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Steve Sturm, IlliniGuys Football Analyst

November 13, 2024

Illinois made a big splash on the recruiting front during its week off when 4-star quarterback Michael Clayton II of Seminole High School in Sanford, Florida chose the Illini over offers from numerous other high majors.

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

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

November 12, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Fighting Illini football program received one of the most significant commitments of the Bret Bielema era on Sunday. Michael Clayton II, a 2026 quarterback from Sanford, Florida, became the first player to pledge to Illinois in his class.

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema believes several key members of his roster who have gone unused through nine games will emerge in this final month. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

November 12, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Through the first nine games of this season, Gentle Hunt has played one snap of action. 

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

Illinois women’s basketball is ranked in the AP Top […]

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

November 11, 2024

Illinois continued its recent recruiting success by flipping Coopersville (Michigan) offensive tackle J.J. Hirdes from his commitment to nearby Eastern Michigan to Illinois soon after flipping Tywan Cox from his prior commitment to USF.  Hirdes is a true tackle who was getting some interest from other Big Ten schools when Illinois turned up the pressure to secure his commitment.  However, he isn't quite as strong of a prospect as Cox.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?

Illinois head coach Shauna Green raises banners in just two years at the helm.

By Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Guest Staff Writer

November 11, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Champaign, Ill. - When Shauna Green walked onto the State Farm Center court for her first game as Illinois women's basketball head coach on November 9, 2022, no one could have imagined this scene Sunday night just two years and one day later.

The raising of a national postseason tournament championship banner, the first in program history.

Then, Green's squad - keyed by five seniors focused on raising another banner - took to the court to continue a winning streak that began last March, finding their way to a 65-53 win over Marquette in a game that wasn't even that close through much of the second half.

By IlliniGuys Staff November 10, 2024 (Cover photo courtesy […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

November 19, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, IL — During their bye week, the Illinois football program picked up its recruiting efforts, resulting in a major win as four-star quarterback Michael Clayton II committed to the Illini.

IlliniGuys learned that Illinois was set to make Clayton’s top three when he announced his decision in December. Just yesterday, he narrowed his list to seven schools, which included Ole Miss, Nebraska, South Carolina, Louisville, Auburn, Missouri, and Illinois.

From Illinois Sports Information Office: Illini vs. Marquette Tonight, […]

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

November 10, 2024

The new age of Illinois basketball is upon us and it is an analytics dream. The Illini dominated another inferior opponent and showed a model for what they are going to try and do the entire season. After scoring 112 points with 110 coming from the three areas - “Free, Key and Three” - meaning in the paint, from behind the arc and from the foul line, they backed that up with another 90 points and had 88 from the 3 areas. Let’s look at how they stack up after two games.

Shoot the Three

The Illini are taking a whopping 63% of their shots from behind the arc,

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

November 7, 2024

Tier 4 - These teams are rebuilding and have aways to go with many unproven players

- Washington - Danny Sprinkle takes over at Washington after the firing of Mike Hopkins. Sprinkle is a very good coach, but he has a tall task with the Huskies.

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

November 9, 2024

(Cover picture courtesy player's page on X)

I feel like I need to warn any family members of current or former Illini: If you're worthy of a P4 scholarship in football, you can expect a recruiting blitz from Bret Bielema.  Tywan Cox is the sixth player to pledge to the Illini after having a brother play football in Champaign, and I don't think this trend is going to slow down anytime soon.  Aside from all that, I'm really enthusiastic about Cox as a prospect regardless of his lineage.  Despite his excellent performance at football factory Northwestern (Miami) High School and his lineage from his brother Torrie Jr. and father Torrie Sr., Tywan didn't get the high major interest he would have liked and committed to USF in June.  However, Illinois got involved and stayed involved through the fall and liked Tywan's fall film enough to make him an offer and he jumped.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood may have found the program’s first true lead guard since he took over the Illini job in the form of 18-year-old Kasparas Jakucionis.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

November 9, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In just his second game in an Illinois jersey, Kasparas Jakucionis already getting questions from the coaching staff usually reserved for a much older and mature college basketball player.

During a first half media timeout, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood confirmed to media following the Illini’s dominating 90-58 win over Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville that they’re asking their first-year point guard what sets he prefers instead of dictating the calls to the 18-year-old.

“He’s already to the point where during timeouts we’re asking him as coaches what he likes to run and what he’s seeing out there,” Underwood said. “He already has a great maturity of understanding defenses and the matchups of a given opponent. That’s not normal for somebody his age.”