes among 30 unranked teams with 92 votes. This week, they are still in the 26 spot, receiving the most votes among 27 unranked teams with 144.
In the Coaches Poll, they are ranked 20th, four spots up from their previous spot of 24.
Though these rankings don’t matter too much in the early portion...
The Champaign Room •

Questionable clock management strands Illinois in the middle eight

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In a game that has all the makings of a classic Big Ten West game, Illinois capped off a less-than-ideal middle portion of its bout against Minnesota.
This season, Illinois is unbeaten when they’ve won the toss. Every game they’ve lost started with them losing the coin toss before the game.
The Illini entered Saturday’s ‘Middle Eight’ — the last four minutes of the second quarter and the first four of the third — tied 10-3. They knotted it up thanks to a 42-yard touchdown run f...
The Champaign Room •

Why the NFL isn’t the perfect framework for offensive linemen

Sorry, Bears fans. Too soon?
The final play of the Bears-Commanders game, a 52-yard heave from Jayden Daniels to Noah Brown, offered not just anger for some Bears fans, but also a learning moment of sorts for offensive linemen.
Junior tackle Melvin Priestly, who transferred from Grambling State this past offseason, took to X to say that the pass protection on the final play was clean.
“That was not holding, that was not holding,” Priestly said with a smile on Tuesday. “I stand on that, that was...
The Champaign Room •

Luke Altmyer named to Davey O’Brien Award Class of 2024

On Tuesday, it was announced that Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer was named to the Davey O’Brien Award Class of 2024. Altmyer is joined by a number of Big Ten quarterbacks, including Penn State’s Drew Allar, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, Ohio State’s Will Howard, Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke and Minnesota’s Max Brosmer.
The Davey O’Brien award is given to the best quarterback in the nation, and two of the last three recipients were also awarded the Heisman trophy, given to the best player in the nation....
The Champaign Room •

Illinois drops in AP poll after loss to No. 1 Oregon

Illinois and Minnesota will kick off on Saturday, November 2 at 11 a.m.
The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1, Illinois’ third appearance on the network this year. Alex Faust (play-by-play) and Robert Smith (analyst) called Illinois’ win over then-No.19 Kansas, and Eric Collins and Spencer Tillman called the win over Purdue.
Minnesota is one of five opponents on the Illini’s 2024 schedule that they played in 2023. The last meeting was a 27-26 victory in Minneapolis. The John Paddock game, r...
The Champaign Room •

Injury update after Illini suffer bruising at Oregon

Any loss is bad, but a loss that results in a handful of your players being injured is bad news.
Wide receiver Malik Elzy was banged up, falling to the ground following a huddle, but did return to action in the second half.
Defensive back Tyler Strain suffered what looked to be a left ankle injury and was replaced by Jaheim Clarke. Strain had two tackles in the game, one being solo. He suffered an oblique injury earlier in the season, which caused him to miss the season opener against Eastern I...
The Champaign Room •

It’s mid-October, and Illinois is bowl eligible

Good Sunday morning, Illini nation.
Your No. 22 Illinois football is bowl-eligible, and not a single snowflake has hit the Champaign ground yet. Under a sunny and 70 degree October sky, the Fighting Illini took down the reigning national champions 21-7, holding Michigan to its lowest point total since being shut out by Notre Dame in 2014.
On Saturday, Illinois fans stormed the field for the second time this season, and for good cause.
It was the program’s first win over Michigan since 2009, and...
The Champaign Room •

Illinois’ Kaden Feagin to miss rest of season with hip injury

Following his team’s 21-7 victory over No. 24 Michigan, head coach Bret Bielema revealed that sophomore running back Kaden Feagin would miss the rest of the season after receiving surgery on an injury sustained in practice two weeks ago.
Last week, Bielema said that he expected Feagin to be “out for a little bit”, but broke the bad news on his team’s leading rusher this season.
“Unfortunately he won’t be with us this year,” Bielema said on Saturday. “I don’t know if he’ll be with us in the sprin...
The Champaign Room •

Fake punt leads to Illinois touchdown, two-score lead vs. Michigan

No. 22 Illinois had played its game to near perfection entering halftime.
Thanks to a pair of David Olano field goals and a Tanner Arkin touchdown grab, they entered the late end of the second quarter with a 13-0 lead over No. 24 Michigan.
The score left just under eight minutes on the game clock, meaning there was more than enough time for the Illini to get the ball back and score after a Michigan Drive.
The Wolverines had themselves a 12-play, 72-yard drive that took six minutes, giving Luk...
The Champaign Room •

Tanner Arkin scores Illinois’ first TD vs. Michigan

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — If you’re somehow not watching the game, No. 22 Illinois is up 13-0 on the No. 24 Michigan Wolverines right now.
Two David Olano field goals from 47 and 32 yards out made it a 6-0 game, but a few drives later, Tanner Arkin did his best Pat Bryant impression, finding the corner of the endzone for his third touchdown grab of the season and Illinois’ first of the season.
Illinois is up 13-0 on CBS right now with the clock dwindling in the first half. Turn on the TV and flip the...
The Champaign Room •

‘I have no idea’: Underwood, Illinois still waiting on Ivisic eligibility

Illinois men’s basketball spent its offseason reloading, picking up as many pieces as it could to keep up the winning pace of what’s been the winningest team in the Big Ten Conference for the last five years.
The team returns just two players who played significant minutes last season in junior Ty Rodgers and sophomore Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn.
Among the pickups for Brad Underwood and his staff are potentially NBA-bound freshmen Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has Jakucionis...
The Champaign Room •

The Middle Eight: Illinois turned its lead into a should-be rout

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The numbers don’t lie. Every time Illinois has won the coin toss, they’ve gone on to win the football game. Knock on wood.
After winning the toss and again choosing to defer possession to the second half, Bret Bielema & co. had the opportunity to control the middle eight of the game against Purdue, and double up heading into the second half.
Thanks to excellent clock management, playcalling and a what-the-hell-was-that kickoff from Ethan Moczulski gave the Illini a big lead to...
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