Illini basketball in the Brad Underwood era has finally shown signs of a pulse in the past month as the team picked up two very high quality wins over teams ranked in the top 15 at the time. Illinois has now won four of their last five, and played their way above the Wednesday night projection in the Big Ten tournament. If the Illini can close out the season 4-3 or better, … [Read more...] about Ayo Dosunmu Has High NBA Draft Stock, but it’s Just Not Reflected in Mock Drafts
Illinois basketball
Illini all-time leading scorer Deon Thomas joins UIC Coaching Staff
Deon Thomas has landed a coaching gig at the University of Illinois. Just not in Urbana-Champaign. At the Chicago campus instead. When Assistant Coach Isaac Chew departed Illinois for Marquette, just weeks after he left Mizzou to join the Illini an assistant gig opened up under John Groce at Illinois. Paris Parham filled the position instead ofFlorida State assistant Dennis … [Read more...] about Illini all-time leading scorer Deon Thomas joins UIC Coaching Staff
Big Ten football power rankings: lipstick on a pig edition
During Big Ten football Saturdays like this, how do you spin what happened? How do you put lipstick on these pigs? And even though Northwestern out-gained an AWFUL Western Michigan team by just 126 yards, they've still earned the second slot. You can argue that a different Big Ten football team deserves to be there. But my argument is pretty solid for NU. Also, Illinois gave … [Read more...] about Big Ten football power rankings: lipstick on a pig edition
Illinois basketball shafted in Tourney; NCAA changes rule yesterday
Partially due to a blown call, Illinois basketball has beaten a higher seeded NCAA Tournament team just twice in school history. Trailing 57-55 with 40 seconds remaining, replays clearly showed the Illini should have maintained offensive possession on an out-of-bounds call. Instead, the ball was wrongly awarded to the Miami Hurricanes. And even a Miami player admitted … [Read more...] about Illinois basketball shafted in Tourney; NCAA changes rule yesterday
Illini grab Seton Hall transfer Aaron Cosby: Champaign gets The Cosby Show
Aaron Cosby was the Seton Hall Pirates second leading scorer during his sophomore season, averaging 12.6 points per game. After living the Big East program, he appeared to have many potential landing places. Then Aaron Cosby limited it to just the Illini and Mizzou. Well, The Cosby Show is officially coming to Illini basketball. How's that for "Braggin Rights," Missouri? … [Read more...] about Illini grab Seton Hall transfer Aaron Cosby: Champaign gets The Cosby Show
Fighting Illini lose to Iowa Hawkeyes; let’s forget we ever watched this
Let's forget we ever watched this one. The Illinois Fighting Illini and Iowa Hawkeyes set the game back a few decades. We'll wash our eyeballs of a 63-55 contest won by Iowa that was Restoril or Ambien in college basketball form. The Hawks finish 15-2 at home, in a contest where "points in the paint" didn't seem to apply. I was like one end had Dikembe Mutombo and the other had … [Read more...] about Fighting Illini lose to Iowa Hawkeyes; let’s forget we ever watched this
College basketball is AWFUL in all of Illinois, yet again
What a shame. What a crying shame that Chicago, which every year has some of the best preps talent in the country, has zero going for it on the college level. Unless the Illinois Fighting Illini can somehow go 6-3 down stretch (and they face some brutal opponents so this highly unlikely) what Land of Lincoln team will get into the big dance? An improved UIC team that is 9-2 at … [Read more...] about College basketball is AWFUL in all of Illinois, yet again
9 things really wrong with Illini basketball right now
Last night the #23 Illini lost at home to a Northwestern team that has their coach squarely on the hot seat, is reeling from injuries and without their best player in Drew Crawford. The loss was the third in a row by double digits for the Illini, and the three defeats have been even more lopsided than the scores indicate. This shouldn't be happening to a team that was ranked in … [Read more...] about 9 things really wrong with Illini basketball right now