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IlliniGuys Staff February 19, 2024 Terrence Shannon Jr., hailing […]

In what is obviously Illinois’ most impressive win of the 2023-24 season, Illinois recorded a blowout victory over a Top 15 program in State Farm Center on President’s Day. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 19, 2024

CHAMPAIGN — Maybe it’s a situation where the Illinois women’s basketball program enjoys playing highly ranked opponents in its own building on holidays. 

Last season it was taking down then-No. 10 Iowa by four points on New Year’s Day. This season, Illinois made No. 14 Indiana its upset victim and by doing so, the Illini’s postseason resume-validating victory of the 2023-24 season came on national television on President’s Day.

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys & Big Sports Radio National Football Recruiting Expert

February 19, 2024

(Mike Farrell also has his own website: https://mikefarrellsports.com/)

In this edition of the Farrell Files Illinois, I’ll look at a possible two sport athlete for the Illini and perhaps a new recruiting strategy?

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

February 18, 2024

Steven Reynolds III is making noise as the 6-foot-5, 170-pound guard from Washington High School continues to impress DI coaches. The latest development in his promising career came on February 4th, when Reynolds visited the Illinois campus to witness a game against Nebraska and finally received an offer from the Illini.

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys […]

Illinois wing Marcus Domask was all there was between Maryland guard Jamir Young and the basket with three minutes to go but the 23-year-old Illini got a big defensive stop. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 18, 2024

The play Brad Underwood believes was the difference between his first ever win at Maryland and another road defeat will not be recorded in the record books and the men’s basketball head coach at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign couldn’t care less. 

With about three minutes remaining in a game where No. 14 Illinois led by one, Maryland lead guard Jamir Young had one Illini player to beat on a fast break layup to the rim. Following a costly mental error by Coleman Hawkins to blindly toss the basketball behind his head and toward Maryland’s end of the floor while flying out of bounds, Marcus Domask had to react in the other way he knew how to stop another two points for the home team. 

By IlliniGuys Staff February 17, 2024 (Cover photo courtesy […]

Brad Sturdy, Co-Host IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular & Big Sports Radio

February 17, 2024

After the Illini beat a team that they have owned on Tuesday, they now head to College Park on Saturday to take on the team that has been their nemesis over the past few seasons. The Illini are 1-7 in College Park all time and Brad Underwood is just 2-7 against Maryland while the coach at Illinois. On Saturday afternoon they can get rid of a few of those demons with a solid performance. 

Here are the details:

Setting the Stage

#14 Illinois (18-6, 9-4 B1G) at Maryland (14-11, 6-8 B1G) 

Feb. 17, 2024 // 4:30 p.m. CT (5:30 p.m. ET) // College Park, Md. // XFINITY Center 

TV: FOX – Jason Benetti (Play-by-Play), Robbie Hummel (Analyst) 

Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play), Deon Thomas 

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

February 17, 2024

Bryce Dixon, standing at an impressive 6-foot-4 and 185-pounds, recently sat down with IlliniGuys to share the thrill of an unexpected visit from former Illini standout, Deron Williams, who also hails from The Colony.

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

February 16, 2024

In an exclusive interview with IlliniGuys, Rodney Hawkins, the father of the versatile Illinois center 6-foot-10 forward Coleman Hawkins, sheds light on his son's basketball journey. Standing at 6-foot-8, Rodney, who played high school basketball at Chicago Vocational (CVS) and Division I basketball at San Diego State, shares insights into his own career and the hands-off approach he adopted in guiding Coleman's path.

"I took the hands-off approach for Coleman. I want it to be his journey; I had my career and let him experience things himself. I don't like to be a know-it-all on the game. I'm letting him develop his own mind," Rodney explains, reflecting on the importance of letting Coleman navigate his basketball journey independently.

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys & Big Sports Radio National Football Recruiting Expert

February 16, 2024

(Mike Farrell also has his own website: https://mikefarrellsports.com/)

In this edition of the Farrell Files Illinois, I’ll look at an interesting new offer in the 2025 class and break down 2024 signee DE Angelo McCullom in four key categories.

Former Illini All-American Martin O’Donnell announces end to a […]

New Illinois football assistant coaches Archie McDaniel and Justin Stepp have been given a promise by their new boss Bret Bielema that he intends for them to add their name to the list of people who have been promoted to coordinator or head coach roles.  

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 16, 2023

CHAMPAIGN — Similarly to the promise a coach makes with a prospect, a pledge has been made by the Illinois head football coach to his two newest assistant coach hires - I’ll get you better.

Throughout the short interview process of hiring wide receivers coach Justin Stepp and inside linebackers coach Archie McDaniel, Bret Bielema has vowed to these two men that he can get them to a future coordinator position or even possibly a head coach spot in their respective careers. 

“The one thing that I consistently got from everybody who I talked to was (Bielema) makes you better as an assistant coach in every aspect of coaching,” McDaniel said in his first public comments since being announced hired to Bielema’s Illini staff on Feb. 9. “That was extremely attractive to me and intrigued me more than anything. I consider myself a sponge. I’ve been doing this 18 years and constantly am looking for ways to grow professionally and personally.” 

Illinois shoots an impressive 54.4 percent from the field to obtain the program’s first back-to-back victories over Penn State since 2009. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 15, 2024

Illinois picked up its most impressive victory of the 2023-24 season with a dominating performance at Penn State.

The Illini led for most of the final three quarters of its 86-71 win over a Nittany Lions squad that came into their home arena - the Bryce Jordan Center - at No. 26 in the latest NET rankings produced daily by the NCAA. 

Illinois RHP Jack Crowder, one of the program’s most anticipated signees in 2021, hopes to put all his natural ability together for a final year of college baseball.  

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 15, 2024

CHAMPAIGN — The last person to throw a pitch last season for Illinois may likely throw its first pitch in the 2024 campaign.

Senior right-hander Jack Crowder is likely to get the baseball first as the Illini look to rebound from its first under .500 season since 2017. And in a lot of ways, Crowder getting this opening game start for a 9 a.m. CST first pitch against Akron at Wake Forest’s David F. Couch Ballpark is fitting because the 6-foot-4 pitcher is looking to turn his results around as well. 

In his last appearance at the Big Ten Tournament at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb., Crowder held Michigan to just one run over the final four innings while striking out five in a 55-pitch outing. He’ll be looking to find that level of success in Illinois’ first game of the 2024 season.