Big Ten Network : Illinois Top Stories

Kafka, 'Cats squash Illinois' bowl hopes

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:36:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Mike Kafka spent the third quarter carving up the Illinois' defense and building a 21-3 lead for Northwestern. When the Wildcats needed a stop to thwart an Illini comeback, Sherrick McManis pulled one out. Kafka threw for 305 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score, McManis' interception with 32 seconds left was upheld by replay review, and Northwestern defeated the Illini 21-16 on Saturday. Illinois redshirt freshman quarterback Jacob Charest was benched at halftime of his first start but came back in the fourth quarter to run for a touchdown and throw for another score to lead the Illini back. McManis sealed it for the Wildcats, pulling the ball away from Jarred Fayson's chest as the two rolled on the ground at the Illinois 35. Officials on the field ruled that Fayson never had possession, and replay officials decided they didn't have enough evidence to change the call. "It was a blur -- I just know it didn't hit the ground, and I caught the ball and came up with it," said McManis, who has four interceptions this season. "I was pretty confident [that the call wouldn't be overturned]. But you never know with those things." Illinois coach Ron Zook declined to blame the officials, but hinted he was not happy with the call. "Everybody has bad games," he said. "Players have bad games, coaches have bad games, officials have bad games. That's just the way it is." The win all but ensured Northwestern (7-4, 4-3 Big Ten) of going to a second straight bowl game. The Wildcats haven't been to consecutive bowls since going to the Rose and Citrus following the 1995 and 1996 seasons. "We're not satisfied with seven wins," said Kafka, who was 23 of 37 without an interception. "We want to go out and get that eighth win." Kafka missed most of the last two games, including the Wildcats' 17-10 upset at Iowa last week, because of a hamstring injury. Illinois (3-7, 2-6) is guaranteed of a second straight losing season and no bowl, two years after a trip to the Rose Bowl. The Illini had won two straight and were hoping to make an improbable run to bowl eligibility. Zeke Markshausen had six catches for 104 yards and a touchdown for the Wildcats. Charest made his first start, for the injured Juice Williams, and completed 14 of 27 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown and two interceptions. Charest was benched after going 5 for 14 for 34 yards in the first half in favor of Eddie McGee. But McGee was ineffective and Charest got another chance. Charest returned early in the fourth quarter and ran for a 10-yard TD with just over 10 minutes left to play. The 2-point conversion failed, leaving Illinois down 21-9. Charest found Chris Duvalt for a 32-yard touchdown with just over four minutes left and Illinois stopped Northwestern near midfield to get the ball back at its 21 with 1:14 to play. Four plays after the touchdown pass, though, McManis pulled the ball off Fayson's chest, ending the comeback. "[Fayson] was on his back on the field of play and the ball was basically on his chest," referee Dan Capron said after the game. "The receiver did not firmly grab and possess the ball. Before he had an opportunity to do so, the defender from Northwestern came up and did possess the ball." Northwestern had 222 yards of offense in the first two quarters, but couldn't put much distance between itself and Illinois. Northwestern kicker Stefan Demos missed two fields goals in the half -- and third in the second. Kafka found Markshausen for a 28-yard touchdown with 17 seconds left in the second quarter that gave the Wildcats a 7-3 lead and the game's first shot of momentum. "We couldn't really get much going before that," Markshausen said. "It felt good going into half knowing that we had some momentum built up" The senior led the Wildcats on a 99-yard drive early in the third quarter, first hitting Andrew Brewer for 52 yards and then punching the ball in himself from the Illini 1. He followed that up with a 12-play, 80-yard drive capped when backup Arby Fields stepped in from the Illini 1 with just over 13 minutes to play.

Illinois thumps Presbyterian College, 94-48

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:10:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) - Freshman D.J. Richardson scored 15 points, hitting four 3-pointers, to help No. 23 Illinois overcome a sluggish start and beat Presbyterian College 94-48 in the Las Vegas Invitational on Saturday night. The Illini's offense stalled early on against the Blue Hose's zone defense. With the game tied at 21, Illinois (3-0) closed the half with a 20-7 run to take a 13-point halftime lead. After turning the ball over eight times in the first half, the Illini surrendered the ball only once during the second half. The second half featured a strong start for the Illini as they picked up where they left off opening with a 25-2 run to put the game out of reach. Alex Legion hit a pair of 3-pointers sandwiched around a Bill Cole three on three straight possessions which extended Illinois' lead to 65-30. The Blue Hose managed to shut down 7-foot-1 center Mike Tisdale for a majority of the game as he was held without a basket until 18:07 left in the second half. Tisdale finished with five points and four rebounds. While rebounding had been an area of concern for Illinois coach Bruce Weber in previous games, Illinois outrebounded Presbyterian 48-19 - including 20 offensive boards. Mike Davis led the way with nine rebounds. He finished with 12 points. The game marked the first meeting between the two teams. All 13 Illini scored at least two points. Jake Troyli led Presbyterian (0-3) with 15 points as Illinois held the Blue Hose to 37 percent shooting and a paltry 16.7 percent from beyond the arc. The game marked the first meeting between the two teams. All 13 Illini scored at least two points. Jake Troyli led Presbyterian (0-3) with 15 points as Illinois held the Blue Hose to 37 percent shooting and a paltry 16.7 percent from beyond the arc.

DeBruler leads No. 5 Illinois past Wisconsin

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:41:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - It was a festive mood inside Huff Hall Saturday night. First, the Illini volleyball family honored its two seniors, Kylie McCulley and Ashley Edinger. In addition, Laura DeBruler was celebrating her 21st birthday. The junior All-American entertained the nearly 1,500 guests with 18 kills while hitting .424 in a 25-23, 25-11, 25-21 victory over Wisconsin in the final regular season home match of the season. Fifth-ranked Illinois, winners of 14 of its last 15 matches, improves to 15-3 in the Big Ten and 23-4 overall. Wisconsin falls to 6-12 in the conference and 11-16 overall. "The distractions of senior night are always a challenge," said Illinois head coach Kevin Hambly. "But we handled it well and took care of business." DeBruler was scintillating at times, tallying seven kills in the third set and adding seven digs for the night. Sophomore Michelle Bartsch had a solid night as well with nine kills and 12 digs, second only to Rachel Feldman (14) in that department. "Laura hit a couple of balls tonight that I don't think many players in the country can hit," Hambly said. Illinois had five aces on the night, giving the Illini 16 aces in six sets for the weekend. Once again, the Illini kept their opponent out of system, holding the Badgers to just a .092 hitting percentage. "We were doing a good job of serving aggressively," DeBruler said. "Everyone was getting after it on the serve." Wisconsin hit just -.061 in the second set while Illinois sided out at a 90 percent rate. The Illini hit .440 in that set and used an 11-2 run to go from a 10-7 to a 21-9 advantage. Freshman Jackie Wolfe served five of those points. Wisconsin used 12 different players with Caity Dupont pacing the Badgers with six kills while hitting .278. The first and third sets were competitive, but the Illini only lost the lead twice during each set. Illinois took the lead for good in set one at 12-11 after falling behind 9-7. Illinois steadily built the lead until Feldman tallied an ace to make it 21-16. Wisconsin used a 4-0 run which included a solo block by Kelsey Maloney to pull to within 23-21, but Illinois sided out from there. Set three saw more of the same. Illinois scored five straight points, four on the Kylie McCulley serve, to take a 7-3 lead. Wisconsin fought hard, tying the score a 13-13, but Illinois built a 20-16 lead capped off by an Erin Johnson kill on the back slide. Fittingly, the senior McCulley ended the match with an ace. "We set a goal of playing our best in December and that is almost here," Hambly said. "I think the perception of how well we're capable of playing keeps getting higher and higher. I think we could have played a little better tonight, but we're working harder to reach a new standard."

Iowa falls to Illinois, 3-0

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:48:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, IL –The University of Iowa volleyball team fell to fifth-ranked Illinois tonight at Huff Hall. The Fighting Illini fought off the Hawkeyes in three sets (25-9, 25-18, 25-18). Senior Megan Schipper picked up her 77th career ace in the contest to become the ninth player in program history to rank in the top 20 in career kills, blocks and service aces. Schipper paced Hawkeye offense with six kills while junior Mara Hilgenberg led Iowa with eight digs and 22 assists. ""We didn't pass well tonight,"" said Head Coach Sharon Dingman. ""That's been a constant problem we've been addressing because when we play good defense we are a significantly better team. It has to start with first touch. It's something we'll focus on again tomorrow as we prepare for Northwestern tomorrow night."" Iowa fell into a one-set hole by dropping the opening frame, 25-9. Iowa used kills from junior Becky Walters and sophomore Mallory Husz to battle to an early 2-2 tie, but Illinois used a 10-point run later in the set to take a commanding 16-5 lead. Walters ended the Illini run with a block and later added a kill, but Illinois (14-3, 22-4) controlled the final six points of the frame and held on for the set victory. The Illini rode their first set momentum to a 25-18 win in set two. Schipper recorded back-to-back kills in the early going to tie the set, 3-3, but Illinois later used a six-point run to build a 12-4 advantage. Iowa would later pull within five points, 20-15, behind a 5-2 run that included kills from Husz, Schipper and freshman Emma Krieger Kittle, but Illinois was able to pull away at the end and take a 2-0 set lead. Schipper led the Hawkeyes in the second frame with four kills. Krieger Kittle added three kills off the bench and Hilgenberg dished 10 assists. The Hawkeyes stormed out of intermission to grab a 7-5 lead in the third frame. Consecutive aces by Schipper tied the set, 4-4, and kills from Huss and Krieger Kittle helped Iowa gain the early lead. The Illini would later battle back to build an eight-point edge, 18-10, before Iowa responded with blocks from Walters and Schipper to eventually pull within four points, 19-15. Illinois then ran away with six of the set's final nine points to win the set and take the 3-0 match victory.

Illinois wins second straight, beats CMU

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:45:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Fighting Illini women's basketball team cruised to their second straight win Wednesday night at Assembly Hall, topping Central Michigan 77-59. Illinois never trailed in the game and dominated inside as senior center Jenna Smith had her third-straight double-double with 31 points and 12 rebounds and freshman forward Karisma Penn has 18 points, nine rebounds, five blocks and five assists. Senior Lacey Simpson also had a rare double-double combo of rebounds (16) and assists (11). Illinois (2-1) jumped all over the Chippewas (0-2) early with dominating inside play. Smith and Penn combined for the Illini's first 20 points of the game (each had 10) as the hosts raced out to a 20-8 lead just 7:38 into the first half. The Orange and Blue later had a 12-0 run midway through the first half, turning a 28-17 advantage at the 7:09 mark into a 40-17 lead with 3:29 to play. The Illini's largest lead was 27 points with 1:05 remaining in the half after sophomore Macie Blinn hit three straight three-pointers off the bench, but the Chippewas scored four quick points to make the halftime score 46-23. The Orange and Blue forced 15 CMU turnovers in the first half and converted that into a 21-4 edge in points off turnovers. In the second half, Illinois pushed the lead to as much as 28, leading 59-31 at the 13:01 mark, and cruised to the victory from there. For the game, Illinois shot 43.1 percent from the field (31-of-71) and dominated on the glass with a 49-35 rebounding advantage that included 18 offensive boards. The Illini also shared the ball well, dishing out 25 assists on the 31 made baskets. The 25 assists are the most for an Illini team since dropping 27 dimes on Rhode Island on Dec. 9, 2006. Illinois also collected 10 blocks as a team, paced by Penn's five swats, just one shy of the school record of 11. Smith, who was named to the Naismith Award Watch List earlier in the day, hit 12-of-20 from the field for her 31 points, just missing her career-high of 32 set exactly two years ago on Nov. 18, 2007 against Southern Illinois. Smith's point total moved her past the 1,600 point mark for her career as she finished the game with 1,611 points to move within 28 points of Angelina Williams' fourth-place total of 1,639 on the UI career scoring list. It was her 42nd straight game scoring in double-figures and was her 35th career double-double, which ties her for third on the UI career list with Cindy Dallas. Not to be outdone, fellow senior Simpson had a monster game despite putting up just two points on 1-of-8 shooting. Simpson pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds, including six offensive, and dished out 11 assists - just one shy of her career high. Defensively, Simpson not only added two blocks and two steals, but she completely shut-down CMU guard Shonda Long, holding her to three points on 1-of-7 shooting after she dropped seven threes and 30 points in the Chippewas' last game. Penn nearly had a third double-double for the Orange and Blue, hitting 8-of-15 from the field to match her point total from the last game. Blinn, meanwhile, provided some much-needed outside shooting to the mix by knocking down a career-high four three-pointers on seven attempts. Tonight's game was the second of three in a row at Assembly Hall for the Orange and Blue, who close out the homestand by hosting Bradley on Sunday, Nov. 22 at 1 p.m.

Freshman Paul sends Illinois past NIU

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:19:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Freshman Brandon Paul is making an immediate impact for Illinois. The sharp-shooting guard was the go-to man for the offense in the first half of No. 23 Illinois' 80-61 win over Northern Illinois, when he scored all 20 of his points Tuesday night. "The first half we came out with a lot of excitement," said Paul, who led the team in scoring for the second consecutive game. "My teammates did a good job of giving me the ball. It was flying, it was going in. I felt good." Paul had 14 of Illinois' first 21 points. He finished 6 of 16 from the field, including 4 of 8 from beyond the arc. Paul's outside shooting opened the lane for 7-foot-1 center Mike Tisdale and 6-9 forward Mike Davis. The two big men combined to shoot 7 of 15 with Davis and Tisdale scoring 14 and 10 points, respectively. Davis added a career-high 17 rebounds for his 11th career double-double. "I knew they were going to shoot a lot of 3s and jack it really quick so I tried to get into position," Davis said of his rebounding. "I did a good job of that." Foul trouble by Demetri McCamey forced Illinois head coach Bruce Weber to give freshmen Paul and D.J. Richardson more minutes, though turnovers were a problem. The Illini gave the ball away 14 times while recording only 15 assists. The Illini turnovers resulted in 17 Huskie points. "We had to face that predicament for the first time here," said Weber of McCamey's foul problems. "The young guys didn't take care of the basketball, basically handed it to them, allowed them to get back in the game." The team made up for the ball handling problems on the defensive end. Illinois had 10 blocks while holding the Huskies to 36.8 percent shooting, including 26.3 percent from behind the 3-point line. Illinois shot 43.5 percent from the field. McCamey had eight assists. "We made some plays," Weber said. "We're learning, it's all new. We took another step, and now we've got to see if we can take another one." Northern Illinois gave Illinois (2-0) a scare at the end of the half, going on a 14-3 run to close the gap to 49-41 on a half-court buzzer beater by the Huskies' Byran Hall. "It was a game going into halftime," Davis said. "The second half started out kind of slow so we had to dig in and get stops and see what this team's made of." After cutting Illinois' lead to three on a layup by Najul Ervin with 18:30 left in the game, a dunk by McCamey off a steal and an assist from Richardson extended the lead to five. A jumper by forward Dominique Keller and a layup by Davis extended the Illini's lead to nine. The Huskies didn't let up, trimming the Illini's lead to seven points with 12:27 remaining in the game but were unable to get any closer after Keller's dunk followed by McCamey's steal and layup put Illinois ahead by 11 and effectively shut the door on a Huskies comeback attempt. Ervin and Tony Nixon led the Huskies (0-2) in scoring with 10 points each.

Injury forces Illini freshman out for the year

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:22:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois freshman Amber Moore will miss the rest of the 2009-10 season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee Friday night in the Fighting Illini's season opener at Temple. "I really feel for Amber and her family," Illinois head coach Jolette Law said of Moore's injury. "She worked so hard leading up to the season and was coming into her own as a player. We are still expecting big things from Amber here at Illinois, we'll just have to wait a little longer to see what she can do. Her attitude has been very positive about this so far and I'm confident she'll come back stronger than before." Moore was injured with 4:01 left in the overtime period of Friday's game, the first game of her Fighting Illini career. She had eight points, including two three-pointers, in 22 minutes against the Owls. A native of Detroit, Mich., and a graduate of Country Day High School, Moore is scheduled for surgery in the coming weeks.

Illini bounce back, destroy Siena, 85-53

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:06:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois rebounded from Friday's season-opening overtime loss at Temple in a big way Sunday afternoon, running all over Siena for an 85-53 victory at Assembly Hall. The Illini shot 62.5 percent from the field and forced 34 turnovers to win their 12th straight home-opener. A pair of freshmen led the scoring attack as Karisma Penn had a game-high 18 points and Adrienne Godbold added 14, while Jenna Smith notched her 34th career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in limited action. There was a lot of talk heading into the season about Coach Jolette Law's squad having a new look, and that has proven to be true thus far. The Illini have pressed and run their way to 78 and 85 points in the first two games. Last season, the team's season-high was 66. On Sunday, Illinois got 49 points off turnovers and 26 off of fast breaks, numbers that were unheard of a year ago. The Illini were on fire offensively in the first half, hitting 18 of their first 24 shots (75 percent) overall and finishing the half shooting 68.8 percent en route to a 50-36 lead at the break. The 50 points in the half is the most since Illinois scored 50 in the second half of a 91-58 win over South Carolina on Nov. 23, 2007, and equals the highest point total in a half in the Jolette Law era at Illinois. Penn led the way at halftime with 11 points, while Smith had eight points and eight boards. In the second half, the Fighting Illini came out with a mission: to shut down Siena defensively. They did just that, holding the Saints to just three points over the first 12 minutes to extend the lead to 72-39 with a 22-3 run. The stifling Illinois defense held Siena to just 3-of-23 from the field (13 percent) and forced 19 turnovers in the second half alone. The Illini, meanwhile, cooled off a bit in the second half, shooting 54.2 percent (13-of-24) to finish at 62.5 for the game (35-of-56). Illinois' freshmen were sensational as Penn hit 8-of-13 from the field and had four steals and two blocks to go along with her 18 points. Godbold hit 5-of-6 from the field and 2-of-2 from three-point range for her 14 points. Brianna Jones had six points in 13 minutes of action and Kersten Magrum had three points and five rebounds in her 17 minutes. In all, the four freshmen that suited up Sunday combined for 41 points and 16-of-25 shooting (64.0 percent). The Orange and Blue played without freshman guard Amber Moore, who injured her knee during Friday's game at Temple and is awaiting the results of an MRI, and freshman forward Destiny Williams, who was not with the team today due to a coaches decision. Sunday's victory wasn't all about the freshmen, however. Senior leader Lacey Simpson was well on her way to a triple-double with seven points, six assists and six steals but played only 14 minutes because of first-half foul trouble and the large second half lead. Smith hit 5-of-7 from the field and scored in double-figures for the 41st consecutive game. She sat the final 13:22 of the game after securing her second straight double-double to open the season. Illinois nearly broke the school record of 63.8 percent shooting for a game set in 1986, but two misses in the final 30 seconds left the Illini at 62.5 percent, equaling the fourth-best single game shooting performance in school history. It marked the first time Illinois shot over 60 percent from the field since shooting 60.8 percent against UCLA on Dec. 19, 2004. The Illini's 34 forced turnovers marks the most since forcing 36 against Loyola on Nov. 18, 2005. Maja Gerlyng led Siena with 13 points, while Champaign native Allie Lindemann had seven points on 3-of-6 shooting.

No. 5 Illinois bounces back, beat Ohio State

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:44:00 +0000

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The No. 5 Illini volleyball team returned to its winning ways on Sunday, defeating Ohio State 3-1 (25-17, 25-8, 18-25, 25-21) at St. John Arena. Senior Kylie McCulley hit .344 and notched a match-high 15 kills and 14 digs to lead Illinois, who improved to 21-4 overall and 13-3 in the Big Ten. Aggressive serving by the Illini befuddled the Buckeyes and continually forced Ohio State (21-8, 9-7 Big Ten) out of system. "Our girls responded today and played at a high level," head coach Kevin Hambly said. "We really showed what we are made of in the first two sets, and I'm proud of the response we had as a team. Our serving really put them out of system the entire match and that took their middle out of it, which was huge." The Illini jumped out to a quick start, handily winning the first set behind four kills from junior Laura DeBruler and three service aces. Solid passing led to 16 digs and 12 assists in the opening frame for the Illini, while the Buckeyes passing broke down, as Ohio State only recorded six assists and a zero hitting percentage. Freshman Erin Johnson played well up front, adding three kills and two blocks to the mix. In the second set, Illinois picked up where it left off, controlling the frame and not allowing the Buckeyes to reach double digits. DeBruler posted four kills again, and the Illini block recorded three more kills to shut down the Buckeyes, who were held to four kills and a -.190 attack percentage in the second stanza. The Illini hit .400 for the frame, as McCulley began to heat up with three kills. The Buckeyes battled back to take the third set thanks to a perfect attack percentage from Kristen Dozier, who tallied six kills in six attacks. McCulley had four more kills in the frame, but couldn't overcome the .355 attack percentage by Ohio State. The Illini and Buckeyes went back-and-forth in the fourth frame, but the Orange and Blue grabbed the lead midway through the set and never relinquished it. Ahead 19-16, Illinois played sideout volleyball for the final 11 points to wrap up the match. McCulley and Bartsch caught fire in the fourth set, netting six kills and five kills, respectively, to seal the victory for the Illini. Bartsch hit .625, while McCulley attacked at a .545 clip. "We are a pretty steady team," Hambly said. "Laura (DeBruler) started out really hot, Kylie (McCulley) ended really strong and Michelle (Bartsch) had some big swings, especially in the fourth set." DeBruler finished the match with 14 kills, while sophomore Michelle Bartsch notched 10. Illinois posted double-digit blocks (10) for the third time in the last four matches and were paced by five block assists from Johannah Bangert. Junior setter Hillary Haen controlled the tempo with 44 assists, while sophomore libero Rachel Feldman added 10 digs. Up Next: Illinois heads home for a pair of matches at Huff Hall next weekend, as the Illini face Iowa on Friday and Wisconsin on Saturday. Both matches are slated to begin at 7 p.m. CT.

Illini's Bizzarri wins Midwest Regionals

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:23:00 +0000

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.- After tallying three consecutive runner-up finishes at the past three NCAA Midwest Regionals, senior and seven-time All-American Angela Bizzarri won the 6K race on Saturday with a time of 20:07.5 and earned All-Region honors for the fourth consecutive year. The No. 13-ranked Illinois women's cross country team placed second at the Missouri State Cross Country Course, as four runners finished in the top 25 to garner All-Region honors. By finishing among the top-two teams at the meet, the Illini earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships on Nov. 23 in Terre Haute, Ind. The Illini had a team total of 86 points and were 26 points behind champion Minnesota. The runner-up finish for the Orange and Blue marks the third time in three years that the Illini have taken home second place at this meet, as well as the third time in as many years that the Illini have been defeated by Big Ten rival Minnesota. The Orange and Blue have experienced much success at this meet, and for the past seven years, they have placed in the top-two and received an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. "Our goal for this meet was to be one of the top-two teams, and we achieved this goal so we are proud of that," women's cross country coach Jeremy Rasmussen said. "Angela (Bizzarri) and Kristin (Sutherland) ran very solid races today and Jamie (Brusa) also had a great race and a personal best. We are happy for the most part, and we are now looking ahead to Nationals. "Angela remained consistent today as she has been this whole year. She had a great race, and it was nice to see her win after she has come in second-place at this meet for the past three years." Bizzarri's win marks only the second time an Illini runner has taken the top spot at this meet, with Cassie Hunt's victory in 2004 being the only other time an Illini has accomplished this feat. The senior is the first Illini to ever place in the top 10 at the NCAA Regional Championships all four years. This victory is Bizzarri's second individual win of the year, including her victory at the Pre-National Invitational, and the third individual win of her career. Sophomore Kristin Sutherland continued to build on her successful season by finishing in fourth place with a 6K time of 20:44.1. This is the second time Sutherland has garnered All-Region honors, after placing 17th at last year's meet as a freshman. Senior Elizabeth Boyle (12th, 21:12.5) and junior Chantelle Groenewoud (23rd, 21:34.2) also received All-Region honors for the second straight year for their impressive performances at the meet. Jamie Brusa also scored for the Illini, coming in 51st place with a time of 22:07.4, which was a 6K personal-best for the junior. "For Nationals, we need to focus on racing together which is something we haven't really done yet this year," Rasmussen said. "This week in practice we will work on helping each other out during the race and running together. If we do that, then we should be in good shape for Nationals." The Illini will travel to Terre Haute, Ind., for the NCAA National Championships on Monday, Nov. 23 at 12 p.m. CT.

Mickow paces Illinois to 10th place finish

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:11:00 +0000

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Fighting Illini men's cross country team wrapped up the 2009 season at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships on Saturday at the Missouri State Cross Country Course. The squad placed 10th of 25 teams in the 10K race. Sophomore Colin Mickow earned All-Region accolades with an 18th place finish overall to lead the Illini for the sixth time this season. "Colin Mickow had a phenomenal race," cross country coach Wendel McRaven said. "He put himself in position from the start to run with the lead pack and from there, he executed the race plan. The team ran into some problems in the third quarter of the race, and we didn't finish as well as we have all season." Crossing the finish line second for the Orange and Blue and 57th overall was sophomore Jim Riddle with a time of 32:40. Finishing right behind Riddle was freshman Tom Achtien in 58th with a time of 32:41. Rounding out the Illini scoring were sophomores Nate Troester and Kyle Engnell, finishing 72nd and 87th overall, respectively. The Orange and Blue finished 10th place overall with 278 total team points. Oklahoma State took the team title with 50 points while junior Hassan Mead of Minnesota took home the individual title with a 10K time of 30:21. "Although we did not finish how we thought we were ready to, we got some good experience as a team," McRaven said. "This is a young team, and we will continue to learn and grow together to prepare for next season." Mickow is on the bubble to qualify for an individual bid to the NCAA National Championships, which will be held on Monday, Nov. 23 in Terre Haute, Ind. Qualifiers for Nationals will be announced on Sunday, Nov. 15th by 7:00 p.m. TEAM RESULTS (TOP 15) 1. Oklahoma State 50 2. Oklahoma 71 3. Iowa State 109 4. Minnesota 125 5. Southern Illinois 160 6. Iowa 170 7. Tulsa 174 8. Nebraska 248 9. Kansas 252 10. Illinois 278 11. Missouri 302 12. Illinois State 333 13. South Dakota State 375 14. Loyola (Ill.) 400 15. Illinois-Chicago 452

No. 23 Illinois beats SIU Edwardsville 96-69

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:40:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP)—Freshman guard Brandon Paul scored 22 points, and No. 23 Illinois rolled to a 96-69 victory over Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on Friday night. The Illini, ranked in the preseason Top 25 for the first time since 2005, shot 55.4 percent from the field and scored their most points in a game since 105 against Longwood in 2004. Paul and D.J. Richardson were the first freshmen to start for Illinois since Brian Randle in 2003. It also marked the first time that more than one freshman was in the Illini's starting lineup since the trio of Deron Williams, Dee Brown and James Augustine in 2002. Denykco Bowles, Aamir McCleary and Stephen Jones led SIU-Edwardsville (0-1) with 13 points each. The Illini's Jeff Jordan was forced to sit out the game as part of a two game suspension by the NCAA for playing in an unsanctioned event during the summer.

PSU sweeps No. 5 Illinois

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:30:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Behind a superb effort from junior Blair Brown (Purcellville, Va.), who tied her career high with 17 kills, the top-ranked Penn State women's volleyball team (27-0, 15-0) swept No. 5 Illinois (20-4, 12-3), 3-0 (25-20, 27-25, 25-15) on Friday night with 4,163 loyal Penn State fans packed into Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions extended their winning streak to 91 consecutive matches. Senior setter Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.) paced the Nittany Lion offense to a .350 hitting percentage and tallied 39 assists. Junior Arielle Wilson (Broadview, Ill.) finished second on the team in kills with nine and blocks with three. Junior Fatima Balza (Merida, Venezuela) led the team with four total blocks and junior Alyssa D'Errico (Byron, N.Y.) posted a team-high 11 digs. The Nittany Lions finished the night with 48 kills, five aces, 47 digs and 7.0 total team blocks. The Fighting Illini posted 37 kills, three aces, 36 digs and 4.0 team blocks. Penn State held Illinois to just .189 hitting for the evening. Penn State took a 2-1 lead in the opening stanza after an Illinois error and a kill by Glass, but the Illini soon tied it up at 3-3. The Nittany Lions took the lead for good after Brown's first kill of the evening. PSU led y five, 8-3, when Illinois called its first timeout. Illinois' Laura DeBruler posted a kill after the break, but another Brown kill and a D'Errico ace had Penn State leading 10-4. By midway through the set, Penn State had built an eight-point lead, 15-7, but Illinois managed to work to within four, 15-11, after three straight PSU errors. After a kill by senior Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.) and two Illini errors, Illinois called a second timeout. Johannah Bangert notched a kill immediately after the timeout, but Brown put up two kills followed by one from freshman Darcy Dorton (Muncie, Ind.) to give Penn State a 21-12 advantage. The Illini managed four straight kills to come within five, 21-16, but Brown cut off the run with another kill. A kill by Illinois' Erin Johnson, another from Bangert and a PSU error brought the Illini within four, 23-19, forcing Penn State to call a timeout. Wilson posted two kills after the timeout to give Penn State a 25-20 first set victory. Despite Wilson putting the Nittany Lions on the board first in the second set with a kill, back-to-back Illinois kills would have the Illini leading early, 2-1. Brown tied the set at 2-2 with a kill, but Illinois took the lead again, 5-2, after two kills from Michelle Bartsch and an ace by Jackie Wolfe. Penn State soon regained the lead, 6-5, thanks to kills from Brown, Balza and Dorton and an Illini error. The Nittany Lions managed to stay at least one step ahead of Illinois until halfway through the set when they had developed an 18-14 lead and the Illini called a timeout. Wilson pounded a kill following the break, but two Illinois kills and two PSU errors had Illinois within three, 20-17, a short time later. Three Illinois kills and another Penn State error brought the Illini within two, 22-20, and the Nittany Lions headed to the bench. The timeout did little to slow Illinois as the two teams were soon tied at 22-22 after a Hilary Haen ace and a block by Barstch and Bangert. The teams would tie twice more before a Hodge kill and a block by Balza and Dorton secured a 27-25 second set win for Penn State. The third set was all Penn State as the Nittany Lions took off early with a 4-0 lead. Illinois immediately called a timeout and Bangert put the Illini on the board with a kill. The two teams traded kills, but an Illini error had Penn State leading, 7-2. Illinois worked to within four points, 10-6, but that was the closest the Illini came for the remainder of the set. Penn State grabbed its largest lead of the set, 18-9, when Hodge followed a second Illinois timeout with a kill. Illinois fought to within six, 19-13, thanks to two DeBruler kills, one form Bartsch and a Wolfe ace. However, the Nittany Lions held off the Illini with on kill each from Balza, Brown and Dorton and a D'Errico ace for a 25-15 set three win. Penn State posted 16 kills on 28 errorless swings in the third set for a .571 attack percentage.

Illini wrestlers fall to Missouri

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:39:00 +0000

COLUMBIA, Mo. - No. 19 Illinois and No. 10 Missouri split the 10 bouts, but a fall at heavyweight gave the host Tigers the 18-16 victory at the Hearnes Center Thursday night. Junior John Deneen, filling in for B.J. Futrell at 125, scored Illinois' only bonus points of the night as he registered a 9-0 win over Troy Dolan. "We wrestled our tails off tonight," Jim Heffernan said. "We got upset in one match but we won all the toss-ups. Our effort was great and the guys did awesome." No. 7 Jordan Blanton started the dual well for the Illini, scoring a 7-4 win over No. 20 Dorian Henderson at 174. The pair battled to a 3-3 tie after the first period and Blanton started down in the second. He escaped to take a 4-3 lead and the period ended with the pair on their feet. In the third, Henderson started down and escaped, but Blanton scored a takedown and added riding time for the victory. But the Tigers won the next three bouts as No. 2 Max Askren notched a 9-4 win over No. 10 John Dergo at 184 despite Dergo holding a 4-3 lead in the third period. After earning a caution, Askren escaped, scored a takedown and got a three-point near-fall to pull away for the win. At 197, No. 13 Patrick Bond gave up an escape and a takedown in the third period before Brent Haynes added riding time for the 4-1 Tiger win. And No. 1 Mark Ellis earned a fall in 3:54 on redshirt-freshman Pat Walker to put Missouri ahead 12-3. But Deneen sparked the Illini comeback with his 9-0 win over Dolan, an opponent he dropped a 2-1 decision to last season, at 125. After a scoreless first period, Dolan started down and Deneen notched a three-point near-fall for a 3-0 lead after two periods. In the third, Deneen chose neutral and got a takedown before adding another three-point near-fall and riding time for the major decision. "John Deneen was awesome," Heffernan said. "He got thrown in there at the last minute, did a great job of making weight and majored a guy who beat him least year. He was phenomenal." At 133, redshirt-freshman Daryl Thomas couldn't mount a late rally against Missouri's Nathan McCormick, who led 3-1 after two periods and held off Thomas for the 3-2 win. But junior Ryan Prater got the Illini back on track at 141. Prater scored the first takedown against Todd Schavrien but the Tiger earned a reversal to even the score. Prater reversed Schavrien and added two near-fall points for a 6-2 lead after three minutes. Schavrien started down in the second and got a reversal and a three-point near-fall, but Prater eventually escaped and got another takedown to regain a 9-7 advantage. Prater started down in the third and escaped, but Schavrien got within a point at 10-9 with another takedown. Prater reversed him for two then added a two-point near-fall and riding time for the 15-9 win, bringing the Illini within 15-10. Sophomore Eric Terrazas scored four third-period points to take a 4-2 win over Brandon Wiest at 149, cutting Missouri's team lead to two points and senior Clint Arlis gave Illinois its first lead since the opening bout with his 3-2 win at 157 as the Illini pulled ahead, 16-15. The match came down to 165 pounds, where redshirt-freshman Conrad Polz squared off with No. 7 Nick Marable, a two-time All-American. After a scoreless first period, Marable started down in the second. He escaped and got a takedown to take a 3-0 lead, but Polz escaped before time ran out. The Illini started down in the third and escaped, and Marable was hit with a stalling warning, but Polz wasn't able to finish any late shots as he dropped a 3-2 decision to the Tiger senior. "Conrad had two or three chances to take the guy down and came close," Heffernan said. "He's in a situation where if he beats a two-time All-American, we win the match; he did everything he could and Marable was just able to hold him off long enough." The Fighting Illini return to the practice room before splitting up for the Sprawl and Brawl duals and the Missouri Open on Sunday, Nov. 22. At Sprawl and Brawl, Illinois will face Pittsburgh, Davidson and West Virginia. #10 Missouri 18, #19 Illinois 16 Match started at 174 174: #7 Jordan Blanton (ILL) dec. #20 Dorian Henderson (MU), 7-4 184: #2 Max Askren (MU) dec. #10 John Dergo (ILL), 9-4 197: Brent Haynes (MU) dec. #13 Patrick Bond (ILL), 4-1 HWT: #1 Mark Ellis (MU) pinned Pat Walker (ILL), 3:54 125: John Deneen (ILL) maj. dec. Troy Dolan (ILL), 9-0 133: Nathan McCormick (MU) dec. Daryl Thomas (ILL), 3-2 141: Ryan Prater (ILL) dec. Todd Schavrien (MU), 15-9 149: Eric Terrazas (ILL) dec. Brandon Wiest (MU), 4-2 157: Clint Arlis (ILL) dec. Patrick Wright (MU), 3-2 165: #7 Nick Marable (MU) dec. Conrad Polz (ILL), 3-2

Yes, Bruce CAN recruit; Richmond leads Illini class that ranks with nation's best

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

At 10:42 a.m. Wednesday, Waukegan senior Jereme Richmond faxed a signed letter of intent to Illinois. That might seem like a small administrative matter, but to Illinois coach Bruce Weber and his staff, the letter signified an official end to doubts about their recruiting abilities and the vindication of a strategy they implemented three years ago to start pursuing prospects as early as junior high. Three years ago, when Richmond, then a freshman at North Shore Country Day, gave an oral commitment to Illinois, Weber and his staff were reeling. Illinois had lost out on a laundry list of top in-state recruits, and the opinion that Weber couldn't recruit was starting to gain serious traction throughout the state. Richmond's commitment led to an ultra-successful recruiting run that has silenced critics. After signing, Richmond addressed his future coach's detractors. ''Saying that [Weber] can't recruit is just false,'' Richmond said. ''The fact is, he's not going to break the rules. Sometimes that means you have to sacrifice and not get some talented players.'' Weber secured a commitment after Richmond's first high school game. Never before had Illinois received a commitment from a player so young. On the heels of the Eric Gordon debacle, many Illinois fans worried that Weber would have trouble holding on to Richmond during the three-year, three-week wait before he could sign. Things didn't always go smoothly. Richmond admits he had flirtations with other schools. ''It was never really that I wanted to go somewhere else,'' Richmond said. ''I just wanted to see what other schools thought of me, who was interested. Just to find out if I really was considered one of the best players in the country. That's all it was.'' Richmond, a 6-7 forward, is the star of a three-recruit class that is ranked in the top 10 by most recruiting services. Crandall Head, a 6-4 forward from Rich South, and Meyers Leonard, a 7-0 center from Robinson, round out the class. ''With Richmond and Leonard, Illinois clearly got the top two players in the state of Illinois,'' recruiting analyst Joe Henricksen said. ''I can't remember the last time that happened.'' Leonard was a national unknown when he committed, but vaulted into the national top 50 this summer. ''He's not your typical southern Illinois player,'' Henricksen said. ''He has a toughness and a swagger and a little bit of an edge to him. He's extremely skilled, very agile and coordinated.'' Head, the brother of Indiana Pacers guard and former Illini star Luther Head, is expected to miss most of this season after having knee surgery in September. ''I think I could come back, but I don't think I will,'' Head said. ''I think I'll wait it out until college.'' Expectations will be sky-high for the class. ''I'm not worried about living up to the expectations at all,'' Richmond said. ''It's basketball. I know that if I do what is necessary on the court that we will have a very successful run.'' Three of the top girls basketball players signed Wednesday as well. Fenwick's 6-0 forward Trivia Listen signed with Duke, which has the top-rated recruiting class in the country. Hinsdale Central point guard Toni Kokenis signed with Stanford, and Montini's Michala Johnson signed with NCAA champion Connecticut. TOP 10 CLASSES From recruiting analyst Joe Henricksen: 1. Ohio State: Zion-Benton's Lenzelle Smith joins five others, including three in the top 20 nationally. The headliners are local boy Jared Sullinger, a 6-8 man-child from Columbus, 6-6 DeShaun Thomas and 6-4 shooter Jordan Sibert. 2. Memphis: First-year coach Josh Pastner made a big-time splash with a five-man class that includes two super talents in point guard Joe Jackson and shooting guard Will Barton. 3. Syracuse: Coveted big man Fab Melo, a 7-0, 270-pounder out of Florida and one of the top 20 players in the country, is part of a strong four-man class. 4. Duke: Will make a push toward the top if Harrison Barnes, one of the nation's best, picks the Blue Devils. The class includes two top-25-type talents, including dynamic point guard Kyrie Irving. 5. Illinois: Back-to-back stellar classes -- this year including 6-7 Jereme Richmond, 7-0 Meyers Leonard and athletic Crandall Head -- have quieted the Bruce Weber recruiting critics. 6. Michigan State: Stole 6-10 Adreian Payne, a top-20 player out of Ohio and kept Detroit point guard Keith Appling home as part of a four-man class. 7. North Carolina State: A trio of top-50 recruits for the Wolfpack in the guard tandem of Ryan Harrow and Lorenzo Brown and 6-8 Luke Cothron. 8. Wake Forest: A little of everything for Deacons with big men and guards, including four top-100 players: 6-11 Carson Desrosiers, 6-5 Travis McKie, 6-3 J.T. Terrell and 6-8 Melvin Tabb. 9. North Carolina: A couple of big, talented guards in the fold in 6-5 Reggie Bullock, one of the nation's top 10 players, and 6-3 point guard Kendall Marshall. 10. Stanford: Big man Dwight Powell headlines the top recruiting class west of the Mississippi. Copyright 2009 Chicago Sun-Times, Inc.All Rights Reserved

Illinois keeps its prize Richmond stays true to pledge, giving Illini one of top groups of recruits. COLLEGES

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Jereme Richmond was a high school freshman with one game of prep basketball experience when he committed to Illinois on Thanksgiving eve of 2006. Thus began a three-year waiting game to see if the Illini could hang on to the most critical recruit for their class of 2010. Richmond followed through Wednesday, helping give Illinois a class rated among the best in the country (No. 3 class by Rivals.com and No. 7 by Scout.com.) Richmond, a small forward from Waukegan, Ill., signed on the first day of the early-signing period along with shooting guard Crandall Head of Chicago, the brother of former Illinois guard Luther Head, and center Meyers Leonard, from Robinson, Ill. Richmond is the highest-rated player in the class. A 6-foot-6 forward, he is the 18th-best player in the country according to Recruiting Services Consensus Index, a compilation of ratings from seven recruiting sites. His status was much watched after Illinois lost recruit Eric Gordon to Indiana in 2007 after he'd committed to the Illini a year earlier. Richmond played one year at North Shore Country Day School near Chicago before transferring to Waukegan High, where he averaged 20.3 points and 9.7 rebounds as a junior. SLU SLU made a foray into Chicago with this year's recruiting class. Dwayne Evans, a 6-5 forward from Neuqua Valley High in Bolingbrook, Ill., near Chicago, signed a letter of intent, and SLU also has a commitment from Mike McCall, a 6-1 guard from Foreman High in Chicago. The school did not receive McCall's letter on Wednesday and has not announced the signing. Evans averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds a game last season as Neuqua Valley went 31-2, and he's on the honor roll at Neuqua. His sister, Janice, is a senior captain on the Washington University women's basketball team. "Dwayne's a good rebounder and a real good athlete," SLU coach Rick Majerus said. "He's an excellent competitor. He can play three positions, anything but point and center, and the best thing is he can defend three positions, and possibly point guard." McCall averaged 14 points, five assists and three rebounds as a junior. He is ranked sixth among Illinois seniors by ChicagoHoops.com. Evans is ranked No. 18. Those signings bring SLU to the limit of 13 scholarships (plus Paul Eckerle, who can go back on an academic scholarship if needed), though one could open up depending on what happens with Cody Ellis, who has yet to be cleared to play by the NCAA. His case is still on appeal. - Tom Timmermann MISSOURI The Tigers plan to announce their class today. Coach Mike Anderson previously had received a commitment from Phil Pressey, a 5-10 guard who currently is playing for Episcopal in Dallas. Pressey's father, Paul, was Anderson's college roommate at Tulsa. The younger Pressey played in the Boston area while his dad was on the Celtics staff. The Columbia Tribune reported that the Tigers have two other commitments, Kadeem Green, a 6-8 forward from Toronto, and Ricky Kreklow, a 6-5 guard from Columbia's Rock Bridge High. - Reid Laymance Copyright 2009 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Inc.All Rights Reserved

Illinois hopeful Williams plays Saturday

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:36:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) -- Illinois football coach Ron Zook now says he's cautiously optimistic that quarterback Juice Williams will play Saturday against Northwestern. Zook told reporters Tuesday that Williams' ankle is improving faster than originally expected. The coach had told reporters on Monday that Williams was doubtful for Saturday after hurting the ankle last weekend in a 35-32 win over Minnesota. Backup Jacob Charest will start for the Illini (3-6, 2-5) if Williams can't go. Charest is a redshirt freshman. He led Illinois in relief of Williams last Saturday and threw for 185 yards and a touchdown. Williams hasn't been able to practice this week, but Zook says the senior is a tough player who's played through injuries before.

Illini's Jordan ineligible for first two games

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:34:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) -- The NCAA has ruled guard Jeff Jordan ineligible for Illinois' first two games for playing in an unsanctioned event last summer. Illinois coach Bruce Weber says the reserve guard played in a three-on-three event. Jordan, who is basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan's oldest son, wasn't part of the Illinois team at the time. The junior left the team at the end of last season but changed his mind and returned in October. Weber called Jordan's playing in the event an innocent thing. Jordan will miss the 23-ranked Fighting Illini's season opener against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on Friday and Tuesday's contest with Northern Illinois.

Freshman shines in Illini's exhibition finale

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 21:24:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois closed out exhibition play Sunday afternoon with an 84-63 victory over Quincy at the Assembly Hall. Freshman D.J. Richardson recorded a game-high 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range, to lead the Illini. The Orange and Blue had four players score in double figures, as Alex Legion came off the bench to score 12, freshman Brandon Paul had 11 and Mike Davis added 10. Illinois trailed for the majority of the game's first 10 minutes, then went on a 10-0 run to take a 25-22 lead with six minutes left in the half, extending the advantage to seven points at intermission. The Illini pushed the lead to 10 early in the second half, but the visitors would not go away quietly. Quincy went on a 14-5 run to pull within 54-53 with 10 minutes remaining. Illinois controlled the rest of the game, however, outscoring the Hawks 30-10 over the final 10 minutes. Richardson scored 10 of his 23 during that stretch. The Illini shot 49 percent (30-61), including 42 percent from 3-point range, making 13-of-31 from behind the arc. Illinois tallied 21 assists on its 30 field goals, and after committing 19 turnovers in its first exhibition game vs. Missouri Southern, the Illini finished with just six miscues against Quincy. Illinois opens the regular season on Friday, hosting Southern Illinois-Edwardsville at 7 p.m.

Lewis University no match for Illinois

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 16:15:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Jolette Law's Fighting Illini took the Assembly Hall floor for the first time Sunday afternoon, cruising to a 75-40 exhibition win over Lewis University. All 13 Illini that dressed saw extensive playing time, including five freshmen who took the court for the first time in an Illinois uniform. Senior Jenna Smith led the way with 13 points in 22 minutes and freshmen Karisma Penn (11 points, seven rebounds) and Brianna Jones (10 points, nine rebounds) nearly had double-doubles in their debuts. Senior Lacey Simpson had nine rebounds, four points and four steals for the Orange and Blue, who forced 23 Lewis turnovers. Illinois was sloppy early, committing 12 first-half turnovers, but still led by 10 at halftime after a three-pointer by freshman Amber Moore at the first half buzzer made the score 33-23 in favor of the Illini. Moore hit three three-points in the first half for nine points, equaling Smith's nine first-half points. The Orange and Blue pulled away in the second half, closing the game on a 34-7 run after Lewis got within 41-33 with 15 minutes to play. Illinois shot 45 percent from the field (33-of-73) and 38 percent from three-point range (6-of-16) while holding Lewis to 29 percent overall (14-of-49). The defense limited the Flyers to 2-14 from behind the arc in the final 30 minutes after they started out hitting five of their first seven threes. Law tried several different lineup combinations in the game, as 12 of the 13 players saw at least nine minutes of action and no one saw more than 24. Sophomore Fabiola Josil was limited to just four minutes with a sprained knee and freshman Destiny Williams did not play due to illness. The other five freshmen from the famed recruiting class, however, were impressive, as Penn, Jones, Moore, Kersten Magrum and Adrienne Godbold combined for 38 points and 24 rebounds. In all, Law got 40 points and 30 rebounds from her bench, a big contrast from a year ago when only six players played a bulk of the minutes. Illinois dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Flyers 52-26 and holding a 38-8 edge on points in the paint. The Orange and Blue turned the Lewis turnovers into 29 points in the other end and had a 21-6 edge in second chance points. The Fighting Illini will now open their regular season on the road this Friday, Nov. 13, when they travel to Philadelphia to face Temple. Illinois begins the home schedule one week from today when Siena comes to Assembly Hall for a 4 p.m. tip.