Facing 4th-and-1 with a four-point lead and 1:54 left on the clock, Duke decided to go for the jugular and clinch the game.
The 60,000-plus people in Gies Memorial Stadium knew where the ball was going. Illinois' defense knew who was getting the ball. Duke's offense definitely knew who they trusted.
Nate Sheppard, who had already scored three touchdowns on the day, ran up the middle for two yards, and the Blue Devils were able to run out the clock for a massive 31-27 victory in Champaign against the Fighting Illini.
"I think everybody knew right there where the ball was going," Sheppard said. "I think the whole stadium knew where the ball was going. It was just a matter of could we execute."
It was the 24th carry of Sheppard's day, with the sophomore running for 147 yards and a touchdown while also catching five passes for 41 yards and two scores. Despite the three trips to the end zone, his most impressive run might have been the one that set up his first touchdown of the game: a 19-yard run where he continued to evade would-be tacklers somehow and keep his balance.

#ball #three

Duke improved to 2-0 on the season with a hard-fought 31-27 victory over Illinois on the road in Champaign in a sold out Gies Memorial Stadium. A non-conference Power Four win is a huge accomplishment in Week Two of the season.
Quarterback Walker Eget completed 15 of 21 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns. Nate Sheppard rushed 24 times for 147 yards and one touchdown, and caught five passes for 41 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Jonah Burton caught four passes for 76 yards and a touchdown.
Cornerback Evan Smith accounted for the game's only turnover when he intercepted a pass from Illinois quarterback Katin Houser.
Play One: Illinois was leading 17-7 and Duke was facing a 4th down and four yards to go with nine minutes and 41 seconds remaining in the 2nd quarter. Duke lined up to punt but hiked the ball to Nate Sheppard instead of punter Kade Reynoldson and Sheppard ran for 15 yards and a 1st down. This play switched momentum from the Illini to the Blue Devils. Four plays later Nate Sheppard rushed two yards for a touchdown cutting the Illini lead to 17-14.
Play Two: At the eight minutes and 28 seconds mark of the 1st quarter, quarterback Walker Eget hit wide receiver Jonah Burton for a 12 yards touchdown pass to tie the game at 7-7. Burton did a great job securing the ball as he went to the ground.

#illinois

CHAMPAIGN, Ill — Katin Houser and the Illini are off to a hot start against the Blue Devils. It the first drive of the game, Illinois methodically picked apart the Duke defense and ended the 9-play drive with a Collin Dixon touchdown.
Houser looked ultra efficient throwing 5-5 for 55 passing yards. His connection with Dixon was also on display, who caught three passes for 31 yards.
The cherry on top being the 13-yard strike to the back of the end zone with Dixon making the athletic grab. The kick was good giving Illinois the 7-0 lead.

#houser #blue #devils

Sep. 11—CHAMPAIGN — The fallout from the Michigan-Western Michigan fiasco includes the Big Ten's decision to add more transparency to replay discussions.
That's a change from the earlier, when the Big Ten said it would use expanded network access on replay only for Friday games.
Now, starting Saturday, all replay reviews will be available to the networks airing the games. Duh. The Big Ten could have saved itself all sorts of trouble had replay rules been different at Michigan Stadium last Saturday night before the Wolverines avoided an upset loss, winning 13-12 on a second-chance Hail Mary.
"Ironically, last year I think it was the ACC that did live replay," Illinois coach Bret Bielema said Thursday at the Smith Center. "I know in spring meetings they told us they were going to have a camera in the Big Ten office."
Illinois has two Friday night games scheduled later in the season, so that bit of news was already on Bielema's radar.

#games #Friday #night

Fans may notice something is missing from the Illini hoops schedule this season, leaving them asking, where are the big home games?
It's no secret Brad Underwood has worked hard at strengthening the Illini's non-conference schedule, from agreeing to home-and-home deals, and booking out the United Center or Madison Square Garden. It just so happens that excitement will be lacking at State Farm Center this year.
A large portion of this is luck of the draw; it's the Illini's turn to travel to Cameron Indoor and battle the Blue Devils, and they'll return the favor in 2028. The same goes for Texas Tech, who will also travel to Champaign in 2028. However, away games aren't the only hurdle Underwood's squad will face, as they meet North Carolina, Missouri, and UConn, for neutral site games. The good news is UConn is being hosted at the United Center, an arena accessible to many Illini fans.
Something fans can keep in mind is that this could potentially mean a loaded home non-con schedule for the 2027-2028 season. With a "blue blood" like Duke already scheduled for SFC, any extra addition would make for a good home schedule.
Just because Kansas or UConn isn't playing the Illini in Champaign doesn't mean there is nothing to look forward to. Penn will be meeting in Champaign on Thursday, Nov. 5, looking for a rematch to its first round NCAA tournament loss the Illini handed to them (and the return of Illini arch-nemesis Fran McCaffery). Sophomore David Mirkovic posted a career high 29 points against the Quakers, and is slated to return from a left foot surgery right in time for this game.

#return

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Katin Houser threw three touchdown passes and ran for a score in his Illinois debut as the Illini defeated UAB 42-23 on Thursday night in a season opener.
Houser, who transferred from East Carolina, completed 13 of 17 passes for 182 yards. Collin Dixon caught six passes for 70 yards and two TDs, and Ca'Lil Valentine rushed 11 times for 88 yards and a score.
UAB's Ryder Burton completed 18 of 33 passes for 219 yards and a TD. He also rushed for a score. Jonah Delange kicked three field goals for the Blazers.
Illinois scored two TDs on its first six plays and led 21-13 at halftime.
A 65-yard punt return by Mac Resetich set up the first TD — an 18-yard pass from Houser to Dixon. Valentine scored on a 51-yard run.

#illinois #three #completed

Champaign, Ill — Four seconds remaining in the first half, and 54 yards away from the UAB goal line. That was the position Katin Houser was in, up only one point, on the Blazers – however, magic was about to happen.
Houser, with all the time in the world, stepped up in the pocket and fired a missile that was tipped into the hands of Ty Robinson for a touchdown, as the clock read triple zeros.
The play put Illinois (1-0) up eight heading into the half and ultimately led to their victory over the visiting UAB Blazers (0-1) by a score of 42-23.
It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for Illinois, though. UAB gave the Illini a serious run for their money – literally. The Blazers' run game was on point in Thursday's contest, with Braylon McReynolds and Roderic Robinson II combining for 114 of the team's 194 rushing yards.
UAB also dominated the time of possession, controlling the ball for 41:03 compared to the Illini's 18:57.

#illinois #point

CHAMPAIGN, IL — The fifth-year linebacker started out the season hot, after a ****** ed pass from QB Ryder Burton ended up right in the linebackers' hands. There was nothing but green pastures Infront of him and an orange endzone calling his name.
On top of this 59-yard pick six, the JUCO standout ended his night at Gies Memorial Stadium with six total tackles, including two solo's in Illinois 42-23 win against the UAB Blazers.

#ryder

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illini have sold out reserved lower bowl season tickets in consecutive years for the first time in program history. This comes in a period of resurgence under head coach Shauna Green, who will be heading into her fifth season with the orange and blue.
Under Green, the Illini have finally found their footing. After a 20-year NCAA Tournament drought, Green has led the Illini to three appearances in four years on top of notching three 20-win seasons. Illinois, who had one of the youngest teams in the nation last year, is poised for a breakthrough year, hoping to make it to the second weekend in March.
With incredible team and coaching performances, the Illini have seen a surge in attendance. Three of the top five home crowd attendance records have come under Green, including the third sellout matchup in program history against USC this past February. The total home attendance for the 2025-26 season neared 100,000, making the campaign the second-most successful in Illini women's basketball history.
The orange and blue have had fantastic performances at State Farm Center in Coach Green's tenure. In the past four seasons, the Illini are 51-15 in Champaign.
The Illini have also racked nine ranked wins with Green, five of which were at home, including a massive upset against No. 7 ranked Maryland in a New Year's Day 2026 showdown.

#season #home

Illini Isaac is joined by Ethan Pavey of The Champaign Room to break down the UAB Blazers and preview what they hope to see in Illinois' first game of the season.
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#https #gtlk #isaac

Sep. 1—CHAMPAIGN — Good news for fans of Illinois football.
Especially those who favor offense. Hudson Clement is ready to get back on the field.
When the senior wide receiver talked to the media on Monday at the Smith Center, it was his first time speaking with reporters since the start of training camp.
Clement, who enters his second season with Bret Bielema's program, wore a green no-contact jersey during part of training camp. He reportedly suffered a concussion in drills.
Clement is not on the school's injury list and is expected to play in this week's season opener against UAB with kickoff set for 8 p.m. on Thursday from Gies Memorial Stadium.

#season #illinois #especially #Monday

The wait is almost over.
Illinois football opens the 2026 season Thursday night at Memorial Stadium, and while there are plenty of questions surrounding Bret Bielema's new-look roster, the Illini enter their opener as a massive favorite against UAB.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Illinois is currently a 27.5-point favorite, with the over/under set at 54.5 points. The Illini moneyline sits at -7,000, while UAB is a massive +2,000 underdog.
So, what should we expect when the lights come on in Champaign?
There are certainly reasons to be cautious about laying nearly four touchdowns in a season opener.

#opener #favorite

Aug. 29—CHAMPAIGN — Barry Lunney Jr. has taken a unique path when it comes to quarterback development at Illinois.
The fifth-year offensive coordinator has leaned into the idea that "it takes a village."
Lunney is one of three Illinois coaches working with four Illini quarterbacks this season. He's still involved despite handing off the quarterbacks coach ****** le to Art Sitkowski. Pass game coordinator Mike Neu is also part of the equation.
"I know that sounds probably a little bit unique that you'd want that many people coaching them, but I think it's really good for the quarterback to have a different perspective and different feedback from different people," Lunney said. "We work really well together and have clearly defined roles in how we deal with them."
★ ★ ★

#different #coordinator #really

Aug. 29—CHAMPAIGN — Brad Underwood's address to the crowd at Atkins Golf Club ahead of the 25th annual Illini Rebounders/Lou Henson Golf Outing included a mea culpa.
The Illinois men's basketball coach brought up the sting of this past April's Final Four loss to Connecticut and his insistence the Illini would get back to that stage during his 31/2 minute speech. He also thanked the fans in attendance for their consistent support of the program he's about to enter his 10th season leading.
Then Underwood discussed the recently released nonconference schedule for the 2026-27 season. A 12-game slate featuring multiple games against power-conference teams, but one that notably didn't have any of those teams coming to Champaign to play at State Farm Center.
"I will apologize," Underwood said. "I'll take the heat. It was very hard. Because we're expected to be OK, ****** ody wanted to come to Champaign and play us in a home-and-home."
Illinois, of course, is expected to be more than just "OK" this coming season. Five returning rotation players from a Final Four team with a high-level transfer addition and a six-man freshman class led by five-star guard Quentin Coleman has the Illini in the conversation among the best teams in the country.

#champaign #illini #four

Aug. 27—BLOOMINGTON — The Champaign Central girls' flag football team cruised past host Bloomington 72-6 on Wednesday night, thanks to 130 passing yards and six touchdowns from quarterback , while caught six passes for 185 and four touchdowns.
Central (2-0) scored on nine of its 10 drives and amassed 373 total yards.
Also, on Wednesday night, ran for a 70-yard touchdown in the waning moments of the Urbana girls' flag football team's season opener against host Manual to propel the Tigers to a thrilling 15-14 win against the Rams in Peoria.
converted the go-ahead extra point to put Urbana (1-0) ahead and secure the win.
ARMSTRONG — The Armstrong-Potomac volleyball team notched a 25-20, 25-20 victory against Heritage on Wednesday night.

#night #flag

The Illinois basketball program will get another opportunity to host one of its 2027 commits in Champaign this fall.
According to 247Sports' Dushawn London, Illinois commit Quinton Kitt will take an official visit to Illinois on Oct. 22.
Kitt has been committed to Illinois since November, when the East Peoria native chose the Illini over a number of high-major offers, including Iowa, Michigan and Northwestern. He became the first member of Illinois' 2027 recruiting class.
The 6-foot-6 forward has continued to rise up the national recruiting rankings since his commitment. 247Sports Composite currently has Kitt rated as a four-star prospect and the No. 74 player nationally.
Kitt visited Illinois last August. At the time, Kitt told TCR that he was looking for a program that could develop him, help him reach the next level and compete for March Madness appearances.

#program #london

Aug. 23—A wonderful tradition dating to 2018 played out Saturday morning in Urbana — bigger and better than ever.
A total of 72 girls' swimmers and divers from Urbana, Champaign Central, Centennial, Uni High, St. Thomas More and Mahomet-Seymour participated in the C-U Relays, a service project and charity event that brings rivals together in advance of the competitive season.
What takes place out of the pool is highly impressive.
Teams and families collect snacks, diapers and Pull-Ups for children in Crisis Nursery's care. After the meet, swimmers, divers and coaches deliver the donations to Crisis Nursery's Touch-a-Truck event in Champaign.
"We are incredibly proud of these 72 young women for coming together not only as athletes, but also as members of our community," Urbana coach Amanda York said. "The meet is a great example of how high school athletics can extend beyond competition and provide opportunities for teamwork, service, friendship and community involvement."

#crisis #service #meet

Good morning, Illini fans. We're officially in the final two-week stretch before Illinois football returns, and Monday brought plenty of news from Champaign. Here are the things that matter this morning.
The Illini were left out of the AP Top 25 preseason poll Monday, receiving nine votes and unofficially landing at No. 33.
That's a little lower than some Illinois fans probably hoped for after last year's 9-4 season.
Ranked teams are all over the schedule. Illinois faces No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Oregon and No. 22 Iowa.
Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. met with the media Monday and offered perhaps his strongest endorsement yet of new starting quarterback Katin Houser.

#illini #here #ranked

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) -- Illinois volleyball unofficially kicked off the season with an exhibition match against Bradley, falling 3-1.
The teams agreed to play four sets, regardless of the result after three. Bradley won the first three sets, with Illinois taking the final 25-15.
"We've had a couple internal scrimmages, but we played against ourselves for a long time," head coach Chris Tamas said before the game. "At the end of the day, we're about execution, and you got to go out there and do it when you know, the lights are bright and you got fans in the stands and everything else. So to have the opportunity to have the exhibition becomes a big deal."
Illinois opens the regular season on August 28 against Cincinnati.
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#bradley #three #wcia #chris

After two years of flirting, does the College Football Playoff court Illinois football in 2026?
Some may call this a best-case scenario; some may call it a pipe dream. But call it highly possible! Given the history of the CFP, 10 wins is the line of demarcation. In the past couple of years of the 12-team CFP, only one team had fewer than 10 wins. That was Duke last year, the ACC champ with only 9 wins. So I feel fairly safe in saying they are an outlier. In last year's CFP, there were only three teams with 10 wins. The Illini are projected as a middle of the pack lower top half of the league team. Do the Illini have 10 wins on the schedule?
With the non-conference schedule, Illinois should be 3-0 when they travel to Columbus to face the Ohio State Buckeyes. I am not discounting UAB, Duke and Southern Illinois, but all three games are in Champaign; Duke will be the stiffest opponent, 9-5 in the ACC last season and losers to Illinois 45-19 in Durham.
The Big Ten schedule is actually favorable to Illinois. They don't play Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Penn State, or USC. They do catch top-tier Ohio State on the road and host Oregon. They also host AP preseason top 25 pick Iowa. On the road, they face Michigan St, Maryland, UCLA and Northwestern, along with home games vs. Purdue and Nebraska.
You might ask how that is favorable? Ohio State and Oregon are Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in the AP preseason poll; Iowa is 20. The rest of the schedule is either highly winnable games or Illinois should be favored to win.

#state #duke #last

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) - Rick Renfro couldn't hold in the tears when his son, Jake, committed to Illinois in January of 2026.
Rick Renfro played for the Illini in the 1980s, winning a Big Ten ******* le in '83, and playing in the '84 Rose Bowl.
Now, Jake Renfro joins U of I football for his seventh and final year of college football, transferring in from Wisconsin. Like his father, Jake plays offensive line. He is projected to start at center for Illinois.
"I sat and cried," Rick said regarding his reaction when he found out Jake would play for Illinois.
Rick says then-Illini head coach Lovie Smith recruited Jake, out of Mokena, Ill., a little bit in high school. Then, when Jake entered the transfer portal to depart from Cincinnati, following the 2022 season, Bret Bielema reached out. However, Jake opted to follow head coach Luke Fickell as he made the move from Cincinnati to Madison.

#rick #renfro #coach #champaign

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) -- As the second week of fall camp gets started, Corey Parker is as excited about his room as ever.
Parker returns strong athletes like Matthew Bailey and Jaheim Clarke, who are poised to teach newbies like Jakwon Morris and Nick Hankins the ropes, something Parker says his returners can do well with their different backgrounds and leadership styles.
"They understand that every day is a new day," Parker said. "I can't get too high, can't get too low, and with great leadership in a room like Jaheim Clarke, you have that. And so you see younger guys coming along really, really good, because he doesn't let one rep go by that he's not talking to them when they're coming off the field."
Clarke returned to illinois this season after starting in eight games with 21 solo tackles..
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#parker #jaheim #room #leadership

Aug. 9—CBS Sports' "Eye on College Basketball" podcast has featured a "Summer Shootaround" series each of the last few offseasons. Illinois was included this year for a reason. The **** le of the podcast — "Illinois' case as the best team in college basketball" — pretty much explains why.
The 36-minute video featuring Matt Norlander and Tom Fornelli dives into several aspects of Illinois' offseason and why expectations are high in Champaign ahead of the 2026-27 season. Which led to an interesting segment with the question of if Brad Underwood is already the second-best coach in program history.
Fornelli's answer? Yes, Underwood is already second behind Lou Henson, with "a very good chance" to be No. 1 when his time in Champaign is finished.
"I think his superpower is he's so adaptable," Fornelli added. "He's been at Illinois for nine seasons, this will be his 10th season, and I feel like he's gone through 4-5 different iterations of what he wants his basketball team to look like. He changes things up when they're not working. He follows trends and he's trying to get things that will work out.
"I also think that this is not a cheap roster. The financial buy-in is there. When it comes to the NIL game, Illinois is more than happy to play. They are more than happy to do what it takes to make sure they're getting that talent."

#illinois #Basketball

Aug. 8—CHAMPAIGN — Pat Bryant has become the standard of comparison for Illinois wide receivers during Justin Stepp's tenure coaching that position for the Illini.
Bryant's willingness to block on the perimeter was held up as an example. So was the versatility he possessed that allowed Stepp and offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. to line him up in every spot a wide receiver could occupy.
"We did all kinds of stuff with Pat," Stepp said. "We put him everywhere. We lined him up at fullback."
That was a special case, of course, but did lead to the game-winning touchdown against Nebraska two years ago in Lincoln, Neb. The Cornhuskers' defense didn't account for Bryant out of the backfield, and he was wide open in the end zone on a first-and-goal overtime play.
Bryant at fullback might have been an outlier, but being able to cycle as many wide receivers as possible through the more typical spots they line up at on game day is Illinois' goal. Stepp has that in this year's wide receiver corps from guys like Collin Dixon, Hudson Clement, Jayshon Platt, Brayden Trimble and even 6-foot-5, 220-pound Alex Perry.

#bryant

Aug. 8—CHAMPAIGN — Stepping into the role of head cheerleading coach at the University of Illinois represents a homecoming for MaKayla Gayler, alongside a continuation of a lifelong love for her sport.
"Lifelong" is no exaggeration here. Gayler says there are baby photos of her in a cheerleading outfit.
"I have a long line of cheerleaders in my family," Gayler said. "So it's definitely a full-circle moment."
Of course, she wasn't performing on the sideline as an infant. Gayler's actual cheerleading career began at the ripe age of 5.
She started with Oakwood Youth Football Cheerleading and continued to stick with cheering at each school she attended in the Oakwood school district, all the way through high school graduation.

#lifelong #champaign #stepping #illinois

Aug. 8—CHAMPAIGN — Brandon Henderson's path to his role as Illinois' starting right guard was anything but a linear progression.
Henderson repped at all five offensive line positions during his freshman season in 2023, playing nine games as he mostly bounced between tackle and guard. Pegged as the starter at right guard heading into the 2024 season, the East St. Louis native gave way to Zy Crisler early in the season before taking back that spot on the line.
And it's his spot.
Henderson started 12 of 13 games at right guard last season and will be back in that position this season as the lone returning starter on a new-look Illinois offensive line this fall.
Not that he's letting simple inertia make his starting spot a guarantee.

#right #henderson #offensive

Aug. 8—There are several moments and events that seem to indicate the official start of the college basketball season. One of those in Champaign is the annual Basketball Tip-Off Event hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Champaign-Urbana, which is now in its 102nd iteration.
This year's event is in exactly one month — Tuesday, Sept. 8 — at the iHotel and Conference Center. Like in years past, the C-U community will get a chance to meet the current crop of Illinois basketball players, including several who helped the Illini reach the Final Four last season.
for the event, with prices set for $70 for adults and $20 for children under 12. Proceeds will go to Kiwanis of Champaign-Urbana to help with the club's philanthropic, youth-focused community activities. Those include sponsorship of the C-U Kiwanis Little League, Camp Kiwanis Girl Scout Camp, the C-U Kiwanis Tom Jones Challenger League, Little Free Libraries and the Kendall Gill Golf Outing in support of Cunningham Children's Home.
Doors will open for this year's event at 4:45 p.m., with a 5 p.m. ***** tail social hour and hors d'oeuvres followed by dinner and dessert and the program featuring Illinois coach Brad Underwood. Underwood will preview the 2026-27 season and introduce all of the players.
For more details about the event, contact Doug Fink at or by calling (217)-714-5204, or contact Joy Owen at Webber & Thies Law Offices at or by calling (217)-367-1126.

#champaign #illinois #little

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) - Illinois football will need guys to step up on the defensive line in 2026.
The Illini saw a flood of departures after the 2025 season, via both graduation and the transfer portal. Gabe Jacas, arguably Illinois' best player on defense in 2025, graduated, and was drafted by the New England Patriots. James Thompson and Leon Lowery, both tied for second on the team in sacks on the year, graduated as well. Tomiwa Durojaiye also contributed up front for Illinois, and he transferred to South Carolina.
Illinois lost young talent to the portal in Angelo McCullum and Eli Coenen, too.
Who could make noise in opposing backfields in 2026?
Illini head coach Bret Bielema offered up three potential starters when talking with reporters at Big Ten Football Media Days in late July. He says Joe Barna, Pat Farrell and Darrell Prater are likely to see lots of snaps in 2026.

#Football #england

Aug. 6—CHAMPAIGN — Bret Bielema ran into Melvin Gordon last week in Chicago at Big Ten media days.
The Illinois football coach couldn't help but reminisce about the Wisconsin teams he coached with Gordon a go-to option in the run game. It didn't start out that way, of course.
Gordon might have stacked up award after award in 2014 when he led the nation in rushing with a staggering 2,587 yards, but the eventual Pro Bowl running back and Super Bowl champion started his Wisconsin career fourth on the Badgers' depth chart at running back.
That was the team Bielema thought of first when he crossed paths with Gordon at the Hilton Chicago. The running back room that included Montee Ball, James White and Jeffrey Lewis in addition to Gordon.
"I'm not saying we're quite there, but I do think our running back room is getting close to what we had going some other places," Bielema said about the collection of running backs he has this season in Champaign.

#back

Aug. 6—There's hardly been an offseason that's passed in Champaign without some word out of Ubben Basketball Complex about the next Illinois team playing faster. Has it actually happened? Not always.
Last year's Illini ranked 288th nationally in adjusted tempo, per Bart Torvik. Was Illinois quick into actions once it got into its halfcourt offense? Sure. Quick getting up and down the court? Not quite.
The 2024-25 Illini ranked highest in tempo, checking in at 17th nationally, but Underwood's Illinois teams have run the gamut in that metric. Last year's was the slowest, but for good reason.
Keaton Wagler dictated pace for Illinois in 2025-26. The freshman guard was at his best in a halfcourt setting, so that's how the Illini played.
"Keaton was elite in ball screens," Underwood said. "We were No. 1 in the country, he was, in points on ball screens. We figured that out pretty quick that he was very good at that."

#quick