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Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what’s going on around the area:
Will Riley and the Illini have their first Big Ten home game since Wisconsin played in Champaign on Dec. 10 when Penn State visits State Farm Center tonight.
Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
Three reasons we love sports today
➜ 1. Illinois men’s basketball continues its rugged schedule on Wednesday night when Penn State visits State Farm Center in Champaign. The 13th-ranked Illini will try to reach a five-game winning streak for the ninth time in Brad Underwood’s eight seasons leading the program.
➜ 2. High school wrestling meets with extra meaning the next two nights. First up is the Twin City meet featuring Centennial, Champaign Central, St. Thomas More and Urbana that begins at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Centennial to determine who has C-U bragging rights.
➜ 3. Then, at 4 p.m. Thursday at Mary Miller Gym on the Danville Area Community College campus, the Vermilion Valley Conference tournament takes place.
Illinois fans at a women’s basketball game against Oregon State on Nov. 22 at State Farm Center in Champaign
Robin Scholz/The N-G
Numbers game: 4,888
is the average attendance for the 10 Illinois women’s basketball team’s home games so far this season at the 15,544-seat State Farm Center in Champaign. The Illini (11-4, 1-3 Big Ten) will attempt to end a two-game losing skid at 6 p.m. Thursday at State Farm Center against No. 23 Iowa (12-3, 2-2). The Hawkeyes, meanwhile, have played in front of a nation-best 28 consecutive home sellouts at 14,998-seat Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Illinois wide receiver Zakhari Franklin and the rest of the Illini couldn’t slow down Penn State in late September. Now, the Nittany Lions are a win away from the national championship game.
Barry Reeger/AP
Crowd control
Three events I’m paying attention to
➜ 1. Penn State at Illinois men’s basketball. First of two Big Ten home games this week at State Farm Center for the Illini tips at 8 p.m. Wednesday before Southern Cal visits Champaign for an 11 a.m. start on Saturday.
➜ 2. Notre Dame vs. Penn State football. Illinois hung with Penn State during a 21-7 road loss on Sept. 28. Now, the Nittany Lions (13-2) meet the Irish (13-1) at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Orange Bowl for a spot in the national title game.
➜ 3. Ohio State vs. Texas football. Ohio State stops by Champaign in nine months for the first time since 2015. First up is Friday night’s Cotton Bowl between the Buckeyes (12-2) and Longhorns (13-2).
Matt Leskis with, from left, his daughters Sidney, Sophie and Mattison.
Provided
Coach’s corner
Three questions with Champaign Central football coach Matt Leskis:
➜ 1. My favorite sports team is … the Chicago Bears.
➜ 2. Three coaches I’d like to have dinner with are … Phil Jackson, Bill Belichick and James Franklin.
➜ 3. My biggest pet peeve is … tardiness. I hate being late or people being late when they’re meeting with me.
The daily pitch from Sports Editor Matt Daniels: Jan. 8, 2025 NY Times News Today.
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