The Drive on ESPN 93.5

Lon and Derek preview Illinois basketball's Big Ten home opener against Northwestern and what life without Terrence Shannon looks like. Later, the guys talk about some of the biggest what-ifs in Illini basketball history.

J Leman joins the guys to break down his thoughts on two thrilling College Football Playoff semifinals games. The guys also discuss the Bears' current situation after securing the No. 1 overall pick.

Gabe DeArmond of PowerMizzou.com joins the guys to give the Mizzou perspective going into Braggin' Rights. Later, hear from Brad Underwood who met with the media before taking off for St. Louis.

Lon and Derek begin the show talking about the College Football Playoff semis. Later, the guys talk some Braggin' Rights and discuss how Terrence Shannon Jr. is starting to resemble Ayo Dosunmu.

Lon and Derek catch up with Ryan Easterling from Illini Inquirer to get his thoughts on Illinois' Signing Day class and also the recent transfer additions by Bret Bielema. Later, Illini signee Easton Baker joins the show to talk about what made him want to go to Illinois.

Lon and Derek discuss Signing Day and their thoughts on Bret Bielema's 2024 class. Later, Luke Goode joins the guys to talk about Braggin' Rights and the strong supporting cast Illinois has around Terrence Shannon Jr.

Lon and Derek discuss Joe Lunardi's latest Bracketology projection and how they feel about Illinois' current profile. Later, Matt Silich joins the guys to talk about the big storylines in the NBA, including his thoughts on the newly-fun Chicago Bulls.

Lon and Derek begin the show talking some Illinois football and future scheduling, including the decision on whether to load up on cupcakes or not in the non-conference. Later, the guys discuss Tommy DeVito's cool move.

Derek and guest co-host Joey Wagner discuss Illinois basketball's 74-57 win against Colgate on Sunday. Later, the guys talk about what was a good weekend for the Big Ten with Purdue, Michigan State and Ohio State all winning.

J Leman joins Derek and guest co-host Joey Wagner to talk about the latest happenings with Illini football, including Isaiah Williams and Tip Reiman's decisions to declare for the NFL Draft. J also tells some recruiting visit stories and he gives his thoughts on Michigan-Alabama in the College Football Playoff semis.

Jeremy Werner joins the guys to discuss the Illini football offseason so far, including new transfer addition Anthony Johnson from Youngstown State. They also talk about Isaiah Williams' NFL Draft decision. Later, hear from Illini head coach Brad Underwood going into Sunday's matchup against Colgate.

Lon and Derek discuss where things stand with the Chicago Bears and Justin Fields, as more reports point to the Bears drafting a QB with the first pick as things stand today. Later, the guys take a look at the juicy college basketball slate on Saturday.

Lon and Derek discuss Tommy DeVito making the media rounds and play a couple funny DeVito skits from online. Hear from Bret Bielema and Johnny Newton as they discuss Newton being named a consensus All-American and his upcoming NFL Draft process. Trevor Vallese joins the show again to scold Lon for missing his segment yesterday.

Lon and Derek discuss Christmas traditions and many former Illini shining in the NFL. Later, Luke Goode joins the show to recap the team's loss to Tennessee, what's ahead and his holiday plans.

Former The Drive producer Trevor Vallese joins the show to catch up and discuss the Cubs offseason, Illini thoughts, and various college basketball storylines. Later, Derek and Kyle discuss the Juwan Howard situation.

Derek and Kyle discuss the news out of the NCAA regarding a judge issuing a restraining order blocking the NCAA from denying two-time transfer waivers and what it means for college basketball. Later, Aaron Leming from the BearReport joins the show to share some thoughts on the Bears recent turnaround and the future of Justin Fields and Matt Eberflus.

Lon and Derek discuss how much the Big Ten has struggled so far this basketball season and how much that hurts the Illini's chances for resume building wins. The guys share some of their favorite Christmas movies.

Lon and Derek discuss Tommy DeVito leading the Giants to a primetime victory over the Packers and how cool it is to see him have success in the NFL. Later, the guys go down a rabbit hole about some old school basketball players.

Lon and Derek discuss Piper's long week of travel covering Illini hoops. The guys break down the Illini's 86-79 loss to Tennessee and how they're feeling about the team coming out of the recent stretch.

J Leman joins Lon and Derek for his weekly hour to discuss the Illini's offseason approach and what he views as their top priorities in the transfer portal. Later, one of J's former teammates Brit Miller joins the show for some laughs and J Leman stories.