Rothstein: Louisville, Damyean Dotson And 16 Reasons To Love The Sweet 16
Louisville's press, Damyean Dotson's upside and Denzel Valentine's versatility are just three of the many reasons to love the Sweet 16.
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Louisville's press, Damyean Dotson's upside and Denzel Valentine's versatility are just three of the many reasons to love the Sweet 16.
It turned out that the Illini – and, most significantly, athletic director Mike Thomas – were indeed lucky. And in the end, that was good.
Despite the popularity of the clichéd, post-victory cry, nobody really "shocks the world."
Mitch McGary had 21 points and 14 rebounds, and fourth-seeded Michigan breezed through Virginia Commonwealth's vaunted pressure with a clinical performance Saturday, beating the fifth-seeded Rams 78-53 to advance to the NCAA round of 16 for the first time since 1994.
And this deeper dilemma affecting U. of I. athletics is so discouraging that after reading this column, you very well may be driven to drink yourself.
But because Thomas went after coaches that he – as well as the vast majority of other ADs in the country – couldn't get, he ended up badly embarrassing Illinois. Twice. And, in turn, Thomas, along with more than a little help from the Illinois trustees and administration, has succeeded in making a very good coaching job look like a radioactive one.
Illinois has reportedly reached out to Brad Stevens about its head coaching vacancy and its interest in the Butler head coach is "high".
Twelve years ago, after Lon Kruger bolted Champaign for NBA riches in Atlanta, it appeared that Illinois athletic director Ron Guenther had his successor in hand.
Thomas' latest rejection has left him in a tough spot. Other candidates now know how much money Illinois is willing to spend.
VCU head coach Shaka Smart has turned down Illinois' offer to become the next Illini men's basketball coach.
Will Shaka Smart leave his post at VCU to join Illini Nation?
Up to the minute developments on the Illinois-Shaka Smart discussions.
Unless something "drastic" changes in the next day, it appears Shaka Smart will reportedly stay at VCU instead of taking the Illinois job.
Sources close to Simeon head coach Robert Smith say he has been in Champaign having conversations with Thomas about an assistant job.
As Illinois continues its search for a new head coach, new athletic director Mike Thomas is after one guy.
It's difficult enough to hire the right basketball coach at Illinois, without choosing to limit the field of candidates beforehand.
When Shaka Smart, Virginia Commonwealth's coach and the apple of many an Illini fan's eye, opted on Thursday to don an orange tie – and a blue shirt, to boot! – for VCU's NCAA Tourney opener, both Twitter and Facebook burst alive with posts of breathless speculation.
With Bruce Weber officially out the door, here are nine possible Illini head coaching candidates.
According to a CBSSports.com report, VCU's Shaka Smart will stay at the school, and not cash in on the team's Cinderella run to the Final Four.
If the Butler Bulldogs win the national title, will they please leave?
The coaches in the Final Four consist of two seasoned veterans and a pair of young guns who are taking college basketball by storm.
Today's story involves whether Bruce Weber is going to leave Illinois for Oklahoma.
Shaka Smart is the hottest name among all college basketball coaches right now. He's taken an 11th seed Virginia Commonwealth team to the Final Four. But not too long ago he was a part of Oliver Purnell's staff.
We know where Brad Stevens has been. We know where he's at right now. And we know where he might be next Monday night.
As I struggled to watch the University of Texas-San Antonio crush Alabama State, I had the same feeling as the night before when I witnessed Clemson cruise to victory over UAB, the 'First Four' is a joke, I thought.
Two young dancers are bringing the beauty of the historic dance of flamenco to new life in Chicago.
A Wisconsin sheriff is suing an Illinois woman for $1 million, accusing her of defamation, saying her claims of being detained by federal immigration officials in the Dodge County Jail are a hoax.
Franz Wagner scored 25 points, Jamal Cain added 20 and the Orlando Magic remained in the running to avoid the play-in tournament by beating the Chicago Bulls 127-103.
Kris Bubic struck out a career-high 11, Carter Jensen hit his fourth home run and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 2-0.
Due to popular demand, pope-themed hats that the White Sox initially offered as limited-edition items as part of a special ticket package in honor of Pope Leo XIV will now be given out to every fan who attends their Aug. 11 game against the Reds.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy pointed out that gamers "have many of the hard skills it takes to be a successful controller."
Starting in December, eligible men in the U.S. will be automatically registered for the military draft.
An attorney for ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan argued to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday that the former Democratic power broker's conviction on bribery and other corruption charges should be overturned.
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday met with David Axelrod, a longtime Democratic strategist and former senior advisor to former President Barack Obama.
Attorneys for imprisoned former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan were set to return to court Thursday, in hopes of getting his corruption conviction overturned.
A passenger on an American Airlines flight from New York to Chicago has been charged with making a false bomb threat that forced an emergency landing at Detroit Metro Airport last month, according to a federal criminal complaint.
Skyrocketing property taxes continue to be a hot-button issue in Cook County — particularly since last fall, when many residents saw their tax bills increase by 100% or more.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias this weekend issued a warning about a surge in text messages that falsely claim to come from his office or the DMV within it.
Tenants at a South Loop luxury high-rise that has been plagued with problems like broken elevators are vowing to fight five-day eviction notices.
It's become an annual March Madness tradition at CBS Chicago, pitting our city's best eateries in direct competition in a foodie bracket challenge. We did pizza, we've done Italian beef, we've done Chicago dogs. This year, we're taking flight with wings.
The United States has long struggled with understanding and finding ways to help treat mental illness. A new documentary, which is screening Saturday in Chicago, examines the reality of living with mental illness in America.
Allergy season is here, and the dreaded pollen can trigger sneezing, congestion, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
Northwestern Medicine and the American Red Cross teamed up for a community blood drive in Chicago on Monday morning.
Ending domestic violence is the goal of groups and advocates all over the world, and some experts in Chicago say it is time to become less reactive and more proactive when it comes to the people causing harm.
A new Iowa law bans local nondiscrimination protections on the basis of gender identity after the state became the first in the U.S. to roll back its civil rights code last year.
A new restaurant has joined the busy stretch of Halsted Street toward the south end of Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood that is also home to Alinea and Boka.
The federal government is suing Illinois, Connecticut and Arizona over efforts to regulate prediction market operators such as Kalshi and Polymarket.
The owners of the popular Uncommon Ground restaurant, live music venue, and brewery in Chicago's Wrigleyville community announced this week that they're looking for a successor to take over the business.
Chicago consistently ranks in the top three cities in Fortune 500 company headquarters, and now a competition has been launched to build on Chicago's power in business.
The flagship Ann Sather restaurant on Belmont Avenue in Chicago's Lakeview community will be moving later this year, a restaurant representative said Tuesday.
The United States has long struggled with understanding and finding ways to help treat mental illness. A new documentary, which is screening Saturday in Chicago, examines the reality of living with mental illness in America.
Afrika Bambaataa, a rapper and producer, was best known for breakthrough tracks like 1982's "Planet Rock" and for founding the Universal Zulu Nation art collective.
Mozart's "Don Giovanni," the local premiere of the 2022 opera "Omar," and a fresh production of "Guys and Dolls" are among the highlights of the 2026-2027 season for Chicago's Lyric Opera.
Federal magistrate Renee Harris Toliver told Pooh Sheisty that the evidence against him is strong.
A major music festival featuring the rapper formerly known as Kanye West was canceled after the U.K. government blocked Ye from entering the country.
Chief meteorologist Albert Ramon has the latest First Alert Weather forecast.
Two young dancers are bringing the beauty of the historic dance of flamenco to new life in Chicago.
A Wisconsin sheriff is suing an Illinois woman for $1 million, accusing her of defamation, saying her claims of being detained by federal immigration officials in the Dodge County Jail are a hoax.
NASA's Artemis II crew is safe back on Earth, after splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, returning from its 10-day mission around the moon.
New footage shows the moment gunshots rang out in Bronzeville, hitting a CTA bus, leaving one woman wounded.
A woman was injured when a CTA bus in Bronzeville was struck by gunfire Friday afternoon.
A Wisconsin sheriff is suing an Illinois woman for $1 million, accusing her of defamation, saying her claims of being detained by federal immigration officials in the Dodge County Jail are a hoax.
NASA's Artemis II astronauts return to Earth with a splashdown landing in the Pacific Ocean after making a high-speed reentry through the atmosphere.
The Archdiocese is accusing Chicago Public Schools of abruptly pulling funding for students with disabilities, but the district disputes the claim.
Two young dancers are bringing the beauty of the historic dance of flamenco to new life in Chicago.
New proposed Illinois legislation would allow renters or people who can't install massive rooftop panels to also harness the power of the sun.
When a rusty light pole snapped and fell on a woman's car in Bucktown, causing thousands of dollars in damage, she thought the city would pay for it. She was wrong.
Financial exploitation is the leading type of elder abuse in Illinois. One Streamwood woman learned that personally, when her brother took hundreds of thousands of dollars from their parents' financial accounts.
One year after a teenage girl was shot outside her home in Country Club Hills, Illinois, and was told she would never walk again, she continued to defy the odds and reclaim her independence.
A Morgan Park family is still in shock after a staggering 300% spike in their latest property tax bill, and the man poised to take over as Cook County Assessor at the end of the year says it's an error he wants to make sure doesn't happen again.
Franz Wagner scored 25 points, Jamal Cain added 20 and the Orlando Magic remained in the running to avoid the play-in tournament by beating the Chicago Bulls 127-103.
Kris Bubic struck out a career-high 11, Carter Jensen hit his fourth home run and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 2-0.
Due to popular demand, pope-themed hats that the White Sox initially offered as limited-edition items as part of a special ticket package in honor of Pope Leo XIV will now be given out to every fan who attends their Aug. 11 game against the Reds.
It was a special day at the Blackhawks Ice Center on Friday as the team held its inaugural Blackhawks Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Bryan Reynolds hit a two-run homer and Carmen Mlodzinski pitched six-hit ball into the sixth inning, helping the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Chicago Cubs 2-0.
Federal magistrate Renee Harris Toliver told Pooh Sheisty that the evidence against him is strong.
A man was injured in a fight with a woman at a CTA the CTA Belmont Avenue Red-Brown-Purple Line station this week, but police said he didn't report until several hours later.
Chicago police on Tuesday issued a community alert about car break-ins targeting patrons of a gym in the city's Irving Park neighborhood.
Chicago police on Tuesday issued a community alert about a rash of car break-ins in Jackson Park on the city's South Side.
A shooting left a 16-year-old boy dead Tuesday morning in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood.
