The daily pitch from Sports Editor Matt Daniels: July 20, 2024

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Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what’s going on around the area:

Three reasons we love sports today

➜ 1. He doesn’t get nearly enough credit or recognition, but Illini historian Mike Pearson always delivers with his weekly, ‘Illini Legends, Lists & Lore,’ column he writes every Saturday . Especially this week.

➜ 2. Check out his latest work on the incredible tale of former Illini Harold Osborn and what he accomplished not only at the 1924 Paris Summer Olympics, but the community fixture he became around Champaign-Urbana later in his life.

➜ 3. Looking for a summer read that will get you even more in the Olympic spirit after reading about Osborn before next week’s Summer Games begin in Paris? Check out Daniel James Brown’s acclaimed book ‘The Boys in the Boat.’ I can’t recommend it enough.

Numbers game: 13.3

Points per game former Illini Terrence Shannon Jr. is averaging through four NBA Summer League games with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 6-foot-6 guard has done so on 56.3 percent shooting from the field, helping the Timberwolves compile a 3-1 record. The Summer League playoffs begin on Sunday with two semifinal games, and Shannon’s new team could potentially walk away with the title on Monday night in Las Vegas.

Crowd control

Three events I’m paying attention to

➜ 1. Hall of Fame Open . Former Illini Aleks Vukic lost his singles quarterfinal match on Friday, but he and doubles partner Luke Saville will play in the semifinals on Saturday at the ATP grass-court event in Newport, R.I.

➜ 2. Hamburg Open . Former Illini Rajeev Ram and his doubles partner, Austin Krajicek , are into the semifinals of the ATP tournament in Germany after a 6-4, 6-4 win on Friday in the quarterfinals.

➜ 3. Albuquerque Isotopes at Sacramento River Cats . After making two starts with the Colorado Rockies, Champaign Central graduate Tanner Gordon is back pitching in Class AAA. The right-hander gets the start at 3:05 p.m. Sunday.

Coach’s corner

Three questions with BJ Zeleznik, the LeRoy football coach entering his 22nd season this fall who also serves as the Panthers’ track and field coach and athletic director:

➜ 1. My favorite sports team is ... the Chicago Bears.

➜ 2. Four coaches I’d like to have dinner with are ... Vince Lombardi, Tom Osborne, Earl ‘Red’ Blaik and LA McKean.

➜ 3. My biggest pet peeves are ... slow left-lane drivers and the fact a peanut buster parfait should have three layers of ice cream and two layers of fudge/peanuts, not the other way around.