The State Farm Center crowd buzzed in anticipation as junior Amari Sewell stepped up to the vault at the Big Ten championships event finals. He qualified the day prior with a 14.800, but with five of the best vaulters in the Big Ten yet to compete, Sewell needed to do something special to make a push for the podium down the stretch. Earlier in the day, teammates both former and current asked him if he was going to try to stick the landing. That was not his focus as he stared down the runway. “I didn’t try to go for the stick because, when you go for it, sometimes it doesn’t work out the way yo ..read more

At the NBA Combine, Coleman Hawkins took part in his second scrimmage of the week on Wednesday, playing for Team Forehan-Kelly. After not playing in the first quarter on Tuesday, Hawkins entered the starting lineup for Wednesday’s match-up and made the most of the opportunity in his 23 minutes on the court. Hawkins immediately started to produce on the offensive end, getting an assist to Jamir Watkins for the team’s first points. The recent Illinois graduate followed that up with a play that showcased his maturity and decision-making. After failing to find a good shot on a drive, Ha ..read more

Terrence Shannon Jr. was as calm as ever during his media availability Tuesday morning at the NBA Combine in Chicago. Politely declining to comment about his rape charge and referring to his June 10 trial date were his most common responses to the barrage of questions posed by the media. “No sir,” responded Shannon to a member of the media when asked if he wanted to clear anything up about his off-court legal situation. Instead, Shannon stayed positive and focused on basketball, speaking confidently about himself as a player who can help an NBA team right away.  “I feel like I’m the best ..read more

A day after landing a talented defensive back transfer, the Illini provided him with a coach. Illinois announced the hire of defensive backs coach Corey Parker on Monday, taking the role formerly held by guys including Purdue head coach Ryan Walters and current Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry.  After a poor year for the Illini secondary, they now make two big additions — including four-star rising junior Terrance Brooks who will transfer from Texas. Following many meaningful snaps for a College Football Playoff team a year ago, Brooks will now join a group of guy ..read more

The NBA Draft Combine kicked off on Monday at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago where Illinois had two recent graduates go through the process: guard Terrence Shannon Jr and forward Coleman Hawkins. Although both players were scheduled to participate in the on-court strength and agility tests and shooting drills, only Hawkins ended up taking the court.  Hawkins started off with measuring both his standing vertical jump and vertical jump with a run. He measured 24 inches and 29.5 inches, respectively, which are relatively low marks compared to other prospects. Hawkins, however, credited this ..read more

Four-star rising junior cornerback Terrance Brooks committed to Illinois on Sunday. The transfer from Texas fills a big position of need for the Illini as they head into the summer.  Brooks was a key player for the Longhorns in their run to the College Football Playoff semifinal in 2024, totaling three tackles in their matchup with the Washington Huskies. He added 17 more throughout the year, as well as racking up three interceptions and six passes defended.  The secondary was an area of weakness for Illinois last year as the defense allowed nearly 213 yards per game through the air ..read more

The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation has officially established Illinois’ first federally recognized tribal reservation, which includes 130 acres of land in Dekalb County that was put into trust for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation by the Department of the Interior. The tribal nation now has sovereignty over the land known as Shabbona Lake State Park.  Tribal Chairman of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Joseph “Zeke” Rupnick, explained the historical significance of the land to the nation and for his family. Rupnick is a direct descendent of Chief Shab-Eh-Nay — the Chief who signed the ..read more

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Students for Justice in Palestine released a joint statement at 7 a.m. in conjunction with Faculty for Justice in Palestine.  In the statement posted to their Instagram, SJP stated, “We have chosen to TEMPORARILY take down the encampment on our own terms.” The members of the encampments began moving out supplies at approximately 12:30 a.m. this morning and taking down tents at 3 a.m. Members of the encampment held at the Main Quad cleaned up belongings around 2:23 a.m. on Friday. (James Hoeck ) SJP explained in the statement that the teach-ins and the overall experience “have done more t ..read more

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