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By IlliniGuys Staff February 21, 2024 (Cover photo courtesy […]

Brad Sturdy, Co-Host IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular & Big Sports Radio and Illini Uber-Insider

February 21, 2024

The Illini are in Happy Valley Wednesday night to take on their nemesis from a year ago, the Penn State Nittany Lions. PSU beat Illinois 3 times a year ago, although many of those players are gone and there is a new coach in town in Mike Rhoades, it’s definitely a game that should have some revenge motives for the Fighting Illini. 

The Nittany Lions return to their roots Wednesday night when Penn State hosts #12 Illinois in its Return to Rec game. Rec Hall was the longtime home of Nittany Lion basketball until a 1996 move to the Bryce Jordan Center. Rec Hall had a final listed capacity of 6,846 for basketball, but more than 8,000 fans jammed into the iconic building for a basketball game six times in the building’s history, including a record 8,600 fans for a contest vs. Virginia on Dec. 5, 1973.

Expect a packed and raucous crowd on Wednesday evening. 

Setting the Stage

#12AP/12 Illinois (19-6, 10-4 B1G) at Penn State (12-14, 6-9 B1G) 

February 21, 2024 // 5:30 p.m. CT (6:30 p.m. ET) // University Park, Pa. // Rec Hall 

TV: BTN – Jason Horowitz (Play-by-Play), Stephen Bardo (Analyst) 

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

Notables

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

February 21, 2024

The Fighting Illini football program is transforming, adapting to the evolving landscape of college football with the recent addition of West Coast schools to the Big Ten conference. This expansion means that the Illini will need to target higher-profile prospects to remain competitive in the star-studded world of college football recruiting.

Head Coach Bret Bielema has built a reputation for finding and developing talent, molding players into All-Big Ten performers. However, with the shift in the conference dynamics, the emphasis on recruiting top-tier prospects becomes even more critical for the Fighting Illini.

Tim Anderson's Crucial Role in Recruiting Could Help Women Land Recruit

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

February 20, 2024

In college basketball recruiting, the right connections and relationships can make all the difference. Destiny Jackson, a 5-foot-6, four-star recruit from Whitney Young High School in Chicago, holds the title of the number one high school recruit in the state of Illinois for the Class of 2025.

Recently visiting the Illinois women's basketball program could be a game-changer in her recruitment, and a familiar face might just be the key.

The 86-66 win over No. 14 Indiana is just one part of a regular season finale stretch for an Illinois women’s basketball team trying to salvage an at-large NCAA Tournament bid. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 20, 2024

CHAMPAIGN — While suddenly in the role of a late arriving guest to a party they weren’t ever invited to in the first place, the next three weeks for the Illinois women’s basketball could see them crashing the 2024 NCAA Tournament. 

Following the season-defining 86-66 victory over No. 14 Indiana where Shauna Green’s program led for the final 30 minutes and without a doubt showcased its best version of itself, Illinois now has an opportunity no other team in Division I currently outside of the postseason bubble has in its regular season finish.

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.