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Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

February 13, 2024

Hailing from East Saint Louis, IL, Jason Dowell is making waves in the football world as a standout 6-4, 275-pound Defensive Line 2025 prospect from Althoff Catholic High School. With an impressive four-star rating, Dowell has become one of the most sought-after recruits in the state of Illinois and nation.

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is keen on keeping Dowell within the state, recognizing his potential as a game-changer on the defensive line. Dowell has garnered interest from Auburn, Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas State, Kansas, Michigan State, Minnesota, Oregon, Missouri, and USC.

In a recent interview with IlliniGuys,

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

February 13, 2024

After a rough finish on Saturday the Illini are back in action against Michigan on Tuesday at the State Farm Center. The Illini want to get the bad taste out of their mouth from the final 7 minutes in East Lansing against a struggling Michigan squad. The Wolverines have lost 11 of 13 and since beating Iowa in Iowa City on December 10th they have lost their last 5 road games with the last 3 being by 19+. 

It’s a game Illinois should win, and a must win. 

Setting the Stage

#14 Illinois (17-6, 8-4 B1G) vs. Michigan (8-16, 3-10 B1G) 

Feb. 13, 2024 // 6 p.m. CT // Champaign, Ill. // State Farm Center 

Stream: Peacock – Noah Eagle (Play-by-Play), Stephen Bardo (Analyst) 

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

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood had some unpleasant and yet very choice words to describe his team’s mentality following one of the worst defensive efforts in several years last weekend.

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 13, 2024

CHAMPAIGN — Brad Underwood has broken out the emergency four-letter word about his basketball team - soft. 

It took one of the least consistent defensive efforts in several years for the emergency “soft” glass to be broken with just under a month remaining before postseason bids are handed out by the Illini seventh-year head coach. However, there Underwood sat inside the State Farm Center media room Monday afternoon calling his squad one of the most incredulous things his 60-year-old mind could think of following an 88-80 loss at Michigan State on Saturday afternoon. 

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

February 12, 2024

For 33 minutes it looked like Illinois was set to grab a massive road win at Michigan State. The Illini led 72-64 after a Marcus Domask 3 pointer and then after a Luke Goode blocked shot (it really happened), they got out in transition and Domask hit Harmon for a wide open wing 3 to go up by 11 with 6:47 to play. Ty Rodgers would foul on the rebound and Tyson Walker would make 2 free throws to begin the meltdown. 

Illinois would then go to Terrence Shannon for a 3 and then a mid-range jumper which were both misses, while Michigan State would get misses from Walker and Akins to keep it 72-66 with 5:05 to play. 

In a season marred by high expectations and several deflating injuries, Illinois still has an opportunity to make a postseason bid in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2006-07.

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 12, 2024

CHAMPAIGN — With her team being one game under .500 through 23 games in a season filled with expectations, Shauna Green is attempting to see the long-term play of her program rebuild. 

As we enter the second week of February in her second year at Illinois, Green is trying to balance the frustration of getting this veteran team over the hump of defeating quality basketball teams while also feeling encouraged by the small portions of games that define the characteristics she’s trying to build. 

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

February 12, 2024

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

In this edition of the Farrell Files Illinois, I’ll look at the other big coaching hire, LBs coach Archie McDaniel.

Power Forward Jason Jakstys Shines on the Court

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

February 11, 2024

Jason Jakstys is making a significant impact on the high school basketball scene as a 6-foot-10, 205-pound Power Forward for Yorkville High School (HS). As a three-star prospect, has a newfound talent for putting the ball on the floor and applying pressure on opposing defenses.

IlliniGuys recently caught up with Jakstys, who has committed to the University of Illinois, to discuss his ongoing high school season and his thoughts on joining the Illini in Champaign this summer.

Illinois’ trio of stars (Makira Cook, Genesis Bryant and […]

By Larry Smith, Co-Founder, IlliniGuys & Co-Host/Executive Producer, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

February 11, 2024

(Photos courtesy Larry Smith)

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - It was January, 2007 and the story I was working on was 'could pro sports play in Las Vegas?'  My producer at CNN Sports twisted my arm (wink wink) to make the three-day trip to Sin City immediately after the BCS game in suburban Phoenix.  Florida shocked favored Ohio State to reign as king of college football on that night, but the real stunner came during our interviews in Vegas. 

I sat down with then-mayor - and former mob lawyer - Oscar Goodman, an executive at MGM Grand, and the general manager of the Triple-AAA baseball affiliate that called Las Vegas home and they were very persuasive in their collective view.  I landed on that Tuesday a skeptic, but I left on Friday a convert - firmly believing Las Vegas would eventually be a major league sports city.

Illinois Women's Basketball Program Eyes Top Talents in 2025 Class at Today's Maryland Game.

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

February 11, 2024

The Illinois women's basketball program is setting its sights on securing a formidable backcourt for the future, with two of the nation's top prep players in the class of 2025 on their radar and in attendance for today's Maryland game. 

ESPN HoopGurlz Super 60 ranks Divine Bourrage, a 6-foot-0 guard from Davenport North (HS) in Davenport, IA, at the 9th spot nationally, while Destiny Jackson, a 5-foot-6 guard from Whitney Young (HS) in Illinois, has climbed to the 29th position.

Michigan State outscored No. 10 Illinois 23-8 from the […]

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

February 10, 2024

The Fighting Illini are on the road on Saturday in a road tilt that will likely determine whether they are a legit player for the Big Ten title. Illinois is ranked in the top 10 in the opening poll of February for the first time since Feb. 6, 2006, and the Illini sit one game behind Purdue in the loss column in 2nd place alone and will need a strong finish to catch the Boilers. It starts on Saturday at Michigan State against a desperate Spartan squad that needs this win if they want to continue their 25-year streak of NCAA tournament appearances. 

The Spartans have just 2 Quad 1 wins at the moment, and one will likely slide to a Quad 2, and have only at Purdue remaining as a Quad 1. Should they lose this game, they would have almost no margin for error down the stretch. 

Here are our keys and a pick:

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

February 10, 2024

Lincoln Williams, a 6-foot-5, 180-pound shooting guard from the class of 2026, who recently received a scholarship offer from Illinois, making this his first Power 5 offer.

Steve Sturm, IlliniGuys Football Analyst

February 9, 2024

Maybe its just me, but I get more excited about the yearly crop of PWO commits at the second signing day as they come in than I do about the first signing day. The reason is these guys are "free" and don't count against any of the scholarship limitations so you can take as many of them as you want. My excitement has intensified with these last two classes under Bielema though, because Coach Bert has made his grassroots recruiting campaign a priority and it has paid off especially well on guys like this. Last year's PWO crop was the best I'd ever seen.... until this year.

Here they are, in order of commitment:

New Illinois linebackers coach Archie McDaniel brings a vast amount of experience developing talent and recruiting prospects in the Lone Star State of Texas. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 9, 2024

CHAMPAIGN — Bret Bielema believes he has found a connection to Texas prospects in the form of his new linebackers coach hire.