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Breaking news Great news...new chat feature now active

It's been years since we've had a live chat function on the site. I'm very happy to report that it's back.

When you are in the forums, click on "Chat" on the top line menu. Click on the current chat, or browse rooms for archived chats.

We're going to roll out the chat for the Kansas exhibition basketball game on Sunday, October 29 to give it a test run. I will link the chat room on the front page and here on the hoops message board. We will still have a live game thread on the board.

Here's the link to the Kansas game chat: https://illinois.forums.rivals.com/chat/room/illinois-versus-kansas-game-exhibition.2/

Right now the chat it set on read only. I'll open it up an hour or so before tipoff on the 29th and leave it open for post game discussion.

Let me know if you have any issues with the link.

I hope you guys really enjoy this feature. I think it has great potential. We can do all kinds of chats (signing day, games threads, breaking news, guest appearances, etc.)
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Breaking news Great news...new chat feature now active

It's been years since we've had a live chat function on the site. I'm very happy to report that it's back.

When you are in the forums, click on "Chat" on the top line menu. Click on the current chat, or browse rooms for archived chats.

We're going to roll out the chat for the Kansas exhibition game on Sunday, October 29 to give it a test run. I will link the chat room on the front page and here on the hoops message board. We will still have a live game thread on the board.

Here's the link to the Kansas game chat: https://illinois.forums.rivals.com/chat/room/illinois-versus-kansas-game-exhibition.2/

Right now the chat it set on read only. I'll open it up an hour or so before tipoff on the 29th and leave it open for post game discussion.

Let me know if you have any issues with the link.

I hope you guys really enjoy this feature. I think it has great potential. We can do all kinds of chats (signing day, games threads, breaking news, guest appearances, etc.)

Golf Crawford named B1G Golfer of the Week

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Fighting Illini fifth-year senior Timmy Crawford has been named Big Ten Golfer of the Week following his medalist performance earlier this week at the Dayton Flyer Invitational. The Big Ten Conference announced the honor Wednesday afternoon.

  • Won the first tournament of his collegiate career as an individual competitor at the Dayton Flyer Invitational
  • Carded rounds of 64, 66, and 67 to win the event by 11 strokes and set career-low scores for a single round (64) and 54-hole tournament score (197)
  • Recorded 49 of 54 holes at or below par, including 15 birdies and three eagles (one in each round)
  • His 197 total also tied for second-lowest tournament score in Illinois program history
It marks the first-career Big Ten Golfer of the Week honor of Crawford's career, and the third for the Fighting Illini in 2023-24.

Illinois' 2023-24 Big Ten Men's Golfer of the Week Winners
Sept. 14: Max Herendeen
Oct. 12: Jackson Buchanan
Oct. 18: Timmy Crawford

Jer'Zhan Newton named AP Midseason All-American

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton has been named to the Associated Press Midseason All-America First Team, it was announced Wednesday. Newton is one of two Big Ten defenders to make the first team, along with Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean.

Newton has been one of the top interior defenders in the nation to date. He is third in the nation in QB pressures among interior defenders with 25 entering Week 8 vs. Wisconsin, according to PFF, including eight more QB pressures than any other Big Ten interior defender. Newton also ranks second in the nation in PFF's defensive stops statistic with 21, and he is tied for the national lead in blocked kicks with two.

Newton was an AP All-American second team selection last season.

The Illini and Newton are back in action Saturday against Wisconsin at 2:30 p.m. CT at Memorial Stadium.

AP All-America First Team

OFFENSE

Quarterback — Michael Penix Jr., sixth-year, Washington.
Running backs — Jonathon Brooks, third-year, Texas; Audric Estime, third-year, Notre Dame.
Tackles — Joe Alt, third-year, Notre Dame; Taliese Fuaga, third-year, Oregon State.
Guards — Cooper Beebe, fifth-year, Kansas State; Zak Zinter, fourth-year, Michigan.
Center — Jackson Powers-Johnson, third-year, Oregon.
Tight end — Brock Bowers, third-year, Georgia.
Wide receivers — Malik Nabers, third-year, LSU; Luther Burden III, second-year, Missouri; Rome Odunze, fourth-year, Washington.
All-purpose player — Ashton Jeanty, second-year, Boise State.
Kicker — Will Reichard, fifth-year, Alabama.

DEFENSE

Edge rushers — Laiatu Latu, fifth-year, UCLA; Dallas Turner, third-year, Alabama.
Interior linemen — Howard Cross III, fifth-year, Notre Dame; Jer;Zhan Newton, fourth-year, Illinois.
Linebackers — Payton Wilson, sixth-year, North Carolina State; Jason Henderson, third-year, Old Dominion; Edgerrin Cooper, third-year, Texas A&M.
Cornerbacks — Kool-aid McKinstry, third-year, Alabama; Kris Abrams-Draine, fourth-year, Missouri.
Safeties — Malaki Starks, second-year, Georgia; Jaylin Simpson, fifth-year, Auburn.
Defensive back — Cooper DeJean, third-year, Iowa.
Punter — Tory Taylor, fourth-year, Iowa


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Williams named Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award semifinalist

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois junior wide receiver Isaiah Williams has been named a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award, the award's selection committee announced on Wednesday.

The award is presented annually to a college football student-athlete who embodies courage, integrity, and sportsmanship in a leadership capacity on and off the field.

"Isaiah represents everything that we look for in an Illinois football player," said Illinois head coach Bret Bielema. "His leadership on and off the field and his commitment to the people around him speaks volumes about the man that he is. He is a great representative for his family and the St. Louis community, as well as our Illini famILLy and the Champaign-Urbana and University of Illinois communities. Isaiah will continue to lead and impact people in a positive way for years to come."

Williams has given back to his communities in countless ways since arriving at the University of Illinois. He has visited nearly every area high school, volunteers his time to help single mothers, and was voted to the board of EMPOWER (Illinois' diversity and inclusion group for student-athletes). His work to mentor young people also includes serving as a flag football coach in a nearby league in Tuscola, Illinois.

This summer, Williams helped raise funds for himself and other Illinois student-athletes, including three teammates, to take a mission trip to Africa to learn and grow one of the poorest areas in the world. He is looking to continue his efforts to help those in need well into the future.

As a two-time captain, has been credited as one of the players to shift the culture of Illinois football. A member of the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List and semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy, Williams is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten and a two-time captain of the Illini. A 2022 All-Big ten honorable mention selection, he has already earned an undergraduate degree and is working toward his master's in strategic brand communication.

Created in honor of 2012 Walter Payton Man of the Year and long-time Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten, the Witten Man of the Year Award will name three finalists on Dec. 13 before naming this year's recipient at a ceremony in Frisco, Texas, on Feb. 15, 2024.

This marks the third consecutive season that the award has named a Fighting Illini student-athlete as a semifinalist: Vederian Lowe (2021), Tailon Leitzey (2022), and Williams (2023).

Full list of semifinalists:

DeWayne Carter (Duke), Matthew Cindric (California), Brian Dooley (Eastern Michigan), Jordan Travis (Florida State), Dylan Leonard (Georgia Tech), Jack Freeman (Houston), Isaiah Williams (Illinois), J.J. Weaver (Kentucky), Josh Williams (LSU), Blake Corum (Michigan), Xavier McDonald (Navy), Joe Shmiko (North Carolina State), Sam Hartman (Notre Dame), Cade Stover (Ohio State), Caleb Williams (Southern Cal), Joe Milton III (Tennessee), Tony Bradford, Jr. (Texas Tech), Mike Hollins (Virginia), Zach Frazier (West Virginia), and Chimere Dike (Wisconsin).

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