Today on The 21st: a conversation with Illinois Senate Majority Leader and Black Caucus Chair Kimberly Lightford, college students considering a "gap year," and a former Chicago Tribune sportswriter and central Illinois basketball player on the ESPN miniseries The Last Dance.

The latest ep has John, Lisa, and Brian firmly ensconced in the season. Which season, you ask? So many possible seasons! Football (which doesn’t come up), soccer (which also doesn’t come up, weirdly), baseball (which does)… but special guest Travis Tate takes us up and down the court, so basketball it is.

In this, the penultimate episode of the Bandwagon 'cast before summer break, the gang ruminates on marathons, the Kentucky Derby, and invites U of I softball standout Nicole Evans to the studio for a chat. (Spoiler alert: She accepted the invitation & you get to hear the results)