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

March 22, 2034

The Illini took care of business on Thursday in their NCAA tourney opener, taking down a well-coached and talented Morehead St. team by an 85-69 score. The Illini used a dominant second half performance to pull away and showed a team with a multitude of weapons ready to make a run in March. 

The Illini got great individual performances from the big 2, with Terrence Shannon scoring 26 points and Marcus Domask posting the 10th triple double in NCAA tournament history. But it was the bench that came up big, With Dain Dainja posting 21 points on 9-9 shooting and grabbing 8 boards, while Luke Goode hit 3-4 from deep and Dravyn Gibbs-Lawhorn hit a pair of big 3’s and played some excellent defense. The Illini depth was on full display. 

Now the Illini get upset minded Duquesne on Saturday at 7:30PM, but let’s take a look back at this one.

These 3 Things 
Confidence is Key - every coach wants to have

Despite finishing 11th in the Big Ten Conference in passing defense, Illinois only acquired one addition to its defensive secondary out of the transfer portal. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 22, 2024

CHAMPAIGN — Maybe the one consolation to the questions for the Illinois secondary entering this spring season is the coaches have to be somewhat familiar with what and, specifically, who the answers have to be. 

After finishing the 2023 season 11th in the Big Ten Conference in passing defense by allowing opponents 228.1 yards per game through the air, Illinois acquired only one addition - sophomore Chase Canada - via the junior college or transfer portal. In his introductory media conference inside the Smith Family Football Complex, new Illini defensive backs coach David Gibbs, who actually gave a rousing defense for the fact that his predecessor, Antonio Fenelus, shouldn’t have been fired. 

Illinois guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn knocks down a pair of three-point shots and provides confidence in a first-half NCAA Tournament struggle for the Illini. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 22, 2024

OMAHA, Neb. — After being called to sub in to his first NCAA Tournament game, practically everybody near press row could hear Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn banging his hands together in excitement.

“I was trying to keep myself calm and focused on what I was being called into the game to do,” the Illinois freshman guard said. 

(From Illinois Sports Information Office) CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – [4] Illinois […]

Illinois center Dain Dainja leads a resurgent bench effort in the Illini’s 85-68 win over Morehead State in first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 21, 2024

OMAHA, Neb. — As he walked into a winning locker room following a first-round victory, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood was handed a printed box score by a NCAA official.

The Illini seventh-year head coach stopped and stared at just one statistic on the paper - bench scoring. In an 85-69 win in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, Underwood knew it was the guys sitting next to him that propelled them to advance in this event. 

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

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

March 21, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The Illini are dancing again, this time in Omaha as they try to get the monkey off their back and make the second weekend for the first time since 2005. First team in their path is the Morehead State Eagles, winners of the OVC. The Illini, coming off of a win in the Big Ten Tournament, finished the season ranked 10th in the AP Poll and are feeling good heading into the NCAA’s this year. 

It all starts today. 

Setting the Stage

2024 NCAA Tournament // First Round // East Region 

3 Illinois (26-8, 11-9 Big Ten) vs. 14 Morehead State (26-8 Overall, 14-4 OVC) 

Thursday, March 21, 2024 // 2:10 p.m. CT // Omaha, Neb. // CHI Health Center 

TV: TruTV – Tom McCarthy, Avery Johnson & Debbie Antonelli AJ Ross 

Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart, Deon Thomas 

National Radio: Westwood One – Kevin Kugler (Play-By-Play), Stephen Bardo Satellite Radio: SiriusXM – 209 or 202 

Notable

*This is the 34th NCAA tourney appearance for Illinois, and the 4th in a row. They have made 5 Final Fours, the last coming in 2005 and are 42-34 overall all time. 

Illinois 6-foot-6 sophomore Ty Rodgers may be asked to play anywhere from point guard to center in this NCAA Tournament first round matchup against Morehead State on Thursday. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 21, 2024

OMAHA, Neb. — Consistency has simply never been in the plans for Ty Rodgers during the 2023-24 season and that’s perfectly okay. 

The preseason talk in the summer and early fall months surrounding the 6-foot-6 athlete was about force feeding Rodgers with more point guard duties especially after Illinois failed to land an established veteran at the position out of the transfer portal. In order to handle the lead guard responsibilities, Rodgers quickly demanded from himself that he learn, through memorization and film study, the extensive duties of all five positions throughout each of the Illini’s offensive and defensive sets.

Larry Smith - Executive Producer & Co-Host IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

Cover photo Whole Hog Sports

March 23, 2023 (originally posted March 14, 2022)

The first weekend of the NCAA tournament is done, and March is again mad.

After winning all three games in three days where they were down double-digits in all three, the Illinois players and coaches aren’t worried about an early deficit. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 20, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

OMAHA, Neb. — If the last three-day experience of the Big Ten Tournament didn’t prepare Illinois to not panic over early-game struggles, nothing likely will. 

In the midst of winning its league tournament, the Illini (26-8) experienced three straight games where they found themselves down double digits to Ohio State, Nebraska and Wisconsin. Over the last three games in Minneapolis, Illinois managed to outscore its opponents by 28 points in the second half of each of its games.

Morehead is making the program’s 9th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament and the Eagles upset Clemson in the first round of the 2023 National Invitational Tournament.

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 20, 2024

Riley Minix courtesy Morehead St Athletics

OMAHA, Neb. — While several low-major and mid-major head coaches have struggled to consistently lose players in the transfer portal, Morehead State’s Preston Spradlin has made the process work for his program.

The Eagles (26-8), which will be Illinois’ first round opponent in the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Thursday afternoon (2:10 p.m. CST, truTV), have lost their share of star players (Johni Broome to Auburn and Ta'lon Cooper to South Carolina) in the last few years. However, the 37-year-old Spradlin had figured out how to use lower levels of college basketball to supplement his own program.

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 21, 2024

OMAHA, Neb. — While several low-major and mid-major head coaches have struggled to consistently lose players in the transfer portal, Morehead State’s Preston Spradlin has made the process work for his program. 

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys & Big Sports Radio National Football Recruiting Expert

March 20, 2024

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

In this edition of the Farrell Files Illinois, I’ll look at some younger players ready for unofficial visits this month and a potential sleeper from the 2025 class.

Larry Smith - Executive Producer & Co-Host IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

Cover photo Duke Athletics

March 23, 2023 (originally posted March 17, 2022)

OK so if you read Part I of the White Jersey Theory, I've probably whet your whistle. 

Illinois hasn’t won a postseason game in over 11 years and a bid to the inaugural WBIT allows them to end that drought inside State Farm Center. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

After regathering her team together following a Big Ten Tournament early exit, Illinois head coach Shuana Green was encouraged her players had a desire to keep playing. 

In an era of college basketball where the transfer portal is open and men’s basketball programs are declining NIT invitations in order to begin preparations for next season, Green’s squad still has a single goal in mind that Illinois hasn’t accomplished in a dozen years. The Illini have not won a postseason game since Matt Bollant’s first season in 2013 when Illinois went to the quarterfinals of the WNIT. The creation of the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament by the NCAA this offseason and the lack of a .500 overall record threshold for this event allows Illinois (14-15) the opportunity of this veteran-based team to get some postseason success. 

Larry Smith - Executive Producer & Co-Host IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

Cover photo Duke Athletics

March 22, 2023 (originally posted March 8, 2022)

It's hard to believe it's been 21 years since a random conversation forever changed the way I view college basketball. 
It was a time when the NCAA tournament made regular stops at Kansas City's Kemper Arena before the newer, sleeker T-Mobile Center was built.  And that's why I was in the building.  Not to cover a game, but to watch my alma mater Eastern Illinois play in its second (and last) NCAA tournament.  The Panthers were a huge underdog against the 2nd seeded Arizona Wildcats, but had a pair of guards - future pros Kyle Hill and Henry Domercant - who made every game interesting if not entertaining.

EIU vs. Arizona was the second game of the day, so I found a random vacant seat a few rows up from the floor to watch the 7-10 game, Wake Forest vs. Butler.  The Bulldogs had the better resume, but - as was often the case - the "big school" Demon Deacons were the 7-seed and the favorite.  But they were in the process of being knocked out in the first round by Butler and a young coach named Thad Matta.

The gentleman in the next seat recognized me and struck up a conversation.  He was also an informed spectator; a referee who was in town to work one of the evening games.  He was a seasoned official who often worked Pac-10 and Mountain West games.