After adjusting for the Curbelo commitment, I just ran some calculations and here's some stuff that happens with UI basketball in 2021-22 ...
- Although Kofi and Giorgi's monster performances in the 2020 and 2021 tournaments opened several doors to playing professionally, they're having way too much fun together to not do it one more time. Plus, their now-legal dual endorsement deals with basically every company that wants to sell anything in the state of Illinois is paying the bills just fine.
- Besties Adam and Andre annoy teammates with their continuous assertion of "double-A batteries" as their collective nom de guerre (they make the team go). Every broadcaster tells us the story, as though we haven't already heard it a billion times.
- Thanks to Coach K's mildly surprising retirement at the end of the 2019-20 season, AJ decides to experience his brother's senior season, first-hand. During half-time of the B10 championship game, CBS airs a clip where the two banter about how much credit AJ deserves for Alan being named B10 POY. Unbeknownst to AJ, Max is standing behind him, playfully forming a "zero" with his hands.
- Kahlil's post-Kentucky second act culminates with a triple-double in a regional final victory against ... you guessed it, Kentucky. The performance somewhat cooled the controversy leading up to the game, after NCAA president Rudy Giuliani "punished" UK for recruiting violations by forcing the school to host the event at Rupp Arena.
- After pulling up to the arena in custom Urbana orange Blazers provided as part of Kofi and Giorgi's endorsement deal with area Chevy dealers, Tev drop 42 in the national semifinal. The emotion of the loss brings Louisville head coach Bruce Pearl to a moment of startling honesty, when he admits "I made it all up."
I wish I could I tell you what happened next, in the championship game, but that's when I woke up.