Three Reasons We Love Sports Today
Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what’s going on around the area:
The Illinois softball team opens the 2024 season on Friday against Virginia Tech and Belmont during a tournament in Auburn, Ala.
Three reasons we love sports today
- Play ball! An umpire will shout that Friday morning when the Illinois softball team opens its season at 10 a.m. Friday against Virginia Tech in Auburn, Ala. Tyra Perry’s team is back at it at 7 p.m. Friday against Belmont.
- Postseason pairings for the IHSA boys’ basketball postseason come out Friday afternoon. Can Unity, Tuscola, St. Joseph-Ogden or any other area team make a run to State Farm Center in Champaign?
Brad Underwood and Tom Izzo will meet again Saturday.
Numbers game: 941
Combined wins for Tom Izzo and Brad Underwood entering Saturday’s 1 p.m. showdown between No. 10 Illinois and Michigan State at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich. Izzo has 701 victories — all with the Spartans in his Hall of Fame career — and Underwood has 240. Of those 240 wins for Underwood, 131 have happened with the Illini and four of those have happened against Izzo.
The Unity boys’ basketball team will host St. Joseph-Ogden on Friday night in a marquee showdown between two of the top Illini Prairie Conference teams.
Crowd control
Three events I’m paying attention to
- Illinois softball’s opening day. A disappointing 2023 season didn’t yield an NCAA tournament appearance. Friday is the first chance for reigning All-Big Ten Second Team outfielder Kelly Ryono and her teammates to turn it around.
- St. Joseph-Ogden at Unity boys’ basketball. The 7 p.m. Friday tip features two Illini Prairie Conference teams who have a combined 45-8 record this season.
- Indiana at Purdue men’s basketball. The rivals tip at 7 p.m Saturday from Mackey Arena. Why is this important? Well, if Illinois wins at Michigan State and Purdue loses, the Illini are just a half-game back of first place in the Big Ten.
St. Joseph-Ogden boys’ basketball coach Kiel Duval
Coach’s corner
Three questions with St. Joseph-Ogden boys’ basketball coach Kiel Duval before his Spartans play at rival Unity on Friday night.
- My favorite sports team is … Illinois men’s basketball. I get very emotionally invested in Illini basketball every year.
- Three coaches I’d like to have dinner with are … Brad Stevens, Nick Saban, and my dad.
- My biggest pet peeve is … as a coach and teacher, it is when people don’t work hard. Too much potential is wasted by not giving your full effort.