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Ten days into winter portal session officially opening, Illinois football coaches are spinning a lack of acquisition by selling its success of player retention.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 19, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In the midst of meddling public results in this current transfer portal session, the football coaches inside the University of Illinois are pushing a similar narrative that their program is already fully self-sufficient.

With only two known verbal commitments out of the player acquisition mechanism known as the transfer portal, the public relations path for those inside the Smith Family Football Center is to sell the idea of player retention.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting December […]

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

December 19, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Wisconsin Athletics)

Illinois made its first portal addition of the offseason Tuesday when Wisconsin outside linebacker Leon Lowery committed to the Illini.  Lowery started his career with Syracuse and had a fairly strong career there before he transferred to the Badgers last year.  However, Lowery had a mediocre year with Wisconsin in 2024 so it made sense for both he and the Badgers for him to seek a change of scenery in 2025.  Lowery will have a sixth year of eligibility in 2025, one of the last guys you'll see that his able to take advantage of a COVID year since he started at Syracuse in 2020 and played so little in 2020 and 2021 that he was able to redshirt.  Lowery is a very good athlete who has shown spurts of star-quality play in college but hasn't put it all together.  In other words, he's exactly the kind of player Illinois should be after because he could make a huge difference, yet Illinois won't need to rely on him if he doesn't take that next step.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

December 19, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy NIU Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, IL – Illinois football is earning a reputation for building its program through depth, player development, and a few proven veteran players rather than becoming a hub for transfer players.

Northern Illinois quarterback Ethan Hampton, originally planning to visit Illinois last week, made a detour to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he committed to Wake Forest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuxFdwU1B3g&t=334s    

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

December 17, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illinois Fighting Illini added a key transfer to their roster Tuesday night, securing a commitment from defensive end Leon Lowery.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

December 17, 2024

BETTENDORF, Iowa – The Quad Cities has added another nationally ranked prospect to Illinois' recruiting radar. Jhaliana Guy, a 5-foot-9 combo guard, has showcased an exceptional athletic ability that has drawn the attention of 25 college programs, including the Illini.

Guy, ranked in the top 10 nationally by ESPNW, displayed her talents Friday night when the Bettendorf Bulldogs faced the Assumption Knights. While she didn’t dominate the scoreboard on this night, she did finish with 11 points on 4-for-10 shooting. But here's why she's drawing so much interest:

(From Illinois Sports Information Office) (Cover photo courtesy Joe […]

Despite again having a short bench, Illinois head coach Shauna Green was able to turn to reserves, such as Barry Wallace, to flip the momentum Sunday afternoon. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

Decembere 16, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — If she had never suffered an injury to her shooting hand, Berry Wallace’s role off the bench in her freshman season might have been exactly what she showed Sunday afternoon. 

Following a nine-point opening quarter that saw Illinois down early to a upset-minded Southern Indiana team that came four points away from defeating Indiana in Bloomington’s Assembly Hall, Illini head coach Shauna Green turned to arguably the most prestigious women’s basketball signee in the last decade to get them out of an offensive slump. 

Wallace responded to the call by her head coach with 12 points in the second quarter of a 73-50 blowout win by showcasing her ability to do the thing Illinois (9-2) has failed to show consistently throughout these last few weeks - hit jump shots. 

Mike Cagley, Co-Host Sports Spectacular and Big Sports Radio […]

Illinois freshman wing Berry Wallace produced a career-high 18 points off the bench in a 73-50 victory over Southern Indiana. 

Matthew Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

December 15, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Berry Wallace finally got to show why she was a McDonald’s All-America selection and arguably the most Illinois coveted signee of the Shauna Green era.

Brad Sturdy, IlliniGuys Insider & Host of the IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

December 15, 2024

The opportunity was there in front of the Fighting Illini as they led Tennessee by as many as 6 points in the final 10 minutes and had the ball late with multiple opportunities to deal a knockout punch. Instead, they turned it over, failed on inbounds attempts, missed open shots, missed free throws, and allowed Justin Gainey to go coast to coast in the final seconds for a layup in a 66-64 loss. The Illini failed to make a field goal in the final 5 minutes as they fell to 7-3, with #1 Tennessee moving to 10-0. 

After watching the film, three things pop out. 

(From Illinois Sports Information Office)   Illinois vs. Southern […]

In a 66-64 loss to No. 1 Tennessee, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood immediately knew he’d made what he would consider an inexcusable coaching blunder.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

December 14, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — It is exceedingly obvious that Illinois head coach Brad Underwood’s 61st birthday wish on Saturday would be for five seconds to be put back on the State Farm Center game clock and Tennessee’s final offensive possession to be replayed.

After he watched Tennessee guard Jordan Gainey drive practically the length of the floor to make a driving layup just as the buzzer sounded completing a 66-64 victory for the No. 1 Volunteers, Underwood immediately realized he forgot to do something.

By IlliniGuys Staff December 14, 2024 (Cover photo courtesy […]