Illinois AD: 'Not A Living Room In America That Wouldn't Open Their Doors To Lovie Smith'
"Lovie is just absolutely the right person at the right moment for our program," Josh Whitman says.
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"Lovie is just absolutely the right person at the right moment for our program," Josh Whitman says.
Smith is the first black head coach of football or men's basketball at the University of Illinois.
Two days after Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman fired Bill Cubit, the university officially announced Smith is in charge.
Brandon Taylor added 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Nittany Lions.
The Illini are expected to name Smith their next head coach.
"I feel really comfortable with the leadership he's given our guys," Whitman says of Groce.
Smith coached the Bears from 2004-'12, posting an 81-63 record.
Cubit was 5-7 in 2015 as the interim coach and held the full-time job for about three months.
Illinois missed its first seven shots and trailed 7-0 and 15-7 early.
Illinois (13-16, 5-11 Big Ten) shot 73.9 percent from the field in the second half, using a 29-8 run to take control.
The Hoosiers held the Illini's top two scorers, Malcolm Hill and Kendrick Nunn, to a combined 13 points.
Illinois went more than seven minutes of the half without a field goal.
Black allegedly threatened a campus bar bouncer with a knife.
"We will win, it's important," Whitman says. "That's what everybody's thirsty for."
Easy money to recommend hot candidates or a school's former player? Sign Tim Baffoe up.
Whitman's going to hear from power brokers in short order and in no uncertain terms.
Malcolm Hill scored 22 points and had 10 rebounds.
The University of Illinois has hired former Illini football player Josh Whitman as its new athletic director, sources tell CBS 2's Ryan Baker.
He was part of a storied rivalry as a player and assistant, and coach Chris Collins would love to see Northwestern develop one with Illinois.
Peter Jok scored 23 points, and Jarrod Uthoff added 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Malcolm Hill scored 10 of his 32 points from the free throw line in the third overtime.
A half-dozen players had decommitted after the school removed the interim tag from Cubit's title and gave him only a two-year contract.
Nigel Hayes scored 17 points to lead the Badgers.
Trevor Thompson scored 16 points.
Malcolm Hill had 28 points and 10 rebounds.
