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Big Ten Media Day BINGO: Kylan Boswell’s First Big Win as an Illini

Arizona transfer Kylan Boswell and Illini mainstay Ty Rodgers are already in hot competition
Jason Langendorf|
Kylan Boswell shows off his Big Ten media day BINGO card, which he and teammate Ty Rodgers filled out based on questions they received from the media.
Kylan Boswell shows off his Big Ten media day BINGO card, which he and teammate Ty Rodgers filled out based on questions they received from the media. | Jason Langendorf/Illinois Fighting Illini On SI

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ROSEMONT, Illinois – Kylan Boswell has yet to score a bucket for his hometown Illini, but on Thursday at the Big Ten men's basketball media day event, he was able to get on the board and record his first win.

At BINGO.

Boswell, a Champaign native and University of Arizona transfer in his first season with Illinois, and new teammate Ty Rodgers have been around the block and knew the slog they were in for at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center as the only players in attendance from the Illini men's squad. So they decided to have a little fun with (and perhaps, just a little bit, at the expense of) the media.

The idea: Identify the usual media and interview cliches, as well as the subjects most likely to be drilled to death by reporters and talking heads at the preseason event, create BINGO cards for both players, then get to work crossing them off.

But this was all news to the media members assembled around Boswell and Rodgers. So when a question tossed toward the end of the Illini players' breakout interview session, Boswell suddenly grabbed his Sharpie, dropped the tip emphatically and said, "BIN-GO!"

He explained the game and showed off his card, which displayed crossed-off options such as "transfer portal," "youth of the team" and "new Big Ten teams." Among the topics apparently left untouched were "shirtless Brad" and "Pizza Hut parking lot" – references to Illini coach Brad Underwood's wild side.

Thankfully, it seems, the subject of "Brad fart noise" was never broached.

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Jason Langendorf
JASON LANGENDORF

Jason Langendorf has covered Illinois basketball, football and more for Illinois on SI since October 2024, and has covered Illini sports – among other subjects – for 30 years. A veteran of ESPN and Sporting News, he has published work in The Guardian, Vice, Chicago Sun-Times and many other outlets. He is currently also the U.S. editor at BoxingScene and a judge for the annual BWAA writing awards. He can be followed and reached on X and Bluesky @JasonLangendorf.

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