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Schmolik 64 Update (2/5/21): Illinois a #2 Seed

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Illinois might have turned the corner after big wins over Iowa and Indiana. Hopefully they can keep the momentum going this weekend vs. Wisconsin.

2020 ACC/Big Ten Challenge?

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Will there be one? If so, who should the Illini play? Would you like a crack at Duke?

Northwestern to Play More Games at Wrigley Field, Should Illinois?

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Northwestern clearly wants to "own Chicago" but we in Urbana don't want that to happen do we? Illinois's played a few games up at Soldier Field in the last decade including the Northwestern game in 2015. Maybe we should play a few more games up at Wrigley/Soldier Field to match Northwestern in the future. Northwestern Chicago's Big Ten team? No. WE ARE!

Illinois Basketball in CBS Preseason Bracketology!

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I know it means nothing but I can't remember Illinois being in any bracketology predictions in several years so I think it's noteworthy.

One of Illinois football's biggest offseason additions won't play during the 2019 season.

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"The appeal for Illinois sophomore tight end Luke Ford, who transferred to the Illini in January after spending his freshman season at Georgia in 2018, to be eligible for the upcoming season was denied by the NCAA Division I Appeals Committee for Legislative Relief on Friday." Seems like not all schools are treated equally. Ohio State and Miami get waivers for big time transfer quarterbacks, but Illinois can't get a waiver for a kid who wants to come home.

Bg Ten Basketball to Play 20 Conference Games, Illinois to Play Northwestern Twice a Year!

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Really? Has anyone ever considered Northwestern a rival to Illinois? Now I'm old but in the Lou Henson days when Northwestern was your rival, you sucked. Now that they have Chris Collins as their coach and we're a perennial NIT team maybe we should hope to be their rival. But putting us with Michigan-Michigan State and Indiana-Purdue wasn't necessary. I didn't think they needed any protected rivalries, maybe just Indiana-Purdue. But the move to 20 games

JCL to DePaul

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I'm shocked I tell you. Shocked.

Impact of Justin Smith's Commitment to IU on Kris Wilkes

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Justin Smith announced Monday evening, via Twitter, that he will be taking his talents to Bloomington, Indiana next fall and play for the Indiana Hoosiers. Smith is a 4-star, 6' 7" forward ranked #76 overall in the class of 2017 on 247sports.com's most recent rankings. This commitment adds a very intriguing dynamic now between Indiana and a certain other 6' 7" forward that the University of Illinois is also after: Kris Wilkes. Not saying this commitment is a bad thing for IU, because Smith is a very talented player, with a huge ceiling in a Power 5 program such as Indiana University, but this could add a sort of turmoil in discussions with Wilkes, whose official visit to Bloomington is scheduled for this coming weekend (Sept. 30- Oct. 2). All 5-star recruits want to start, and not saying it's HUGE competition for Wilkes to overcome for a starting role, but he at least has some to worry about now. This topic is most certainly going to be focused on by Kris and the Wilkes family come September 30th, and Tom Crean and staff will have to do their best to convince Wilkes that he is still their #1. Like I said before, this may not have a major impact on Kris's decision, and may even swing the other way and make him want to go to IU even more, but what I can say is this will be a very interesting piece to this recruitment now. Illinois, John Groce, Dee Brown, and anyone else who can speak with Wilkes and plant that bug in his ear that he is still the #1 going forward for the U of I program needs to, and fast!

WATCH: Illinois AD Josh Whitman catches passes from JUGS machine

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Fighting Illini football opened up training camp this week, and new athletic director Josh Whitman was on hand at the first practice. Apparently, he decided to give the wide receivers a few pointers, too.

Whitman spent some time with a JUGS machine to haul in a few balls and, yeah, he's still got those NFL hands.

Don't think it's too far-fetched to say that Illinois has one of the most athletic ADs in the country.