Color me surprised.
After an auspicious start to the season, in which they narrowly defeated Southern Illinois 42-34 in the opening game to the 2013 campaign, the Fighting Illini football team were looking for any positive signs to move the program forward.
They received that, and then some.
The Illini had one of the more complete performances in recent memory in defeating the Cincinnati Bearcats 45-17 last Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Champaign. The offense, which is apparently still very fluid, once again posted great numbers, amassing 522 yards of total offense. Redshirt senior quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase continued his early season success, completing 26 of 37 passes for 322 yards and throwing for 4 touchdowns. Scheelhaase, who seems to be thriving under new offensive coordinator Bill Cubit, involved 11 receivers into the game, led by junior college transfer Martize Barr, who caught 5 passes for 72 yards, including a nifty touchdown pass diving into the endzone. Steve Hull, Josh Ferguson and Evan Wilson also caught passes for scores, and what is most significant about Wilson is that this offense is finally utilizing the tight end, which couldn't be a better option at this point. With the likes of Wilson, Matt LaCosse and Jon Davis among the stable of tight ends, this crew is proving to be one of the most talented group at the position in several years. Besides the passing game, the Illini also had the running game going as well, as they rushed for 210 yards collectively. Junior Donovonn Young led the attack on the ground with 64 yards on 14 carries and 1 touchdown. Perhaps one reason for the success in this game could have been the return of lineman Ted Karras, who missed the first game with an injury. Karras brings a level of authority to the offensive line, and according to Coach Tim Beckman, "he is very vocal and emotional leader". The defense, which was a concern coming into the season and didn't quell critics after their lackluster effort against the Salukis, fared much better against the Bearcats, and could be considered a success only surrendering 17 points to a team that scored 49 a week earlier against Purdue.
Going into the season, the non-conference portion of the schedule appeared daunting, and the road doesn't get any easier, as the Illini venture away from Memorial Stadium for the first time in the 2013 season Saturday to take on the Washington Huskies for the Chicago Homecoming at historic Soldier Field (5:00 pm CT, BTN). The Huskies, who were idle last week, defeated Boise State two weeks ago 38-6, and feature a high-powered attack from both ends of the offense. Quarterback Keith Price completed 23 of 31 passes for 324 yards and 2 touchdowns in the win over the Broncos, while Bishop Sankey carried the ball 25 times for 161 yards, finding the endzone twice. Jaydon Mickens caught 9 passes for 109 yards to lead the Huskies in receiving, but did not catch any for a touchdown. Against Boise State, Washington averaged just 9 seconds per play, so they can run a lot of plays in a short amount of time. Head coach Steve Sarkisian is a true proponent of the west coast offense, and he is the same person that led the offense for USC the last time the Illini went to the Rose Bowl. Whatever the outcome is against Washington this weekend, it is apparent that the Illini are turning some heads and that this season may not turn out to be such a downer as originally thought. But, I will caution, it is still early.
After splitting matches last weekend in Ames, Iowa, the Fighting Illini volleyball team returns to the confines of Huff Hall to host the 30th annual Illini Classic. Starting on Thursday evening, there will be 4 teams in action, including #2 Texas, #6 Washington and #27 Arizona State batlling the Illini over the 3 day tourney. The Illini will begin play on Friday morning when they take on Arizona State at 10:00 AM, then will play Washington later that evening at 6:30 PM. The Illini will then take on the #2 ranked Longhorns Saturday evening at 7:00 PM, in which promises to be a showdown on the volleyball court. The Illini are currently 3-2 overall on the season.
The Fighting Illini women's soccer team returns home to the soccer complex this weekend to take on Indiana State and Florida International in a pair of matches. The Illini lost once and tied the other game this past weekend in the Sun Devil Classic on the campus of Arizona State. The Illini lost to the host Sun Devils 4-3 in double overtime, and then came back two days later to tie Arizona 1-1, also in double overtime. The match this weekend at home against Indiana State on Friday night at 7:00 pm, and the match on Sunday afternoon against FIU begins at 12:00 noon. The Illini are currently 3-2-1 overall on the season.
Fighting Illini men's basketball coach John Groce received another official visit from a recruit over the past weekend, as point guard Quentin Snider visited campus as a prospective recruit. A decision, although not confirmed yet, could come any day, as early as Thursday afternoon.
Two Steps Forward.......Three Steps Back.
The rebuild of the Illinois football program continues as they drop a tough 34-31 loss in overtime to Purdue.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
A win is a win?
At least the updates to the stadium were easy on the eyes.
The Fighting Illini raised the curtain on the 2013 season this past Saturday, and judging by the way the team looked on the field, there is still a lot of work to be done. There is a philosophy that says a win is a win, but I don't think you can apply this here. True, the Illini did win the game 42-34 over the Salukis of Southern Illinois, but very easily could have lost the game if a couple of plays had gone the other way. The Illini offense, led by new OC Bill Cubit, looked revamped, as redshirt quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase set a career high in passing yards with 416 yards, which is good for tenth all-time at Illinois. The superb outing by Scheelhaase earned him the Big Ten offensive player of the week, and as it turned out, he needed every bit of them for the Illini to come out with a victory. The offense appears to be fine, but the defense, now that is another story. The Illini wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, as they moved down the field and came away with a Taylor Zalewski field goal to take an early 3-0 lead. A lot of preseason hype was placed on true freshman Aaron Bailey and the wonderment of when he would see his first collegiate action. Bailey was able to score his first touchdown in the third quarter, as he rushed up the middle for a 2 yard score. Scheelhaase's favorite target was wideout Ryan Lankford, who caught 6 balls for 115 yards, but was held out of the endzone. Running back Josh Ferguson caught 4 passes for 103 yards, including a 53 yard touchdown strike from Scheelhaase. Junior Donovonn Young had an auspicious start, only gaining 6 yards on 12 carries, but scoring from 2 yards out. No matter how you slice it, the win just didn't feel very good, and it proves the notion that this defense isn't very good and is going to allow a large number of points this season. Special teams looked somewhat better than they did last year, especially the kick return team. Sophomore V'Angelo Bentley returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, and swung the momentum back to the Illini. It turns out that Bentley's return was the difference in the game, as the Salukis made a late push to make the game interesting. It is also worth noting that the next series after Bentley's return, he was burned by a SIU wideout for a touchdown. Turning a positive into a negative? Could be.
This has to have the Illini's next opponent, the Cincinnati Bearcats, licking their chops as they come into Champaign this coming Saturday (11:00 AM CST, ESPN2). The Bearcats welcomed Purdue's new coach Darrell Hazell to the Big Ten with a 42-7 thrashing of the Boilermakers in their season opener at Cincinnati. The Bearcats used a balanced attack, rushing for 221 yards on the ground, while getting 204 yards through the air. Cincinnati quarterback Munchie Legaux completed 13 of 20 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown, but also threw an interception. All told in the game, 12 receivers caught at least one pass for the Bearcats. For the Illini to even stand a chance in this game, the defense needs to improve markedly, and fast. As with all of the high powered offenses in the Big Ten, the Illini need to find a way to defend the pass, or else it will be another long season.
Fighting Illini men's basketball coach John Groce got some great news this past weekend, as 5-star power forward Leron Black verbally committed to the Illini. Black, who was highly sought after by Indiana and Tennessee, is from Memphis, Tennessee and brings the total of recruits to 2 for the 2014 season. Champaign Centennial junior Michael Finke is the other player in the class that has given Groce a verbal commitment. Still waiting on the decision from big man Cliff Alexander, who still has the Illini listed among his choices, although Kansas and Michigan State are also in the mix.
The Fighting Illini women's volleyball team began the 2013 season on a good note, by going 2-1 in the Long Beach State Mizuno Invitational on the west coast. The Illini began play by upsetting #17 Florida in straight sets, then dropping a match later on Friday night to the host team. The Illini came back on Saturday night and defeated Kentucky to complete a successful weekend. The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Illini, as they are headed to Ames, Iowa this coming weekend to battle #14 San Diego on Saturday afternoon, then coming back on Sunday taking on the #11 host Iowa State Cyclones.
The Illini women's soccer team are also underway on the season, and after an opening loss to Notre Dame, the Illini have now reeled off three straight wins, capped by home victories over College of Charleston (6-2) and Illinois State (5-1) to run their season record to 3-1. The Illini will venture west this coming weekend to battle Arizona State on Friday night, then will take on Arizona on Sunday afternoon. The Illini hope to have their star Vanessa DiBernardo in tow, as she was called up to the US women's national team for play on Tuesday. This is a huge honor for DiBernardo, and will be a significant loss for the Illini if she misses any time due to the callup.
The Fighting Illini raised the curtain on the 2013 season this past Saturday, and judging by the way the team looked on the field, there is still a lot of work to be done. There is a philosophy that says a win is a win, but I don't think you can apply this here. True, the Illini did win the game 42-34 over the Salukis of Southern Illinois, but very easily could have lost the game if a couple of plays had gone the other way. The Illini offense, led by new OC Bill Cubit, looked revamped, as redshirt quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase set a career high in passing yards with 416 yards, which is good for tenth all-time at Illinois. The superb outing by Scheelhaase earned him the Big Ten offensive player of the week, and as it turned out, he needed every bit of them for the Illini to come out with a victory. The offense appears to be fine, but the defense, now that is another story. The Illini wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, as they moved down the field and came away with a Taylor Zalewski field goal to take an early 3-0 lead. A lot of preseason hype was placed on true freshman Aaron Bailey and the wonderment of when he would see his first collegiate action. Bailey was able to score his first touchdown in the third quarter, as he rushed up the middle for a 2 yard score. Scheelhaase's favorite target was wideout Ryan Lankford, who caught 6 balls for 115 yards, but was held out of the endzone. Running back Josh Ferguson caught 4 passes for 103 yards, including a 53 yard touchdown strike from Scheelhaase. Junior Donovonn Young had an auspicious start, only gaining 6 yards on 12 carries, but scoring from 2 yards out. No matter how you slice it, the win just didn't feel very good, and it proves the notion that this defense isn't very good and is going to allow a large number of points this season. Special teams looked somewhat better than they did last year, especially the kick return team. Sophomore V'Angelo Bentley returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, and swung the momentum back to the Illini. It turns out that Bentley's return was the difference in the game, as the Salukis made a late push to make the game interesting. It is also worth noting that the next series after Bentley's return, he was burned by a SIU wideout for a touchdown. Turning a positive into a negative? Could be.
This has to have the Illini's next opponent, the Cincinnati Bearcats, licking their chops as they come into Champaign this coming Saturday (11:00 AM CST, ESPN2). The Bearcats welcomed Purdue's new coach Darrell Hazell to the Big Ten with a 42-7 thrashing of the Boilermakers in their season opener at Cincinnati. The Bearcats used a balanced attack, rushing for 221 yards on the ground, while getting 204 yards through the air. Cincinnati quarterback Munchie Legaux completed 13 of 20 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown, but also threw an interception. All told in the game, 12 receivers caught at least one pass for the Bearcats. For the Illini to even stand a chance in this game, the defense needs to improve markedly, and fast. As with all of the high powered offenses in the Big Ten, the Illini need to find a way to defend the pass, or else it will be another long season.
Fighting Illini men's basketball coach John Groce got some great news this past weekend, as 5-star power forward Leron Black verbally committed to the Illini. Black, who was highly sought after by Indiana and Tennessee, is from Memphis, Tennessee and brings the total of recruits to 2 for the 2014 season. Champaign Centennial junior Michael Finke is the other player in the class that has given Groce a verbal commitment. Still waiting on the decision from big man Cliff Alexander, who still has the Illini listed among his choices, although Kansas and Michigan State are also in the mix.
The Fighting Illini women's volleyball team began the 2013 season on a good note, by going 2-1 in the Long Beach State Mizuno Invitational on the west coast. The Illini began play by upsetting #17 Florida in straight sets, then dropping a match later on Friday night to the host team. The Illini came back on Saturday night and defeated Kentucky to complete a successful weekend. The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Illini, as they are headed to Ames, Iowa this coming weekend to battle #14 San Diego on Saturday afternoon, then coming back on Sunday taking on the #11 host Iowa State Cyclones.
The Illini women's soccer team are also underway on the season, and after an opening loss to Notre Dame, the Illini have now reeled off three straight wins, capped by home victories over College of Charleston (6-2) and Illinois State (5-1) to run their season record to 3-1. The Illini will venture west this coming weekend to battle Arizona State on Friday night, then will take on Arizona on Sunday afternoon. The Illini hope to have their star Vanessa DiBernardo in tow, as she was called up to the US women's national team for play on Tuesday. This is a huge honor for DiBernardo, and will be a significant loss for the Illini if she misses any time due to the callup.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
And away we go!
Welcome to the second year of the Tim Beckman era at Illinois.
The inaugural season of Beckman at the helm of the Fighting Illini football team was one that could easily be forgotten. The Illini stumbled out of the gate en route to a dismal 2-10 season, and doubts arose almost from the get-go regarding whether or not Athletic Director Mike Thomas made the right choice. To defend Beckman for a moment, he wasn't really given a whole lot to work with and didn't have much time to put things in place. However, the second season beckons (a little play with words, if you will indulge me for a moment), and major questions still arise. The Illini are in the waning stages of preseason training camp, leading up to the first game on August 31st. Here now, is a look at the offensive unit, fresh off a week in Rantoul for their annual off-campus training camp.
The quarterback position seems to be one of the only spots on offense that is somewhat set at this current juncture of the season, with redshirt senior Nathan Scheelhaase set to lead under center. Scheelhaase will have yet another offensive coordinator to work with, as Bill Cubit comes in from Western Michigan, where he was a head coach for the past few seasons. This year will be a bit of a difference for Beckman and the offensive play calling, as he has instilled that duty to Cubit solely instead of call-by-committee like it was last season. Battling Scheelhaase for playing time will be junior Reilly O'Toole and true freshman Aaron Bailey, who has shown a lot of promise thus far in practice. Scheelhaase, who was married in the off-season, is back to near 100%, and despite a tweak to an ankle last week in practice, will be the go-to guy when the Salukis come to town for the first game. The running back position is also one that has some experience returning, as Donovonn Young appears to be the leading candidate to carry the ball, with Josh Ferguson, and Dami Ayoola also expected to see quite a bit of action. True freshman Kendrick Foster also will fight some of the veterans for playing time.
The wide receiver position returns a lot of players from last season, led in part by Ryan Lankford and Spencer Harris, who caught the bulk of passes in 2012. Justin Hardee will also figure into the mix, as will junior college transfer Martize Barr, who has a lot of upside. Barr, who brings a lot of energy to the team, has told me on several occasions that the junior college game is markedly different than he has seen so far at the Big Ten level. Devin Church, who was injured last season and missed a good portion of his freshman year, is back to full strength and should see plenty of action. Miles Osei, who has fully converted from quarterback, will see his share of passes as well, and Steve Hull, providing that he can stay healthy, should also serve a prominent role in the offense. As far as tight ends go, Cubit vows that he will use them much more than in past seasons, and there are quite a few players to choose from. Evan Wilson and Jon Davis will be utilized a great deal, as will Trevor Kanteman, who transfers in from Pierce College in California, having sat out the entire season due to an injury. Sophomore Matt LaCosse, who has an NFL body, looks to make some noise, as will Tim Clary, who was the star of last season's spring game. Between this cast of characters and the running backs, Scheelhaase (or whoever) should have no trouble finding someone to pass the football to.
The offensive line was a major concern last season, and even though a lot of players return from last season, the position is still a question and work in progress. Corey Lewis returns after multiple knee surgeries at one of the tackle positions, and some other mainstays, including Michael Heitz, Ted Karras and Simon Cvijanovic. Alex Hill will begin the year at center, but injuries could move some people around before all is said and done. Earlier this week in practice, Karras hurt himself and was seen on crutches after the session. Never one to expound on injuries, Beckman naturally was non-committal on Karras' injury and status as game week approaches. If Karras is out for any length of time, that could deal a huge blow to an already thin (no pun intended) O-Line. Joe Spencer will fill in for Karras during his absence, but other players such as junior college transfer Dallas Hinkhouse, Jesse Chadwell and Pat Flavin still need to build some additional muscle in order to be effective at this level.
Yes, numerous challenges await this Illini team as the season opener gets closer, but with Beckman, he is still taking it one day at a time, one game at a time. Next week, I will get defensive and talk about the other side of the ball for the Illini, who have some challenges of their own to work through.
The inaugural season of Beckman at the helm of the Fighting Illini football team was one that could easily be forgotten. The Illini stumbled out of the gate en route to a dismal 2-10 season, and doubts arose almost from the get-go regarding whether or not Athletic Director Mike Thomas made the right choice. To defend Beckman for a moment, he wasn't really given a whole lot to work with and didn't have much time to put things in place. However, the second season beckons (a little play with words, if you will indulge me for a moment), and major questions still arise. The Illini are in the waning stages of preseason training camp, leading up to the first game on August 31st. Here now, is a look at the offensive unit, fresh off a week in Rantoul for their annual off-campus training camp.
The quarterback position seems to be one of the only spots on offense that is somewhat set at this current juncture of the season, with redshirt senior Nathan Scheelhaase set to lead under center. Scheelhaase will have yet another offensive coordinator to work with, as Bill Cubit comes in from Western Michigan, where he was a head coach for the past few seasons. This year will be a bit of a difference for Beckman and the offensive play calling, as he has instilled that duty to Cubit solely instead of call-by-committee like it was last season. Battling Scheelhaase for playing time will be junior Reilly O'Toole and true freshman Aaron Bailey, who has shown a lot of promise thus far in practice. Scheelhaase, who was married in the off-season, is back to near 100%, and despite a tweak to an ankle last week in practice, will be the go-to guy when the Salukis come to town for the first game. The running back position is also one that has some experience returning, as Donovonn Young appears to be the leading candidate to carry the ball, with Josh Ferguson, and Dami Ayoola also expected to see quite a bit of action. True freshman Kendrick Foster also will fight some of the veterans for playing time.
The wide receiver position returns a lot of players from last season, led in part by Ryan Lankford and Spencer Harris, who caught the bulk of passes in 2012. Justin Hardee will also figure into the mix, as will junior college transfer Martize Barr, who has a lot of upside. Barr, who brings a lot of energy to the team, has told me on several occasions that the junior college game is markedly different than he has seen so far at the Big Ten level. Devin Church, who was injured last season and missed a good portion of his freshman year, is back to full strength and should see plenty of action. Miles Osei, who has fully converted from quarterback, will see his share of passes as well, and Steve Hull, providing that he can stay healthy, should also serve a prominent role in the offense. As far as tight ends go, Cubit vows that he will use them much more than in past seasons, and there are quite a few players to choose from. Evan Wilson and Jon Davis will be utilized a great deal, as will Trevor Kanteman, who transfers in from Pierce College in California, having sat out the entire season due to an injury. Sophomore Matt LaCosse, who has an NFL body, looks to make some noise, as will Tim Clary, who was the star of last season's spring game. Between this cast of characters and the running backs, Scheelhaase (or whoever) should have no trouble finding someone to pass the football to.
The offensive line was a major concern last season, and even though a lot of players return from last season, the position is still a question and work in progress. Corey Lewis returns after multiple knee surgeries at one of the tackle positions, and some other mainstays, including Michael Heitz, Ted Karras and Simon Cvijanovic. Alex Hill will begin the year at center, but injuries could move some people around before all is said and done. Earlier this week in practice, Karras hurt himself and was seen on crutches after the session. Never one to expound on injuries, Beckman naturally was non-committal on Karras' injury and status as game week approaches. If Karras is out for any length of time, that could deal a huge blow to an already thin (no pun intended) O-Line. Joe Spencer will fill in for Karras during his absence, but other players such as junior college transfer Dallas Hinkhouse, Jesse Chadwell and Pat Flavin still need to build some additional muscle in order to be effective at this level.
Yes, numerous challenges await this Illini team as the season opener gets closer, but with Beckman, he is still taking it one day at a time, one game at a time. Next week, I will get defensive and talk about the other side of the ball for the Illini, who have some challenges of their own to work through.
Monday, August 12, 2013
The Dawn Of A New Season
August is a month that wears many hats. For some, it signals the end of summer for parents and the eventual return to school of their kids, while others that still have baseball teams in the playoff race (sorry White Sox and Cubs fans), envision dreams of their clubs getting to the World Series. But for many, August is the beginning of the football season on all levels, from youth leagues to the NFL. The Fighting Illini began practice on Monday in preparation for the upcoming season, and for second year coach Tim Beckman, there are a lot of questions that need to be answered. The roster is markedly different than it was last year, as it has been overhauled to include 33 new players, either as incoming freshmen or junior college transfers. There are also four new coaches on the staff, including Bill Cubit, who takes over as offensive coordinator and brings to the position a lot of experience, having been a head coach at Western Michigan for the past seven seasons. Cubit, who was hand-picked by Beckman, will take sole responsibility of the play calling duties on offense, a much different approach than it was last year when the duties were handled by Chris Beatty and Billy Gonzales, both whom were not retained. Beckman is in a tough situation this season, having not a lot of depth at many positions, and losing quite a few players to the NFL last season, especially on defense. Tim Kynard is the lone returnee on the defensive line, and will anchor that unit by bringing along quite a few players that have limited or no experience. A couple sophomores that played extensively last season as freshmen, Mike Svetina and Mason Monheim, are now considered seasoned veterans, and will lead the linebacking corps along with senior Jonathan Brown, who was named a preseason player to watch on the Butkus Award list. With the defense having a lot of questions coming off a season that saw the Illini give up a ton of points, there is room for much improvement.
On the offensive side of the ball, redshirt senior Nathan Scheelhaase returns for his fifth and final season at quarterback, but he will have some competition as Reilly O'Toole and true freshman Aaron Bailey are second and third on the depth chart, respectively. Transfer Wes Lunt, who played last season and started as a freshman at Oklahoma State, left Stillwater last season and due to Cowboys coach Mike Gundy limiting Lunt to transfer anywhere he wanted, basically okayed Louisville and Illinois as the destinations for Lunt to transfer to. From nearby Rochester, Lunt always wanted to play for the Illini, but several factors detoured him from Champaign to Oklahoma State, but that is a topic for another day. The Illini begin training camp at the former Chanute Air Force Base this week, and over the course of the next couple of weeks, I will preview each of the units leading up to the season opener on August 31st against the Salukis of Southern Illinois. Camp Rantoul practices are open to the public, and can be viewed at www.fightingillini.com.
Summer is a slow time on the basketball front, but the recruiting news seems to be ongoing year-round. The hot commodity these days is big man Cliff Alexander from Chicago Curie, who apparently still has the Illini on his final list. Alexander would be a huge coup for Coach John Groce, and could very well be the domino that leads a lot of others to fall downstate. Groce has made major strides on the recruiting front since arriving in Champaign, and is trying to build the Illinois program back up from where it sagged in the last couple seasons under former coach Bruce Weber. The schedule, which is still being finalized for the 2013-14 season, will hopefully be released in the next few weeks.
The last few seasons have been some of the best for the Fighting Illini women's track team, but those days may be coming to an end as coach Tonja Buford-Bailey made the decision to leave Illinois and take the associate head coach at the University of Texas. When that news surfaced, immediate concerns were realized about the Illini's star Ashley Spencer, who was recruited by Bailey to Illinois. Sure enough, Spencer and Morolake Akinosun have decided to join Bailey at Texas, and their departure will significantly hamper the program, at least for the next couple for years. Having known Tonja for many years, I wish her nothing but the best in her new position.
Summer is a slow time on the basketball front, but the recruiting news seems to be ongoing year-round. The hot commodity these days is big man Cliff Alexander from Chicago Curie, who apparently still has the Illini on his final list. Alexander would be a huge coup for Coach John Groce, and could very well be the domino that leads a lot of others to fall downstate. Groce has made major strides on the recruiting front since arriving in Champaign, and is trying to build the Illinois program back up from where it sagged in the last couple seasons under former coach Bruce Weber. The schedule, which is still being finalized for the 2013-14 season, will hopefully be released in the next few weeks.
The last few seasons have been some of the best for the Fighting Illini women's track team, but those days may be coming to an end as coach Tonja Buford-Bailey made the decision to leave Illinois and take the associate head coach at the University of Texas. When that news surfaced, immediate concerns were realized about the Illini's star Ashley Spencer, who was recruited by Bailey to Illinois. Sure enough, Spencer and Morolake Akinosun have decided to join Bailey at Texas, and their departure will significantly hamper the program, at least for the next couple for years. Having known Tonja for many years, I wish her nothing but the best in her new position.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Illini Year in Review - That's A Wrap!
Now that summer is officially upon us, it is time to bid adieu to the sports season at the University of Illinois for the 2012-13 season. It was a season of change, and also one of a lot of ups and downs. The fall season didn't go as well as one would have hoped, with the football team leading that downfall with a 2-10 record. The speculation that first year coach Tim Beckman is on the hot seat quickly surfaced, and a major overhaul of the coaching staff was undertaken. The major change on the staff was the hiring of Bill Cubit from Western Michigan to lead the offense. Cubit comes to Illinois with a lot of credentials, and they seem to already be paying dividends with the adding of quarterback Wes Lunt, who transferred from Oklahoma State this past week. Lunt earned the starting job for the Cowboys in his freshman year, but due to assistant coach Todd Monken leaving for Southern Mississsippi, caused Lunt to reconsider his future. Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy restricted Lunt's available schools that he could transfer to, and it basically came down to the Illini and Louisville. Lunt must sit out this coming year, but will have three years of eligibility starting in 2014. Beckman all of a sudden has a stable of quarterbacks to choose from, with potential starter Nathan Scheelhaase competing with backup Reilly O'Toole and incoming freshman Aaron Bailey for playing time. Beckman needs to have a better season in 2013 than his first season in Champaign, and even though the schedule doesn't favor success, the future all of a sudden got a little brighter. It's a good problem to have.
Coming off of a runner-up finish in the 2011 national championship, Illinois volleyball looked to be on the rise, but losing a lot of players from that team did not bode well for Kevin Hambly in 2012 as they finished 14-16 overall and missed the NCAA tournament a year after making their magical run. However, things do look more promising for the volleyball team, as they have some talent coming in to complement the returning players, who will have a year of experience under their belt. Could happy times return to Champaign? We shall see.
The Illini women's soccer team had a roller coaster season, finishing 10-9-4, which was good enough for an NCAA Tournament appearance. Led by coach Janet Rayfield, the Illini advanced to the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament and will look to build on the momentum that they closed this past season on.
The winter sports season seemed to go quite a bit better for Illinois sports teams, as both the men's and women's basketball teams began the climb from obscurity with new coaches at the helm. For the men's team, new coach John Groce led the Illini back to the NCAA tournament with a 23-13 record, and thrilled fans with several exciting wins during the season, including the infamous upset of #1 Indiana on a last second shot by Tyler Griffey. The Illini will look markedly different next season, losing seniors D. J. Richardson, Brandon Paul and Griffey, while Mike Shaw, Myke Henry and Ibby Djimde transferred out of the program. Groce has brought excitement and fun back to the Illini program, and with a cast of newcomers set to begin their Illini careers, success is closer than one thinks.
On the women's side, new coach Matt Bollant revamped a program that was run into the ground by former coach Jolette Law, and even though the season didn't culminate in a return trip to the NCAA Tournament, a 19-14 record and a deep run in the WNIT gave Illini Nation hope that the women's program could once become relevant sooner than later. With a good recruiting class coming in, and a couple of transfers set to become eligible, that might not be far off.
The spring sports season was one that can be summed up in one word: successful. The Illini baseball team led the charge by finishing the season 35-20 and making an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, where they were ousted by a good Georgia Tech team. The Illini had several players that were drafted in the first year draft, and a few of those have already began their professional careers. Coach Dan Hartleb seemed to have everything clicking for the Illini, and although he will have to reload next season, the future seems bright for the program.
As far as the men's golf team goes, success is an understatement for what they did this season. All Mike Small's team did was make a deep run in the tournament and finish national runner-up to eventual champion Alabama. It is rather unheard of for a northern school to achieve the level of success that the Illini had, but Small proved that Illinois can be named among those schools that have the opportunity to play golf year round. Also, with a stable of former players on the PGA Tour, that success doesn't appear to be scaling back anytime soon.
Illinois track and field has been successful in the past several years, but there comes along an exceptional athlete only sporadically. That athlete in the here and now is Ashley Spencer, who now has back-to-back 400M NCAA titles to her credit. That Spencer is only a sophomore is incredible in itself, and she still has two more years at Illinois to earn some more hardware. Like Andrew Riley on the men's side a year earlier, the Olympics beckon for Spencer in the not too near distant future.
Coach Terri Sullivan's Illinois women's softball team may have not had the most successful season in the history of the program, but they made the end to the season one to remember. The Illini finished the season 22-27, but won 10 out of their last 11 games to capture the #6 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. Bigger and brighter things are on the horizon for Sullivan and the softball team, and building on this momentum certainly will not hurt.
Before too awfully long, the annual Big Ten Football Media Days will be upon us in Chicago, which officially signals the start of the next sports season, and we do this all over again. Until then, enjoy the summer!
Coming off of a runner-up finish in the 2011 national championship, Illinois volleyball looked to be on the rise, but losing a lot of players from that team did not bode well for Kevin Hambly in 2012 as they finished 14-16 overall and missed the NCAA tournament a year after making their magical run. However, things do look more promising for the volleyball team, as they have some talent coming in to complement the returning players, who will have a year of experience under their belt. Could happy times return to Champaign? We shall see.
The Illini women's soccer team had a roller coaster season, finishing 10-9-4, which was good enough for an NCAA Tournament appearance. Led by coach Janet Rayfield, the Illini advanced to the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament and will look to build on the momentum that they closed this past season on.
The winter sports season seemed to go quite a bit better for Illinois sports teams, as both the men's and women's basketball teams began the climb from obscurity with new coaches at the helm. For the men's team, new coach John Groce led the Illini back to the NCAA tournament with a 23-13 record, and thrilled fans with several exciting wins during the season, including the infamous upset of #1 Indiana on a last second shot by Tyler Griffey. The Illini will look markedly different next season, losing seniors D. J. Richardson, Brandon Paul and Griffey, while Mike Shaw, Myke Henry and Ibby Djimde transferred out of the program. Groce has brought excitement and fun back to the Illini program, and with a cast of newcomers set to begin their Illini careers, success is closer than one thinks.
On the women's side, new coach Matt Bollant revamped a program that was run into the ground by former coach Jolette Law, and even though the season didn't culminate in a return trip to the NCAA Tournament, a 19-14 record and a deep run in the WNIT gave Illini Nation hope that the women's program could once become relevant sooner than later. With a good recruiting class coming in, and a couple of transfers set to become eligible, that might not be far off.
The spring sports season was one that can be summed up in one word: successful. The Illini baseball team led the charge by finishing the season 35-20 and making an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, where they were ousted by a good Georgia Tech team. The Illini had several players that were drafted in the first year draft, and a few of those have already began their professional careers. Coach Dan Hartleb seemed to have everything clicking for the Illini, and although he will have to reload next season, the future seems bright for the program.
As far as the men's golf team goes, success is an understatement for what they did this season. All Mike Small's team did was make a deep run in the tournament and finish national runner-up to eventual champion Alabama. It is rather unheard of for a northern school to achieve the level of success that the Illini had, but Small proved that Illinois can be named among those schools that have the opportunity to play golf year round. Also, with a stable of former players on the PGA Tour, that success doesn't appear to be scaling back anytime soon.
Illinois track and field has been successful in the past several years, but there comes along an exceptional athlete only sporadically. That athlete in the here and now is Ashley Spencer, who now has back-to-back 400M NCAA titles to her credit. That Spencer is only a sophomore is incredible in itself, and she still has two more years at Illinois to earn some more hardware. Like Andrew Riley on the men's side a year earlier, the Olympics beckon for Spencer in the not too near distant future.
Coach Terri Sullivan's Illinois women's softball team may have not had the most successful season in the history of the program, but they made the end to the season one to remember. The Illini finished the season 22-27, but won 10 out of their last 11 games to capture the #6 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. Bigger and brighter things are on the horizon for Sullivan and the softball team, and building on this momentum certainly will not hurt.
Before too awfully long, the annual Big Ten Football Media Days will be upon us in Chicago, which officially signals the start of the next sports season, and we do this all over again. Until then, enjoy the summer!
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Ch....Ch...Ch.....Changes.
What a week it has been for Illini Nation! First of all, the news last Monday regarding the naming rights to the renovation of the Assembly Hall (one of the final times I will ever type this name) led the discussion, and it was a lively one at that. State Farm Insurance, which is headquartered in Bloomington, secured the naming rights to the building, and as a result, the arena will now be known as State Farm Center. Yes, it is not flashy and it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but it is something that will need some getting used to. For the entire 50 year existence of the building, it has been known as the Assembly Hall, and some will continue to call it that (I probably will as well, but better start the process of getting accustomed to writing State Farm Center on all correspondence as it comes to covering Fighting Illini athletics. Few can argue that the renovations are not needed, and it was a constant debate whether or not to renovate, or build a new arena. Since you would need to probably raze the old place if you build new, and that arena is on the list of historical places, that really wasn't an option. State Farm bought the rights at a cost of $60 million over 30 years, which comes out to $2 million per year, a mere drop in the bucket for a company that size with an advertising budget much, much larger than that. Any way you slice it, though, the next few years of renovations will be an exciting time as we watch the transformation of the State Farm Center evolve into a 21st Century arena.
Since the Fighting Illini basketball season ended in March, head coach John Groce has seen his roster changed significantly, due mainly to transfers out of the program, as well as some players being brought in to the fold as well. Gone from the team are Mike Shaw, Devin Langford and Ibby Djimde, all players who saw limited playing time in 2012-13 and wished to further their basketball careers in places that they could see a bit more playing time. Shaw will transfer to Bradley where he will be coached by Geno Ford, who is the brother of current Illini assistant Dustin Ford. Langford most likely will transfer closer to his home in Alabama, and it remains to be seen where in fact Djimde will end up. With the departing seniors Brandon Paul, D. J. Richardson, Kevin Beradini, Tyler Griffey and Sam McLaurin, that left quite a few roster spots open on the team. Rayvonte Rice, who sat out this past season after transferring in from Drake, will fill one of those vacancies, and the former Champaign Centennial standout will step right in and battle for one of the starting spots. Groce has not been opposed to bringing in transfers to the Illinois program, and this season is no different. Due to the recent rule allowing players that have completed their undergraduate degrees to pursue a graduate program at another university to gain a fifth year and play immediately, the Illini have brought in Jon Ekey from Illinois State in that capacity. After all, that is how Illinois used Sam Maniscalco and Sam McLaurin the last couple of seasons. Ekey is cut from the mold of Tyler Griffey, and will almost be like having Griffey around for another season. Also transferring in to the program are Darius Paul, the younger brother of Brandon Paul, and Aaron Cosby, who comes in from Connecticut. Both Paul and Cosby will have to sit out next season as a result of transfer rules, but Groce is still trying to get yet another transfer from Oregon named Ahmad Starks, who is trying to get a waiver from the NCAA to get closer to his home in Chicago to be with his ailing grandmother. If Starks is allowed this waiver, he would be immediately eligible to play for the 2013-14 season. Adding to the mix the five incoming freshmen, and you have a markedly different roster than the one that Groce had in his first season. Kendrick Nunn, Jaylon Tate, Austin Colbert, Malcolm Hill and Maverick Morgan will push the holdovers for playing time next season, and don't be surprised if some of them find their way into the starting lineup. That being said, the only players with any semblance of playing experience next season will be Joseph Bertrand, Nnanna Egwu, Tracy Abrams and Mike LaTulip. I neglected to include Myke Henry in that group, because reports have surfaced that Henry is considering transferring as well, since he wasn't at the season ending banquet last weekend. Henry's absence casts a shadow of doubts on his future, and just as he was beginning to come into his own as a player. Henry showed flashes of promise last season, and out of the bench players, cracked the rotation more often than others. Still, there are some that question Groce's approach to this, but I say that he is apparently doing things the right way. There are a couple of key recruits in the 2014 class that remain uncommitted, and Groce is still very much in the discussion for these players. My guess is he is taking this approach to filling his roster in the event that he doesn't land these key players. Only time will tell.
Things are not as positive on the football front. After a very sparsely attended spring game on a rainy Friday evening, Tim Beckman and his Illini gridders have wrapped up spring practice and will now concentrate on summer conditioning drills before the annual trip to Camp Rantoul. The Illini are coming off a dismal 2-10 season in Beckman's first season at the helm of the Illini, and the prospects for improvement are not very promising. What could prove to be the most exciting part of the upcoming season will undoubtedly take place inside the stadium, but may not be on the field itself. A brand new, state of the art scoreboard, complete with ribbon boards on the sides, will be in place by the time of the first game on August 31st. Losing a lot of players on the defensive side of the ball certainly doesn't help matters, but Beckman has overhauled the coaching staff and finally has some people in place that look like they will be here for a while. No matter what happens this upcoming season, expect Beckman to be around for at least another season, unless the unthinkable happens.
Fighting Illini spring sports are beginning to wrap up, with both the baseball and softball teams enjoying various levels of success during the season. The baseball team currently stands at 28-15 overall and 9-9 in the Big Ten, and will host Penn State for the final homestand of the season this weekend at Illinois Field. Starting pitching has been the story for the Illini thus far, but lately, Justin Parr has stole the show with his current hitting streak of 31 games, the best in the nation. The series with the Nittany Lions kicks off on Friday evening at 6:05 pm, followed by a pair of afternoon matinees on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's contest begins at 1:05 pm, with the series finale on Mother's Day scheduled for an 11:00 am first pitch.
After a disastrous start to the season for the Illinois women's softball team, Coach Terri Sullivan has rallied her troops within the past month, winning 12 out of their last 13 games to end the regular season at 22-26 overall and 11-12 in conference play. Those numbers have given the Illini the #6 seed in this week's Big Ten Tournament, which begins Thursday in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Illini will face #11 Penn State at 4:30 pm central time on Thursday afternoon, and will need to run the table to win the conference tournament if they want to play in the postseason. Given the recent success of the team, that feat is not out of the question.
Since the Fighting Illini basketball season ended in March, head coach John Groce has seen his roster changed significantly, due mainly to transfers out of the program, as well as some players being brought in to the fold as well. Gone from the team are Mike Shaw, Devin Langford and Ibby Djimde, all players who saw limited playing time in 2012-13 and wished to further their basketball careers in places that they could see a bit more playing time. Shaw will transfer to Bradley where he will be coached by Geno Ford, who is the brother of current Illini assistant Dustin Ford. Langford most likely will transfer closer to his home in Alabama, and it remains to be seen where in fact Djimde will end up. With the departing seniors Brandon Paul, D. J. Richardson, Kevin Beradini, Tyler Griffey and Sam McLaurin, that left quite a few roster spots open on the team. Rayvonte Rice, who sat out this past season after transferring in from Drake, will fill one of those vacancies, and the former Champaign Centennial standout will step right in and battle for one of the starting spots. Groce has not been opposed to bringing in transfers to the Illinois program, and this season is no different. Due to the recent rule allowing players that have completed their undergraduate degrees to pursue a graduate program at another university to gain a fifth year and play immediately, the Illini have brought in Jon Ekey from Illinois State in that capacity. After all, that is how Illinois used Sam Maniscalco and Sam McLaurin the last couple of seasons. Ekey is cut from the mold of Tyler Griffey, and will almost be like having Griffey around for another season. Also transferring in to the program are Darius Paul, the younger brother of Brandon Paul, and Aaron Cosby, who comes in from Connecticut. Both Paul and Cosby will have to sit out next season as a result of transfer rules, but Groce is still trying to get yet another transfer from Oregon named Ahmad Starks, who is trying to get a waiver from the NCAA to get closer to his home in Chicago to be with his ailing grandmother. If Starks is allowed this waiver, he would be immediately eligible to play for the 2013-14 season. Adding to the mix the five incoming freshmen, and you have a markedly different roster than the one that Groce had in his first season. Kendrick Nunn, Jaylon Tate, Austin Colbert, Malcolm Hill and Maverick Morgan will push the holdovers for playing time next season, and don't be surprised if some of them find their way into the starting lineup. That being said, the only players with any semblance of playing experience next season will be Joseph Bertrand, Nnanna Egwu, Tracy Abrams and Mike LaTulip. I neglected to include Myke Henry in that group, because reports have surfaced that Henry is considering transferring as well, since he wasn't at the season ending banquet last weekend. Henry's absence casts a shadow of doubts on his future, and just as he was beginning to come into his own as a player. Henry showed flashes of promise last season, and out of the bench players, cracked the rotation more often than others. Still, there are some that question Groce's approach to this, but I say that he is apparently doing things the right way. There are a couple of key recruits in the 2014 class that remain uncommitted, and Groce is still very much in the discussion for these players. My guess is he is taking this approach to filling his roster in the event that he doesn't land these key players. Only time will tell.
Things are not as positive on the football front. After a very sparsely attended spring game on a rainy Friday evening, Tim Beckman and his Illini gridders have wrapped up spring practice and will now concentrate on summer conditioning drills before the annual trip to Camp Rantoul. The Illini are coming off a dismal 2-10 season in Beckman's first season at the helm of the Illini, and the prospects for improvement are not very promising. What could prove to be the most exciting part of the upcoming season will undoubtedly take place inside the stadium, but may not be on the field itself. A brand new, state of the art scoreboard, complete with ribbon boards on the sides, will be in place by the time of the first game on August 31st. Losing a lot of players on the defensive side of the ball certainly doesn't help matters, but Beckman has overhauled the coaching staff and finally has some people in place that look like they will be here for a while. No matter what happens this upcoming season, expect Beckman to be around for at least another season, unless the unthinkable happens.
Fighting Illini spring sports are beginning to wrap up, with both the baseball and softball teams enjoying various levels of success during the season. The baseball team currently stands at 28-15 overall and 9-9 in the Big Ten, and will host Penn State for the final homestand of the season this weekend at Illinois Field. Starting pitching has been the story for the Illini thus far, but lately, Justin Parr has stole the show with his current hitting streak of 31 games, the best in the nation. The series with the Nittany Lions kicks off on Friday evening at 6:05 pm, followed by a pair of afternoon matinees on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's contest begins at 1:05 pm, with the series finale on Mother's Day scheduled for an 11:00 am first pitch.
After a disastrous start to the season for the Illinois women's softball team, Coach Terri Sullivan has rallied her troops within the past month, winning 12 out of their last 13 games to end the regular season at 22-26 overall and 11-12 in conference play. Those numbers have given the Illini the #6 seed in this week's Big Ten Tournament, which begins Thursday in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Illini will face #11 Penn State at 4:30 pm central time on Thursday afternoon, and will need to run the table to win the conference tournament if they want to play in the postseason. Given the recent success of the team, that feat is not out of the question.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
The 2013 basketball season in review....That's A Wrap!
What started as a series of question marks entering the 2012-13 Fighting Illini men's basketball season ended up so much better off. Nobody knew what to expect when John Groce took over the Illinois program, but they soon found out that it appeared to be on better terms than originally thought. The Illini stormed out to a 12-1 non-conference record before hitting a rough patch as the Big Ten season began. The Illini stumbled to a 2-7 start in conference play, and it figured to get even worse as #1 Indiana visited the Assembly Hall in February. But the Illini slayed the giant and subsequently turned their season around, as the Illini went 6-1 during that stretch to even out their Big Ten record at 8-8 entering the final week of the regular season. That didn't go as well as planned, as the Illini dropped the final two games, both road contests, to enter the Big Ten Tournament with a 21-11 overall record and an 8-10 mark in the Big Ten. Figuring that the Illini were already in the "Big Dance" due to key wins over Butler, Gonzaga, Ohio State and Indiana, the Illini set their sights on improving their seeding with a strong performance at the United Center. The Illini prevailed in game 1 against Minnesota 51-49, as Brandon Paul hit a jumper as time expired, leading the Illini to victory and a quarterfinal matchup against the top seeded Hoosiers, who were undoubtedly looking for revenge. Indiana exacted that revenge, downing the Illini 80-64, and bouncing them from the tourney. This year's Selection Sunday special was much more pleasant for Illini Nation, as they found their team heading back to the tourney bound for Austin, Texas. The first obstacle in the way was the Colorado Buffaloes, who seemed to be almost a mirror image of the Illini. After a stellar first half that saw the Illini take a 37-21 lead at the break, the polar opposite occurred in the second half. That second stanza saw the Illini blow the seemingly insurmountable lead and actually trail the Buffs with about 5 minutes to play. But, as has been the case for much of this season, Brandon Paul bailed the Illini out with 17 points and led them to victory and a third round matchup with the Miami Hurricanes. The Illini were not expected to beat Miami, but they fared much better than anyone thought, and actually had a chance to win the game late. Even though the Illini lost 63-59, some positive thoughts resonated in the defeat. Normally, when a team loses in the tourney, ending their season, questions are raised and feelings of emptiness are sometimes experienced. With this loss, those feelings were not there. The Illini played one of their better games, but could not match the physical nature of the Hurricanes. The Illini finished the season at 23-13, which can be considered a success. However, the Illini will be losing four players that helped them to this success. Paul, D. J. Richardson, Tyler Griffey, and Sam McLaurin all will be gone next year, and it was announced on Friday that fellow Illini players Devin Langford, Mike Shaw, and Ibby Djimde will be leaving the program and have been granted their transfer releases. Yes, this creates a void in the numbers of the team, with just a handful of players returning for next season. However, this could also mean that Groce is confident that the future recruiting classes may be in fact better than first thought, and that he is clearing the way for such players to enter the program in the next couple of years. It's evident that Langford, Shaw and Djimde did not play a whole lot this past season, and that could be contributed to either not being talented enough to play at the Big Ten level to simply not fitting the system that Groce is trying to install in Champaign. Still, I wish those guys well, and hope they latch on somewhere that they can see more playing time. After all, they deserve it.
Going into the season, the women's basketball program had undergone some turmoil during the tenure of then coach, Jolette Law. Enter new coach Matt Bollant, who had endured ultimate success at Wisconsin-Green Bay to try and turn the program around, The results were nothing less than positive, as the Illini ended up with a 19-14 record, and a deep run into the WNIT. Even though the season didn't culminate with a return trip to the NCAA Tournament, the season could be considered a success, because the win total almost equaled that of the past two seasons combined. Bollant had a couple of players that he inherited that were pretty good, in Amber Moore and Karisma Penn, who set numerous team records during their tenure at Illinois. Moore broke the career record for three-pointers attempted (599), and season records for three-pointers made (86) and attempted (236). Moore also ranked 34th nationally in three-pointers made per game (2.61). Penn broke career records for blocked shots (270) and attempted free throws (747), while eclipsing season records in offensive rebounds (123), free throws made (179) and attempted (262). Penn also ranked nationally in several categories, including points (19.2 - 28th), steals (2.91 - 25th), blocked shots (2.18 - 29th), and field goal percentage (50.6 - 35th). Alexis Smith also ranked nationally in assists per game at 5.1. The future definitely looks bright for Bollant and the women's program, and a return to the NCAA women's tournament is something that is certain to happen sooner than later.
The Fighting Illini spring sports are underway, with both the men's baseball and women's softball teams into the depth of their seasons. Regarding the baseball team, Dan Hartleb's team is off to an 18-7 start, and have had decent weather thus far in the season, making sure that not many of their games were postponed. The Illini ventured down to Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Tuesday to battle Missouri in the diamond version of the Border War. The Illini came out on top by a 6-2 score, as Hartleb employed six pitchers, scattering just seven hits and allowing just 1 run. The Illini will travel to Bloomington, Indiana this weekend for a conference series with the Indiana Hoosiers. They will play three single games, beginning with a contest under the lights Friday evening starting at 5:05 CT. Saturday's game will begin at 1:05 CT, with the series finale on Sunday slated for a 12:05 CT first pitch.
Coach Terri Sullivan's Illini softball team have not fared as well, stumbling out of the gate to an 11-17 overall record, with just a 1-5 record in Big Ten play. The Illini will host Indiana State on Wednesday evening at Eichelberger Field at 6:00 PM CT, before traveling up to Evanston this weekend for a conference series with the Northwestern Wildcats, beginning with a 4:00 PM CT first pitch on Friday.
Going into the season, the women's basketball program had undergone some turmoil during the tenure of then coach, Jolette Law. Enter new coach Matt Bollant, who had endured ultimate success at Wisconsin-Green Bay to try and turn the program around, The results were nothing less than positive, as the Illini ended up with a 19-14 record, and a deep run into the WNIT. Even though the season didn't culminate with a return trip to the NCAA Tournament, the season could be considered a success, because the win total almost equaled that of the past two seasons combined. Bollant had a couple of players that he inherited that were pretty good, in Amber Moore and Karisma Penn, who set numerous team records during their tenure at Illinois. Moore broke the career record for three-pointers attempted (599), and season records for three-pointers made (86) and attempted (236). Moore also ranked 34th nationally in three-pointers made per game (2.61). Penn broke career records for blocked shots (270) and attempted free throws (747), while eclipsing season records in offensive rebounds (123), free throws made (179) and attempted (262). Penn also ranked nationally in several categories, including points (19.2 - 28th), steals (2.91 - 25th), blocked shots (2.18 - 29th), and field goal percentage (50.6 - 35th). Alexis Smith also ranked nationally in assists per game at 5.1. The future definitely looks bright for Bollant and the women's program, and a return to the NCAA women's tournament is something that is certain to happen sooner than later.
The Fighting Illini spring sports are underway, with both the men's baseball and women's softball teams into the depth of their seasons. Regarding the baseball team, Dan Hartleb's team is off to an 18-7 start, and have had decent weather thus far in the season, making sure that not many of their games were postponed. The Illini ventured down to Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Tuesday to battle Missouri in the diamond version of the Border War. The Illini came out on top by a 6-2 score, as Hartleb employed six pitchers, scattering just seven hits and allowing just 1 run. The Illini will travel to Bloomington, Indiana this weekend for a conference series with the Indiana Hoosiers. They will play three single games, beginning with a contest under the lights Friday evening starting at 5:05 CT. Saturday's game will begin at 1:05 CT, with the series finale on Sunday slated for a 12:05 CT first pitch.
Coach Terri Sullivan's Illini softball team have not fared as well, stumbling out of the gate to an 11-17 overall record, with just a 1-5 record in Big Ten play. The Illini will host Indiana State on Wednesday evening at Eichelberger Field at 6:00 PM CT, before traveling up to Evanston this weekend for a conference series with the Northwestern Wildcats, beginning with a 4:00 PM CT first pitch on Friday.
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