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Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what’s going on around the area:
Illinois cornerback Xavier Scott reacts after his 30-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the first half of Saturday night’s 23-17 win against No. 19 Kansas at Memorial Stadium in Champaign.
Three reasons we love sports today
➜ 1. Illinois football can lay claim to the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. It’s no surprise, really, that the conference handed Xavier Scott this honor on Monday after the Illini defensive back from Riviera Beach, Fla., recorded two interceptions (one he returned for a game-changing touchdown), forced a fumble and made eight tackles during the Illini’s 23-17 win against Kansas this past Saturday.
➜ 2. Cool to see former Illini wide receiver Mikey Dudek will serve as the honorary captain for this Saturday’s homecoming game against Central Michigan.
➜ 3. Illinois is essentially a three-touchdown favorite against the Chippewas, who are coming off a 52-16 lopsided loss at Florida International.
Shauna Green and the Illinois women’s basketball team opens its season Nov. 7 at Florida State.
Numbers game: 8
Nonconference home games the Illinois women’s basketball team will play this season after the program announced its nonconference schedule on Monday. Among the highlights for Shauna Green and her program? The season opener on Nov. 7 against Florida State before playing Marquette on Nov. 10, with both those games against two NCAA tournament teams from last season at State Farm Center.
Raina Terry and the Illini volleyball team will try to improve to 7-0 when it plays fellow unbeaten Dayton on Friday afternoon.
Crowd control
Three events I’m paying attention to
➜ 1. Illinois vs. Dayton volleyball. Raina Terry won the first Big Ten Player of the Week honor of her Illinois career on Monday, and she’ll lead the undefeated Illini (6-0) into this 1 p.m. match on Friday in Bowling Green, Ky., that also features an undefeated team in No. 24 Dayton (5-0).
➜ 2. Minnesota at Illinois soccer. The Illini (4-2-1) begin Big Ten play at 7 p.m. Thursday at Demirjian Park against the Gophers (5-0-1), who have outscored their foes 15-6.
➜ 3. Illinois men’s golf. The Illini enter Tuesday’s second round at the Folds of Honor Collegiate in Grand Haven, Mich., in second place after opening with a 2-over par on Monday.
Illinois pitching coach Mark Allen
Coach’s corner
Three questions with Illinois pitching coach Mark Allen, a position he’s had with the Illini baseball team since 2019. He missed most of the 2024 season as he is currently battling cancer.
➜ 1. My favorite sports team growing up was … the Oakland Athletics. I still root for them, but as the years have past, I have become more of a fan of individual players and coaches. Teams do not stay together long enough anymore to consider a team a team for more than one season. It is almost impossible to actually root for the same team two years in a row. It’s never the same team and players again, so I tend to stick with individual players and coaches now.
➜ 2. Three coaches I’d like to have dinner with are … Leo Mazzone, Johnny Sain and Cuz D’Amato. I have a relationship with Leo Mazzone already, but would eat with him at every meal if possible. Johnny Sain was a former legendary pitching coach and Leo Mazzone’s teacher and mentor. And Cuz D’Amatao trained numerous world-champion boxers, like Mike Tyson and Floyd Patterson.
➜ 3. My biggest pet peeve is … when people listen or talk on their phone on speaker in crowded public places. Finding some peace and silence these days can be one heck of a battle at times.
