The Illini men opened the 2019 basketball season Thursday night in Champaign, with a 99-60 cakewalk over a diminished Evansville team.

The Illini men's basketball team will travel to Charleston Friday night for a public scrimmage against the Eastern Illinois Panthers. It's an NCAA-exempt event, with all proceeds aiding American Red Cross disaster relief efforts.

If you’ve ever wanted an episode of Bandwagon where John, Brian, and Lisa interview someone about their job operating a camera during the Final Four, tell a story about an actual Jim Nantz selfie, grump at Geno Auriemma, and ponder the proliferation of the OSP (Overbearing Sports Parent)… well, this is that episode.

Despite 29 points and a second-half rally from Malcolm Hill, Illinois lost to Central Florida 68 to 58 Wednesday night in NIT quarterfinal action at CFE Arena in Orlando.

The UCF Knights advance to the final four of the NIT, and will play TCF next week.

The crew devotes some serious minutes to the virtues (or lack thereof) of baseball's intentional walk, and goes long on granny style. Yes, we know we're mixing our sports metaphors.