The Drive with Lon Tay & Derek Piper

5/20/24 Hour 1: Illini baseball sweeps Purdue to clinch outright Big Ten title; How solidified is their NCAA Tournament resume?

Lon and Derek discuss Illini baseball's impressive sweep of Purdue to take home their first Big Ten regular season title since 2015. The guys break down if they've done enough to make the NCAA Tournament to this point.

5/17/24 Hour 2: Chris Block (Chris Block Racing Stables) previews Preakness, Mike Small on Stevie Jay Show talks Illini golf's trip to national championship

Chris Block from Chris Block Racing Stables, Inc. joins the show to share his insight into the Preakness field and the chances of a Triple Crown winner. Later, hear Illinois men's golf coach Mike Small's interview from the Stevie Jay Show on his team's upcoming trip to the national championships in California.

5/17/24 Hour 1: Scottie Scheffler arrested before Round 2 of PGA Championship; Derek Piper talks Fears, other Illini targets live from EYBL

Lon and Kyle discuss the crazy story out of the PGA Championship involving Scottie Scheffler being arrested prior to his second round. Later, Derek Piper joins the show live from the NIKE EYBL in Indy to share his insight into Illinois commit Jeremiah Fears and other Illini high school targets in action.

5/16/24 Hour 2: Illinois basketball what ifs (continued); Jalen Brunson was almost an Illini

Lon and Derek continue discussing some what ifs in Illinois basketball history, this time some that would've changed things for the worse. Later, Derek shares his insight from Jalen Brunson's recruitment back in 2014, detailing how close he was to committing to Illinois.

5/16/24 Hour 1: Streaming services for live sports are getting out of control; Biggest what ifs in Illini basketball history

Lon and Derek discuss the latest MLB and NFL deals with streaming services and how out of control the number of services required for sports has become. Later, the guys sort through some of the biggest what ifs in Illinois basketball history.

5/15/24 Hour 2: Illini football lands a DL transfer; Who will be atop the Big Ten hoops standings next season?

Derek and Kyle discuss Illini football's latest transfer commitment of Gentle Hunt from Florida A&M and their other portal pursuits. Later, the guys talk about some of the current projected top Big Ten hoops teams according to Bart Torvik in 2024.

5/15/24 Hour 1: Cardinals issues go far beyond a lack of spending; Coleman Hawkins shines in second Combine scrimmage

Lon and Derek discuss why the issues the Cardinals have had go far beyond a lack of spending amid recent comments from owner Bill DeWitt. Later, the guys talk about Coleman Hawkins' impressive showing in his second NBA Combine scrimmage.

5/14/24 Hour 2: Terrence Shannon meets with media for first time since December; Is he a first round pick?

Derek and Kyle discuss whether or not Terrence Shannon Jr. could find his way into the first round of the NBA Draft if he's found not guilty of the charges against him. Later, hear from Terrence in his first public media availability since December at the NBA Combine.

5/14/24 Hour 1: Is Bronny James a legitimate NBA prospect?; Evaluating Coleman Hawkins' current draft stock

Derek and Kyle discuss what to make of Bronny James as an NBA prospect and if he truly has a real future in the NBA. Later, the guys assess where Coleman Hawkins' draft stock currently sits after the NBA Combine.

5/13/24 Hour 2: How much could Coleman Hawkins command in this insane NIL market?; CB Terrance Brooks commits to Illinois

Derek and Kyle discuss the latest insane NIL price tag and what Coleman Hawkins could end up commanding in this market. Later, the guys talk about Illini football's new transfer commitment: cornerback Terrance Brooks.

5/13/24 Hour 1: Illini baseball keeps rolling; How soon will we get used to playing west coast Big Ten teams?

Lon and Derek recap the weekend in baseball including the Illini maintaining control of first place in the Big Ten with a series win over Iowa. Later, the guys discuss how long it'll take to get used to playing the new west coast Big Ten foes.

5/7/24 Hour 2: What's still missing from Illini hoops roster and what options are left?; Underwood talks Humrichous, Ivisic additions

Derek and Kyle discuss the last missing piece to the Illini basketball roster and which options are still remaining. Later, hear from Brad Underwood as he shares his thoughts on the offseason and the additions of Ben Humrichous and Tomislav Ivisic.

5/7/24 Hour 1: Illini setting up MSG matchup with Duke; Should they bring back games at the United Center?

Derek and Kyle discuss some Illini basketball scheduling news as they reportedly are set to play Duke at Madison Square Garden in 2024. The guys talk about what else could be in store for the Illini's future schedule, including whether or not they should play at the United Center or the Maui Invitational.

5/6/24 Hour 2: Jeff Jones (Belleville News Democrat) on Cardinals' disappointing start; Lon & Derek air their Cardinals grievances; Are we sleeping on Morez Johnson?

Jeff Jones from the Belleville News Democrat joins the show to share his insight on what's went wrong for the Cardinals to begin the season. Lon and Derek air out their Cardinals complaints. Later, the guys discuss if we're overlooking Morez Johnson's impact in 2024-25 too much.

5/6/24 Hour 1: Tomislav Ivisic commits to Illinois!; How does the Illini frontcourt shape up?

Lon and Derek discuss the Illini landing a commitment from Croatian big man Tomislav Ivisic and what he'll bring to the Illini. Later, the guys share their thoughts on how the Illini frontcourt has shaped up with all of the offseason additions.

5/3/24 Hour 2: Illini set to bring in an international big man?; Top portal names left to have on the radar

Derek shares his thoughts on an international big man Illinois is seemingly close to adding to its roster and what he brings to the Illini. Later, Derek and Kyle hit on some of the biggest portal names still available and if they should be on Illini fans' radars.

5/3/24 Hour 1: Bullpen continues to doom Cubs; Coleman Hawkins' public comments on entering the portal

Derek and Kyle talk a little baseball amid the Cubs bullpen blowing yet another late lead. Later, the guys discuss Coleman Hawkins' public comments to Jeff Goodman regarding his decision to enter the transfer portal.

5/2/24 Hour 2: Chris Block (Chris Block Racing Stables) previews Kentucky Derby

Lon and Derek continue discussing a variety of topics. Later, Chris Block from Chris Block Racing Stables, Inc. joins the show for an in-depth breakdown of Saturday's Kentucky Derby field.

5/2/24 Hour 1: Lon's back and he's got plenty of thoughts

Lon is back in studio after his time off and the guys pick his brain on everything he's missed, including the Cardinals, the Illini's portal pursuits, the NFL Draft and more.

5/1/24 Hour 2: Coleman Hawkins enters the transfer portal; Just a leverage play or could he finish his career elsewhere?

Derek and Kyle discuss Illinois forward Coleman Hawkins entering the transfer portal and how to feel about it. The guys talk about whether they view it as simply a leverage play or a true desire to head elsewhere for a fifth year of college basketball.