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Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what’s going on around the area:
Will Riley and the Illini have their first Big Ten home game since Wisconsin played in Champaign on Dec. 10 when Penn State visits State Farm Center tonight.
Three reasons we love sports today
➜ 1. Illinois men’s basketball continues its rugged schedule on Wednesday night when Penn State visits State Farm Center in Champaign. The 13th-ranked Illini will try to reach a five-game winning streak for the ninth time in Brad Underwood’s eight seasons leading the program.
➜ 2. High school wrestling meets with extra meaning the next two nights. First up is the Twin City meet featuring Centennial, Champaign Central, St. Thomas More and Urbana that begins at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Centennial to determine who has C-U bragging rights.
➜ 3. Then, at 4 p.m. Thursday at Mary Miller Gym on the Danville Area Community College campus, the Vermilion Valley Conference tournament takes place.
Illinois fans at a women’s basketball game against Oregon State on Nov. 22 at State Farm Center in Champaign
Numbers game: 4,888
is the average attendance for the 10 Illinois women’s basketball team’s home games so far this season at the 15,544-seat State Farm Center in Champaign. The Illini (11-4, 1-3 Big Ten) will attempt to end a two-game losing skid at 6 p.m. Thursday at State Farm Center against No. 23 Iowa (12-3, 2-2). The Hawkeyes, meanwhile, have played in front of a nation-best 28 consecutive home sellouts at 14,998-seat Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Illinois wide receiver Zakhari Franklin and the rest of the Illini couldn’t slow down Penn State in late September. Now, the Nittany Lions are a win away from the national championship game.
Crowd control
Three events I’m paying attention to
➜ 1. Penn State at Illinois men’s basketball. First of two Big Ten home games this week at State Farm Center for the Illini tips at 8 p.m. Wednesday before Southern Cal visits Champaign for an 11 a.m. start on Saturday.
➜ 2. Notre Dame vs. Penn State football. Illinois hung with Penn State during a 21-7 road loss on Sept. 28. Now, the Nittany Lions (13-2) meet the Irish (13-1) at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Orange Bowl for a spot in the national title game.
➜ 3. Ohio State vs. Texas football. Ohio State stops by Champaign in nine months for the first time since 2015. First up is Friday night’s Cotton Bowl between the Buckeyes (12-2) and Longhorns (13-2).
Matt Leskis with, from left, his daughters Sidney, Sophie and Mattison.
Coach’s corner
Three questions with Champaign Central football coach Matt Leskis:
âžœ 1. My favorite sports team is … the Chicago Bears.
âžœ 2. Three coaches I’d like to have dinner with are … Phil Jackson, Bill Belichick and James Franklin.
âžœ 3. My biggest pet peeve is … tardiness. I hate being late or people being late when they’re meeting with me.