Tag: Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois coach spoke with Paul Chryst and Jim Leonhard about transfer additions from Wisconsin

Illinois head coach called Paul Chryst and Jim Leonhard about Wisconsin transfer additions

This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccurate headline and to add new information.

Illinois coach Bret Bielema said he was in contact with former Wisconsin coaches Paul Chryst and Jim Leonhard during the recent winter transfer window.

Meeting with the media on Sunday, Bielema elaborated on his pursuit of three key former Wisconsin transfers: defensive linemen James Thompson Jr. and Curt Neal, and outside linebacker Leon Lowery. All three committed to Illinois after gauging other transfer interests. Bielema said he called the two former Wisconsin coaches during the process.

Related: Power ranking all 18 Big Ten football programs after the 2024 season

“James (Thompson Jr.) is a player, I remember when we played two years ago, was formidable,” Bielema began. “I called (Jim Leonhard) right away, just kind of checking, you always have perspective when you have a lot of coaches you know. And I knew Jimmy, was there with him. Reached out to Paul (Chryst) as well. Just want to make sure what I was seeing was real.”

Both Neal and Thompson Jr. were Chryst recruits in the class of 2022 and 2020, respectively. Each played under the longtime Wisconsin coach before electing to remain with the program for the first two years of the Luke Fickell era. Each entered the portal after the 2024 campaign.

Neal was arguably the Badgers’ best defensive lineman over the last few seasons, totaling 42 tackles, five for loss and 1/2 sack. Thompson Jr., meanwhile, held that title in 2023 before missing most of the 2024 season with an injury.

Each figures to lead an Illinois defense coached by defensive coordinator Aaron Henry (Wisconsin defensive back from 2007-11) and defensive line coach Terrance Jamison (former Wisconsin DL).

Leonhard just wrapped up the 2024 NFL season as the Denver Broncos’ secondary coach. Chryst, meanwhile, was out of coaching this past season after spending 2023 as an offensive analyst at Texas.

The Wisconsin connection still exists for Bielema, Chryst and Leonhard, as well as those two former Badgers on the Illinois staff. The Fighting Illini prioritizing several former Badgers in the portal shows that reality. As the years pass, Bielema’s Illinois program resembles Wisconsin, where he coached from 2006-12, more and more.

Luke Fickell and Wisconsin will host Illinois on Nov. 22 next season. It will be a rematch of the Badgers’ 25-21 road win over the Fighting Illini in 2023.

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How Illinois football is on track to develop more standout NFL Draft prospects moving forward

The Fighting Illini could be a team to watch in the NFL Draft for years to come.

The Illinois Fighting Illini are not exactly a team that consistently comes to mind when we think about programs that consistently develop high-level NFL Draft prospects.

But this team was simply different this season, and is on an exciting trajectory moving forward in a new era of college football.

The team has four prospects selected in the 2024 NFL Draft and has four more players to keep an eye on in the 2025 NFL Draft between wide receiver Pat Bryant, cornerback Xavier Scott, offensive tackle J.C. Davis and wideout Zachary Franklin.

And the Illini are developing a multitude of players into NFL caliber players who were not big name, four and five-star recruits coming out of high school.

That is something Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry takes pride in.

“If anybody knows anything about Illinois football, we are the best in the country at not taking four and five-stars,” said Henry in an exclusive with Paul Banks of RG.org. “That’s easy. Taking four and five-star players are easy. I can do that with my eyes closed. But we take guys who are zero, one, two, three-star recruits, walk-ons, and we develop them at a really, really high clip.”

Illinois will indeed attract more highly touted recruits moving forward, though, after they finished out 2024 with 10 wins. That’s only the fifth time in program history in which they have accomplished that feat.

In the same season, they also achieved their first-ever victory over an SEC team and got their first bowl win in over a decade. It was the team’s first New Year’s Bowl victory specifically in nearly three and a half decades.

Recruits will also look to develop into a player of the capacity of the many NFL Draft selections head coach Bret Bielema has generated in his short time at the helm.

One of the biggest sells is the success of former Fighting Illini standout Devin Witherspoon, who now plays cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks. His success is a testament to the coaching staff with the program, who took him from an unranked recruit to a first-round draft selection.

“He plays with his hair on fire,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said to RG. “You talk about shocking effort, and if you want to shock people, watch 21 play. We talk about ball finding energy, and it kind of all comes together with Spoon.”

Could we see the next Witherspoon coming out of Illinois sooner rather than later? It would not be surprising with the optimistic path the school is on.

Eric Musselman, USC earn statement victory in upset of Illinois

This is easily Eric Musselman’s biggest win at USC. Let’s see if the Trojans build on it.

Eric Musselman officially has his first signature victory at USC basketball. On Saturday, Musselman and the Trojans went into Champaign and stunned a top-15 Illinois team, 82-72. It was the first time the Trojans defeated a ranked conference opponent on the road since 2010.

What made the result even more stunning was that Illinois was coming off 30-plus-point wins over very good Oregon and Penn State teams within the past week. USC, on the other hand, entered the contest 1-3 in conference play, with the Trojans’ lone victory coming over a bad Washington team.

Prior to the game, ESPN’s win probability give Illinois a greater than 90 percent chance to win.

Junior Desmond Claude led the way for the Trojans with a 31-point effort. Redshirt freshman Wesley Yates III and redshirt senior Reshaun Agee both also finished in double figures.

USC still has a ways to go if it wants to seriously contend for an NCAA Tournament berth, but the upset dramatically changed the outlook of this season, and gave plenty of reason for optimism about the program moving forward.

The Trojans will look to continue their momentum when they return home to host Iowa on Tuesday.

Latest 2025 NBA mock draft from ESPN has Kasparas Jakucionis as a top-5 pick

The freshman from Lithuania looks AMAZING.

While he wasn’t one of the most touted names before the NCAA season began, Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis is climbing up mock drafts.

Jakucionis, who previously played for Barcelona in Spain, is one of the best young guards in college basketball. He is averaging 16.4 points as well as 5.6 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 41.4 percent on 3-pointers for Illinois.

With good positional size in the backcourt and also still a very young prospect, there is a lot to like about his game. Here is more from Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo (via ESPN):

“The 6-foot-6 Lithuanian is playing fantastic basketball, controlling games with outstanding pace as a scorer and passer, getting to spots on the floor and playing through contact or finishing skillfully around the basket while making high-level pick-and-roll reads and hitting 3-pointers off the dribble.

The 18-year-old has made significant strides physically over the past 18 months and is on an impressive trajectory, making the transition from Europe to college look easy. He has been showcasing his talent on one of the best teams in college basketball.”

Already very impressive in the pick and roll and able to create his own jumper on 3-pointers, the scoring upside is huge for the guard. Jakucionis scored at least 20 points in six consecutive games between November 25 and December 22.

He is averaging 1.4 unassisted 3-pointers per game, per CBB Analytics, which is the most among all freshman.

ESPN’s mock draft has Jakucionis going to the Hornets, but plenty of teams will have interest in his services if he keeps playing this well.

Meanwhile, for more prospect coverage, here is our latest NBA mock draft at For The Win.

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Oregon vs. Illinois Instant Reactions: Illini run the Ducks out of MKA

With five minutes to go, Jackson Shelstad, Jadrian Tracey, Nate Bittle, TJ Bamba, and Brandon Angel were all on the bench. Those players started tonight’s game, but the contest was so out of hand, there was no reason for them to be on the floor. …

With five minutes to go, Jackson Shelstad, Jadrian Tracey, Nate Bittle, TJ Bamba, and Brandon Angel were all on the bench.

Those players started tonight’s game, but the contest was so out of hand, there was no reason for them to be on the floor. That’s how bad it was as Illinois blew Oregon out of their own building to the tune of a 109-77 final score.

The Ducks were utterly confused on defense and eventually, the effort on defense just wasn’t there. Illinois offense wasn’t complicated. They would go one-on-one to the basket or kick it out for a three. For some reason, the Duck defense couldn’t figure that out and Illinois just kept scoring and scoring.

In total, the Illini made 16-of-29 three-pointers and the scary thing was that they missed their first seven threes.

Oregon falls to 12-2 overall and 1-2 in Big Ten play. Maryland, who lost to Washington on this night, comes to Matthew Knight Arena on Sunday as the Ducks look to rebound off of what was an embarrassing loss.

Oregon vs. Illinois Keys to the Game

  • All was well early on as the Ducks grabbed a 7-2 lead, but after that it was all Illini.
  • Illinois dominated for much of the first half as they led at halftime 45-38. The Illini was hot from long distance, going 7-of-17 from the three-point line before halftime.
  • The Illini bench scored 23 of those 45 points.
  • Oregon had trouble covering the three-point line, but when they did, Illinois drove to the basket and the Ducks’ defensive rotation just wasn’t there.
  • Illinois also had six offensive rebounds that turned into eight second-chance points.
  • Unfortunately whatever Dana Altman said at halftime didn’t resonate as things got worse. Illinois turned a seven-point lead to a 20-point advantage in just a few minutes.
  • The only highlight for the Ducks was that Supreme Cook played his best game of the season with 20 points off the bench.

Oregon vs. Illinois Players of the Game

  • Supreme Cook: 20 points
  • TJ Bamba: 10 points
  • Nate Bittle: 13 points, 5 rebounds
  • Tre White (Ill): 20 points

Oregon vs. Illinois Notable Stats

  • Rebounds: Illinois 43, Oregon 31
  • 3-point FG: Illinois 16-of-29, Oregon 5-of-15
  • Points in the Paint: Illinois 48, Oregon 36

What’s Next for Oregon Ducks?

  • Jan. 5 — vs. Maryland Terrapins
  • Jan. 9 — at Ohio State Buckeyes
  • Jan. 12 — at Penn State Nittany Lions
  • Jan. 18 — Purdue Boilermakers
  • Jan. 21 — Washington Huskies

The schedule doesn’t get any easier from here on out as the Big Ten Conference is in full swing. Maryland just suffered a loss at Washington, but the Terrapins are very good, as are the next four opponents. Oregon needs some major adjustments in order to have success in the month of January.

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South Carolina coach Shane Beamer goes after Illinois’ Bret Bielema during Cheez-It Bowl

South Carolina coach Shane Beamer lost it at Illinois’ Bret Bielema

All hell broke loose in the third quarter of the Cheez-It Bowl on Tuesday. It wasn’t the players. It was South Carolina coach Shane Beamer going after Illinois’ Bret Bielema.

An Illinois DB was injured on a long pass play by South Carolina. Bielema came across the field to check on his player.

When the Illini coach came across and then went back to his sideline he extended his arms, taunting Beamer.

The South Carolina coach absolutely lost his cool. He was screaming at Bielema and stormed on the field before being restrained

South Carolina went on to score on the drive to take a 17-14 lead in the fourth quarter.

After the game Bielema explained he was upset about a South Carolina kickoff return. The player who caught the kick extended his arms, which usually means the play would be dead and a touchback.

However, Beamer said he had checked and gotten the okay that the player could extend his arms and keep the play live so long as he didn’t wave them. In this case, the Gamecock threw a lateral across the entire field to try and pull off a trick play.

“The ethic of what that is got evaporated there because our kids stopped running,” Bielema said … “He thought I did it to him. I did it [the gesture] to the whole dam sideline … I want them to understand I know what just happened.”

Georgia and Georgia Tech almost broke Penn State’s overtime record

Penn State still owns this college football record after an epic Georgia-Georgia Tech football game.

While not one of the most celebrated moments in Penn State history, the Nittany Lions do hold one of college football’s more ridiculous records. And after a rivalry matchup between Georgia and Georgia Tech on Friday night, that record still holds firm.

Georgia and Georgia Tech played an eight-overtime game that saw the Bulldogs come back from a 17-0 deficit to celebrate a wild 44-42 victory. After making a defensive stop on Georgia Tech’s two-point try to start the eighth overtime shortly after midnite, Georgia clinched the win when freshman running back Nate Frazier powered his way up the middle of the field for a short game-winning run. And as a result, Penn State’s record for the most overtimes played survived unrivaled.

Penn State lost a nine-overtime game to Illinois in 2021 by a score of 20-18. Needless to say, that game was far less entertaining than what unfolded in Athens, Georgia on Black Friday. Georga and Georgia Tech each outscored the Penn State-Illinois debacle by themselves by the end of the first overtime, with the score knotted at 40-40 going to the third overtime.

The Georgia-Georgia Tech game did become the longest game in SEC history once it moved to the eighth overtime session. Of course, it was the previous SEC record holder for most overtimes that led to the revised overtime rules in college football. LSU and Texas A&M played a grueling seven overtime game in 2018 under the old overtime rules that led to the NCAA Rules Committee moving to the 2-point try model once you enter the third overtime.

Penn State could potentially face Georgia in the upcoming College Football Playoff. Georgia’s win last night may have been enough to secure a spot in the 12-team field regardless of what they do in next week’s SEC Championship Game (Georgia will play the winner of Saturday’s Texas-Texas A&M game in the SEC championship game), although the Bulldogs do have two losses already. A third loss could make for some questions for Georgia in the field depending on what else happens around the country this week and next.

Penn State has its own work to do today though. Penn State hosts Maryland with a chance to likely secure a home playoff game in the first round. And if it somehow gets a big helping hand from Michigan, Penn State could play for the Big Ten title next week against Oregon.

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Illinois rocks Rutgers on fourth-and-13 TD pass in final seconds

Illinois stunned Rutgers with a TD and safety in the final seconds

With 13 seconds left in Saturday’s game between Rutgers and Illinois, the Scarlet Knights led by a point and the Illini faced a fourth down at the Rutgers 40.

Illinois was going to try for a long field goal until Rutgers called time to ice the kicker as he missed from 58 yards.

The decision by Greg Schiano backfired as Illinois put the offense back on the field and Luke Almyer threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Pat Bryant.

It mattered not that the two-point conversion failed because Rutgers somehow allowed Illinois a safety on the final play of the game to complete a 38-30 loss.

Rutgers attempted a circus lateral play as the game was ending and the ball went out of the end zone, awarding Illinois two points.

Rutgers had taken the 31-30 lead on a touchdown pass with 1:08 left only for everything to collapse in the final seconds.

Labaron Philon flirts with Alabama history in victory over Illinois

The freshman nearly made Alabama history Wednesday night.

As part of the Alabama Crimson Tide’s impressive 100-87 victory over the Illinois Fighting Illini on Wednesday night, the team received an impressive all-around performance from freshman guard Labaron Philon that definitely caught the attention of most around college basketball.

In all, Philon played 33 minutes in the contest, and finished with a final stat line of 16 points, seven rebounds, nine assists, two steals, and one block on 7-of-13 shooting from the field.

However, did you know that Philon also flirted with Alabama basketball history in this game as well?

If the freshman would have collected three more rebounds, as well as one more assist, then Philon would’ve became only the fourth player in Alabama program history to record a triple-double in a game. The only three others to do so are Roy Rogers, Kira Lewis Jr., and most recently a year ago, Aaron Estrada.

Still early in this season as well, could the freshman eventually join that group later this year?

Photos from Alabama vs. Illinois in C.M. Newton Classic

Alabama and Illinois met Wednesday night in Birmingham.

Two of the top teams in the SEC and Big Ten officially met Wednesday night in Birmingham, Alabama, as the Alabama Crimson Tide and Illinois Fighting Illini collided in the C.M. Newton Classic.

A battle of Top 25 teams, this showdown between the Crimson Tide and Fighting Illini certainly lived up to the hype as well, with Alabama going on to win by a final score of 100-87.

This was an impressive showing from the Crimson Tide as well against a very talented opponent, as Alabama still hit triple-digits in points, even despite guard Mark Sears not scoring, with a big reason as to why being a combined 52% shooting as a team from the field.

Let’s take a look at some of the best photos from Alabama’s Top 25 clash with Illinois in the C.M. Newton Classic in Birmingham: