Rookie and the Vet

Rookie and the Vet

Looking to get an inside track on everything Illinois athletics and Central Illinois sports? This is the place for it. Rookie and the Vet with Dante Furco and Darren Leeds breaks down what is happening in the locker room, on the field or court, and the latest rumors and controversy surrounding Illinois sports. There will also be guests on the show from players to coaches and even fellow media members. From everything from the University of Illinois to local high school coverage, Rookie and the Vet is the place to stay updated on everything Central Illinois. The Rookie and the Vet is not directly associated or sponsored by the University of Illinois.

Episodes

November 9, 2023 • 26 mins

Illinois basketball tipped off their regular season against Eastern Illinois this week and in the pre-season, they took down top-ranked Kansas at home.

In this week's episode, we broke down these two games and the encouraging signs we have seen from the Illini.

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High school football playoffs kicking off this weekend in Central Illinois. Teams from across the state battle it out hoping to compete for a state championship.

This week we broke down each team fighting to play for another week.

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October 18, 2023 • 42 mins

Illinois is entering a game against Wisconsin, three wins shy of bowl game eligibility. Illinois is looking to begin a two-game winning streak, if they were to finish victorious on Saturday. Illinois will look to carry over their success from their game against Maryland.

In this episode, we break down everything from their win against Maryland and whether or not they have the chance to take down Wisconsin on Saturday.

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On this week's Rookie and The Vet episode, we tested each other's sports knowledge in a fun trivia episode. From mascot names to college logos to Madden ratings.

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This week we react to the comments and conversations with members of the Illinois basketball team as they prepare for the start of their season. Also, Eastern Illinois is ranked in the top 25, they will take on UT Martin this weekend at home.

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This week on the Rookie and The Vet Podcast we are joined alongside Carson Gourdie to talk Illinois vs FAU as well as look ahead to this week's game against Purdue. Illinois will face off against former Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters. The Illini are 2-2 on the season.

We also dive into Fantasy Football talk and who to pick up in fantasy this week. Also whether or not the Cubs have what it takes to clinch a spo...

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September 14, 2023 • 29 mins

A week ago, Illinois fell on the road against the Kansas Jayhawks. The Illini are now set to host nationally-ranked Penn State. We broke down everything from the Kansas game and what to expect from the Illini this coming week.

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Illinois took down Toledo in week 1 of the college football season 30-28. They are now turning their attention to the Jayhawks of Kansas for a battle of 1-0.

Illinois dealing with injuries but looking to enter the Penn State game 2-0.

This week we broke down the play on the field for their game against Toledo and their upcoming game against Kansas.

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August 29, 2023 • 36 mins

Illinois football set to take on Toledo on Saturday in their season opener. In this week's episode we break down their week one matchup and what to expect from the Illini.

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August 26, 2023 • 32 mins

In this week's episode of Rookie and The Vet, we break down all of the top Central Illinois High School football teams. From SHG to Rochester, these groups are entering a new year with fresh faces, and for some schools they are entering a new era under new head coaches.

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Lanphier will play hosts of Lincoln in Week 1 of Friday Night Rivals. Sports Director Dante Furco sat down with Lincoln Head Coach Matt Silkowski and Lanphier head coach Don Goff ahead of Friday's week 1 matchup. We break down each side of the ball and who has positioned themselves to start on Friday.

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The landscape of college football is continuing to change as teams from across football have begun to switch conferences and plan for the future.

Last week, Oregon and Washington were invited to join the Big Ten. This follows the decision of the conference a year ago to invite USC and UCLA to join, in 2024. The B1G Conference will welcome all four schools at the start of the 2024 football season.

The BIG 12 has made key addi...

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Illinois men's basketball opened their practice to the media this week and Dante was able to attend and get a preview of all of the new players and what the new guys have to offer for the team. The Illini are set to take off for Spain on Friday for three exhibition matchups. They will take on the Real Madrid All-Stars, Valencia, and the Catalonia All-Stars in Spain.

Coleman Hawkins, Terrence Shannon Jr., Dain Dainja, Ty Rod...

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July 28, 2023 • 31 mins

We are here to recap everything from this year's Big Ten media Day and how Illinois is shaping itself up for this college football season.

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Allegations and accusations have continued to circulate around the Northwestern athletic department rooting back over a decade. In the last week, over 11 former Northwestern football players have come forward citing various occasions within the Wildcat locker room of hazing, sexual assault, bullying, and creating a racist culture. In this week's episode of Rookie and The Vet we break down the facts of the case and what has...

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Coming off an 8-5 season a year ago, the Illini are beginning to hit big in recruiting.

The Illini have landed recruits on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

This week we break down everything that Illinois is bringing in and how they are shaping up for 2024.

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Our own Brielle Berry sat down with former University of Illinois Springfield head baseball coach Ryan Copeland following his decision to take the head coaching position at Northern Illinois.

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We are super excited to welcome a new face to the ABC NewsChannel 20 and Fox Illinois Sports team. Brielle Berry joins the team from Temple University. Brielle grew up in York, Pennsylvania and in this week's episode, we put Brielle on the hot seat to learn a little bit more about her story and what is yet to come in her career here in Springfield, Illinois.

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June 15, 2023 • 31 mins

The Illinois football season is right around the corner and a season ago, the Illini came up a game short of a Big Ten West Title, they head into this season with the momentum of the 2022 season and a new face leading the offense at quarterback. In this week's episode, we break down Illinois' schedule and whether or not they have an opportunity to head to Indianapolis for a Big Ten championship.

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Illinois football is welcoming a loaded recruiting and transfer class to join an already experienced Illini team for the 2022-2023 season.

Illinois was coming off an 8-4 regular season record, where the Illini made an appearance in the Reliaquest Bowl in Tampa, Florida.

Under Brett Bielema, Illinois has continued to improve its record and make itself known in the recruiting market and transfer portal.

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