LOL. This dude is unhinged.

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OPTASTATs:

There have been over 300,000 games across the NBA, WNBA & Division I (men/women)in the last 25 seasons.

In only one of those did a team score 95+ points, shoot 70% or better from three and have five or fewer turnovers.

That team was the Minnesota Gopher men today (yesterday), they still lost.

As Andy Katz and Dave Revsine pointed out, it’s never been done before. So, perhaps our defense was lacking BUT
we were up against a team that shot it historically well. And we did too.

Enough
to win it by 8 scoring a combined 202 points.

Late tipoff tonight. 8 pm on BTN.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois baseball (3-5) played long ball in today's home opener, slugging four home runs in a 12-2 victory over Eastern Illinois (1-6) at Illinois Field.

Drake Westcott picked up his first multi-home run effort of the season, going 3-for-4 with three runs, a pair of dingers, four RBI and a walk. Camden Janik had a three-hit performance of his own, going 3-for-4 with two runs, a double, a home run and three RBI.

Cooper Omans earned the win in his first start in front of the home fans, working 5.0 shutout innings, allowing just three hits while striking out six. Will Lavin, Korey Bunselmeyer and Evan Clark all worked 1.0 scoreless frames out of the bullpen.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Illini jumped out to a 3-0 in the first after Westcott went the opposite way for his first home run of the contest, a three-run shot with two outs. Illinois would double the lead in the second, with Asher Bradd bringing home Cameron Chee-Aloy with a sacrifice fly and Janik bringing home a pair with a double to make it 6-0.

Westcott made it 8-0 in the fifth with his second homer of the game, a two-run blast to right center. Janik launched a solo shot in the sixth to make it 9-0. Collin Jennings' sacrifice fly and Brody Harding's RBI-single in the seventh made it an 11-0 game.

Jacob Schroeder came off the bench to pinch hit in the eighth and crushed a solo home run for his first of the season, capping the scoring in the game for the Orange and Blue.

The Panthers would score twice in the ninth but Payton Hutchings would finish the game and give the Illini the 12-2 win.


GAME NOTES
» Drake Westcott went 3-for-4 with three runs, two home runs, four RBI and a walk.
» First Illini to have multiple home runs in a game this season.
» Had three such games last year.
» First multi-hit effort of the season.
» Drew his team-leading seventh walk of the season.
» Camden Janik went 3-for-4 with two runs, a double, a home run and three RBI.
» Third-multi hit effort of the season...has hit safely in four-straight games.
» Brody Harding went 2-for-4 with a run and RBI.
» First multi-hit game of the season.
» Cameron Chee-Aloy went 1-for-2 with a run scored and a walk.
» Has hit safely in all eight games this season...is batting 8-for-28 (.286) with a .982 OPS.
» Cooper Omans earned his first win of the season in his home debut.
» 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 6 SO
» Held the Panthers to 1-for-7 with RISP.
» The Fighting Illini out-hit the Panthers at a 12-8 clip.
» Illinois went 4-for-8 (.500) with runners in scoring position.
» Illinois pitchers faced 38 Eastern Illinois hitters in the game, allowing 12 ground balls and seven fly balls while striking out seven.
» The Fighting Illini drew four walks from Eastern Illinois pitching.

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RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK

Sunday: Who should be No. 1?

Monday: Five-Star Countdown | Meet the new five-stars

Tuesday: New Rivals250 released | Gorney goes position-by-position | Biggest movers

Wednesday: New offensive position rankings

Thursday: New defensive position rankings

Friday: New state rankings

Saturday: Rankings roundtable

Indiana knocks off Wisconsin- good to see

BYU comes back from down 12 to beat Kansas in Lawrence. Dickinson was awful at the charity stripe. I’m sure the Jayhawk fans want Self fired

Iowa beat Penn State

Illinois checks in at No. 13 in the AP poll and No. 16 in the USA Today Coaches poll.

They are No. 17 in the NET and No. 10 in the KenPom rankings.


Others receiving votes: BYU 92, Texas Tech 65, Clemson 45, TCU 45, Wake Forest 44, Wisconsin 42, Nevada 25, Colorado St. 20, Arizona St 17, New Mexico 10, FAU 8, Oklahoma 7, Nebraska 7, Mississippi St. 5, Washington 4, Appalachian St 3, Northwestern 1, Boise St. 1, McNeese St. 1, Indiana St 1, Loyola Chicago 1.

New Rivals250: https://n.rivals.com/prospect_rankings/rivals250/2025
The Five-Star Countdown: https://n.rivals.com/news/rivals-rankings-week-five-star-countdown-55
New 5-stars breakdown: https://n.rivals.com/news/rivals-rankings-week-meet-the-four-new-five-stars-4
Rivals250 biggest risers: https://n.rivals.com/news/rivals-rankings-week-ten-biggest-risers-in-the-rivals250-20
Position-by-position look at new Rivals250: https://n.rivals.com/news/tuesdays-with-gorney-new-2025-rivals250-released-4

It appears that one of their "home" games will be played at Lambeau Field, most likely the game against Wisconsin on Oct. 19.

Many NW fans not happy about that as they feel it will be mostly Badger fans. But why should they complain. That's usually how it is when they play conference opponents at Ryan Field

It appears we will play them at Wrigley with the contingency being Soldier Field.

Kansas renovation situation 2024 is a lot different. They locked down the MLS Soccer stadium in Kansas City, KS for their two non-conf games and Big 12 games will be played at Arrowhead.

Big Will might know something the Syracuse situation in 1979. Archibald was torn down and the Carrier Dome was under construction. They played two home games at Giant's stadium, two at the Bill's Stadium, and one at Cornell's stadium. They still managed to go 6-5 regular season and win a bowl game.

Yes, they are 17-11. However, not all 17-11 records are created equally.

Michigan State is 3-8 in Quad 1 and 6-3 in Quad 2 games. They are 8-0 in Quads 3 and 4.

Illinois is 4-5 in Quad 1 and 5-2 in Quad 2 games and we're a 4 seed. We are 11-0 in Quads 3 and 4. Those 3 additional Q1+Q2 games means that MSU can afford some extra losses and not be at risk of losing their bid.

T-Rank had them at 97.9% chance of making the NCAA Tournament before today's loss. That basically means they need to win 1 more regular season game to get a bid. They are still ~90% likely to make it. They are in the "work to do" category but I fully expect them to get a bid (even though I would enjoy them somehow missing it.)

They did just have two Quad 2 losses (we had full meltdowns on this board after each Quad 2 loss this season) so that's certainly a bad sign for them. Just don't get too excited yet.

Not achieved since Lou Henson. First two seasons to turn the program around, the five NCAA-worthy seasons in a row. No reason to think we won’t get there in either of the next two seasons given the strength of our NIL and recruiting.

We had a couple shortened seasons but we have yet to break through to the 25 win mark. If we do break through and hit that level it will require some postseason success. Maybe we even go up another level. Just need that Sweet 16.

On the other hand, if we fall short and the program feels like it has plateaued then fan discontent will begin to simmer and potentially boil over. It very much feels like we’re still at a crossroads. Hard to argue that the arrow isn’t pointing up from last season (if we lost our last 6 we’d end up with an identical record as last year.)

We’ve hit our baseline from last year with today’s win (and will surely make the NCAAs) but this is our chance to capture program momentum with every subsequent win, especially in March Madness. Who knows how it will end?

Not sure this is the correct board to post this but the women’s indoor track and field team is currently the top ranked program. IN THE COUNTRY! Petros turned that program from a bottom third program in the B1G to competitive on a national level in less than 3 years.

Illinois 95 Iowa 85

10 point win is good. Rocky at times, but finished it off great i the last 6 minutes.