Lucas Byrd just pinned National #1 to become Big Ten Champ at # 133! Awesome display!

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Orlando Antigua and Geoff Alexander were both in to see this kid over the weekend and offered him.

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Can someone post a link or links to the sites that computer rank the teams that is used by the selection committee for seeding?

It might be helpful to pin this if Doug thinks it will be useful.

TIA!

Illinois Earns No. 7 Seed in Big Ten Tournament

Illini to face Ohio State/Iowa Winner Thursday

Big Ten Tournament Central | Tickets

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois is the No. 7 seed in the 2025 Big Ten Tournament. The Fighting Illini will open play at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis in Round 2 on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT on BTN. The Orange and Blue face the winner of the Round 1 matchup between 10th-seeded Ohio State and 15th-seeded Iowa.

Illinois is the defending Big Ten Tournament Champion. Under the guidance of head coach Brad Underwood, Illinois has won three conference titles, highlighted by B1G Tournament crowns in 2021 and 2024.

The Fighting Illini are the only program to finish with a winning Big Ten record in each of the last six seasons. During this six-year stretch, the Orange and Blue are tied with Purdue for the most wins in league play (81) and total victories over B1G opponents including the conference tournament (87).

Illinois is 20-11 overall, winners of three straight, and owning eight Quad 1 wins on the year. Illinois enters the postseason tied with Auburn for the national lead with a combined 25 Quad 1/Quad 2 games played.

The Illini are one of only four teams nationally to record 20-win regular seasons in each of the last six years, joined by Gonzaga, Houston, and San Diego State.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Joe Kim, a veteran consultant and coach with over 30 years of experience in the NFL, joined the Illinois football staff as the program's Skill Development Coordinator, head coach Bret Bielema announced. Kim is widely regarded as one of the top pass-rush experts in the nation.

"I am very excited to have Joe Kim join our staff here at Illinois," said Bielema. "With Joe, we are bringing in a source of information and a skill set that is unique to all of college football. When speaking with some of the most elite NFL players that have worked with Joe, it is immediately clear the impact and daily influence his teachings have on their foundation of skills, leading them to become the best versions of themselves. Joe transcends high-level players of all positions by relying on the basic skills and fundamentals of great football plays. He will make an immediate impact on everyone in our building on and off the field."

"I am extremely excited to be a part of the University of Illinois football program," said Kim. "Coach Bielema's vision and execution for the Fighting Illini has been highly successful. Winning a Super Bowl Championship with Coach Bielema in New England made me a believer in his leadership ability and incredible knowledge of the game of football. I am looking forward to helping this team with the big picture: to win football games. Thank you to Coach B for believing in me and bringing me aboard."

Called "the pass-rush guru" by Nick Saban, Kim's innovative philosophies use martial arts-driven techniques and apply them to the game of football. A seventh-degree black belt in taekwondo, Kim has worked with 11 NFL teams, including the Super Bowl LIII champion New England Patriots, and numerous Pro Bowl-level defenders including Matt Judon (New England Patriots), Tamba Hali (Kansas City Chiefs), Justin Houston (Kansas City Chiefs), Anthony Pleasant (Cleveland Browns), and Michael Dean Perry (Cleveland Browns).

Kim most recently served as the New England Patriots' Director of Skill Development from 2019-24 after serving as the team's pass rush consultant in 2018. He has coached for the Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Chicago Bears, Washington Redskins, and New England Patriots after breaking into the NFL with the Cleveland Browns under head coach Bill Belichick as a pass rush consultant and assistant strength coach in 1992.

Kim is recognized as one of the of the most successful taekwondo instructors and coaches in the United States, having produced over 250 black belts as well as several national and international champions. He is the founder of Football Combatives, a renowned website that further spreads the teachings of his proven techniques to all levels of players and coaches.

Kim and his wife, Jeana, have two daughters, Katie and Lexi.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Matt Ellerbrock was named the Illinois football program's assistant linebackers coach, head coach Bret Bielema announced. Ellerbrock joins the Fighting Illini with a decade of college coaching experience.

"We are excited to add Matt to our coaching staff," said Bielema. "Matt comes highly recommend from around the coaching profession. His experiences over 10 years in college football, including working alongside Archie McDaniel for two years, will benefit both our coaches and student-athletes."

"I am beyond excited to join the Illini family," said Ellerbrock. "My family and I are excited to get to Champaign and meet the special people of this community. I look forward to working everyday with an incredible group of coaches. I am fired up to work with a very talented linebacker room and continue to help them grow both as players and as men. Huge thanks to Coach Bielema for this amazing opportunity."

In his career, Ellerbrock has coached in five bowl games including helping lead Houston to a victory in the 2022 Independence Bowl over Louisiana. He spent four seasons over two stints at Houston, including working as a defensive analyst under current Illinois linebackers coach Archie McDaniel from 2022-23.

The 2022 Houston team reached as high as No. 24 in the AP poll in its final year in the American, before Ellerbrock helped the program in its transition to power-conference football in the Big XII in 2023. In 2024, Ellerbrock moved to IMG Academy, where he coached the team's linebackers.

Ellerbrock also worked at Houston from 2019-20 as a defensive graduate assistant focusing on linebackers and safeties, before spending the 2021 season as the linebackers coach at McNeese State. He coached McNeese's All-Southland Conference First Team honoree Kordell Williams, who registered 100 tackles and ranked fourth in the Southland with 9.1 tackles per game.

Prior to his first stint at Houston, Ellerbrock spent two seasons at Arkansas State from 2016-18 as the program's defensive graduate assistant working with linebackers and safeties. Arkansas State was one of the best in the country at defending the pass in 2017, ranking 11th in the nation in passing defense at 177.8 yards allowed per game. In his first season at Arkansas State, Ellerbrock helped the Red Wolves to an 8-5 overall record, a Sun Belt Conference championship with a 7-1 league record and a 31-13 victory over UCF in the 2016 Cure Bowl.

A four-year starter at Midwestern State, Ellerbrock got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant at his alma mater in 2013, then moved on to Stephen F. Austin as a graduate assistant from 2014-15.

As a player at Midwestern State, Ellerbrock was a two-time Honorable Mention All-Lone Star Conference performer and helped lead the program to three Lone Star Conference championships and postseason play every year. He started 44 of 46 career games and totaled 231 career tackles, 28.0 tackles for loss, and 7.0 sacks. Named a captain as a senior, Ellerbrock was honored as the Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the LSC championship-clinching win at No. 12 West Texas A&M.

Ellerbrock earned his bachelor's degree in sport and fitness management from Midwestern State University in 2012. He earned his master's degree at Stephen F. Austin State University in secondary education in May 2016.

Ellerbrock and his wife, Samantha, have one daughter, Ariella.

Can someone post what that looks like after last night?

Congratulations to the Illini. Hard fought victory. Great to beat Purdue!

First time since before Christmas, 1977 that a Purdue player has had a triple double. Joe Barry Carol was the last one to do it. And the first one to do it. LOL

Part of it is coaching philosophy.
Ayo, Domask, and two more did it. BU gets it. That kind of thing is good for the program. In other words, when they got close the coach let them play.

Outstanding win tonight!

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Morez Johnson remains out.

Carey Booth listed as questionable.

It wasn't worth a whole new thread for one bullet point but USC creamed Washington last night and they are up to 66 in the NET. So I'll add some more thoughts.

The only games on the schedule that might move around are:

@Rutgers (79) - Quad 2 loss could move up to Quad 1 if Rutgers plays better
vs. UCLA (26) - Quad 1 win could move down to Quad 2 if they fade

I think our 30 games so far are otherwise mostly locked in:

7-9 Quad 1
6-2 Quad 2
0-0 Quad 3
6-0 Quad 4

I also asked Grok to give me a formula for converting resumes into seeds. Here's what it came up with:

Resume Score=(3.0⋅Q1W)+(1.5⋅Q2W)+(0.5⋅Q3W)+(0.1⋅Q4W)−(1.0⋅Q1L)−(0.5⋅Q2L)−(1.5⋅Q3L)−(3.0⋅Q4L)
Adjusted Score=Resume Score−NET/50+(10⋅WP)

• Seed 1: Adjusted Score > 40
• Seed 2: 35–40
• Seed 3: 30–35
• Seed 4: 25–30
• Seed 5: 20–25
• Seed 6: 15–20
• Seed 7: 12–15
• Seed 8: 9–12
• Seed 9: 6–9
• Seed 10: 3–6
• Seed 11: 0–3 (often First Four teams)
• Seed 12–16: < 0 or automatic qualifiers with weaker resumes

Resume Score=21.0+9.0+0.0+0.6−9.0−1.0−0.0−0.0=20.6
Adjusted Score=20.6−0.4+6.33=26.53

Typically this resume would map to a 4 seed.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Artur Sitkowski has been promoted to co-quarterbacks coach, head coach Bret Bielema announced. Sitkowski will work alongside offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. in leading the quarterbacks room for the Fighting Illini.

"Art continues to impress in our building every day," said Bielema. "He brings an exceptional energy and passion for Illinois football, and we are excited to be able to promote him from within our program. His voice, knowledge, and demeanor will continue to be a great asset for our current student-athletes and also on the road in recruiting."

"Art's knowledge of our system and ability to coach, teach, and connect with our quarterbacks has been extremely important in the development of our offense," said Lunney. "He is a special coach with unique leadership abilities. I am excited to continue our work together as we grow and develop our quarterbacks room."

"I am extremely blessed and thankful for the opportunity from Coach Bielema and the staff to continue to be a part of this great organization and university," said Sitkowski. "This university has changed my life because of the people in the Smith Center and around the Champaign-Urbana community. I am excited to continue to work and develop our quarterbacks and student-athletes not only in football but in life. ILL!"

Sitkowski finished his second season on the Fighting Illini staff and first as an assistant quarterbacks coach in 2024. He served as a student assistant in 2023 following five seasons playing college football, including two years at Illinois.

In his first season as assistant quarterbacks coach in 2024, the Illinois offense powered the Fighting Illini to a 10-3 record, tying the program's single-season wins record, and a final ranking of #16 in the AP Top 25. With All-Big Ten quarterback Luke Altmyer, Illinois featured one of the nation's most efficient passing attacks, which helped the Illini post the No. 3 red zone offense and No. 6 scoring offense in the Big Ten. Altmyer finished the regular season as one of four Power-4 quarterbacks nationally with 20+ touchdowns and five or fewer interceptions, and ranked 33rd in the nation in passing efficiency, to lead the Illini to four top-25 wins in a single season for the third time in program history, capped by a victory over #14 South Carolina in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in one of the best bowl wins in program history.

Sitkowski finished his playing career at Illinois for two seasons under Bielema from 2021-22, following a three-year stint at Rutgers from 2018-20. He threw for 2,838 yards and 14 touchdowns during his career, including 807 yards and six touchdowns during his two seasons at Illinois. Sitkowski threw only two interceptions on 229 attempts (1 INT per 114.5 attempts) from 2020-21, the third-best among Power-5 quarterbacks over the two-year stretch (average: 39.7).

Sitkowski's career highlights include leading Illinois to a 20-18 win at #7 Penn State in the longest game in college football history (9 OT) in 2021. The next season, he entered the Iowa game in place of injured starter Tommy DeVito and helped lead the Illini to a 9-6 victory over the Hawkeyes as part of Illinois' six-game winning streak that vaulted the Illini to a #14 ranking in the nation.

Sitkowski is a native of Old Bridge, New Jersey. He played high school football at Old Bridge High School for three years before transferring to IMG Academy (Fla.) as a senior.

Illinois hopes it is peaking at the right time as regular season comes to a close and March Madness approaches. Story from John Supinie.

Who you got for...

Player of the year?

Coach of the year?

Freshman of the year?

Defensive player of the year