Shootout At The Hall showcases future Illini talents

On a snowy day in Champaign-Urbana, the Assembly Hall was lively, as the second annual News-Gazette Shootout At The Hall displayed some of the talents that could soon be donning the orange and blue. With coach Bruce Weber and the entire Illini basketball team in attendance, the shootout got off to an explosive start with the second game of the day, in which the Centennial Chargers defeated the Rich South Stars 62-60. Crandall Head, younger brother of former Illini and current Houston Rockets player Luther Head, scored 34 points to almost take the Stars to victory. Head, a 6'3 sophomore, was running and shooting all over the court, and displayed some excitement for the many Illini fans in attendance. In the next game, two Illini recruits went head-to-head, D. J. Richardson, a 6'2 junior guard against Joseph Bertrand, a 6'5 junior. Richardson plays for Peoria Central, while Bertrand plays for Sterling. Even though both players had their share of good plays, remember that they are still only juniors, and that their games could bet even better next year. Still, it is a thrill for these players to take the court where they will be playing their college basketball. Just like current Illini players Mike Tisdale and Bill Cole, who both played in the shootout last season, the experience gets them used to playing in this atmosphere, which is often different than their high school games normally are. Personally, I think that Richardson's game is a little better than Bertrand's at the moment, but Bertrand does show some potential to be even better, so the roles could be reversed next season. Nevertheless, under the watchful eye of Weber, these players hopefully instilled
the confidence that they are being worth followed.
In the next game, another Illini recruit, Brandon Paul, took the floor for Warren Township in Gurnee against New Trier. Paul, who is a 6'2 junior, has pretty good skills now, and with another year of seasoning, should be a nice addition to the Fighting Illini family. New Trier has a 6'4 sophomore, Alex Rossi, who the Illini are looking at. Assistant coaches Wayne McClain, Gary Nottingham and Jerrance Howard were all milling around during this game, watching the action. What impressed me in this game was not Paul or Rossi, but the outside shooting of guard Jack Boehm of New Trier. Don't get me wrong, Paul looked good, but this Boehm kid was lights out for the Trevians. Boehm, who plays along with his twin brother Peter, had 13 points at the half, and finished with 27 points. Brandon did get things going in the fourth quarter, and at the end of the first half, he banked in a shot that was estimated at about 55 feet at the buzzer.
I mentioned earlier that there were a lot of Illini fans in attendance, and orange was present all over the Assembly Hall. The next game featured even more orange, as the Peoria Manual Rams took on the Waukegan Bulldogs and yet another recruit for Weber, 6'6 sophomore Jereme Richmond. Richmond was the player that indicated interest in Illinois before his freshman year. Richmond is quite a player, and if he works on his game, he should be quite a player when he hits the collegiate ranks.
Not forgotten by any stretch of the imagination is the football team, who continues its preparation for the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on New Year's Day. The Illini, who finished the regular season at 9-3 overall, are the only team to be in the BCS with 3 losses. This fact is not getting them much love from the national media, which is not surprising. And, to some extent, can you blame them? After all, this is a team that won just 4 games in the past 2 seasons, and here they reel off 5 straight to elevate themselves to the upper echelon of the Big Ten standings. I'm sure they would like to have the Iowa and Michigan games back, because this could be an even greater story if that were the case. Ron Zook, who grew up in Ohio, always dreamed of coaching in the Rose Bowl, but until this year, had never been given the opportunity to do so. Zook credits the dedication of the upperclassmen for persevering through some bleak times to get over the hump. But, emphatic as he is on the topic, insists that they still are not where they need to be. The number and quality of recruits that he is bringing in shows proof of that. The bar has been set higher, and the Illini will strive to get over that bar next season. They will finish up practice this week and then the team will spend Christmas with their families before re-convening after the holidays to fly out towards California on Christmas night. Regardless of the outcome, this is the feel good story of the year in Illini athletics and Illini Nation should enjoy the ride that this team is giving them.
While the basketball team was idle for 9 days for final exams, it gave them a chance to regroup and focus on the task at hand, which is winning ballgames. So far in the 2007-08 campaign, the Illini have only taken the Assembly Hall floor for 2 regular season games, but that is set to change in the next couple of weeks, as the Illini play 6 of their next 7 games at home. The barrage of home cooking begins on Monday night, when the Catamounts of Western Carolina come to visit (7:00 pm Central time, Big Ten Network), followed by a Thursday evening tilt against Miami of Ohio (6:00 pm, Central time, BTN). Then, the Illini are off to St. Louis to play in the annual Busch Braggin' Rights game against Missouri at the ScottTrade Center. With the flurry of activity upcoming, Coach Weber hopes that this will give his guys some continuity, despite playing only 1 game in the past 2 weeks. Senior Shaun Pruitt is coming off a career high in points with 24 in the loss to Arizona back on December 8, and for the Illini to become a team to be reckoned with in the Big Ten Conference, they will need more of the same from Pruitt, as well as veterans Brian Randle and Chester Frazier. Randle is once again battling the injury bug, and Frazier needs to find his shot once again. The Illini enter play with the Catamounts at 5-3 overall.

Preparing For Pasadena

Rewind a little bit with me for a minute to October 22, 2005, a night that Ron Zook would love to forget. The scene is Memorial Stadium at halftime of a game that Penn State is running away with 56-3. After the Marching Illini and Chief Illiniwek exits the field, there is a mass exodus out of the stadium, as the crowd has seen enough. Coach Zook told his team that night that it was the lowest point of his coaching career, and this would be the worst that it would ever get for the players on the field that night. Zook later said that Penn State "took everything but the equipment" that night, but something else happened that night, unbeknownst to everyone but perhaps the coaching staff. It was that evening that Juice Williams and Vontae Davis committed to the Illini, and Chris James was persuaded to jump on board as well. It seems hard to believe that just a little over two years later, Zook has his team preparing to play in the Rose Bowl, the "granddaddy of them all". Yes, there are people out there that believe that the Illini sneaked in the back door to the BCS, and those are the same people that are clamoring a playoff system like the one that the FCS, or the old Division 1-AA uses. Still, it is Illinois that will be matching up against the USC Trojans on New Year's Day, a true matchup of Big Ten vs. Pac-10, the way the Rose Bowl was set up to be. This year's team has been besieged with awards, and they continue well into the layoff leading up to the most anticipated football game that Illinois has played in many years. I believe this even foreshadows the Sugar Bowl back in 2001, mainly because it has been 24 years since the Illini have played in Pasadena. As the Illini continue to get ready for the Men of Troy, the recruiting continues to shine. The number of recruits totals 24 as of Tuesday, with A. J. Jenkins the latest to give a commitment. Jenkins is a receiver that will complement Arrelious Benn very nicely. What makes this one especially sweet is that we beat out Florida for A.J.'s services. With the high level of recruits coming in for next year, it seems a good bet that the Illini will be very much in the national title hunt. So what do you think? Did Illinois sneak their way into the BCS? I would be interested in hearing what everyone has to say on this.
What a difference a year makes for Bruce Weber and his Illini basketball team. If last Saturday's game against Arizona at the United Center is any indication of how this season will go, then it might be a long year for Weber and his crew. The Illini were defeated by the Wildcats 78-72 in overtime, and once again, it is a game that for all intensive purposes should have gone in the win column. The Illini started off really well, getting out to a quick 12-0 lead. However, free throw shooting has been a concern for the Illini over the past couple of seasons, and it pretty much cost them the game against the Wildcats. That and the erratic play of Chester Frazier, who seems like he is winging shots with reckless abandon, not knowing where they will end up. Shaun Pruitt, who was listed as questionable with an ankle injury, ended up playing and had the game of his career, scoring a personal high of 24 points on 10-11 from the field. The level of play needs to step up for the Illini, who fell to 5-3 with the loss. The 3 losses on the season are all to formidable opponents, but they need quality wins to boost their NCAA Tournament resume, right now void of a such victory. The Illini get to hit the books this week as final exams invade the campus. Then, next week it is a busy one, with games at home against Western Carolina and Miami of Ohio, then the annual Border War game against Missouri on December 22. Hopefully the rumblings about Weber and the Illini won't get too loud to ruin anybody's holiday. So, I pose this question to all of you readers out there. What do you think of the Illini basketball team this year? Do you think they are an NCAA tourney team at this point? Please let me know what you think.

Smell The Roses, Illini Nation!!!

The speculation is over, so let the journey begin! The Fighting Illini football team found out on Sunday evening that they will be heading to California for the holidays to play in the Rose Bowl Game, presented by Citi. Thought to be a glimmer of hope as late as two weeks ago, things just started to magically fall in place, and the Illini were being mentioned for BCS inclusion. Then, on Saturday, the unthinkable happened. For the Illini to be considered for Pasadena, three outcomes needed to occur. First, Boston College needed to lose to Virginia Tech, which happened. Next, West Virginia needed to be defeated by Pitt, which also took place. Finally, the Illini needed Oklahoma to defeat Missouri in the Big 12 Championship game, which would more than likely put Ohio State in the national title game on January 7th. The Sooners were able to get the job done, and all that was really left was the official announcement, which was handed down on Sunday evening. It has been 24 years since the Illini have played in the Rose Bowl, and the last visit wasn't very memorable. The Illini were defeated by UCLA 45-9, and it wasn't much of a contest from what I remember. This time around, the Illini will be facing Southern Cal, who is one of the better teams in the country and is playing that way. In a telephone interview on Sunday evening, Ron Zook was asked about the Trojans and he simply stated that "you want to have a chance to go against one of the nation's best, and we will get that chance, because USC is one of the best teams in the country". Aside from the fact that the Trojans play just minutes from the Rose Bowl gives them an edge right from the start. However, Zook thinks that there will be plenty of Illini orange in the stands, given the strong alumni representation in Southern California.
This is a remarkable story, mainly because it has taken Zook just 3 years to turn this program around and now has them in a BCS bowl for the first time since 2001. The seniors on the football team deserve this, and I am very happy for them. Now the fun begins, with alumni and season ticket holders trying to scrounge to get tickets for the game. The university will get an allotment of 25,000 tickets, which probably will get snapped up rather quickly. Then, add to the fact that airfare and hotel accomodations will not be cheap, puts the average fan to watching it on television. However, the diehards will find a way to get there, even if it breaks the bank for them. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for most, and having been at the last BCS appearance for the Illini in New Orleans on New Year's Day 2002, I know the feeling. Sadly, I'll be sitting this one out, for reasons that I have already talked about in previous blog entries. I will, however, be covering as much as I can in the weeks that lead up to the game itself. As always, I welcome you comments and questions, football, or anything Illini.

Uncharted Territory

It seems a little strange to be talking about the college football bowl season already, but tis' the season. Even more peculiar is that the talk involves the Fighting Illini this year. Not that anyone around Illini Nation is totally shocked about this revelation, seeing that Ron Zook has essentially turned around the Illinois program in three years' time. Given the fact that Zook's first two seasons were ones to forget, this season has given everyone associated with the program a breath of fresh air. Now, the destination of the Illini is yet to be determined, but we know that it will be either the Capital One Bowl or the Rose Bowl. Yes, I said the Rose Bowl! Due to the fact that some of the top teams have been getting knocked off, this has propelled the Illini into BCS talk, and with the Rose Bowl being one of the BCS bowls, the Illini have entered the picture. Especially if Ohio State somehow gets into the national championship picture, the Illini right now are the #2 Big Ten team, and they would be destined for Pasadena. But, since the Rose is a BCS bowl, they do not have to take a Big Ten team if they don't want to. Orlando would love to host the Illini, and if the analysts are correct, then Zook may be facing his old team, the Florida Gators. The selections are announced on Sunday, so the picture will be much clearer then. Stay tuned.
Congratulations to J Leman, who was named an All-American on Thursday by the American Football Coaches' Association (AFCA). Leman was one of three linebackers chosen for the honor, and the first Illini since Simeon Rice in 1994. This should give the Illini its distinction back as Linebacker U, and cement Leman's name with the likes of Howard, Butkus and Rice.
After a grueling nine day road trip to the Hawaiian Islands and Maryland, the Fighting Illini basketball team is back at home, ready to get back on the winning track. Not that the trip to Hawaii was a bad one, quite the opposite. They went 3-1 on the islands, the only blemish to Duke, who is head and shoulders better than the Illini. After a quick trip home to re-pack, the Illini were back off to the east coast to play Maryland in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge at the Comcast Center in College Park, Maryland. The ACC had the upper hand in most of the contests, including this one, as the Terrapins defeated the Illini 69-61. Calvin Brock, who continues to impress everyone, led the Illini in scoring with 13 points, while Rodney Alexander and Shaun Pruitt each scored 10. Some home cooking in front of the Orange and Blue faithful is hopefully just what the doctor ordered, as they welcome the Weber State Wildcats on Saturday afternoon (4:05 pm, central time - Big Ten Network). The Illini are 4-2 on the season, while Weber State comes in at 2-3.
Jolette Law has the Fighting Illini women playing well in her short tenure as head coach, and excitement is once again alive with the women's program. Law has the Illini out to an early 5-2 record, with a tournament championship in the Florida International Thanksgiving Classic. Jenna Smith and Danyel Crutcher both had good showings, with Smith garnering Most Valuable Player honors for the tourney. The Illini were upended by North Carolina State 61-47 on Thursday night in Raleigh, North Carolina in the inaugural Big Ten/ACC Women's Challenge, but a 5-2 record is nothing to be ashamed about at this point. The Illini will return home on Sunday to face Illinois-Chicago, then will host

A Lot To Be Thankful For

As we draw ever so closer to Thanksgiving Day, I want to deviate from the norm of talking about Illini sports, and change course a little bit and write about things that I am thankful for. First and foremost, I am thankful for my wonderful family. I have been blessed with another son, Caleb Addison, who is a perfect complement to big sister Elena and big brother Austin. My wife of 15 1/2 years, Susan, is also near and dear to my heart, and if it weren't for her, I don't really know if I would be writing this today. It's sort of a long story, and one that I do not want to get into at the moment. Once you start covering sports, you covet any family time that you come across. This beat doesn't send me on the road all that often, but I am quite certain that if we weren't busy having this final piece to the Cotter family, I would more than likely be typing this from the island of Maui in Hawaii.
I am thankful for Coach Ron Zook, and the spark of rebirth that he has given to the Illinois football program. When Zook was hired in 2005 to replace Ron Turner, the cupboard was pretty much desolate, and it has taken Zook only three years to rebuild the program and put them in position for a New Year's Day bowl game. His record at Florida was not terrible (23-14 in 3 years), and when he was fired, it was a mystery to me because he had led them to two straight bowl appearances. We were genuinely blessed when Illinois Athletic Director Ron Guenther chose Zook to lead the resurgence of the Illinois football program, and even though his one downfall was his ability to coach, we are seeing that this, too, may have been grossly overstated. The man is a recruiting dynamo, bringing in talent such as Vontae Davis, Aurellious Benn, Isaiah "Juice" Williams, among others. The list of potential recruits continue to mount, and next year, the team should be even better next season. I am especially happy for the group of seniors, who have endured a very tough 4 years as Illini players. Guys like J Leman, Kevin Mitchell, Justin Harrison, and DuJuan Warren, among others, deserve this success, based on their past. Nothing makes me happier than to see smiling faces on these guys, who, despite their struggles, kept a positive attitude through the entire ordeal, knowing that they would turn it around.
I am also thankful for Bruce Weber, who may not be the best recruiter around, but the man can truly coach. Given a plethora of talent when Bill $elf bolted for Kansas and his cushy office on Naismith Drive, Weber played off that success with a final four run, albeit losing out on some major recruits along the way. But, this year has seen a change to that pattern, as Weber has received verbal commitments from four top notch recruits over the next couple of years. However, these verbal commitments are soft ones, and can change at a moment's notice (see Gordon, Eric). Whereas it seems that Weber always gets the most out of any player that he gets, this latest coup of players will hopefully keep Illinois as one of the top teams in the country for many years to come, and we will be talking about national championships, instead of just Big Ten Championships.
I am thankful for Jolette Law, new women's basketball coach at Illinois. When Theresa Grentz resigned earlier in the year, it was probably a move that was way past due. However, when the little coach named Law was announced as the successor to Grentz, she decreed that she would recruit the Chicago area, as well as nationwide, to get the best level of talent that she could. Her attitude is contagious, and she is off to a 3-1 start with the current team. She is the type of person that can get the job done, and I think that she will back up that talk with action.
I am thankful for the Big Ten Network, and the way that the channel has covered the conference thus far. With the first football season now completed, the network delivered blanket coverage of all 11 schools, both on campus and on the field. With the lineup of basketball games that have already been on so far, and those that will follow in the months ahead, here's hoping that the cable companies wake up and offer the channel on their packages. The fans deserve it.
Finally, I am thankful for you, the readers of this blog each and every week. I know sometimes that I ramble on about certain things, but your comments have been great, and I appreciate hearing from you, good or bad. If there is anything that you wish to have covered that is not currently offered, I would like to know that as well. I want you to know that I enjoy doing it each time I knock a new one out.
I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving and a chance to spend it with family and friends. I know I will.

A Week of changes.........

What a week this has been, sports related and otherwise. First off, I became a dad for the third time on Monday, and after a short stay in the hospital, the family is back at home and all is well. One thing that I did realize while staying at the hospital with my wife and new son, Caleb Addison, is that Carle Hospital has cable television, and that means, no Big Ten Network. So, how did I arrive at the name Addison? If anyone knows me, then I don't have to explain. He is aptly named for one of the streets that border Wrigley Field, the shrine of the legendary Chicago Cubs. So, I was without the network for a couple of days, but thank goodness for wireless internet in the rooms! It kept me up to date with everything during those downtime sessions. The week got off to a great start last weekend, as the Fighting Illini football team pulled off one of the biggest wins in the history of the program, as they upset the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes 28-21 before a stunned crowd at The Horseshoe in Columbus. The game didn't start out on the right foot, as the Buckeyes went down for the game's first score very early on. However, the Illini mounted a drive of their own, capped off by an 80 yard run by Daniel Dufrene to set up the trying score. As victories go, this was especially sweet for Ron Zook, since he is an Ohio native. It was also the first time in 51 years that the Illini had knocked off the number one ranked team in the nation. The Illini up their record to 8-3 overall and 6-2 in Big Ten play, ahead of their final home contest of the 2007 season, Senior Day against Northwestern (11:00 am central time, ESPN). A wn over the Wildcats would almost guarantee the Illini a New Year's Day bowl game, and if the national pundits know what they are talking about, a date with the Florida Gators looms. It was Florida that fired Zook back in 2004, and a matchup that I'm sure that Zook is not dwelling on. He just wants the guys to get focused on Northwestern, and the rest of it will take of itself. If it does happen to be Florida that the Illini end up playing, the national media will be all over the story. We all knew that Zook was a good recruiter, and in his three years at Florida, amassed a pretty good record that I still question why he was let go, let alone why so many people wanted him to leave Gainesville. But, getting back to the Ohio State game for a minute, the play that sticks out in my mind was the fourth and one late in the game that sustained the Illini drive. Zook was prepared to punt, but Ohio State had too many men on the field and called time out. Juice Williams came over to Zook and pleaaded with him to go for it, and whatever was said between the two, Zook let him try to get the necessary yardage, which he did, and well, you know the rest of the story. I cannot remember a bigger win for the Illini, and I'm sure it ranks up there with the top wins of all-time in school history.
By the time you read this, Bruce Weber will have his team in tropical Hawaii gearing up for their week of basketball in paradise. Late Friday evening, the Illini battle Hawaii in Honolulu (12 midnight, central time) , then the Illini hop a transport to Maui, where they will play 3 games in the Maui Invitational. The Illini open up with Arizona State on Monday night. The Illini opened up their season last Sunday with a less than impressive win over Northeastern 63-55 at the Assembly Hall. It looked as if it would be another rout, as the Illini jumped out to a 10-0 lead very early on, but the Huskies kept chipping away at the lead, and the Illini only led 22-19 at the break. In the second half, the Illini looked to pull away again, but pesky Northeastern kept coming back. Brian Randle led the Illini with 14 points, while Shaun Pruitt recorded a double double, scoring 12 points, but grabbing a career high 17 rebounds. Here's hoping the we can see the true Brian Randle this year, the one that doesn't have injuries beset any of his season. As past experiences in Hawaii have shown. Weber will need to make sure that his guys are hydrated, or else things like this (see picture at right of Paul Davis for Michigan State a few years back) may occur. The Spartans ended up losing that game, as several others, including Davis , left the game with cramps due to the climate change.
In a related note, Bruce Weber received a letter of intent signing from Stan Simpson of Simeon High School in Chicago, who will follow such standouts as Nick Anderson, Deon Thomas, Bryant Notree, and current Illini player Calvin Brock to wear the Orange and Blue.
Illini women's hoops coach Jolette Law has her troops out to a good start on the young season, but they lost their first game of the season on Wednesday night to Alabama-Birmingham
69-56 at the Assembly Hall. Danyel Crutcher (pictured at right) led the Illini in scoring with 13 points, while Jenna Smith tallied 12. The Illini are 2-1 on the season and next face Southern Illinois on Sunday, November 18 at the Assembly Hall.

Jonesin' For Hoops

I got to tell you, I'm loving the Big Ten Network now that college basketball season has begun. The fact that most of the exhibition games have been televised in the first week of action, with many more games to be aired throughout the course of the season. Actually, even though these games appear to be meaningless, and for the most part, tuneups for Division I teams for their seasons, try telling that to Ohio State and Michigan State. Both the Buckeyes and the Spartans dropped their opening exhibition games, and these games had the feel of an early round March Madness NCAA Tournament game. Just because these teams are Division II squads, doesn't mean that they are taken lightly. Quite the opposite, in fact, for the upstarts. Take Michigan State, for example. Grand Valley State, their opponent, was ranked third in Division II, and throughout the game, they outplayed the Spartans, and came away with the victory. The same holds true for mighty Findlay College, who beat the Buckeyes on Tuesday night in Columbus. Maybe they were overlooking their opponents? Whatever the case, one thing remains true; these games were seen only on the Big Ten Network. Yeah, I'm back to this again. Cable customers in the Champaign-Urbana area are missing out, but it is not your fault. Which is why so many of you are going the satellite route with either Dish Network or Direct TV. Insight Communications is being acquired by Comcast, and they are not wanting to play ball with the Big Ten. Earlier in the year, I had a chance to sit down with Mark Silverman, the president of the Big Ten Network, and he said that Comcast was still in the early negotiation stages, and that no progress was being made. Dish Network came on right after I dropped them for Direct TV, but what the big issue continues to be is this is a Big Ten town with a major player in the conference within the boundaries, and so many people cannot see the games. For instance, the Illini's game with Kentucky Wesleyan on Tuesday evening was on the network, so the only way to see the game if you have cable was to either get to the Assembly Hall, or go to your favorite watering hole and watch it there. It was a pretty good showing for the Illini, as they dominated their guests 76-39, behind Trent Meacham, who scored 12 points. Bruce Weber certainly has a dilemma on his hands, as he attempts to find out who should redshirt for the upcoming season. Two likely candidates early on, Bill Cole and Mike Davis, have been playing well, so that makes the decision even harder. One person that I personally think should sit out this season is Brian Carlwell. Since his accident in February, he has not seemed like the same person that he was beforehand. Sure, he was seriously injured, but he just doesn't act like himself, and it may call for him to sit out a year and recover even further. Weber stated after the win over Kentucky Wesleyan that he may not redshirt anyone to start off; he may simply not play certain people until others prove that they do not fit the mold of the offense. He has plenty of players this season, and minutes may be hard to come by for everyone to be happy. This should get interesting, as the regular season begins on Sunday afternoon when the Illini host Northeastern at the Assembly Hall.
I'm sure most of you had heard that Michael Jordan was on campus last month to film a spot for the Today Show with Matt Lauer. Well, this spot will air on Friday, November 9 at 8:30 am. So, set your DVRs and watch a legend roam the Ubben Basketball Complex. I have some sweet pictures of MJ's ride that was forwarded to me, and his Ferrari was just proof that he is doing alright. Hopefully this season I will be fortunate to meet him, because after talking with his son Jeff at media day, he is a really nice young man that is excited to be at Illinois. Here's hoping that his father likes what he sees.
Ron Zook's Illini football squad officially secured themselves a bowl berth with their victory over Minnesota last Saturday in Minneapolis. The 44-17 rout was satisfying in more ways than one, mainly because Rashard Mendenhall had another superb rushing performance, gaining 201 yards on the ground. Mendenhall should break the all-time single season rushing record, held by Antonieo Harris this week. Speaking of this week's game, it doesn't get any better than this. The Illini, who are 7-3 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten play, venture to the Horseshoe in Columbus to take on #1 Ohio State. This will be the sternest test of Zook's in this, his turnaround year. The game will kickoff at 2:30 pm central time, and yes, the entire nation will be able to see the game, as it will be televised on ABC. The notoriety of the Illini continues to be spread, as J Leman, Vontae Davis, and Jason Reda are all semi-finalists for awards given out at the close of the college football season. Leman is nominated for the Chuck Bednarik award, given to the top defensive player in the nation, while Davis is in contention for the Jim Thorpe award, which is given to the best defensive back in the country. Reda is up for the Lou Groza Award, which is awarded to the top placekicker. All three awards will be announced on the Home Depot College Football Awards Show, which will be televised on ESPN on December 6.
As the basketball team heads into the regular season and a trip to Hawaii to play in the Maui Classic, while the football team solidifies their bowl placement, alas, I will be watching on television. We are set to welcome our son into this world on Monday, so my nights for a while will be dedicated to nurturing him and introducing him to the world of college sports, of course, most of which will be on the Big Ten Network. Hoops junkies unite!