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Sports editor Matt Daniels breaks down what’s happening in the region.
3 reasons why we love sports now
➜ 1. The Illinois women’s basketball team’s season is officially underway, with the team announcing Monday that it will host Florida State at State Farm Center on Nov. 7. The teams will then meet again in Tallahassee, Fla., in the 2025-26 season.
➜ 2. Only three high school quarterbacks in Illinois have thrown for more yards in a single game than the 593 yards that Mahomet Seymour High School senior Luke Dyer threw for last Friday night against Morton, and his eight touchdowns are also the second-most in a single game in state history.
➜ 3. Brian Seaman won his first medal of his fourth Paralympic Games in Paris on Sunday. The 34-year-old University of Illinois graduate won bronze in the men’s T53 400 meters.
Numbers Game: 12
The Parkland volleyball team won its season-opening match. Coach Cliff Hastings’ squad has only dropped four sets so far through the first two weeks of the season, and Parkland (12-0) will face No. 10 Hartland (9-0) in its home opener on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Donald C. Dodds Jr. Athletic Complex in Champaign.
Crowd Control
Three events to watch
➜ 1. Kansas-Illinois football. The 22nd-ranked Jayhawks could move up a spot or two when the Associated Press poll is released on Tuesday, but they’re still a touchdown favorite until kickoff at 6 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Champaign.
➜ 2. CU Kiwanis Tip-Off Classic. Get a chance to meet and mingle with the University of Illinois men’s basketball team on Tuesday from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the iHotel and Conference Center in Champaign. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the event, which used to be a postseason banquet but is now a preseason event.
➜ 3. Illinois State vs. University of Illinois volleyball team. University of Illinois’ home opener is Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Huff Hall.
Coach’s Corner
Three questions for Paxton-Buckley-Rhoda girls basketball coach Jeff Shinn:
➜ 1. My favorite sports team is… any Chicago sports team: the Cubs, Bears, Bulls, or Blackhawks.
➜ 2. The three coaches I would like to have dinner with are Doug Novak, Pat Summitt, and Mike Songeros.
➜ 3. My biggest pet peeve is taking a timeout, planning a play, discussing a situation, and then not executing it on the court.