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"Defensive tackle Jamal Milan suffered a lower-extremity injury during Tuesday's practice and is out for Saturday's game against Western Illinois."
- Matt Daniels, The News-Gazette
Illinois head coach Bill Cubit announced on Wednesday that freshman defensive tackle Jamal Milan will miss the Western Illinois game after suffering a lower extremity injury during practice. This latest hit to an already injury-plagued defensive line is forcing the coaching staff to think outside the box when preparing the depth chart.
Enter Allegretti, who switched midway through Tuesday's practice to the defensive line, a unit he worked exclusively with during Wednesday's workout.
That's right -- backup center Nick Allegretti is expected to see some snaps on defense moving forward. The redshirt freshman is being thrown into the fire this week, but all signs seem to indicate that he's picking up the position relatively quick.
"In a stunning turn of events, four-star point guard Xavier Simpson gave a verbal commitment to Michigan over Illinois, Wisconsin, and others during an announcement ceremony on Wednesday afternoon."
- Jim Vainisi, The Champaign Room
2016 point guard Xavier Simpson announced that he will be playing basketball for the University of Michigan next season, leaving the Fighting Illini in the dust once again. After a solid visit that didn't end in a commitment, Simpson went on to see other schools (including Michigan), and it became evident that his interest in Illinois was beginning to fade.
John Groce must now continue to look for a reliable point guard heading into the 2016-17 season. With Abrams' eligibility still up in the air, it is imperative that the Illini land a recruit who can man the point for years to come. Believe it or not, I will be graduating high school in the spring of 2016, and even though my basketball skills are limited to sub-par pick-up games at my local gymnasium, if you need me, hit me up coach.
"Stanislas Wawrinka cruised through to the semi-finals of the US Open with minimal fuss after a straight-sets victory over Kevin Anderson."
In case Simpson's commitment wasn't enough bad news for the day, former Fighting Illini tennis player Kevin Anderson has been eliminated from the U.S. Open by Stanislas Wawrinka. Wawrinka cruised to a rather easy victory, taking down Anderson in 3 sets to advance to the semifinals.
Anderson made headlines just two days ago when he took down (3) Andy Murray in a huge upset to advance to the quarterfinals. Despite not being able to take it all the way, Anderson sure made Illini Nation proud with his performance on one of tennis' biggest stages.