Illinois basketball junior guard Kendrick Nunn pleaded guilty to a mismeanor charge of battery, and could eventually see his record cleared. He was sentenced to 18 months unsupervised probation and 100 hours of community service.

University of Illinois Athletic Director Josh Whitman has again assured basketball coach John Groce that his job is secure, despite poor team play and player arrests.  A Thursday afternoon press conference was held after the recent arrests of junior guards Jaylon Tate and Kendrick Nunn.

The junior guard is the third Illinois men's basketball player to be arrested in the last two months.  He pleaded not guilty Friday in Champaign County Circuit Court.

This week’s hiring of Lovie Smith as the 25th football coach in Illini history has generated huge interest among fans and sportswriters.  U of I graduate Will Leitch falls into both those categories.  In a column this week for Sports On Earth, the Mattoon native recalls another optimistic time for Illini football, more than 25 years ago.

Lovie!  Lisa and Brian look at a wild and crazy 48 hours for Illini sports, Maria Sharapova testing positive for a banned substance, and a short-lived but intense boxing rivalry from the 1980's.  Come on aboard!