AUGUST
Four-star quarterback Isaiah Williams began training camp with the requisite hype. Then Michigan transfer Brandon Peters quickly showed he would be holding down the QB1 spot for Illini football.
SEPTEMBER
Struggles at UConn and then a home loss to Eastern Michigan had Illinois football trending in the wrong direction. Dropping that game to the Eagles, in fact, was the start of a four-game losing streak that eventually faded.
OCTOBER
Big Ten volleyball is brutal. The schedule Illinois had to face in late October took that to an entirely different level with consecutive road matches at No. 6 Wisconsin, No. 7 Minnesota and No. 8 Penn State. All ended in close losses for the Illini.
NOVEMBER
Quite the run for Illinois women’s cross-country. The Illini finished sixth at the Big Ten championships (a dramatic improvement from prior years) then claimed its first NCAA regional title since 2006 two weeks later.
DECEMBER
Hard to say 2019 ended well for Illinois men’s basketball or football. Brad Underwood’s team dropped another Braggin’ Rights game to Missouri to go 1-4 against high-major opponents to start the season, and Lovie Smith’s squad went bowling, lost and finished sub-.500 again.
JANUARY
Wins. Lots of them. A seven-game winning streak for Illinois men’s basketball put the program back on the map. Not just in the Big Ten either. The Illini made their first appearance in the AP Top 25 on Jan. 13 and peaked at No. 19 on Jan. 27.
FEBRUARY
Lowest of lows to highest of highs in a week span. Ayo Dosunmu goes crashing to the floor Feb. 11 against Michigan State, but misses just one game with a Feb. 18 return and victory at Penn State that sparked a four-game winning streak.
MARCH
So … March was interesting. A global pandemic meant the end to all sports. No NCAA tournament for the Illinois men’s basketball team. A promising Illini baseball season halted after just 13 games. Cue quiet sports desperation.
APRIL
What’s the next stage beyond quiet sports desperation? Before the idea of the NBA and NHL returning or MLB starting, there was, well, nothing. Nothing except some welcome nostalgia for Illini fans with the creation of TBT squad House of ‘Paign.
MAY
Illinois football spent the first four months of 2020 with just a single commitment — holding down last place in the Big Ten recruiting rankings with ease. Five commits in May sparked at least some momentum.
JUNE
A return to some sense of normalcy? Maybe. The Illinois football team began its return to campus early in the month and resumed voluntary workouts with strength and conditioning coach Lou Hernandez, while the Illini men’s basketball team did the same for its own workouts.
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Illinois Year in Review | Moments by the month - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette
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