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Do you like links? Well we've got some links for you! Here's a collection of stories/articles that I found interesting over the past week.
Football:
Tim Beckman Communication with Nike Unveiled - The Daily Gopher
An inside look at the creation of the "Gray Ghost" uniforms
The 2014 Week 8 Big Ten Power Poll: Minecraft Edition - Off Tackle Empire
There's a twist to this week's OTE #B1G Power Rankings; each program was compared to something in Minecraft
The Bottom 25: And then there was one - CBS Sports
Tom Fornelli ranks the worst teams in College Football. Did Illinois make the cut? (yes)
Basketball:
Illinois Point Guard Tracy Abrams Has ACL Surgery - Sports Mockery
Illinois point guard Tracy Abrams underwent surgery today in Chicago for his torn right ACL.
Illinois Season Preview - Big Ten Geeks
"This is John Groce’s first season as Illinois’ head coach. I don’t mean that literally—obviously, he’s been in Champaign for a couple of seasons. But this is the first season in which the roster was truly of his design. And despite the fact that everyone seemingly has nice things to say about the former Ohio State assistant, the Illini are consistently put in the 7th to 9th range in the preseason Big Ten standings. Basically, people are sleeping on Illinois. Consider this preview a wakeup call."
Preseason Big Ten "Hot Take" Predictions (Satire) - BT Powerhouse
A satirical take on the upcoming basketball season
College Basketball Breakout Players - Sports Illustrated
"Illinois turned the '13-14 season around after Hill joined the starting lineup. Expect the former top-100 recruit to thrive as a sophomore."
Other:
North Carolina investigation Reports Findings - ESPN
An report commissioned by the University of North Carolina says school academic advisers steered athletes into sham classes over an 18-year period but does not directly implicate coaches or athletic administrators in the scheme.
The 5 most important details from UNC's academics report - SBNation
Mike Fiammetta explains the 5 most important details of the UNC academic report.
The Third Coming of Derek Rose - ESPN
Two reconstructed knees later, the former MVP isn't the same man he used to be. And that's the point.
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