With Christmas right around the corner, we all hope to share that time with family and friends, eat good food and watch sports. It is also a time of year when family members exchange gifts with each other. This holiday season, The Daily Illini sports staff hopes for a few special gifts from the Illini.
Illinois Athletics is in a very good position, as Director of Athletics Josh Whitman has done an excellent job bringing the top programs to fame. Football had its first nine-win season since 2007, men’s basketball has won at least 20 games in five consecutive seasons and many other teams are experiencing great success.
While success is great, these gifts from Illinois would make the 2024-25 year that much more special.
Football: Citrus Bowl win
Illinois had a great season in the fourth year under head coach Bret Bielema. After a 5-7 mark in 2023, the Illini gained their fifth win by just the seventh week of the 2024-25 season. Following the overtime victory over Purdue, Illinois won four of its final six games to finish with a 9-3 record, including a 6-1 mark at home.
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Why it needs to happen
Needless to say, the 100th season of football at Memorial Stadium has been a memorable one, but it would be amazing to see the Illini cap it off with a win in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.
Illinois has not won a bowl game since 2011, which was a 20-14 outcome over UCLA in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. Since that win, it appeared in three bowl games and lost all of them, including a 19-10 ReliaQuest Bowl defeat in 2023 to Mississippi State. Not only would a bowl win give the Illini their 10th win of the campaign, but it would give the program major momentum heading into 2025.
The only player to opt out of the game so far is senior wide receiver Pat Bryant, who led the team in receiving touchdowns with 10. However, Illinois still has great veteran talent at the wide receiver position, with senior Zakhari Franklin and junior Hank Beatty emerging throughout the season. It also has young promise from redshirt freshman Collin Dixon and sophomore Malik Elzy.
Men’s basketball: 2-0 end to nonconference slate
The Illini have won seven of their first 10 games to begin the 2024-25 season with an almost entirely new roster. Key players such as fifth-year guard Terrence Shannon Jr. and senior forward Coleman Hawkins departed from the Illini. Nearly the entire team was replaced, which led to many unknowns heading into November.
The new-look Illini took care of business against their mid-major nonconference opponents and beat the No. 19 Razorbacks on Thanksgiving by 13 points. Illinois suffered a 100-87 defeat to No. 8 Alabama but later defeated Big Ten foe No. 20 Wisconsin by six. More recently, the Illini battled to the end against the No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers in a 66-64 defeat.
The final two nonconference games are the Braggin’ Rights game against Missouri on Sunday in St. Louis and a tilt with Chicago State. That game will come a week later at State Farm Center.
What it will take to get to 9-3
Freshman guard Kasparas Jakučionis and sophomore center Tomislav Ivišić lead the way for the Illini. Jakučionis averages 16.1 points per game and leads the team in free throw percentage. Ivišić is nearly averaging a double-double per game with 14.2 points and 9.7 rebounds.
Illinois will need freshman forward Will Riley and junior guard Kylan Boswell to step up as well. Both players are averaging double-digit scoring. If the Illini can take care of business, they will be 9-3 entering the rest of conference play in January.
