Illini Basketball Season Starts With Illini Street Jam

The school announced on Wednesday that the basketball season will officially begin with the Illini Street Jam on September 28. The event will start at 7:30pm and take place at the intersection of Green and Wright Streets.

Here's the info from the official release.

Illini Street Jam will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the intersection of Green St. and Wright St. in campus town. The area will be closed to traffic to house an Illini-themed flex court, baskets, bleachers and lights. Festivities will include player introductions, fan interactive games and competitions.

Illini Street Jam is free, and bleacher seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. There also will be standing-room-only space surrounding the court for fans to enjoy the event.

U of I alumnus Ryan Baker, sports anchor for WBBM-CBS 2 in Chicago, will emcee the evening's events. Illini Street Jam will conclude at approximately 8:30 p.m.

Sept. 28 is Dad's Day and begins with the Illini football game vs. Miami (Ohio) at 11 a.m. at Memorial Stadium. The 16th-ranked Illinois volleyball team then takes on No. 12 Nebraska at 4 p.m. at Huff Hall. Those events set the stage for the unveiling of the 2013-14 Illinois basketball programs under second-year head coaches John Groce and Matt Bollant, whose teams will both participate in Illini Street Jam.

Oh man, it's crazy to think that basketball season is just a little more than a month away, isn't it?

Follow The Champaign Room on Twitter at @Champaign_Room and Like us on Facebook. You can follow Tom Fornelli on Twitter at @TomFornelli.