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Zacharie Perrin leaves the Illini program just over two […]

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

February 14, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Scott Clause/USA Today Network)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois has found Ben Miller’s on-field replacement as the program’s special team’s coordinator and tight ends coach.

The Illinois athletics department confirmed the hiring of Robby Discher as special teams coordinator/tight ends coach.

“We are very excited to have Robby and his family join us here at the University of Illinois,” Illini head coach Bret Bielema said in the university news release. "He will touch our program in many different ways working with our tight ends, specialists, and coordinating our special teams overall. He has proven to have success in every place he has been. I am excited to see and feel his impact here in our program.”

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

February 14, 2023

IlliniGuys caught up with

Illinois offers all-purpose athlete Ronnie Royal

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

Feb. 13, 2023

Defensive backs coach Antonio Fenelus is in his first season at Illinois, but he has hit the ground running as he recently offered four-star recruit Ronnie Royal III.

The 5-foot-9, 170 pound talent from Gulf Shores, Alabama is an all-purpose athlete who can play several positions on offense and defense due to his explosive speed and athleticism.

EDITOR'S NOTE: IlliniGuys co-founder Larry Smith has covered sports from the local to the international level for 35 years, including 12 Final Fours and six NBA Finals.  He is the creator of the Dirty Dozen, an office pool selection matrix that is 12-0 in its existence.)

By Larry Smith/IlliniGuys Staff

February 13, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy USA Today Sports)

One of the most thrilling college basketball regular seasons I can remember is quickly coming to a conclusion.  Four weeks from today, we will be discussing first round matchups, who got snubbed, which ACC team that the all-ACC ESPN studio crew incorrectly thinks got robbed, and who ya got in your Final Four.

It's the time of year that the nerd in me rises to the surface.  I do my own 68-team field twice a week.  I begin to research my Dirty Dozen to see which favorites are doomed and will not win the national title (more on that at another time).  When the 80 index cards go on the wall of my "war room" in about two weeks, my family is warned...Dad is just in his zone and we'll see him again in a couple of weeks.

Here are some quick thoughts after another crazy weekend:

In a 82-71 loss, No. 8 Maryland got 29 points off the Illinois’ 25 turnovers. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 12, 2023

Illinois head coach Shauna Green isn’t interested in hearing the argument that her team’s second-half breakdown has plenty to do with the absence of Genesis Bryant. 

Key Walk-Ons - Joep Engbers, Henry Engel, Patrick Mahoney, Nick True, Johnny Schmitt and Ronan Poynton

Steve Sturm, IlliniGuys Football Analyst

February 12, 2023

I know I'm not alone in always holding a special place for walk-ons, and especially those guys who had full scholarship offers at other programs. 

The near 10-minute stretch where Rutgers didn’t score in a 69-60 home victory for Illinois was catapulted by the defensive strengths of Coleman Hawkins. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 11, 2023

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The boos from the Orange Krush student section every time Sam Mulcahy touched the basketball weren’t at all phasing the confidence of the Rutgers’ senior guard. 

By IlliniGuys Staff

February 11, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - For most of Saturday afternoon, 24th ranked Rutgers could smell its first ever victory in Champaign.  But Illinois stepped up its defense in the second half to come away with a 69-60 win at State Farm Center

The Scarlet Knights took a 47-41 lead on a pair of Caleb McConnell free throws with 15:03 remaining.  But Illinois (17-7, 8-5 in Big Ten) held them without a field goal for the next 10:05 to spur a 19-0 run and take the lead for good.

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema says in his February signing day media conference that he’ll resist handing out pay-for-play dollars to players before they make an impact on the field at Illinois. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 11, 2023

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The leader of the football program at the University of Illinois said he’ll resist having name, image and likeness dollars being distributed to any prospect before they make an impact in an Illini uniform. 

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

February 10, 2023

Still working the East Coast for recruits, Illini defensive coordinator Aaron Henry has done well gaining interest in Illinois football from the prep scene there.

By IlliniGuys Staff

February 10, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The Illinois women's team got a big road win at Nebraska 72-64 Thursday night.  It's a statement win and a victory that further boosts their already impressive resume as they work toward their first NCAA tournament bid since 2013.

We at IlliniGuys began our commitment to covering the women's basketball team at our first anniversary in January 2022 by bringing then-freshman guard Adalia McKenzie on for a weekly segment on the IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular radio show.  Adalia's insights into the team has given our audience, which includes 30 stations and an audience reaching six Midwestern states each weekend, a first-hand view of the team's highs and lows as they struggled through the end of last season and then began a new program under head coach Shauna Green.

We have noticed an increase in interest in the team among our IlliniGuys members, so we will do a special one-on-one with Adalia and IlliniGuys co-founder Larry Smith after every game for the rest of the season.  It has been a treat for us to watch Adalia grow as a student-athlete as well as a person during the past year and we are thrilled to provide our members with this exclusive access and to give Adalia the opportunity to expand her growing platform.

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys National Football Recruiting Expert

February 10, 2023

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

In this edition of the Farrell Files Illinois, I look at two 2024 offensive linemen, a depth chart update and where Illinois stands in Big Ten QB recruiting.

By IlliniGuys Staff

February 9, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

LINCOLN, Neb. - Eleven months ago, Nebraska ended Illinois' season with a 92-74 rout in the Big Ten tournament.  Thursday night, they found out this is a very different Illini team.

Jayla Oden scored 12 second half points off the bench and the Illini defense held Nebraska without a field goal for more than 10 minutes in the second half to score a key 72-64 road victory over the Huskers.