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Sports editor Matt Daniels is looking at what’s going on in the area.
Forward Parker Krogman thanks Mary Henson for his hospitality after the Lanark (Eastland) Cougars left after visiting his home in Champaign on Friday, March 14, 2025. They play in the 1A State Basketball title on Saturday. Behind him are Braden Anderson and Payton Spears.
3 reasons why I love sports today
➜1. Thank you to Mary Henson for stopping by Esquire for “Monday Night Sports Stoke” on Monday evening. Listen to the podcast featuring the wife of late Illini men’s basketball coach Lou Henson.
2. Scott Richie, the Illini men’s basketball beat writer of News Gazette, will appear in Milwaukee on Thursday in tow by staff writer Joey Wright, ahead of the Illini men’s basketball team’s first round NCAA tournament game on Friday night. Illini women’s basketball beatwriter Joe Vozzelli leaves Thursday for Austin, Texas, before Illini plays Clayton on Saturday night.
➜3. Be sure to check out Wednesday’s paper for the 12-page NCAA Tournament Special section.
Illinois head coach Blood Underwood following the team’s first round NCAA Tournament victory at the Chee Health Center in Omaha, Nevada on Thursday, March 21, 2024.
Number Game: .800
The Illinois men’s basketball team played the first round of NCAA tournament games on Friday since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985. Illini is 12-3 in those games. Illinois has a record of victory in the first round game on Thursday, but is only 6-5 with a .545 win percentage. Take out what you want now before Illini (21-12) plays Texas (19-15) or Xavier (21-11) on Friday around 8:45pm.
Lucas Byrd will make the entrance before the Illinois wrestling team meets Missouri on November 21st in Champaign.
Crowd control
Three events I’m paying attention to
➜1. Texas vs Xavier men’s basketball. You need to imagine CU people watching Trutv on Wednesday night when the 11th seed Longhorn and Musketer play in Dayton, Ohio. The winner will win Illinois State on Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Milwaukee.
➜2. NCAA Wrestling Championship. Illinois has eight wrestlers on the field starting Thursday in Philadelphia. Includes Lucas Bird, who holds the number one seed in his 133 pound bracket.
➜3. Illinois vs Clayton women’s basketball. Eighth seed Illini (21-9) will defeat the NCAA Tournament Saturday at 6:15pm against the ninth-seeded Blue Jays (26-6) in Austin, Texas.
Isaiah Planck and his fiance, Hannah Hunzinger.
Coach’s corner
Three questions about Sullivan’s cross-country coach Isaiah Plank:
➜1. My favourite sports team is… the Illinois football team.
➜2. The three coaches who want to have dinner are Brett Bilema, Jack Daniels and Arthur Lydiard.
➜3. My biggest pet Peeve is… when people don’t listen to instructions.
