Matt Daniels

Champaign

Sports Editor at The News-Gazette (Champaign, IL)

Husband, father and sports editor at The News-Gazette

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Articles

The daily pitch from Sports Editor Matt Daniels: June 21, 2025

1 week ago | news-gazette.com | Matt Daniels

Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services developmentStore and/or access information on a deviceYou can choose how your personal data is used.
Hankins picks Illinois

1 week ago | news-gazette.com | Matt Daniels

The Class of 2026 is arguably the top one Bret Bielema has produced during his first five seasons as the Illinois football coach. And it keeps growing. Belleville West four-star defensive back Nick Hankins Jr. became the latest high school player to pick the Illini when he announced his decision on Thursday evening during a ceremony at his high school. Illinois beat out the likes of Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee for the 6-foot, 190-pound Hankins.
The daily pitch from Sports Editor Matt Daniels: June 20, 2025

1 week ago | news-gazette.com | Matt Daniels

Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what's going on around the area: Three reasons we love sports today➜ 1. Adrien Dumont de Chassart is the man to beat at the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Kansas Wichita Open. With good reason after what the former Illini accomplished on Thursday during the first round of the Korn Ferry Tour event. ➜ 2. Dumont de Chassart shot an 11-under 59 to become the 14th sub-60 round in Korn Ferry Tour history.
The daily pitch from Sports Editor Matt Daniels: June 19, 2025

1 week ago | news-gazette.com | Matt Daniels

Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services developmentStore and/or access information on a deviceYou can choose how your personal data is used.
'The biggest game of the season shouldn't have a 10 a.m. tip'

1 week ago | newsbug.info | Matt Daniels

CHAMPAIGN - Gary Tidwell had a short, succinct answer. When asked on Tuesday for his thoughts about the IHSA altering the schedule once again for their basketball state tournaments, the veteran Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin boys' basketball coach who played in three state tournaments from 1988-90 during his own playing career at Pana and Prairie Central was ready with his response.
The daily pitch from Sports Editor Matt Daniels: June 18, 2025

1 week ago | news-gazette.com | Matt Daniels

Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what's happening around the area: Three reasons we love sports today➜ 1. The Illinois football team's Class of 2026 is up to 20 high school commits. Kayden Bennett, an outside linebacker from Suffield Academy in Connecticut, became the latest to verbally commit to Bret Bielema when the 6-foot-2, 245-pound four-star recruit did so on Tuesday. ➜ 2. Tune in to WDWS 1400-AM and 93.9-FM at 8 p.m. Wednesday to hear the C-U Little Leage tournament title game.
'The biggest game of the season shouldn't have a 10 a.m. tip'

1 week ago | news-gazette.com | Matt Daniels

CHAMPAIGN — Gary Tidwell had a short, succinct answer. When asked on Tuesday for his thoughts about the IHSA altering the schedule once again for their basketball state tournaments, the veteran Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin boys’ basketball coach who played in three state tournaments from 1988-90 during his own playing career at Pana and Prairie Central was ready with his response.
IHSA basketball state tournament format changing again

1 week ago | news-gazette.com | Matt Daniels

CHAMPAIGN — The tweaks to the IHSA boys' and girls' basketball state tournaments this decade have been notable. A one-weekend format spread out through three days for all four classes went into effect in 2022, the first boys' basketball state tournament of the decade after the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 and 2021 events. That was also the first year the boys' basketball state tournament returned to Champaign after being held in Peoria from 1996 through 2019.
The daily pitch from Sports Editor Matt Daniels: June 17, 2025

1 week ago | news-gazette.com | Matt Daniels

Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what's going on around the area: Three reasons we love sports today➜ 1. Tuscola graduate, former Illini and The News-Gazette's 2019 All-Area baseball Player of the Year Logan Tabeling is having a productive first full season of pro baseball. Tabeling is 4-1 with a 3.34 ERA in 321/3 innings pitched with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the Class A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. ➜ 2. Congrats to John Woods.
Fisher to join Lincoln Prairie Conference in 2026

1 week ago | news-gazette.com | Matt Daniels

Area conference realignment for high school sports has tempered a bit this decade. But it still is happening. Case in point: Fisher is scheduled to depart the Heart of Illinois Conference and join the Lincoln Prairie Conference starting in the 2026-27 school year. Lincoln Prairie President and Arcola Principal Nick Lindsey announced the move on Saturday night, giving the small-school league another local school.