The daily pitch from Sports Editor Matt Daniels: March 27, 2024
Mar. 27—➜ . Be sure to check out on Wednesday for the latest updates before the Illini men's basketball team tips off against Iowa State late Thursday night in the Sweet 16.
➜ , Bret Bielema's Illini football program is into its second week of spring practices. Bob Asmussen dives into how March has gone so far for Illinois on the football field in today's paper.
➜ for 'Monday Night SportsTalk.' Check out the podcast at for not only insight on the Illini, but insight on Barnhart's decorated career.
Points Makira Cook has produced in her two seasons at Illinois. The versatile 5-foot-6 point guard is opting for a third season next winter in Champaign — beat writer Joe Vozzelli has more on that decision in today's paper — and will try to help the Illini women's basketball team reach the WBIT semifinals on Thursday night at Tulsa. If she hits 1,000 points this season, Cook will become the 31st player in program history to achieve that milestone and only the third player to do so in her first two seasons with the Illini.
➜ . Whoever winds up the winner late Thursday night of this Sweet 16 game either gets reigning national champion Connecticut (33-3) or reigning national runner-up San Diego State (26-10) on Saturday at TD Garden in Boston.
➜ . If the Illini (16-15) win Thursday night in the WBIT against the Golden Hurricane (25-9), a semifinal game against either Washington State (20-14) or Toledo (28-5) next Monday in Indianapolis awaits.
➜ . Two quality area programs with a recent run of success in the regular season and postseason are set to meet at 5 p.m. Thursday.
➜ Brooks Beasts.
➜ Franz Stampfl, who coached Roger Bannister; Rolf Haikkola, who coached Lasse Viren; and Bill Bowerman, who coached Steve Prefontaine.
➜ being late.
