Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • B1

1 SPORTS Tuesday, November 21, 2017 her se CTI JUSTIN CONN Herald Review DECATUR no trial by fire like the Team Soy Capital Decatur Turkey Tournament. Eisenhower coach Rodney Walker is excited about his team, despite the losses of Stephon Bobbitt and Stefon Jarrett. But he also warns not to draw many conclusions about any of the teams opening the season there. crazy you just get out there and go with what said Walker, whose team will open the tournament at 6 Tuesday against Peoria Central. just try to mix up combinations and hope you find something working.

be at our peak. No one will be peaking at this time of year. All you can do is go out there, play ball and get through Every year the Turkey Tournament features, in addition to Eisenhower and MacArthur, some of the top teams from around the state. Eisenhower will be led by seniors Yansyn Taylor and Quylan Young, who both averaged near 10 points last year. Walker said senior Keon Jones is a potential breakout player a smooth, lefty with range from deep.

Kari Taliferro, Cameron Rowe and freshman R.J. Walker son are also expected to contribute to what Rodney Walker said might be the best offensive team coached at Eisenhower. versatile and we have a lot of said Rodney Walker, who is entering his fourth year as coach. and Yansyn have range from the parking lot, and range is two or three parking lots. in some unfamiliar territory with all these shooters the last few years we been blessed with great offense.

But defense has been our bread-and-butter and want ing to see if we can still bring that pressure like we want MacArthur will be among the teams to beat at the tournament with the Brummett twins Amir and Armon returning, along with several other key contributors from last 17-win team. Armon averaged 18.6 points last year and Amir 17.5. Both can shoot from deep, handle the ball and help out on the boards. The Generals also return Keenan Ingram, Zach Briggs and Ray Neal. Trial by fire in turkey tournament Williams transfers to Indiana State Christian Williams, the 2015 Herald Review Macon County Player of the Year and St.

all-time leading scorer, is transferring from the University of Iowa to Indiana State, he announced on Twitter on Sunday. Williams was a four-year starter for St. Teresa who led the Bulldogs to a state runner-up finish in Class 2A as a senior. He played at Iowa for two seasons. I would like to thank the University of Iowa, the basketball program and everyone else involved within the University for giving me an opportunity to live out my childhood dream in competing at the highest Williams said in the statement he posted on Twitter.

am more than excited to announce that I have found a new home and will be graduating from and continuing the rest of my eligibility at Indiana State Because of NCAA rules, Williams will have to sit out this season but will suit up next year with two years of eligibility left. Williams was All-County First Team as a junior and senior at St. Teresa, averaging 18.8 points and 8.4 rebounds as a junior and 19.1 points and 8.7 rebounds as a senior in winning player of the year honors and taking the Bulldogs to state. At Iowa, Williams played in 20 games as a freshman, collecting 27 points and scoring in both of NCAA Tournament games. As a sophomore, Williams played in 34 games, starting six, and averaged 2.4 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.8 steals.

Williams was the starting point guard to begin last year, but lost the job to Jordan Bohannon. Iowa announced Williams had been granted a release from his scholarship on Oct. 26. is a terrific young man with tremendous Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said in a statement. are disappointed that Christian will no longer be a Hawkeye, but the players and coaches wish him the best in his future Trump calls for suspension President Donald Trump says the NFL should suspend Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch.

Lynch sat during most of the U.S. anthem and stood for the Mexican anthem before game against the Patriots at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. Lynch stood for the national anthem since returning from retirement this season. Trump tweeted early Monday: disrespect! Next time NFL should suspend him for remainder of season. Attendance and ratings way Owen to golf Country singer Jake Owen will play in the Web.com Nashville Golf Open next May on a exemption.

Owen, who has played in several PGA Tour pro-ams, will compete as an amateur. The exemption was announced Monday. The singer says truly honored and knows how hard golfers work to play in these events. Owen says he wait for May 21, when the event benefiting Brandt foundation begins. I de IN ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO Dick Butkus, former Illinois and Chicago Bears linebacker, is recognized during a timeout as the first inductee of the Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame against Minnesota last season at Memorial Stadium in Champaign.

MARK TUPPER Executive Sports Editor CHAMPAIGN For the 1970 Sports Illustrated issue that previewed the coming National Football League season, the hulking image of Dick Butkus stares from the cover with a nasty scowl. The headline next to his photo tells his story. Butkus of the Bears. The Most Feared Man in the Butkus was the embodiment of a larger-than-life warrior who terrorized the football field. He set the standard when he played and even today his name is said with a certain reverence in football circles.

Soon a statue will stand to commemorate his place in University of Illinois football history. While legendary running back Red Grange has a statue that oversees the west side of Memorial Stadium, a similar statue of Butkus will greet visitors to the new football performance center on the east side of the stadium. Illini Athletics Director Josh Whitman, who announced plans for the statue on Monday, said the $79 million center, and the statue, will be unveiled in time for the 2019 season. Whitman described Butkus as the perfect person to help add definition to Illini athletics. we talk about toughness, competitiveness, loyalty, all of those things describe Dick Whitman said.

get to celebrate all he has meant to this university and the game of football in the form of a Even Butkus acknowledged that this kind of honor rarely comes to someone still alive. Honoring a legend MARK TUPPER Executive Sports Editor CHAMPAIGN It may never become as spicy as the annual Rights basketball showdown, but Illinois and Missouri are renewing their football rivalry. get in line for tickets just yet. The four-year arrangement begin until 2026 and, for now, be played on a neutral site field in St. Louis.

The September games are scheduled for Memorial Stadium in Champaign in 2026 and 2028. In 2027 and 2029, the game will be played in Columbia, Mo. Illini AD Josh Whitman said he and Missouri AD Jim Sterk are leaving the door open to possibly playing two of the games in St. Louis. But uncer tainty about the future of the downtown dome and the difficulty of staging a September game at Busch Stadium make committing to a St.

Louis game impossible for now. biggest challenge (to playing in St. Louis) is that we know right now exactly where we would Whitman said. take a look as the date draws Illinois and Missouri met at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis in 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 with Missouri winning all six games.

The schools also played games on campus in 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994 with the Illini winning in 1992 and 1994. Whitman said college football scheduling is done far into the future, thus the delayed start to the renewed series. Illini set to renew old rivalry ASSOCIATED PRESS Illinois quarterback Cam Thomas (10) may be available for the Illini Saturday against Northwestern after missing the previous two games. BILL HOFFMAN, FOR THE HERALD REVIEW Yansyn Taylor is blocked on his way to the basket by Kaleb Thornton of Bolingbrook during last championship game of the Team Soy Capital Decatur Turkey Tournament. Team Soy Capital Decatur Turkey Tournament opens Opening night a tephen ecatur iddle chool games Eisenhower vs.

Peoria Central 6 p.m. Champaign Central vs. Springfield Southeast, 7:30 p.m. University of Illinois announces plans for Butkus statue Illinois, Missouri agree on home-and-home series Please see ur ey Page B2 Please see TK us Page B4 Please see ILLINI, Page B4.