The holidays are a time for reflecting on things, and what a good excuse to reflect on the state of the various Illinois sports teams. With mens' and womens' basketball in full force right now, we'll start there.
John Groce has his squad at 9-2 on the season, but they could very easily be 10-1 with the tough loss in Atlanta to Georgia Tech. The Illini dropped another close game last Saturday evening in Portland, Oregon to the Oregon Ducks, and with final exams wrapping up on the campus, have been idle since that game. The Illini head down to St. Louis on Saturday at the Scottrade Center for the annual Braggin' Rights game against the Tigers of Missouri (4:30 pm CT, ESPN2). The Tigers are 10-0 on the season, and like the Illini, have a lot of new players on the roster. This is one of the more intriguing matchups all season, due to the nature of the game. It is literally 50/50 split between Illinois and Missouri fans, and the fact that they meet in the Gateway City makes it even better. Plus, the atmosphere is incredible as well. If you haven't been before, I strongly suggest you try and attend one of these, because you will not be disappointed.
Matt Bollant also has his team playing through the holidays, although not quite as successful as their counterparts on the mens' side. The Illini are currently 6-5 on the season, and recently snapped a 3 game losing streak with a come from behind 71-70 win over Seton Hall. The Illini haven't played in 12 days, so the time off has been a good thing for both Bollant and the players. The Illini return to action on Saturday afternoon when they welcome Tennessee-Martin to the State Farm Center (2:00 pm CT, No TV).
The Fighting Illini volleyball team saw their season come to an end last weekend in the Regional Semifinals at the State Farm Center in Champaign, as they were defeated by Big Ten rival Purdue 3-0. The Illini finish the season 18-15 overall, and even though they didn't reach their goal of making the Final Four, the latter part of the season was one where they played much better and put themselves in position to play at home in not only the first and second rounds, but the Regional as well. That was worth all they went through in itself.
Even though the football season is over for the Fighting Illini, the team is still making news, and in a good way. Junior College and early enrollment signing day was this past Wednesday, and head coach Tim Beckman is addressing some needs with some players with quite a bit of experience. Among them are a couple of twins, Tyrin and Tyree Stone-Davis, who will give depth at a couple of positions. Mike Dudek, a wide receiver from Neuqua Valley HS in Naperville, will hope to fill the void left by Steve Hull and Ryan Lankford, both whom won't be back next year. All told, 9 players will join the Illini family in January. A couple other players have verbally committed to the Illini, and could possibly sign in February when national letter of intent (NLI) day arrives. Also, offensive coordinator Bill Cubit was signed to an extension through 2015, meaning he will lead that unit when Wes Lunt assumes the quarterbacking duties with the departure of Nathan Scheelhasse.
That's a wrap on 2013. Happy Holidays everyone!
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.
Friday, December 20, 2013
Thursday, December 5, 2013
The Learning Curve
Mercifully, the football season ended for the Fighting Illini last Saturday, as they were defeated 37-34 by the Northwestern Wildcats at a very empty Memorial Stadium in Champaign. The Illini, under second year coach Tim Beckman, finished the season at 4-8 overall, but just 1-7 in Big Ten play. Granted, the season wasn't viewed as a success by many standards, but the offense did improve markedly under new offensive coordinator Bill Cubit. As a result, quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase flourished in his final season, leading a unit that put up a good amount of points. The defense, on the other hand, was another story entirely. One of the worst units in the country in terms of allowed offensive yards, coordinator Tim Banks just couldn't get things turned around on his side of the ball. The news came out earlier in the week that Beckman will return for his third season next year, and further information was relayed that hints there won't be any changes to the coaching staff in the off-season. On the surface, this may anger many Illini fans that Banks is possibly being retained, but athletic director Mike Thomas is giving Beckman another year to make further progress, and he may very well believe that Banks is the right man for the job. If things don't work out for some reason after next season, they all very well could be shown the door after the 2014 season, especially if the Illini don't return to a bowl game.
Basketball is in full swing on both the men's and women's side, and thus far, the seasons are going on schedule given the circumstances of each team. John Groce's men's team is off to a 7-1 start, having dropped their first contest of the season on Tuesday night 67-64 to Georgia Tech in the Big 10/ACC Challenge in Atlanta, Georgia. The Illini led late in the game 60-48, when they went into hibernation mode, and ultimately, let the game slip through their fingers. Afterward, Groce called his team's execution "pathetic", which leads to the fact that he wasn't none too happy about the outcome. This is a young team, and a lot of the players haven't had the luxury of playing together as a group, so a letdown like this was bound to occur before too long. The Illini don't have much time to dwell on this loss, as it's right back to Atlanta on Sunday afternoon to take on Auburn at Philips Arena (2:00 pm CT, FSN).
Coach Matt Bollant's women's squad have struggled out of the gate this season, losing 2 out of 3 games in Cancun over Thanksgiving weekend, and then losing 93-69 to Georgia Tech on Wednesday night at the same arena that the men lost the night before. In the loss to the Yellow Jackets, Jacqui Grant recorded another double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in defeat. The Illini are currently 5-4 on the season, and jump right back into action this weekend, when they travel to Colorado to battle the Buffaloes on Saturday evening (6:00 pm CT).
When the Illinois volleyball schedule was released at the beginning of the season, it appeared to be one of the most difficult in the entire country, and given the Illini's final regular season record (16-14 overall, 12-8 Big 10), it paid off in the end. As a result, the Illini did enough to not only make the NCAA Tournament, but was also chosen to host the first and second rounds of the tourney, and according to coach Kevin Hambly, it is an honor that is well deserved. The Illini will take on Morehead State on Friday evening at around 7:00 pm, following the first game between Louisville and Marquette. All of these matches will take place at Huff Hall, and the winners will play again on Saturday evening for a chance to move down the street to State Farm Center next weekend for the NCAA Regional. So, for those of you that are keeping score, the Fighting Illini have a chance to play all the way up to the Final Four on their own campus, which could be very rewarding. Just as the basketball team had a similar route close to home back in 2005 when they played in Indianapolis, Chicago, and ultimately, St. Louis for the Final Four, that could be beneficial in the long run. Unlike the basketball run, though, the volleyball Final Four is in Seattle, so I guess it's not as perfect of a comparison.
After a strong postseason run, the Illini soccer team finally saw their season come to an end, as they were defeated by Boston College 4-1 in the NCAA Tournament at Lincoln, Nebraska. The Illini finish the season 11-9-3 overall, and can attribute a lot of that success to redshirt junior Jannelle Flaws and senior Vanessa DiBernardo.
High school basketball returns to the State Farm Center this coming weekend, when Centennial High School hosts the Country Financial Centennial Shootout on Saturday. Six games are on tap, including Illini signee Michael Finke, who will play the final game of the evening against Chicago Bogan. A full list of the teams can be found at the following website: www.centennialshootout,com
Basketball is in full swing on both the men's and women's side, and thus far, the seasons are going on schedule given the circumstances of each team. John Groce's men's team is off to a 7-1 start, having dropped their first contest of the season on Tuesday night 67-64 to Georgia Tech in the Big 10/ACC Challenge in Atlanta, Georgia. The Illini led late in the game 60-48, when they went into hibernation mode, and ultimately, let the game slip through their fingers. Afterward, Groce called his team's execution "pathetic", which leads to the fact that he wasn't none too happy about the outcome. This is a young team, and a lot of the players haven't had the luxury of playing together as a group, so a letdown like this was bound to occur before too long. The Illini don't have much time to dwell on this loss, as it's right back to Atlanta on Sunday afternoon to take on Auburn at Philips Arena (2:00 pm CT, FSN).
Coach Matt Bollant's women's squad have struggled out of the gate this season, losing 2 out of 3 games in Cancun over Thanksgiving weekend, and then losing 93-69 to Georgia Tech on Wednesday night at the same arena that the men lost the night before. In the loss to the Yellow Jackets, Jacqui Grant recorded another double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in defeat. The Illini are currently 5-4 on the season, and jump right back into action this weekend, when they travel to Colorado to battle the Buffaloes on Saturday evening (6:00 pm CT).
When the Illinois volleyball schedule was released at the beginning of the season, it appeared to be one of the most difficult in the entire country, and given the Illini's final regular season record (16-14 overall, 12-8 Big 10), it paid off in the end. As a result, the Illini did enough to not only make the NCAA Tournament, but was also chosen to host the first and second rounds of the tourney, and according to coach Kevin Hambly, it is an honor that is well deserved. The Illini will take on Morehead State on Friday evening at around 7:00 pm, following the first game between Louisville and Marquette. All of these matches will take place at Huff Hall, and the winners will play again on Saturday evening for a chance to move down the street to State Farm Center next weekend for the NCAA Regional. So, for those of you that are keeping score, the Fighting Illini have a chance to play all the way up to the Final Four on their own campus, which could be very rewarding. Just as the basketball team had a similar route close to home back in 2005 when they played in Indianapolis, Chicago, and ultimately, St. Louis for the Final Four, that could be beneficial in the long run. Unlike the basketball run, though, the volleyball Final Four is in Seattle, so I guess it's not as perfect of a comparison.
After a strong postseason run, the Illini soccer team finally saw their season come to an end, as they were defeated by Boston College 4-1 in the NCAA Tournament at Lincoln, Nebraska. The Illini finish the season 11-9-3 overall, and can attribute a lot of that success to redshirt junior Jannelle Flaws and senior Vanessa DiBernardo.
High school basketball returns to the State Farm Center this coming weekend, when Centennial High School hosts the Country Financial Centennial Shootout on Saturday. Six games are on tap, including Illini signee Michael Finke, who will play the final game of the evening against Chicago Bogan. A full list of the teams can be found at the following website: www.centennialshootout,com
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Looking On The Bright Side
If you are an Illinois sports fan, this past weekend had several ups and downs for you to choose from. From the Cliff Alexander debacle to Illinois football, Illini volleyball making a resurgence to women's soccer staying alive in the NCAA tournament, there was a little bit of everything. I would be remiss if I omitted the Illini women's basketball team, which almost set a school record for points in a game, but came up just short. A lot to cover, so I'll get right to it.
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you have undoubtedly heard about the recruiting battle for one of the best high school players to come out of Illinois, Cliff Alexander of Chicago Curie High School. Alexander had limited his final four choices to Illinois, Kansas, Memphis and DePaul, and decision day was last Friday, when he announced on national television (ESPNU). Well, to make a long story short, he chose Kansas, but it was the way that he did it that angered Illini Nation. Alexander went for the Illinois hat, picked it up, and then grabbed the Kansas hat, which signaled his choice. A long battle is over, and for what it's worth, all the better because of it. To add insult to injury, John Groce found out that one of the players that had already made a verbal commitment to the Illini backed out of that promise, and decided to stay home and play for Louisville, his hometown. This player, Quentin Snider, originally had planned to go to Louisville, but when coach Rick Pitino was courting a player by the name of JaQuan Lyle, Snider backed off and Groce game in. Well, Lyle eventually didn't go to Louisville, and that opened up a chance for Snider to keep his original choice, which was to the Cardinals. Yes, it wasn't a good day on the recruiting front, and John Groce came out firing on all cylinders after the football game, citing an article written by Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times. The article itself wasn't the issue, but the headline that was captioned about it. It made it sound as if Greenberg was bashing the Illini, but after all, he is paid to write what he wants, and he did just that. Still, it got Groce going, and he is coming out even more focused on the recruiting futures. What seems to be lost in all of this is the fact that Groce did sign 2 players for the 2014 class, Michael Finke from Champaign, and LeRon Black from Memphis, Tennessee. Despite not getting Alexander and Snider, the Illini will be fine, and should be even better next season when some of these players that are currently sitting out from transferring in can suit up and get on the court.
Speaking of the basketball team, they ran their record on the 2013-14 season to 4-0 last Sunday afternoon by defeating in-state rival Bradley 81-55 at the State Farm Center in Champaign. Senior transfer Jon Ekey had his best game as an Illini thus far, scoring 19 points, including 5-7 from beyond the arc. Rayvonte Rice scored 13 points, while Tracy Abrams added 12 for the Illini, who played their best game of the young season against the Braves. The Illini will get back into action on Friday night when they welcome the Chicago State Cougars to the State Farm Center (8:00 pm CT, BTN). The Illini will see their first road action next Tuesday night when they travel to Las Vegas to take on the Runnin' Rebels of UNLV (9:45 pm CT, CBS Sports Network).
The Fighting Illini women's basketball team has been busy this past week, and are beginning to see the success on the court as a result. Two wins last week, including a 112-28 dismantling of Alcorn State has propelled Matt Bollant's squad to a 3-1 start. In the lopsided win over Alcorn State, the Illini set a record for margin of victory at home, and just missed setting a record of total points scored, which was 113. Still, the Illini dominated the game in every facet, and placed seven players in double figures, led by Amber Moore, who had 25 points. Sarah Hartwell added 16 points to pace the Illini, and every player on the roster played at least 12 minutes in the game. The way the score looked, it appeared that the Illini ran up the score, but that wasn't the case. Bollant was pleased with the result, and the sad part is that the Illini could have had more than they ended up. The Illini return to the court on Thursday evening when they welcome the Salukis of Southern Illinois to the State Farm Center (7:00 pm CT, No TV).
A few weeks ago, the Fighting Illini women's volleyball team was in serious jeopardy of making the NCAA tournament, an event that they will be hosting in one of the upcoming regionals. If there is one point in the season that can be viewed as the turnaround, you would look at the Michigan match, which found the Illini trailing 2-0 before making a miraculous comeback to defeat the Wolverines. Last weekend, the Illini won both their matches at home, sweeping both Indiana and #17 Purdue to improve their record to 14-12 overall and 10-6 in the conference. In order to qualify for the NCAA tournament, the Illini need to finish the regular season with a .500 record. This weekend will be their last road trip of the season, as they travel to Ohio State on Friday night (6:00 pm CT), then face the #2 team in the nation, Penn State, on Saturday night. (6:30 pm CT). Whereas the postseason looked bleak a few weeks ago, it now has cleared up immensely, but there is still much work to be done.
The Fighting Illini women's soccer team began NCAA tournament play last weekend at Washington State, and came away with a victory due to penalty kicks 0-0 in 2 OT. Freshman goalkeeper Claire Wheatley notched 11 saves during regulation and two more in the overtime period, and Vanessa DiBernardo kicked the game winner for the Illini, who advance to the next round of the tournament and will face #7 Portland on Friday afternoon in Lincoln, Nebraska (11:00 am CT). The Pilots are 17-2-1 overall, and defeated Seattle 2-0 in their opening round match last weekend. The Illini are 10-8-3 overall, and will need another good effort by their team in order to continue playing on.
Now, on to football. It was pretty much evident that the Illini would not get past the #3 Ohio State Buckeyes last Saturday at Memorial Stadium, but they held tough with the Buckeyes, ending up losing 60-35. What is even worse about this is the show of fans in the stands. Take one look at the student section in the north end zone, and it is apparent that there is not much excitement for this program. The Block-I didn't even have enough students to complete simple card stunts during halftime, and the stands took on a scarlet and grey look, as many, many fans made the trip from Columbus and points elsewhere. At times, it even appeared that there were more Ohio State fans than Illinois fans in the stands, especially toward the end of the game. This is what we have come to expect from a program that has now lost 20 straight Big Ten games, and the last two games of the season could go a long way to determine if Tim Beckman stays around for next season. The Illini travel to West Lafayette on Saturday morning to face the Purdue Boilermakers (11:00 am CT, BTN), a game that the Illini are actually favored to win. The Illini come into the game with Purdue at 3-7 overall and winless in conference play at 0-6, and a bowl trip has officially been eliminated. The Boilermakers are even worse than Illinois, if you can believe it, at 1-9 overall and 0-6 as well in Big Ten play. There has been little to be excited about for the Illini football team this season, and last Saturday's game may have exposed some additional issues, as Beckman was seen verbally arguing with offensive coordinator Bill Cubit following a safety by the Buckeyes. It has been a comedy of errors during this losing streak, and even though the Illini have won 3 games this season, one more than last season, progress is hard to see. Yes, the offense is much better, but the defense is as porous as ever. This is why a victory over Purdue is a must, and Beckman's job may very well depend on it.
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you have undoubtedly heard about the recruiting battle for one of the best high school players to come out of Illinois, Cliff Alexander of Chicago Curie High School. Alexander had limited his final four choices to Illinois, Kansas, Memphis and DePaul, and decision day was last Friday, when he announced on national television (ESPNU). Well, to make a long story short, he chose Kansas, but it was the way that he did it that angered Illini Nation. Alexander went for the Illinois hat, picked it up, and then grabbed the Kansas hat, which signaled his choice. A long battle is over, and for what it's worth, all the better because of it. To add insult to injury, John Groce found out that one of the players that had already made a verbal commitment to the Illini backed out of that promise, and decided to stay home and play for Louisville, his hometown. This player, Quentin Snider, originally had planned to go to Louisville, but when coach Rick Pitino was courting a player by the name of JaQuan Lyle, Snider backed off and Groce game in. Well, Lyle eventually didn't go to Louisville, and that opened up a chance for Snider to keep his original choice, which was to the Cardinals. Yes, it wasn't a good day on the recruiting front, and John Groce came out firing on all cylinders after the football game, citing an article written by Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times. The article itself wasn't the issue, but the headline that was captioned about it. It made it sound as if Greenberg was bashing the Illini, but after all, he is paid to write what he wants, and he did just that. Still, it got Groce going, and he is coming out even more focused on the recruiting futures. What seems to be lost in all of this is the fact that Groce did sign 2 players for the 2014 class, Michael Finke from Champaign, and LeRon Black from Memphis, Tennessee. Despite not getting Alexander and Snider, the Illini will be fine, and should be even better next season when some of these players that are currently sitting out from transferring in can suit up and get on the court.
Speaking of the basketball team, they ran their record on the 2013-14 season to 4-0 last Sunday afternoon by defeating in-state rival Bradley 81-55 at the State Farm Center in Champaign. Senior transfer Jon Ekey had his best game as an Illini thus far, scoring 19 points, including 5-7 from beyond the arc. Rayvonte Rice scored 13 points, while Tracy Abrams added 12 for the Illini, who played their best game of the young season against the Braves. The Illini will get back into action on Friday night when they welcome the Chicago State Cougars to the State Farm Center (8:00 pm CT, BTN). The Illini will see their first road action next Tuesday night when they travel to Las Vegas to take on the Runnin' Rebels of UNLV (9:45 pm CT, CBS Sports Network).
The Fighting Illini women's basketball team has been busy this past week, and are beginning to see the success on the court as a result. Two wins last week, including a 112-28 dismantling of Alcorn State has propelled Matt Bollant's squad to a 3-1 start. In the lopsided win over Alcorn State, the Illini set a record for margin of victory at home, and just missed setting a record of total points scored, which was 113. Still, the Illini dominated the game in every facet, and placed seven players in double figures, led by Amber Moore, who had 25 points. Sarah Hartwell added 16 points to pace the Illini, and every player on the roster played at least 12 minutes in the game. The way the score looked, it appeared that the Illini ran up the score, but that wasn't the case. Bollant was pleased with the result, and the sad part is that the Illini could have had more than they ended up. The Illini return to the court on Thursday evening when they welcome the Salukis of Southern Illinois to the State Farm Center (7:00 pm CT, No TV).
A few weeks ago, the Fighting Illini women's volleyball team was in serious jeopardy of making the NCAA tournament, an event that they will be hosting in one of the upcoming regionals. If there is one point in the season that can be viewed as the turnaround, you would look at the Michigan match, which found the Illini trailing 2-0 before making a miraculous comeback to defeat the Wolverines. Last weekend, the Illini won both their matches at home, sweeping both Indiana and #17 Purdue to improve their record to 14-12 overall and 10-6 in the conference. In order to qualify for the NCAA tournament, the Illini need to finish the regular season with a .500 record. This weekend will be their last road trip of the season, as they travel to Ohio State on Friday night (6:00 pm CT), then face the #2 team in the nation, Penn State, on Saturday night. (6:30 pm CT). Whereas the postseason looked bleak a few weeks ago, it now has cleared up immensely, but there is still much work to be done.
The Fighting Illini women's soccer team began NCAA tournament play last weekend at Washington State, and came away with a victory due to penalty kicks 0-0 in 2 OT. Freshman goalkeeper Claire Wheatley notched 11 saves during regulation and two more in the overtime period, and Vanessa DiBernardo kicked the game winner for the Illini, who advance to the next round of the tournament and will face #7 Portland on Friday afternoon in Lincoln, Nebraska (11:00 am CT). The Pilots are 17-2-1 overall, and defeated Seattle 2-0 in their opening round match last weekend. The Illini are 10-8-3 overall, and will need another good effort by their team in order to continue playing on.
Now, on to football. It was pretty much evident that the Illini would not get past the #3 Ohio State Buckeyes last Saturday at Memorial Stadium, but they held tough with the Buckeyes, ending up losing 60-35. What is even worse about this is the show of fans in the stands. Take one look at the student section in the north end zone, and it is apparent that there is not much excitement for this program. The Block-I didn't even have enough students to complete simple card stunts during halftime, and the stands took on a scarlet and grey look, as many, many fans made the trip from Columbus and points elsewhere. At times, it even appeared that there were more Ohio State fans than Illinois fans in the stands, especially toward the end of the game. This is what we have come to expect from a program that has now lost 20 straight Big Ten games, and the last two games of the season could go a long way to determine if Tim Beckman stays around for next season. The Illini travel to West Lafayette on Saturday morning to face the Purdue Boilermakers (11:00 am CT, BTN), a game that the Illini are actually favored to win. The Illini come into the game with Purdue at 3-7 overall and winless in conference play at 0-6, and a bowl trip has officially been eliminated. The Boilermakers are even worse than Illinois, if you can believe it, at 1-9 overall and 0-6 as well in Big Ten play. There has been little to be excited about for the Illini football team this season, and last Saturday's game may have exposed some additional issues, as Beckman was seen verbally arguing with offensive coordinator Bill Cubit following a safety by the Buckeyes. It has been a comedy of errors during this losing streak, and even though the Illini have won 3 games this season, one more than last season, progress is hard to see. Yes, the offense is much better, but the defense is as porous as ever. This is why a victory over Purdue is a must, and Beckman's job may very well depend on it.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Oh, the possibilities!
Normally, I start out each week's blog entry with the football recap. Since football is not going so well this season, I will deviate from the norm and begin this week with Fighting Illini basketball.
John Groce has his young Illini team off to a 3-0 start, but it certainly hasn't been easy. Not that anyone thought that it would be, either. Groce, who welcomed nine new players to his roster this season, knew that there would some adversity to go through with such a young team, and at times, it has been more than evident already in the 2013-14 season. The latest outcome was a 64-52 win over the Valparaiso Crusaders on Wednesday night at the State Farm Center in Champaign, a game in which the Illini led by double digits, only to see the Crusaders storm back and make it a game late. Rayvonte Rice once again led the way for the Illini, scoring a game high 18 points, while senior transfer Jon Ekey was chairman of the boards, grabbing 15 rebounds and scoring 6 points. Valparaiso, who had a familiar face on the bench, was a big team, and gave the Illini a small taste of what it will be like when they face a team that is taller than they are. The familiar face on the Valpo bench was none other than Roger Powell Jr., who was a major part of the 2004-05 national runner-up team that lost to North Carolina in the Final Four. Powell, who was all business for the Crusaders, received a nice ovation when he was announced to the crowd. The Rev, as he is better known as, was always one of my favorite players from that team, and was often overshadowed by Dee Brown and Deron Williams, the major stars of the team. However, the run to the Final Four that year would have not been possible without the services of Powell, so it was good to see that he still is revered by Illini Nation.
The Fighting Illini continue action this weekend, when they welcome the Bradley Braves to the State Farm Center on Sunday afternoon (5:00 pm CT, no TV). Bradley, who is coached by Geno Ford, is the brother of current Illini assistant coach Dustin Ford, so that should be rather interesting from the sidelines on Sunday. The Braves are also 3-0 on the season, and will host Chicago State on Friday night before making the trek down I-74 to the State Farm Center. Bradley, who plays in the Missouri Valley Conference, will see a familiar face on the Illini roster in Ekey, who played at Illinois State for the past four years. The Braves also have a former Illini player on their roster in Mike Shaw, although Shaw is sitting out this season due to transfer rules.
The Cliff watch is still on, and the decision will be made tomorrow by one of the most heralded recruits in the class of 2014. Alexander, who will make his decision on Friday at about 3:15 pm on ESPNU, is culminating a recruiting courtship that seems to have lasted for months. The decision has Illini Nation on high alert, and it seems that this is all that people have talked about for the past couple of weeks. To further complicate matters, originally Cliff was supposed to be the only one to announce his college choice on the airwaves Friday. However, two other highly sought after recruits, Jhalil Okafor and Tyus Jones, are also making their decisions at around the same time. Okafor and Jones have long been rumored to be a package deal for one lucky school, and the leading contenders for their services are Kansas and Duke. As far as Alexander goes, he has narrowed his final choices to Kansas, Illinois, DePaul and Memphis. I, for one, will be happy when all of this is over, but it has been a fun ride.
Now for the football team. It will be two teams going in opposite directions on Saturday morning when the Fighting Illini welcome the Ohio State Buckeyes to Memorial Stadium in Champaign (11:00 am CT, ESPN). The Illini are in the midst of a 19 game conference losing streak that dates back to the 2011 season, while the Buckeyes are riding the wave of a 21 game win streak under Urban Meyer. Ohio State, who was ineligible for postseason play last season, went undefeated, and are 9-0 this season, which is good enough for a #3 national ranking. Stranger things have happened, but this would be an absolute aberration if the Illini were to somehow break the losing streak against the Buckeyes. That being said, the losing streak will reach 20 games, which is a number that nobody wants to see. The Illini lost a shootout to Indiana last Saturday 52-35 in Bloomington, as the Illini defense once again was very porous. It didn't help that the Indiana offense is high-powered, and at times, showed their force. Nobody is giving the Illini a chance in this one, and for good reason, given the way the season has gone. Even Vegas is along for the ride, as they have pegged the Buckeyes as 33 point favorites.
Matt Bollant's second women's basketball squad has quite a few new faces as well, and after a loss at Bradley to open the season, the Illini have won two straight at the State Farm Center to push their overall record to 2-1. The Illini defeated Valparaiso 87-59 on Tuesday night, then hit the 90 point mark once again on Thursday evening to defeat Mississippi Valley State 93-70. It is already apparent that Bollant's team will have no problem scoring points, as evidenced by the high point totals. In the win over Mississippi Valley State, Amber Moore had a monster game, scoring 27 points and notching a double-double with 19 rebounds. Freshman Jacqui Grant also had a good night, scoring 22 points and snaring 7 boards. The Illini will be in action on Sunday afternoon before the men's game, when they welcome Alcorn State to the 'Farm. Game time is at 1:00 pm.
The Fighting Illini women's soccer team received a surprise on Monday, when they were selected to play in the NCAA Tournament. Coach Janet Rayfield wasn't sure that they would be in the field, but when some teams that they needed to win did, it opened up a spot for them. The Illini, who finished the regular season 10-8-2 overall, will travel to Pullman, Washington to battle the Washington State Cougars on Saturday afternoon at 3:00 pm CT. Washington State comes into the contest at 14-3-3 overall, and is ranked nationally at #21 heading into the postseason.
Kevin Hambly's Fighting Illini women's volleyball team continues to make the push toward the postseason, and will conclude a four match home stand this weekend when they welcome Purdue and Indiana to Huff Hall. The Illini defeated #17 Michigan and #13 Michigan State last weekend to push their overall record back to the .500 mark at 12-12, while improving their conference record to 8-6. The Illini will entertain Indiana on Friday night (7:00 pm CT), and then welcome the #18 ranked Boilermakers on Saturday night (7:00 pm CT). In order for the Illini to qualify for the postseason and get a chance to play on the State Farm Center floor in the NCAA Regional, they must finish the regular season at .500 or better. The wins last weekend will go a long way toward that goal, but they still have a lot of work to do.
John Groce has his young Illini team off to a 3-0 start, but it certainly hasn't been easy. Not that anyone thought that it would be, either. Groce, who welcomed nine new players to his roster this season, knew that there would some adversity to go through with such a young team, and at times, it has been more than evident already in the 2013-14 season. The latest outcome was a 64-52 win over the Valparaiso Crusaders on Wednesday night at the State Farm Center in Champaign, a game in which the Illini led by double digits, only to see the Crusaders storm back and make it a game late. Rayvonte Rice once again led the way for the Illini, scoring a game high 18 points, while senior transfer Jon Ekey was chairman of the boards, grabbing 15 rebounds and scoring 6 points. Valparaiso, who had a familiar face on the bench, was a big team, and gave the Illini a small taste of what it will be like when they face a team that is taller than they are. The familiar face on the Valpo bench was none other than Roger Powell Jr., who was a major part of the 2004-05 national runner-up team that lost to North Carolina in the Final Four. Powell, who was all business for the Crusaders, received a nice ovation when he was announced to the crowd. The Rev, as he is better known as, was always one of my favorite players from that team, and was often overshadowed by Dee Brown and Deron Williams, the major stars of the team. However, the run to the Final Four that year would have not been possible without the services of Powell, so it was good to see that he still is revered by Illini Nation.
The Fighting Illini continue action this weekend, when they welcome the Bradley Braves to the State Farm Center on Sunday afternoon (5:00 pm CT, no TV). Bradley, who is coached by Geno Ford, is the brother of current Illini assistant coach Dustin Ford, so that should be rather interesting from the sidelines on Sunday. The Braves are also 3-0 on the season, and will host Chicago State on Friday night before making the trek down I-74 to the State Farm Center. Bradley, who plays in the Missouri Valley Conference, will see a familiar face on the Illini roster in Ekey, who played at Illinois State for the past four years. The Braves also have a former Illini player on their roster in Mike Shaw, although Shaw is sitting out this season due to transfer rules.
The Cliff watch is still on, and the decision will be made tomorrow by one of the most heralded recruits in the class of 2014. Alexander, who will make his decision on Friday at about 3:15 pm on ESPNU, is culminating a recruiting courtship that seems to have lasted for months. The decision has Illini Nation on high alert, and it seems that this is all that people have talked about for the past couple of weeks. To further complicate matters, originally Cliff was supposed to be the only one to announce his college choice on the airwaves Friday. However, two other highly sought after recruits, Jhalil Okafor and Tyus Jones, are also making their decisions at around the same time. Okafor and Jones have long been rumored to be a package deal for one lucky school, and the leading contenders for their services are Kansas and Duke. As far as Alexander goes, he has narrowed his final choices to Kansas, Illinois, DePaul and Memphis. I, for one, will be happy when all of this is over, but it has been a fun ride.
Now for the football team. It will be two teams going in opposite directions on Saturday morning when the Fighting Illini welcome the Ohio State Buckeyes to Memorial Stadium in Champaign (11:00 am CT, ESPN). The Illini are in the midst of a 19 game conference losing streak that dates back to the 2011 season, while the Buckeyes are riding the wave of a 21 game win streak under Urban Meyer. Ohio State, who was ineligible for postseason play last season, went undefeated, and are 9-0 this season, which is good enough for a #3 national ranking. Stranger things have happened, but this would be an absolute aberration if the Illini were to somehow break the losing streak against the Buckeyes. That being said, the losing streak will reach 20 games, which is a number that nobody wants to see. The Illini lost a shootout to Indiana last Saturday 52-35 in Bloomington, as the Illini defense once again was very porous. It didn't help that the Indiana offense is high-powered, and at times, showed their force. Nobody is giving the Illini a chance in this one, and for good reason, given the way the season has gone. Even Vegas is along for the ride, as they have pegged the Buckeyes as 33 point favorites.
Matt Bollant's second women's basketball squad has quite a few new faces as well, and after a loss at Bradley to open the season, the Illini have won two straight at the State Farm Center to push their overall record to 2-1. The Illini defeated Valparaiso 87-59 on Tuesday night, then hit the 90 point mark once again on Thursday evening to defeat Mississippi Valley State 93-70. It is already apparent that Bollant's team will have no problem scoring points, as evidenced by the high point totals. In the win over Mississippi Valley State, Amber Moore had a monster game, scoring 27 points and notching a double-double with 19 rebounds. Freshman Jacqui Grant also had a good night, scoring 22 points and snaring 7 boards. The Illini will be in action on Sunday afternoon before the men's game, when they welcome Alcorn State to the 'Farm. Game time is at 1:00 pm.
The Fighting Illini women's soccer team received a surprise on Monday, when they were selected to play in the NCAA Tournament. Coach Janet Rayfield wasn't sure that they would be in the field, but when some teams that they needed to win did, it opened up a spot for them. The Illini, who finished the regular season 10-8-2 overall, will travel to Pullman, Washington to battle the Washington State Cougars on Saturday afternoon at 3:00 pm CT. Washington State comes into the contest at 14-3-3 overall, and is ranked nationally at #21 heading into the postseason.
Kevin Hambly's Fighting Illini women's volleyball team continues to make the push toward the postseason, and will conclude a four match home stand this weekend when they welcome Purdue and Indiana to Huff Hall. The Illini defeated #17 Michigan and #13 Michigan State last weekend to push their overall record back to the .500 mark at 12-12, while improving their conference record to 8-6. The Illini will entertain Indiana on Friday night (7:00 pm CT), and then welcome the #18 ranked Boilermakers on Saturday night (7:00 pm CT). In order for the Illini to qualify for the postseason and get a chance to play on the State Farm Center floor in the NCAA Regional, they must finish the regular season at .500 or better. The wins last weekend will go a long way toward that goal, but they still have a lot of work to do.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Still Searching
That one was close. Really close.
But, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, and what it amounts to is the Fighting Illni football team's conference losing streak was extended to 18 games. The Illini probably played their most complete game in quite some time, but came out on the short end in a 24-17 overtime defeat to the Penn State Nittany Lions last Saturday in State College, Pennsylvania. The Nittany Lions jumped out to a 14-0 lead, and the vibe was one of 'here we go again'. But, unlike Illini games of recent memory, this team didn't quit, and actually took a late lead. But, it seems like bad luck likes to follow this team, and the game eventually went into overtime and, well, you know the rest of the story. An emotional Tim Beckman was quoted after the game, saying "we're going to get that Big Ten win, and we're going to get it this year". This hasn't been easy for Beckman since arriving at Illinois, and all of the coaching changes have not helped matters either. Bringing in Bill Cubit to lead the offense has been a breath of fresh air, and has given the offense some life, but the defense is still suspect, and coordinator Tim Banks may very well bear the brunt of it when the season ends.
Now begins the final stretch run of the 2013 season, and the chance to salvage the season, and possibly even still become bowl eligible. Crazy as that sounds, it is still a possibility if the Illini can muster 3 wins out of the final 4 games. The quest begins on Saturday afternoon when the Illini travel to Bloomington, Indiana to face an Indiana Hoosiers (2:30 pm CT, BTN) team that is one of the more prolific offenses in the conference, but also has one of the worst defenses in the league as well. The Hoosiers have been scoring points at will this season, but they also have been allowing a lot of points from opposing offenses as well. The Illini come into the game with the Hoosiers at 3-5 overall and 0-4 in the conference, while Indiana enters the matchup with an identical 3-5 record, but 1-3 in Big Ten play. Given those parameters, this could very well could turn out to be a high scoring affair, with the team that has the ball last coming out on top. Could this be the game that the Illini break the long conference losing streak? We'll just have to wait and see.
John Groce and the Fighting Illini men's basketball team is set to open the 2013-14 season on Friday evening, when they welcome the Alabama State Hornets to the State Farm Center (7:00 pm CT, ESPN3.com). The Illini, who won both of their exhibition games, are poised to begin the season with a roster that is markedly different than last year, namely the mere fact that there are nine new faces. A couple of those newcomers, Jaylon Tate and Kendrick Nunn, started the final exhibition tune up last Sunday, and did progressively well. Tracy Abrams sat out that game with a strained hamstring, and Groce didn't want to take any chances. The non-conference schedule isn't that strong early on,. which should give Groce a chance to see what his young team is all about. On Sunday afternoon, the Illini will face Jacksonville State (5:00 pm CT, ESPN3.com), giving this weekend a feel of an NCAA Tournament weekend.
Earlier this week, Groce secured his first commitment for the class of 2015 when D. J. Williams of Chicago Simeon made his college choice to play for Illinois. Simeon players normally don't commit before their senior season, so this decision by Williams was a pleasant surprise. The Cliff Alexander announcement will take place next week, and apparently it is between Illinois and Kansas to land the big man from Chicago Curie. Groce certainly has made a splash in the recruiting circles, and the addition of Alexander would be an added bonus.
Coach Matt Bollant and the women's basketball team also begins their season on Friday, although they start the season on the road at Bradley (11:00 am CT, No TV). The Illini defeated Cardinal Strich 78-49 in their lone exhibition game of the pre-season, as Taylor Tuck led a balanced scoring attack with 14 points. Like the men's squad, the women have a lot of new players this season, so youth will be a factor for Bollant's team as well.
The Fighting Illini volleyball team has their backs against the wall, and so far, are making the best of it. The Illini won a huge match on the road last weekend at Iowa 3-0, and then on Wednesday evening, came home too Huff Hall to defeat #17 Michigan in a thrilling, come from behind win, The Illini will welcome #13 Michigan State to Champaign on Saturday evening (7:00 pm CT, No TV), and bring a 11-12 overall record and 7-8 conference mark into the contest.
The Illini women's soccer team did what it could to qualify for the Big Ten Soccer Tournament, and since Champaign is hosting the tourney this year, that made it even sweeter. Due to inclement weather this week, the tournament was moved from the soccer complex to the Campus Recreation turf fields to reduce wear and tear on the main field. The Illini came into the tourney as the #5 seed, and took on #4 Indiana in their quarterfinal matchup. The Illini came up short, losing to the Hoosiers 5-3 and therefore, bowing out of the tournament. The Illini, who are 10-8-2 overall, will have to wait until Monday to find out if they will be playing on in the NCAA Tournament. Coach Janet Rayfield thinks they have a good chance of making that happen.
But, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, and what it amounts to is the Fighting Illni football team's conference losing streak was extended to 18 games. The Illini probably played their most complete game in quite some time, but came out on the short end in a 24-17 overtime defeat to the Penn State Nittany Lions last Saturday in State College, Pennsylvania. The Nittany Lions jumped out to a 14-0 lead, and the vibe was one of 'here we go again'. But, unlike Illini games of recent memory, this team didn't quit, and actually took a late lead. But, it seems like bad luck likes to follow this team, and the game eventually went into overtime and, well, you know the rest of the story. An emotional Tim Beckman was quoted after the game, saying "we're going to get that Big Ten win, and we're going to get it this year". This hasn't been easy for Beckman since arriving at Illinois, and all of the coaching changes have not helped matters either. Bringing in Bill Cubit to lead the offense has been a breath of fresh air, and has given the offense some life, but the defense is still suspect, and coordinator Tim Banks may very well bear the brunt of it when the season ends.
Now begins the final stretch run of the 2013 season, and the chance to salvage the season, and possibly even still become bowl eligible. Crazy as that sounds, it is still a possibility if the Illini can muster 3 wins out of the final 4 games. The quest begins on Saturday afternoon when the Illini travel to Bloomington, Indiana to face an Indiana Hoosiers (2:30 pm CT, BTN) team that is one of the more prolific offenses in the conference, but also has one of the worst defenses in the league as well. The Hoosiers have been scoring points at will this season, but they also have been allowing a lot of points from opposing offenses as well. The Illini come into the game with the Hoosiers at 3-5 overall and 0-4 in the conference, while Indiana enters the matchup with an identical 3-5 record, but 1-3 in Big Ten play. Given those parameters, this could very well could turn out to be a high scoring affair, with the team that has the ball last coming out on top. Could this be the game that the Illini break the long conference losing streak? We'll just have to wait and see.
John Groce and the Fighting Illini men's basketball team is set to open the 2013-14 season on Friday evening, when they welcome the Alabama State Hornets to the State Farm Center (7:00 pm CT, ESPN3.com). The Illini, who won both of their exhibition games, are poised to begin the season with a roster that is markedly different than last year, namely the mere fact that there are nine new faces. A couple of those newcomers, Jaylon Tate and Kendrick Nunn, started the final exhibition tune up last Sunday, and did progressively well. Tracy Abrams sat out that game with a strained hamstring, and Groce didn't want to take any chances. The non-conference schedule isn't that strong early on,. which should give Groce a chance to see what his young team is all about. On Sunday afternoon, the Illini will face Jacksonville State (5:00 pm CT, ESPN3.com), giving this weekend a feel of an NCAA Tournament weekend.
Earlier this week, Groce secured his first commitment for the class of 2015 when D. J. Williams of Chicago Simeon made his college choice to play for Illinois. Simeon players normally don't commit before their senior season, so this decision by Williams was a pleasant surprise. The Cliff Alexander announcement will take place next week, and apparently it is between Illinois and Kansas to land the big man from Chicago Curie. Groce certainly has made a splash in the recruiting circles, and the addition of Alexander would be an added bonus.
Coach Matt Bollant and the women's basketball team also begins their season on Friday, although they start the season on the road at Bradley (11:00 am CT, No TV). The Illini defeated Cardinal Strich 78-49 in their lone exhibition game of the pre-season, as Taylor Tuck led a balanced scoring attack with 14 points. Like the men's squad, the women have a lot of new players this season, so youth will be a factor for Bollant's team as well.
The Fighting Illini volleyball team has their backs against the wall, and so far, are making the best of it. The Illini won a huge match on the road last weekend at Iowa 3-0, and then on Wednesday evening, came home too Huff Hall to defeat #17 Michigan in a thrilling, come from behind win, The Illini will welcome #13 Michigan State to Champaign on Saturday evening (7:00 pm CT, No TV), and bring a 11-12 overall record and 7-8 conference mark into the contest.
The Illini women's soccer team did what it could to qualify for the Big Ten Soccer Tournament, and since Champaign is hosting the tourney this year, that made it even sweeter. Due to inclement weather this week, the tournament was moved from the soccer complex to the Campus Recreation turf fields to reduce wear and tear on the main field. The Illini came into the tourney as the #5 seed, and took on #4 Indiana in their quarterfinal matchup. The Illini came up short, losing to the Hoosiers 5-3 and therefore, bowing out of the tournament. The Illini, who are 10-8-2 overall, will have to wait until Monday to find out if they will be playing on in the NCAA Tournament. Coach Janet Rayfield thinks they have a good chance of making that happen.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
This seems to be a recurring theme lately. The Fighting Illini football team, for whatever reason, is beginning to resemble the way they looked last season. After a somewhat surprising 3-1 start to the season, the Illini hit the Big Ten portion of the schedule, and unfortunately, back to reality. The Illini have remained somewhat competitive up until the last game, a 42-3 drubbing at the hands of Michigan State. Jumping out to a quick 3-0 lead, things were looking up as the game neared halftime. But, as is often the case, a pivotal play in the game swung the momentum completely the other way, and what could have been an Illini touchdown was instead a Spartan goal line stand that ultimately resulted in a 99 yard drive by Michigan State to put the game officially out of reach. To add injury to insult, the Illini lost their top receiver as well, Ryan Lankford, to a season ending shoulder setback. The Illini could only muster 128 yards of total offense, 103 of those coming courtesy of Nathan Scheelhaase, who completed 13 of 21 passes in the game with an interception. The Bill Cubit fueled offense has apparently ran out of gas, and a lot of questions need to be answered as the season progresses forward. Tailback Josh Ferguson led the Illini in rushing yards with 26, and the disappearance of Donovonn Young was just as puzzling as the Illini's performance on the field. In the absence of Lankford, the Illini will need to rely on Steve Hull, Devin Church and Justin Hardee to pick up the slack for the remainder of the season. The Illini fell to 3-4 overall and 0-3 in the Big Ten, and extended their conference losing streak to 17 games.
So, where does it end? The Illini continue their quest for the elusive first Big Ten win for Coach Tim Beckman on Saturday morning when they travel to State College, Pennsylvania to battle the Penn State Nittany Lions (11:00 am CT, ESPN). This will be the first trip back to Happy Valley since the whole Paterno/Sandusky scandal broke out, and ironically, it was just after the Illinois-Penn State game back in 2011 when everything was revealed. Penn State comes into the game with the Illini at 4-3 overall and 1-2 in the Big Ten, and are coming off one of their worst losses in the history of the program, a 63-14 loss at Ohio State. The Nittany Lions start a freshman quarterback in Christian Hackenberg, and feature a talented tailback in junior Bill Belton. It's hard to gauge whether or not progress has been made since last season, but the mere fact that the Illini have won 1 more game than they did all of last year stands for something, doesn't it?
The Fighting Illini men's basketball team began exhibition play last week and despite a sluggish start, defeated McKendree University 101-66 at the State Farm Center in Champaign. The Illini fell behind early 17-6, as McKendree started out red-hot from behind the arc. Coach John Groce said in his postgame press conference that "he wanted to see if they could work their way out of it, and they did". The Illini recovered nicely and took a 47-39 lead into the locker room at halftime, and came out in the second half and outscored their guests by a 54-27 margin. Tracy Abrams led the Illini in scoring with 16 points, while newcomers Rayvonte Rice and freshman Jaylon Tate each added 13. Jon Ekey, a transfer from Illinois State, also scored in double figures with 12 points. The Illini will wrap up the exhibition portion of the season on Sunday afternoon when they welcome the Timberwolves of Northwood University to Champaign. Game time is set for 5:00 pm central time.
Credit Illini volleyball coach Kevin Hambly with scheduling aggressively, and the fact that he has done so may cost him come tournament time, The Illini have had a grueling schedule, and with so many Big Ten teams ranked in the top 25, it certainly has't gotten any easier. After upsetting #16 Wisconsin last Saturday night in Madison 3-1, the Illini felt like they were maybe back on the right track to a NCAA tournament berth. The Illini ventured to Nebraska to face the 11th ranked Cornhuskers, and Lincoln is always a tough place to play, regardless of whether or not Nebraska is ranked. The Illini didn't take care of business against the Huskers, falling 3-0 to drop their record to 9-12 overall and 5-6 in the Big Ten. The Illini are in serious danger of not qualifying for the NCAA tourney, which they will be a host for later this fall. The Illini need to get back to business and soon, and that will start this weekend when they travel to Iowa City to battle the Hawkeyes on Saturday evening (7:00 pm CT).
The Fighting Illini women's soccer team concludes the regular season on Thursday afternoon when they battle the Minnesota Golden Gophers (2:00 pm CT, BTN). The Illini are desperately seeking a victory in order to get them into the Big Ten Tournament, which starts next week in Champaign. The Illini split their contests last weekend, losing at Michigan 2-0 on Friday night, then coming back on Sunday afternoon to defeat Michigan State 2-0. The Illini enter the Minnesota match at 9-7-2 overall and 4-5-1 in Big Ten play.
So, where does it end? The Illini continue their quest for the elusive first Big Ten win for Coach Tim Beckman on Saturday morning when they travel to State College, Pennsylvania to battle the Penn State Nittany Lions (11:00 am CT, ESPN). This will be the first trip back to Happy Valley since the whole Paterno/Sandusky scandal broke out, and ironically, it was just after the Illinois-Penn State game back in 2011 when everything was revealed. Penn State comes into the game with the Illini at 4-3 overall and 1-2 in the Big Ten, and are coming off one of their worst losses in the history of the program, a 63-14 loss at Ohio State. The Nittany Lions start a freshman quarterback in Christian Hackenberg, and feature a talented tailback in junior Bill Belton. It's hard to gauge whether or not progress has been made since last season, but the mere fact that the Illini have won 1 more game than they did all of last year stands for something, doesn't it?
The Fighting Illini men's basketball team began exhibition play last week and despite a sluggish start, defeated McKendree University 101-66 at the State Farm Center in Champaign. The Illini fell behind early 17-6, as McKendree started out red-hot from behind the arc. Coach John Groce said in his postgame press conference that "he wanted to see if they could work their way out of it, and they did". The Illini recovered nicely and took a 47-39 lead into the locker room at halftime, and came out in the second half and outscored their guests by a 54-27 margin. Tracy Abrams led the Illini in scoring with 16 points, while newcomers Rayvonte Rice and freshman Jaylon Tate each added 13. Jon Ekey, a transfer from Illinois State, also scored in double figures with 12 points. The Illini will wrap up the exhibition portion of the season on Sunday afternoon when they welcome the Timberwolves of Northwood University to Champaign. Game time is set for 5:00 pm central time.
Credit Illini volleyball coach Kevin Hambly with scheduling aggressively, and the fact that he has done so may cost him come tournament time, The Illini have had a grueling schedule, and with so many Big Ten teams ranked in the top 25, it certainly has't gotten any easier. After upsetting #16 Wisconsin last Saturday night in Madison 3-1, the Illini felt like they were maybe back on the right track to a NCAA tournament berth. The Illini ventured to Nebraska to face the 11th ranked Cornhuskers, and Lincoln is always a tough place to play, regardless of whether or not Nebraska is ranked. The Illini didn't take care of business against the Huskers, falling 3-0 to drop their record to 9-12 overall and 5-6 in the Big Ten. The Illini are in serious danger of not qualifying for the NCAA tourney, which they will be a host for later this fall. The Illini need to get back to business and soon, and that will start this weekend when they travel to Iowa City to battle the Hawkeyes on Saturday evening (7:00 pm CT).
The Fighting Illini women's soccer team concludes the regular season on Thursday afternoon when they battle the Minnesota Golden Gophers (2:00 pm CT, BTN). The Illini are desperately seeking a victory in order to get them into the Big Ten Tournament, which starts next week in Champaign. The Illini split their contests last weekend, losing at Michigan 2-0 on Friday night, then coming back on Sunday afternoon to defeat Michigan State 2-0. The Illini enter the Minnesota match at 9-7-2 overall and 4-5-1 in Big Ten play.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Still Searching
Nobody said that this would be easy.
The 2013 Fighting Illini football season is at the halfway point, and although they are a little better off this season than they were last year at this time, the main focus continues to be the Big Ten losing streak, which is currently at 16 games. Granted, the beginning of the conference season was a brutal stretch, with games at Nebraska, and then home contests with Wisconsin and Michigan State. The Illini lost to the Badgers 56-32 last Saturday, and as expected, Wisconsin kept the ball on the ground for the majority of the game, racking up 289 of their 478 yards via the run. The Illini found themselves in a familiar position early in the game, as they fell behind 21-0 in the first 10 minutes of the game, thanks to some mental errors and turnovers. Illini quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase had a decent day, completing 20 of 27 passes for 249 yards, but did not throw any touchdown passes. Scheelhaase did have a one yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, but the two passing scores were done by the other quarterbacks on the roster, Reilly O'Toole and true freshman Aaron Bailey. O'Toole found Spencer Harris for a 29 yard score late in the game, while Bailey's touchdown went to tight end Matt LaCosse shortly before halftime. Bailey continues to impress in his short time in Champaign, and it should be quite a battle next season when he and Wes Lunt competes for the starting job for 2014. O'Toole seems to be the odd man out next season, but keep in mind that he will also be competing for the starting job, even though it appears to be a two horse race between Bailey and Lunt at this point.
The Illini will take on a Michigan State Spartans team this Saturday (2:30 pm CT, ABC) that comes into the game at 6-1 overall and unbeaten in conference play at 3-0. It is homecoming in Champaign, and the Illini would like nothing else than to give the alumni returning to campus a victory. The Spartans don't have much of a prolific offense to speak of, but their defense is the main reason that they have been so dominant this season. This could provide a problem for Scheelhaase and company, and should give the defense a cause for concern to step it up another notch to keep the game close. This also is the best opportunity to end the streak, although there are much more winnable games on the schedule in the upcoming weeks. The Illini currently sit at 3-3 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten, and will look to break through the barrier that is the Spartans defense, who have only allowed 95 points on the season in their 6 games.
Basketball has begun on the University of Illinois campus with the annual Orange and Blue Scrimmage taking place last Thursday night at the State Farm Center. The team, who is very young this season, split into two teams and most players spent time on both the orange and the blue teams. The blue team prevailed 59-51, with Rayvonte Rice and Nnanna Egwu each scoring 17 points to lead in scoring. Sophomore walkon Mike LaTulip added 15 points, including a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line. The three players that are ineligible to play this season because of transfer rules all looked pretty good, and they would be in the mix to play if they could. Darius Paul, Ahmad Starks and Aaron Cosby all have to sit out this season, but Starks, if he would have received the waiver from the NCAA, could fill in handily at the point guard position. Alas, he cannot play, so it is a moot point. The Illini have their first of two exhibition games on Thursday evening when they welcome McKendree College to the State Farm Center. The purpose of the exhibition games are to fine tune what the guys have been doing in practice, and also to match up against someone other than themselves.
The Fighting Illini women's volleyball team split two games this past weekend against ranked teams, losing to #4 Penn State on Friday night in 5 games, and then defeating #17 Ohio State on Sunday afternoon 3-1. Bucking the trend of the Friday-Saturday routine, the Illini ventured north to Evanston on Wednesday evening to battle the Northwestern Wildcats in a mid-week showdown, and were stunned in 5 games after taking a 2-0 lead. The Illini will travel to Madison on Sunday afternoon to battle the Wisconsin Badgers in what has emerged as a must-win match. The Illini are fighting for their NCAA tournament lives right now, as they are 8-11 overall and 4-5 in the Big Ten.
The Illini women's soccer team had one match this past weekend, and it was one to forget, as they lost at Penn State 5-0 on Sunday afternoon. The soccer season is winding down, and the Illini will welcome Michigan and Michigan State to Champaign this weekend for their final home matches of the regular season. The Illini will battle Michigan on Friday night (7:00 pm CT), and then will entertain the Spartans on Sunday afternoon (1:00 pm CT), hoping to improve their place in the Big Ten standings. The Illini currently are 8-6-2 overall and 3-4-1 in the Big Ten heading into this weekend's action.
The 2013 Fighting Illini football season is at the halfway point, and although they are a little better off this season than they were last year at this time, the main focus continues to be the Big Ten losing streak, which is currently at 16 games. Granted, the beginning of the conference season was a brutal stretch, with games at Nebraska, and then home contests with Wisconsin and Michigan State. The Illini lost to the Badgers 56-32 last Saturday, and as expected, Wisconsin kept the ball on the ground for the majority of the game, racking up 289 of their 478 yards via the run. The Illini found themselves in a familiar position early in the game, as they fell behind 21-0 in the first 10 minutes of the game, thanks to some mental errors and turnovers. Illini quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase had a decent day, completing 20 of 27 passes for 249 yards, but did not throw any touchdown passes. Scheelhaase did have a one yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, but the two passing scores were done by the other quarterbacks on the roster, Reilly O'Toole and true freshman Aaron Bailey. O'Toole found Spencer Harris for a 29 yard score late in the game, while Bailey's touchdown went to tight end Matt LaCosse shortly before halftime. Bailey continues to impress in his short time in Champaign, and it should be quite a battle next season when he and Wes Lunt competes for the starting job for 2014. O'Toole seems to be the odd man out next season, but keep in mind that he will also be competing for the starting job, even though it appears to be a two horse race between Bailey and Lunt at this point.
The Illini will take on a Michigan State Spartans team this Saturday (2:30 pm CT, ABC) that comes into the game at 6-1 overall and unbeaten in conference play at 3-0. It is homecoming in Champaign, and the Illini would like nothing else than to give the alumni returning to campus a victory. The Spartans don't have much of a prolific offense to speak of, but their defense is the main reason that they have been so dominant this season. This could provide a problem for Scheelhaase and company, and should give the defense a cause for concern to step it up another notch to keep the game close. This also is the best opportunity to end the streak, although there are much more winnable games on the schedule in the upcoming weeks. The Illini currently sit at 3-3 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten, and will look to break through the barrier that is the Spartans defense, who have only allowed 95 points on the season in their 6 games.
Basketball has begun on the University of Illinois campus with the annual Orange and Blue Scrimmage taking place last Thursday night at the State Farm Center. The team, who is very young this season, split into two teams and most players spent time on both the orange and the blue teams. The blue team prevailed 59-51, with Rayvonte Rice and Nnanna Egwu each scoring 17 points to lead in scoring. Sophomore walkon Mike LaTulip added 15 points, including a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line. The three players that are ineligible to play this season because of transfer rules all looked pretty good, and they would be in the mix to play if they could. Darius Paul, Ahmad Starks and Aaron Cosby all have to sit out this season, but Starks, if he would have received the waiver from the NCAA, could fill in handily at the point guard position. Alas, he cannot play, so it is a moot point. The Illini have their first of two exhibition games on Thursday evening when they welcome McKendree College to the State Farm Center. The purpose of the exhibition games are to fine tune what the guys have been doing in practice, and also to match up against someone other than themselves.
The Fighting Illini women's volleyball team split two games this past weekend against ranked teams, losing to #4 Penn State on Friday night in 5 games, and then defeating #17 Ohio State on Sunday afternoon 3-1. Bucking the trend of the Friday-Saturday routine, the Illini ventured north to Evanston on Wednesday evening to battle the Northwestern Wildcats in a mid-week showdown, and were stunned in 5 games after taking a 2-0 lead. The Illini will travel to Madison on Sunday afternoon to battle the Wisconsin Badgers in what has emerged as a must-win match. The Illini are fighting for their NCAA tournament lives right now, as they are 8-11 overall and 4-5 in the Big Ten.
The Illini women's soccer team had one match this past weekend, and it was one to forget, as they lost at Penn State 5-0 on Sunday afternoon. The soccer season is winding down, and the Illini will welcome Michigan and Michigan State to Champaign this weekend for their final home matches of the regular season. The Illini will battle Michigan on Friday night (7:00 pm CT), and then will entertain the Spartans on Sunday afternoon (1:00 pm CT), hoping to improve their place in the Big Ten standings. The Illini currently are 8-6-2 overall and 3-4-1 in the Big Ten heading into this weekend's action.
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