New Illini trainer Bret Bielema to make homegrown ability a

CHAMPAIGN — New Illinois trainer Bret Bielema stated Monday he hopes to have a team of workers in position via early January and is already targeting homegrown recruiting. “I called (the Illinois Department of Transportation) and told them to put up roadblocks so kids won’t be allowed to leave the state,” he joked at his introductory information convention. “Seriously, I can’t tell you how many Illinois high school football coaches I have talked to already. We are making Illinois kids a priority here.” Bielema, a local of tiny Prophetstown in northwestern Illinois, replaces Lovie Smith, who went 17-39 general in his five-year tenure and posted a 10-33 Big Ten report. Bielema’s preliminary contract is for 6 years starting with

Illinois-Duke: Illini rep Big Ten vs. ACC

OK, so it seems Duke has been beautiful first rate over time within the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. How does 19-2 general sound? How about 9-Zero at Cameron Indoor Stadium? Yeah, smartly, a lot of good fortune to whoever will get the Blue Devils this yr. Uh-oh — that might be Illinois. The maximum promising Illini workforce since early on within the Bruce Weber years will discuss with Durham, North Carolina, on Tuesday and take a look at to be one thing greater than a sacrificial lamb. Actually, that’s promoting the Illini quick. Brad Underwood’s top-10 workforce is just right sufficient to overcome anyone. But Ayo Dosunmu couldn’t purchase a bucket, Kofi Cockburn couldn’t keep out of foul bother and now

No. 5 Illini fade overdue, fall 82-69 to No. 2 Baylor

INDIANAPOLIS — Scott Drew watched No. 2 Baylor’s first two video games in quarantine. When he returned to the sideline Wednesday evening, he discovered himself training in a massively other setting — and depending on a well-known script. Adam Flagler scored 18 issues, 3 of his teammates additionally reached double figures and Baylor used its trademark protection to show the sport and pull clear of No. 5 Illinois for an 82-69 victory within the Jimmy V Classic. To Drew, it felt like previous instances. “The last two games I thought our offense was further along than our defense,” he stated. “I think our defense has caught up more to where we were last year and you know you’re going to need

Bears’ Mitch Trubisky returns at Packers, Illini hoops is going

So, what are your plans for the large sport? Don’t solution that. It’s a trick query. What all of us will have to have discovered by means of now about sports activities right through a virulent disease is that there’s in reality just one factor we will rely on, and that’s now not with the ability to rely on anything else. Schedules are set, signs are monitored, exams are taken, palms are crossed, extra exams are taken and did I point out palms are crossed? Inevitably, some scheduled video games and occasions come down like the homes of playing cards they're. Take Illinois-Ohio State, a soccer sport supposed for Saturday in Champaign that was once a cross till Friday evening,

Illini win second directly, rout turnover-plagued Cornhuskers

LINCOLN, Neb. — For maximum groups that come into Memorial Stadium, beating Nebraska doesn’t imply up to it used to bearing in mind the Cornhuskers’ fall from the higher echelon of school soccer the final twenty years. You couldn’t inform that to Illinois trainer Lovie Smith after his crew left Lincoln with a 41-23 win Saturday. “You can imagine what our locker room was like,” Smith stated. “I’m told we haven’t won in Lincoln since 1924 when Red Grange played. Whenever something like that happens, it’s a big deal.” Brandon Peters threw for one landing and ran for some other in his first sport in just about a month, Illinois had two rushers cross over 100 yards, and the Illini