All posts by Peyton Wesner

Headlines, Wesner Wrap

Up Next: Big Ten Tournament

Up Next: Big Ten Tournament

Fighting Illini basketball prepares for long conference tournament weekend.

Peyton Wesner – Producer and Men’s Basketball Reporter
March 11, 2020

It’s been a while since the Fighting Illini have encountered a ‘TBD’ opponent at the Big Ten Tournament.

In fact, the last time was 2009 when the conference had eleven schools and Mike Davis was on the team. Davis may be long gone, but this Illinois group is just as talented as its predecessors.

The No. 21 Fighting Illini have enjoyed the fruits of a double-bye this week. The team was off on Monday while yesterday focused on individual drills. Today, the team scrimmaged with simulated game situations.

“It’s all about us. There’s been no game prep,” said head coach Brad Underwood on Wednesday. “It’s almost like a breath of fresh air hit you when you get out of the grind of league play.”

The Big Ten Tournament features six Top 25 teams, two more than any other conference. Illinois could play a ranked team in any game, including its quarterfinal on Friday.

“We’re looking forward to Indianapolis. It can be one of those elite tournaments where literally anyone can win it,” said Underwood. “Emotionally, you have to keep it simplistic and every game is just that.

A potential quarterfinal opponent is No. 25 Iowa, who is the fifth seed in the tournament. Led by Big Ten Player of the Year Luka Garza, the Hawkeyes will be looking for retribution following Sunday’s 78-76 loss in Champaign.

If the case, Illinois freshman Kofi Cockburn would be matched up once more with Garza. The Big Ten Freshman of the Year had the game-winning block on Iowa’s star three days ago.

Cockburn will need to bring his best for Underwood’s squad to streak through the tournament. Big Ten postseason honorees Jalen Smith of Maryland or Xavier Tillman of Michigan State exist as potential one-on-one matchups for Cockburn later this week.

“Every team in the Big Ten has a really good big man. And, every night is a different challenge,” said Cockburn. “It’s mental growth as much as it’s physical growth.”

Ayo Dosunmu has been extremely impressive since returning on February 18. The sophomore is averaging 19.7 points per game, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists over his last six games.

“I’m feeling great. I put a lot of work, a lot of sweat into my game,” said Dosunmu of this week. “Selection Sunday is coming up, so it would be a great impression.”

Illinois will travel to Indianapolis later today. The team’s first game will be early Friday afternoon (approximately 1:30 p.m.) against either Iowa, Minnesota or Northwestern.

Headlines, Wesner Wrap

Cockburn wins Big Ten Freshman of Year, Dosunmu earns First Team honors

Cockburn wins Big Ten Freshman of Year, Dosunmu earns First Team honors

Freshman-sophomore duo accomplish feats last achieved in 2010.

Peyton Wesner – Producer and Men’s Basketball Reporter
March 9, 2020

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — One day after the No. 21 Fighting Illini (21-10, 13-7) vanquished Iowa, freshman center Kofi Cockburn wasted no time in starting the postseason off right by being named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. The seven-foot center is the first Illinois player since DJ Richardson in 2010 to win the award.

“He’s impacted our program in every aspect,” said head coach Brad Underwood of Cockburn on Sunday. “He’s had some unbelievable moments in the best league in the country.”

Cockburn concludes his first collegiate regular season averaging 13.3 points per game to go along with 8.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. The Kingston, Jamaica, native’s twelve double-doubles rank fifth among all freshmen in NCAA Division I basketball.

Cockburn was not the only Fighting Illini to receive conference honors on Monday. Sophomore guard Ayo Dosunmu became the first Illinois All-Big Ten First Team selection since Demetri McCamey, also, in 2010.

“Find anybody whose better. Find anybody who has made more game-winners and impacted a team,” said Underwood. “We were a shell of ourselves the game we played without him, and he’s been absolutely as good on both ends of the court.”

Dosunmu is leading his team in points and assists for a second consecutive season. The Morgan Park product scored double-figure points in 17 of his 19 conference games and has posted nearly 20 points per game since returning from injury on February 18.

Illinois will begin its pursuit of a conference tournament title on Friday, March 13. Thanks to a double-bye, the Fighting Illini’s first game will be in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. The last time Illinois won the conference tournament was 2005 — a year when they had a free pass to the quarterfinals as well.

A third matchup with Iowa could welcome Underwood’s group in Indianapolis.

“We don’t like each other. Simple as that,” said Dosunmu. “They want to kill us. We want to kill them.”

Uncategorized

Wesner: “It’s a NEW DAY! Yes, it is!”

Wesner: “It’s a NEW DAY! Yes, it is!”

Peyton Wesner – Producer and Men’s Basketball Reporter
March 7, 2020

Producing is much like I remember from TV 1 class: a lot of work, often under-appreciated and always a challenge.

But, for all intents and purposes, I am very happy with the final look of my show, especially considering the last time I produced was two years ago.

Many events were covered in preparation. I checked out a camera to cover women’s tennis before traveling for Illinois @ Indiana in men’s basketball. I also tag teamed with Professor Erdey on Fighting Illini baseball’s home opener.

What sets my show apart from others is the story presentation. I did not settle for VOs on headlines, rather they included sound bites — making it a VO-SOT-VO. Plus, I produced and voiced my own package (Illinois’ NCAA Tournament hopes), rather than allocating responsibility elsewhere. All in all, the stories were pertinent and graphics were utilized properly (i.e. wrestling seeds for Big Ten Championships).

My contributions include the entire show. I wrote the anchor scripts, edited the b-roll and pieced together segments (minus “Shotclock with Nathan DeHaan”). A lot of credit should be given to Jake Hasan for editing “Shotclock” and I am very appreciative for his efforts.

Ultimately, we will have to see what the future of Illini Sports Night holds. I am confident in my contributions and interested to witness the changes in my colleagues’ mentality. Will anything be different? Time will only tell.

Yet, I can tell you that my effort WILL STILL be the same. That’s because Illini Sports Night is all about beyond-the-field reporting and in-depth stories. And, I will continue to do my best for Illini Sports Night. If others do not take it seriously, that’s fine because I always will.

After all, I’m treating Friday’s show like a fresh start. To quote Big E Langston, “It’s a new day! Yes, it is!” Spring break will bring a rest period and a chance to “clear the cobwebs.” When I return, I’ll be full of excitement and fresh ideas to bring you unique segments and storylines that deserve attention here at the University of Illinois.

Contributor Blog

Wesner: “I have learned and will not forget”

Video

Wesner: “I have learned and will not forget”

Peyton Wesner – Producer and Men’s Basketball Reporter
March 2, 2020

My contributions to Mariah’s show consisted of IHSA State Wrestling Championships coverage. I have a sense of humble pride in the content produced. The Luke Odom VO-SOT-VO had a great story — the Illini commit being a life-long fan and also set to become the first member of his family to go to college. Moreover, my package on the Braunagel brothers may be one of the best narratives I’ve told during my time at the University of Illinois.

Ultimately, these stories — not to mention a behind the scenes look at Fighting Illini wrestling commit Cody Goodman for this week’s show — set a high standard for Illini Sports Night. We covered high school commits that have never suited up for Illinois. Thus, this should set a new benchmark for everyone invested in this newscast to not settle for the stories right in front of them and, obviously, pick up a camera.

Every time I check out a camera from Richmond Studio, “my shoot” gets better. My shots are more advanced and I implement adjustments to help become more effective.

As a producer, shooting is essential. If any producer allocates all of their coverage to videographers without going to games to help, then he or she is shirking their responsibilities. For instance, last Wednesday, I went with Alvaro Martinez to a women’s basketball game to help with his first sporting event. Hence, I believe in a more “hands-on” approach.

More so, and this will be discussed more in next week’s recap, you cannot count on some underclassmen to follow through. For instance, I had two videographers not cover the contest they committed to. This should not happen. It’s a bad look to Illinois’ sports information directors (SID) to make plans for coverage and no-show. I apologized profusely to the women’s tennis SID and IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. For Illini Sports Night to grow and continue to build credibility, EVERYONE must take this seriously.

That’s because Illini Sports Night is all about beyond-the-field reporting and in-depth stories. And, I will continue to shoot as many sporting events as possible — maybe in a tag team. I’ve learned from this and will never forget. #DIY

Headlines

Scoring balance propel Fighting Illini past Nebraska

Scoring balance propel Fighting Illini past Nebraska

Peyton Wesner – Producer and Men’s Basketball Reporter
February 25, 2020

Let the wins keep coming!

With five players scoring in double-figures, Illinois (18-9, 10-6) men’s basketball shucked Nebraska (7-20, 2-14), 71-59, and moved into a tie for second place in the conference.

While Big Ten Player of the Week Ayo Dosunmu chipped in 18 points, it was freshman Kofi Cockburn who led the charge with his eleventh double-double of the season — fourth-most among NCAA Division I freshman.

“We gave him the ball in better positions to be successful in the second half,” said Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood. “Kofi impacts us probably more defensively on the glass than he does on the offensive end.”

The guard trio of Trent Frazier, Alan Griffin and Andres Feliz netted a combined 35 points. Griffin is averaging 10 points per game since returning from suspension on February 2.

The Fighting Illini are now 4-0 this season when a quintet scores ten or more points. Head coach Brad Underwood says he will take the scoring balance anywhere and anytime.

“If I could do that every night, I’d do that every night,” said Underwood. “I like that balance.”

Illinois’ dominance on the glass continued, out-rebounding the Cornhuskers, 48-35. Cockburn says a two-on-two rebounding drill has developed the team’s tenacity.

“We basically have two guys up top, two guys down low and we throw the ball off the backboard and we gotta go get it,” described Cockburn. “We can foul each other and do whatever we want.”

Next, the Fighting Illini will take on a pair of rivals. First up, a meeting with Northwestern (6-20, 1-15) in Evanston, Ill., on Thursday.

Contributor Blog

Wesner: Not “one and done!”

Wesner: Not “one and done!”

Peyton Wesner – Producer and Men’s Basketball Reporter
February 24, 2020

A first show is a first step. The second show is the continuation of hard work and collaboration.

With the blessing of Professor Ken Erdey, I was allowed to take a step back for the second show as my responsibilities were directly related to social media. Hence, I produced social media posts on the IHSA State Wrestling Championships (which will be featured in video content during our third and fourth shows) as well as wrote website-exclusive stories on Fighting Illini men’s basketball and men’s golf.

The opportunity to write stories on the website is something I have really enjoyed. At this point, I consider myself the “clubhouse leader” in doing so and the short write-ups keeps my print journalism skills sharp.

My coverage of high school wrestling will benefit Mariah’s newscast as well as my own. For Mariah, I will contribute a VO-SOT-VO on an Illinois commit (Luke Odom) who won a 3A state championship. Plus, I will have a PKG on the Braunagel brothers and their support of Joe Braunagel — who competed during the IHSA State Wrestling Championship.

In terms of looking ahead, I am very excited for my opportunity to produce on March 6. The newscast will be heavy on wrestling and men’s basketball. Honestly, with the wrestling room traveling to Piscataway, N.J., for the Big Ten Championships and Brad Underwood’s group competing for a regular season conference championship, I am excited to produce rich content that interests, you, the viewers. Also, keep an eye out for a new type of package. I had a great opportunity to capture footage at the high school wrestling championships and I look forward to you seeing my content. No spoilers!

That is because Illini Sports Night is all about beyond-the-field reporting and in-depth stories. I will not rest until Illini Sports Night and my first solely produced newscast represents this mantra and exceeds my personal expectations.

Contributor Blog, Uncategorized

Wesner: Illini Sports Night was ‘dream’ come true

Wesner: Illini Sports Night was ‘dream’ come true

Peyton Wesner – Producer and Men’s Basketball Reporter
February 17, 2020


The premiere of Illini Sports Night was the realization of a dream.

I remember discussing with Thomas Polcyn inside Richmond Studio, pondering the logistical steps of launching a weekly sports newscast. Now, over a year later, Professor Ken Erdey has made this a reality.

Although the semester is not even a month old, I have learned so much. A videographer can only get better and, through covering a variety of different sports, I believe my skills have sharpened and improved. Plus, I have enjoyed the freedom to produce post-game wrap packages. With major sporting events or popular teams (in a market), post-game hits are essential for a sports reporter, so the experience is invaluable.

Speaking of my contributions, most — if not all — footage and b-roll appearing in Illini Sports Night’s first episode was captured by me. Furthermore, I also produced the first five minutes of the newscast, which included a package about Illinois sophomore guard Ayo Dosunmu and his injury (edited and voiced by me).

A courtside perspective of Illini Sports Night’s vantage point during Illinois’ battle with Michigan State on February 11, 2020.

Naturally, I feel more comfortable as our producing trio ventures into the second show. While my responsibilities will be less, I am relieved to know other talented videographers will be able to pick up the slack in covering events. For instance, Spencer Nelson was responsibility for capturing women’s gymnastics on February 14 while Tristen Kissack and Blake Landa covered women’s basketball senior day. Now, I could not stay away from checking out a camera and shooting wrestling, which was my twelfth sporting event covered since January 24.

Nevertheless, I know now our videographers are serious about bringing you, the viewers, an inside look to the talented varsity athletics on campus.

After all, Illini Sports Night is all about beyond-the-field reporting and in-depth stories. I will not rest until Illini Sports Night represents this mantra and exceeds my expectations.