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Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what’s going on around the area:
The News-Gazette
A look at the crowd inside the Esquire for ‘Monday Night SportsTalk,’ when Illinois women’s basketball director of operations Maya Solomon, former Illini and Courtsiders President Susan Bonner and the team’s radio play-by-play man Mike Koon joined the WDWS radio show.
Three reasons we love sports today
➜ 1. Many thanks to Maya Solomon, Susan Bonner and Mike Koon for stopping by the Esquire in downtown Champaign for ‘Monday Night SportsTalk,’ to discuss all items related to the Illinois women’s basketball program.
➜ 2. Listen to the podcast of the WDWS radio show featuring Solomon (the Illini’s director of operations), Bonner (the former Illini and president of the Courtsiders booster club) and Koon (the team’s radio play-by-play man) right here before the Illini tip off their Big Ten tournament stay on Thursday evening.
➜ 3. Speaking of the Big Ten women’s basketball tournament, check out Wednesday’s News-Gazette for a six-page special section to get the lowdown on Shauna Green’s Illini.
Jake Davis has taken 61 of his 81 shots this season from beyond the three-point line.
Numbers game: 91
more three-point attempts the Illinois men’s basketball team needs this season to become the first in program history with 1,000 three-point attempts in a season. The 909 attempts in 30 games already ranks second, only eclipsed by the 917 put up by last season’s Illini in 38 games. Illinois has made 280 three-pointers this season, tied for fourth in program history.
Braden Smith and Purdue visits Champaign for a Friday night showdown with the Illini.
Crowd control
Three events I’m paying attention to
➜ 1. Nebraska vs. Rutgers women’s basketball. The 10th-seeded Cornhuskers (19-10) and 15th-seeded Scarlet Knights (11-18) tip off at 5 p.m. Wednesday in the first round of the Big Ten tournament. Why does this matter? The winner gets seventh-seeded Illinois (21-8) at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the second round at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
➜ 2. No. 18 Purdue at Illinois men’s basketball. The Illini (19-11, 11-8 Big Ten) have lost five straight against the Boilermakers (20-9, 12-6). Will the trend change Friday night in Champaign?
➜ 3. Eastern Illinois at Illinois baseball. The Illini (6-4) host the Panthers (3-6), coached by former Illini and Danville native Jason Anderson, at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Coach’s corner
Three questions with Rantoul girls’ basketball coach Kameryn Brotherton:
âžœ 1. My favorite sports teams are … the Seattle Kraken and the Alabama men’s basketball team.
âžœ 2. Three coaches I’d like to have dinner with are … Pat Summitt, Joe Mazzulla and Nick Saban.
âžœ 3. My biggest pet peeve is … untucked jerseys.