Illini Men's Basketball Preview at Minnesota
Brad Sturdy, Co-Host IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular
January 16, 2023
Illinois (12-5, 3-3) at Minnesota (7-8, 1-4)
Jan. 16, 2023 // 5 p.m. CT // Minneapolis, Minn. // Williams Arena
TV: BTN – Cory Provus (Play-by-Play), Stephen Bardo (Analyst)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play), Deon Thomas (Analyst) // SiriusXM 84, SXM App 84
The Farrell Files - 2023 Prep Recruiting Isn't Over, Yet
Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys National Football Recruiting Expert
January 16, 2023
(Mike Farrell also has his own website: https://mikefarrellsports.com/)
Well would you look at this, 2023 prep recruiting isn’t over after all,
Illinois Defense Travels to Twin Cities in No. 24 Illini’s 70-57 Victory Over Gophers
Illinois holds Minnesota to a season-low, single-game point total in a Big Ten road game in the Illini’s first game as a ranked team in 23 years.
Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer
January 15, 2023
MINNEAPOLIS -- Along with its Associated Press Top 25 ranking, Illinois didn’t forget to pack its week-long defensive practice emphasis in its luggage up north this weekend.
Moretti is Officially an Illini
Illinois Department of Athletics & IlliniGuys Staff
January 15, 2023
Champaign, ILL.– As expected, Italian point guard Niccolo Moretti has signed a Big Ten Tender of Financial Aid and is set to join the Fighting Illini Basketball program.
Bret Bielema Says Possibility of Hiring NFL Assistants with Open Staff Vacancies; The Illini Coach Has Done This Before
In the back half of his five-year tenure at Arkansas, Bret Bielema hired assistants straight from the National Football League and in 2023, he says he’s interested in doing so again.
Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer
January 14, 2023
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois still hasn’t filled the assistant coach openings at the positions of outside linebacker and running backs and the Illini leader says he’s looking at the three-letter professional league for candidates.
Sturdy's Takeaways: Michigan State
By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst
January 14, 2023
(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)
The Illini trailed by as many as 9 points in the second half, but rallied to win by 9, 75-66 behind 20 points from Dain Dainja and 19 from Matthew Mayer as they took down a red hot Michigan State team in Champaign. The Illini are now 12-5 and 3-3 in league play with a 3-game winning streak as they head to Minneapolis for a Monday tip from Williams Arena.
Here’s a quick recap:
Technical Knockout: Illinois Win Physical Friday Night Fight With Spartans
Even down by as many nine points early in the second half, Illinois rallied to knock down and match the physicality of Michigan State - the reigning Big Ten bully of physical play.
Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer
(Cover photo courtesy Ron Johnson/USA Today Sports)
January 14, 2023
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Call it a technical knockout for Illinois.
Illini Outmuscle Spartans For Signature 75-66 Win
By IlliniGuys Staff January 13, 2023 (Cover photo courtesy […]
The Farrell Files: Bielema and the Games Coaches Play
By Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys National Football Recruiting Expert
January 13, 2023
(Mike Farrell also has his own website: https://mikefarrellsports.com/)
It’s been kind of quiet on the portal front since ECU OL transfer Avery Jones flipped his commitment from Illinois to Auburn and Bret Bielema flipped out on social media. Could this mean less work in the portal? And a couple more names have emerged as visitors this weekend.
How Coleman Hawkins Acts Like a Point Forward Even Without the Basketball
In the spread offense with two inexperienced, freshman guards, Illinois forward Coleman Hawkins is serving as the traffic cop of where the basketball should go.
By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer
January 13, 2023
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- In the early and middle parts of what turned into a blowout win at Nebraska this week, it became seemingly obvious the Illinois true freshman point guard duo of Jayden Epps and Sencire Harris were seeing different things for the first time on the road.
Instead of panicking and guessing about what to run, where the basketball should go in its halfcourt offense and breaking off plays for 1-on-1 action, Coleman Hawkins reacted in the way a veteran was needed at that moment.
Move-In Week for David Olano
Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting
January 13, 2023
David Olano, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound kicker from Naperville, Illinois, committed to Illinois in June of 2022.
Football Recruiting Spotlight on Nicario Harper
Steve Sturm, IlliniGuys Football Analyst
January 12, 2023
Illinois made its first 2023 addition via the transfer portal when safety Nicario Harper decided to transfer from Louisville to Illinois for his last year of eligibility.
Illinois' Kendall Bostic is the Glue to the Team's Recent Success
Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting
January 12, 2023
The Fighting Illini women's basketball team is ranked for the first time in 23 years.
New Illinois Point Guard Commit Niccolo Moretti - How Does He Help The Illini?
By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst
January 11, 2023
(Cover photo courtesy FIBA)
The morning after they beat Nebraska the Illini added another piece to the puzzle in Italian point guard Niccolo Moretti, who trained at the NBA Global Academy and DME Academy, announced that he would be joining the Fighting Illini for the spring semester. First reported by Tipton Edits and On3 Sports.
Recruiting: Illini land PG Niccolò Moretti
By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting
January 11th, 2023
The Fighting Illini men's basketball program received some good news today, point-guard Niccolò Moretti committed early this morning via his Twitter page.
Moretti's commit date was a surprise, but not a shock of his interest in Illinois. Assistant basketball coach Geoff Alexander had seen Moretti on several occasions, and felt he would be a staple to add to the 2023 roster.
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