Public Letter from Illinois Athletic Director Josh Whitman
May 23, 2024 Dear Fellow Illini: This week, the […]
Public Letter from Illinois Athletic Director Josh Whitman
May 23, 2024 Dear Fellow Illini: This week, the […]
Illini Stay Alive in Big Ten Baseball Tournament With 10-inning Win Over Iowa
Illinois gets two runs in the 10th inning and are benefited from a controversial runner interference call to advance past an elimination game in the 2024 Big Ten Tournament. Illini snapped an eight-game losing streak in the event.
Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer
May 23, 2024
For the first time since 2018, Illinois has won a baseball game in the Big Ten Conference Tournament. And it took a 10-inning effort along with a controversial umpire decision in the final half inning to see the Illini advance to another day.
Illinois junior third baseman Coltin Quagliano gave Illinois its first and last lead of the 4-2 win in the 10th inning with a rocket hit two-run single that followed base hits off Iowa reliever Archer Gannon by Jacob Schroeder and Brody Harding. Both Schroeder and Harding would score on Quagliano’s 53rd and 54th RBIs of the season.
Ked's Recruiting Roundup - "I'm Recruiting Guys that Are In-State and Out of It to Join Us," says Andre Lovett
Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting
May 23, 2023
Andre Lovett, an Illini commit, plans to play safety once he arrives on campus. The 5-foot-11, 2025 prospect from Blue Island, Illinois, has been proactive in helping his future school secure commitments and continues to do so.
“Excited about state of football program”: Illini AD Josh Whitman applauds Bielema’s ‘tremendous progress” in 2024 offseason
Illinois athletics director Josh Whitman maintains full public confidence in the Illini football program as Bret Bielema enters fourth season as head coach.
Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer
May 22, 2024
CHAMPAIGN — The excitement and confidence flowing out of the Smith Family Football Complex building is being felt by arguably the most important athletics person on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Josh Whitman, who just surpassed his eighth year as the Illinois athletics director this past February, said his second head football coach hire at his alma mater continues to give him belief that a consistent product can be achieved in the fall with the university’s highest revenue-generating sport.
Illini Losing Drought in Big Ten Baseball Tourney Continues
Penn State holds Illinois to just one extra-base hit as Illini fall 8-4 and will try to avoid a fourth straight 0-2 mark in the Big Ten Tournament in a Thursday morning elimination game.
Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer
May 22, 2024
The losing drought for Illinois at Charles Schwab Field in the Big Ten Baseball Tournament has continued on.
Illinois, which arrived in Omaha, Neb. this week as the league’s regular season champion and No. 1 seed in the tournament, couldn’t rely on the power of their offense in a much bigger ballpark Wednesday afternoon in a 8-4 loss to Penn State.
Ked's Recruiting Roundup - Guard Kamryn Kitchen Names Her Top Six
Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting
May 22, 2024
The Illinois women's basketball staff has been recruiting Charlotte, North Carolina, guard Kamryn Kitchen since they arrived on campus.
Illinois Football Starts Strong in Recruiting
Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting
May 22, 2024
With the addition of four new West Coast schools—USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington—joining the Big Ten, media predictions do not favor Illinois as a competitor.
Teams like Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, and Penn State are expected to dominate the first 18-team conference race. But what about teams in the middle, like Wisconsin, Northwestern, Minnesota, and Michigan State? Despite improvements, Illinois is not seen as a competitive threat within the conference by many voters.
Corey Parker Recognizes His Task Includes Inheriting Big Ten’s Most Penalized Secondary
New Illinois defensive backs coach Corey Parker understands that he’s going from one of the least penalized Football Bowl Subdivision program to one of the most flagged in 2023.
Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer
May 21, 2024
CHAMPAIGN — Corey Parker seems to instantly recognize that at least statistically he’s leaving one of the more disciplined defensive backs rooms at Toledo and inheriting one of the least disciplined units in the Big Ten Conference.
Illinois Football Receives More Help in Secondary with Ohio Transfer Torrie Cox Jr.
Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting
May 21, 2024
Illinois head football coach Bret Bielema recently hinted at good news on the horizon, promising fans an exciting announcement. For Bielema, getting student-athletes to commit and believe in his program is a point of pride.
Ked's Quick Recruiting News Update - Illini Women's Basketball Commit Tenin Magassa Changes Commitment to Oklahoma State
Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting
May 21, 2023
Tenin Magassa, a 6-foot-5 post player from Rhode Island, originally from Dayton, committed to play for Illinois head coach Shauna Green on April 28.
News-Gazette beat writer Joe Vozzelli Jr. broke the news on X that Magassa de-committed from Illinois and now plans to play for Oklahoma State.
The Farrell Files Illinois - Big WR Commit, 2025 Positional Needs & More
Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys & Big Sports Radio National Football Recruiting Expert
May 21, 2024
(Mike Farrell also has his own website: https://mikefarrellsports.com/)
In this edition of the Farrell Files Illinois, I’ll touch on the Brayden Trimble win, a few key positional needs for the 2025 class, and the latest on transfer WR Zakhari Franklin.
Massive Recruiting Win - Illinois Football Keeping In-State Talent Home - Mt. Zion WR Brayden Trimble Commits
Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting May 20, 2024 […]
Sturdy for 30 - May 20th Edition
Brad Sturdy, Illini Insider and Co-Host IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular & Big Sports Radio shows
May 20, 2024
Incredibly busy week! 30 thoughts coming your way:
We start off this week with the Illini baseball team being Big Ten champs. After a slow start the Illini have been tremendous in Big ten play, sweeping Purdue to finish it off. They bring the lumber, especially once teams are deeper into their bullpens and using #3 starters.
The baseball team opens the Big Ten tourney on Tuesday against Penn State in Omaha as the top seed. The Illini look like an NCAA lock.
I’ve always wondered why they play a double elimination baseball tournament, one with longer games and pitch counts, while playing single elimination in softball.
While the baseball team was winning, I was graduating and getting married. Not me, but my kids. My middle daughter Ashlyn graduated from Illinois with high honors. My youngest, Kamryn graduated from high school and was the valedictorian. 3 for 3 in valedictorians. Proud dad. And her speech was as good as I have heard. Biased, I know. Also attended the wedding of a former long time player Saturday night. Man, they grow up fast!!
Have large graduations and weddings jumped the shark? At the Illinois graduation, where Coleman Hawkins and Makira Cook were among the attendees, students and their families sat for 2+ hours to hear their names read, sometimes incorrectly, by a person they may have never met.
On the other side,
RHP Jack Crowder Projected to Start in Illini’s Big Ten Tourney Opener
Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb is determined to not have anything change in Big Ten Tournament that has led to Illini’s regular season hot streak.
Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer
May 20, 2024
CHAMPAIGN — Before the Illinois players got on the buses to take the team to Omaha for the Big Ten Conference Baseball Tournament, Illini head coach Dan Hartleb had only one message for his club - don’t change anything you’re doing.
Big Ten Announces 2024 Baseball Tournament Bracket
Illinois Athletics May 19, 2024 CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Big […]
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