As Illinois prepares for its final two games of the regular season, the team returned a key member of its lineup after a rather unusual absence.
Guard Matthew Mayer said on Wednesday that he had missed the past few days of practice for a reason not typically listed on a team’s health report: caffeine poisoning. That peculiar diagnosis came after a round of video games following the team’s loss to Ohio State on Sunday, when Mayer estimates that he drank five Monster energy drinks while playing video games, according to Derek Piper of 247Sports.
Mayer, a fifth-year senior, arrived at Illinois after transferring from Baylor, where he spent four seasons and was part of the Bears’ national championship team in 2021. Through 29 games this year, Mayer is averaging 12.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game on 36.0% shooting on three-point attempts.
Illinois is currently 19–10 with a 10–8 record in Big Ten play, tied for seventh place in the conference.
While caffeine poisoning qualifies as an atypical reason for an athlete to miss time, the thought of a college student drink Monster energy drinks and playing video games is far less uncommon. Here’s hoping that Mayer has put the issue behind him—and perhaps will make some alterations to his postgame routine.
