North Carolina coach Larry Fedora responds to criticism surrounding Tim Beckman

In case you missed yesterday’s news, former Illinois head coach Tim Beckman has landed at North Carolina as a volunteer assistant. The original story from The News-Gazette prompted a lot of questions, and rightfully so given Beckman’s chaotic and sudden exit from Champaign a year ago.

Tar Heels coach Larry Fedora was happy to address the situation on Wednesday, though, and he even went as far as saying, "I don’t believe everything I read...I know [Beckman]’s side of the story also."

We also learned that Beckman’s role at Chapel Hill is strictly limited to scouting and film work, which means he can’t participate in on-field instruction. To be honest, that’s probably good news for North Carolina.

Illinois Fighting Illini Links

- Kipper Nichols ruled ineligible for first semester (TCR)

While Nichols signed with Tulane out of high school, he never suited up for the Green Wave prior to his transfer last December. The Illini were hoping for this period of time to be considered a part of his sit-out year. He obviously wasn't on campus, though, so I think the coaches were expecting this outcome. It was still worth a try.

- Illinois Football’s schedule poster ranked No. 1 in nation (Poster Swag)

There were 113 FBS Posters submitted, and the top 50 were mentioned. They were graded on social votes, designer votes, and site rankings.

- Three game times set for Illinois Basketball games (The News-Gazette)

Schedule details continue to be released for the 2016-17 Illinois men's basketball season, with game times announced Wednesday morning for the Illini's three non-conference games that will air on Big Ten Network.