Category: News
$8,500 Gold And Other 2026 Sound Money Predictions
$8,500 Gold And Other 2026 Sound Money Predictions
Submitted by QTR’s Fringe Finance
My buddy Larry Lepard (whose gold fund was up over 150% last year) joined me today to unpack the current macro environment — from Bitcoin’s volatility and gold’s historic breakout to what may be the most important question of the decade: is the global monetary system on the brink of a reset?
Bitcoin vs. Gold: Sound Money in Two Different Gears
The discussion opened settling an argument Larry and I were having on X the other day, when he took exception with me comparing Peter Schiff’s EPGIX to Saylor’s MSTR on a year-to-date basis at EOY 2025.
That went into an exchange over Bitcoin’s recent underperformance versus gold. While acknowledging Bitcoin’s painful drawdowns, Lepard stressed that the asset’s long-term thesis remains intact:
“Bitcoin has good years, exceptionally good years, and really awful years… that’s exactly what you expect from a new network that’s still being adopted.”
He framed Bitcoin and gold as complementary forms of sound money — gold thriving in crisis and uncertainty, while Bitcoin responds more to liquidity and risk-on conditions. Importantly, he warned new investors about Bitcoin’s extreme volatility and the necessity of proper position sizing:
“Buy an amount where if it went down, your first instinct would be to say ‘it’s cheap, I should buy more,’ not ‘I made a mistake.’”
Gold and Silver: A Structural Shift Underway
Lepard believes the surge in precious metals is not merely speculative but reflects deep structural changes in global finance. Tight physical supply, de-dollarization, and rising distrust in government finances are converging:
“We are in the first or second inning of a nine-inning game… this is a secular trend.”
With silver breaking multi-decade resistance and physical premiums emerging across global markets, Lepard argued these moves signal a fundamental repricing of monetary assets rather than a temporary blow-off.
The Bond Market: The Real Fault Line
One of the most sobering segments of the discussion centered on the bond market. Lepard outlined a scenario where persistently negative real yields eventually force the Federal Reserve into full-scale yield-curve control — triggering an inflationary shock far larger than anything seen during COVID:
“If the bond market revolts and the Fed caps yields… the inflation that comes out of that will blow your socks off.”
In his view, the long end of the bond market is structurally broken, and the consequences for currencies and asset pricing are enormous.
Are We Heading for a Monetary Reset?
Perhaps the most important question of the interview: is the U.S. already preparing for a reset of the global monetary system?
Lepard pointed to mounting evidence — including growing official interest in gold-linked instruments, shifting geopolitical alignments, and rising distrust in fiat currencies — suggesting that such a reset is at least being discussed at the highest levels of government.
“They know the system is broken… and if inflation continues, the political cover for a reset may finally exist.”
What This Means for Investors
The core takeaway from the conversation was clear: we are entering a period of profound financial transition. Inflation, debt, and monetary mismanagement are colliding, and traditional portfolios are not positioned for what’s coming.
Lepard’s conclusion was simple and direct:
“Protect yourself in things they can’t print — gold, silver, Bitcoin, and real assets.”
As always, the full interview offers far more depth and nuance, but one thing is certain: the world is changing, and the era of sound money is no longer theoretical — it’s unfolding in real time.
WATCH THE FULL ONE HOUR INTERVIEW HERE
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Tyler Durden
Mon, 01/05/2026 – 11:05
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/8500-gold-could-be-next-easy-math
Key Events This Week: JOLTS And Jobs
Key Events This Week: JOLTS And Jobs
While all eyes will be on geopolitical developments, whether in Venezuela or Iran, as speculation erupts that a Trump “intervention” here is next, or even Taiwan, there also are quite a few macro events this week, and the main highlight will be the US jobs report for December on Friday. That’s an important one because there’s been more weakness in the labor market over recent months, with the unemployment rate rising to a 4-year high of 4.6% in November. As DB’s Jim Reid writes this morning, the deterioration in the labor market is why the Fed has delivered 3 consecutive rate cuts since their September meeting, and futures are still pricing in a 53% chance of another cut by the March meeting. So investors still think a Q1 rate cut is in the balance, and Friday’s report will go some way to determining if that happens. In terms of what to expect, DB economists think that nonfarm payrolls will rise by +50k in December, with the unemployment rate declining a tenth to 4.5%.
Over in Europe, the main highlight will be the flash CPI prints for December, with Germany and France reporting on Tuesday, ahead of the Euro Area-wide print on Wednesday. This isn’t a print expected to have too many implications for near-term ECB policy, with markets expecting them to keep rates on hold for the rest of the year. However, headline inflation is expected to fall below the 2% target early this year, largely driven by energy base effects.
DB economists think that if the decline for headline inflation is large enough, that could spill over to weaken core and inflation expectations too, which would lower the bar for further policy easing. So that’ll be a key theme for H1. In terms of this print for December though, our economists expect Euro Area headline inflation to fall back to +2.0% thanks to those falling energy prices, down from +2.1% in November. And for core CPI, they expect that to remain at +2.4%.
Courtesy of DB, here is a day-by-day calendar of events
Monday January 5
Data: US December ISM index, total vehicle sales, China December services PMI, UK November net consumer credit, M4, Japan December monetary base
Tuesday January 6
Data: UK December official reserves changes, new car registrations, Germany December CPI, France December CPI, Italy December services PMI
Central banks: Fed’s Barkin speaks, ECB’s Villeroy and Cipollone speak
Wednesday January 7
Data: US December ADP report, ISM services, November JOLTS report, October factory orders, China December foreign reserves, UK December construction PMI, Japan November labor cash earnings, Germany November retail sales, December construction PMI, unemployment claims rate, France December consumer confidence, Italy December CPI, Eurozone December CPI, Australia November CPI
Thursday January 8
Data: US Q3 nonfarm productivity, unit labor costs, December NY Fed 1-yr inflation expectations, November consumer credit, October trade balance, wholesale trade sales, initial jobless claims, Japan December consumer confidence index, November household spending, Germany November factory orders, France November trade balance, current account balance, Italy November unemployment rate, Eurozone December economic confidence, November PPI, unemployment rate, Canada October international merchandise trade, Switzerland December CPI, Sweden December CPI
Central banks: ECB November consumer expectations survey
Friday January 9
Data: US December jobs report, January University of Michigan survey, October building permits, housing starts, China December CPI, PPI, Japan November leading index, November coincident index, Germany November industrial production, trade balance, France November consumer spending, industrial production, Italy November retail sales, Eurozone November retail sales, Canada December labour force survey, Norway December CPI
Central banks: Fed’s Barkin speaks, ECB’s Lane speaks
Finally, looking at just the US, Goldman writes that the key economic data releases this week are the November JOLTS job openings report on Wednesday and the December employment report on Friday. There are two speaking engagements by Richmond Fed President Barkin this week.
Monday, January 5
10:00 AM ISM manufacturing index, December (GS 48.0, consensus 48.4, last 48.2): We estimate that the ISM manufacturing index edged down by 0.2pt to 48.0 in December, reflecting the decline in our manufacturing survey tracker (-1.6pt to 49.9).
05:00 PM Lightweight motor vehicle sales, December (GS 15.8mn, consensus 15.6mn, last 15.6mn)
Tuesday, January 6
08:00 AM Richmond Fed President Barkin (FOMC non-voter) speaks: Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin will deliver a speech on the economic outlook and monetary policy at the Economic Forecast 2026 conference held by the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce in Raleigh, North Carolina. Speech text is expected.
09:45 AM S&P Global Services PMI, December final (consensus 52.9, last 52.9)
Wednesday, January 7
08:15 AM ADP employment change, December (GS +55k, consensus +48k, last -32k)
10:00 AM ISM services index, December (GS 52.0, consensus 52.3, last 52.6): We estimate that the ISM services index declined 0.6pt to 52.0 in December, reflecting sequential softening in our non-manufacturing survey tracker (-0.7pt to 52.2).
10:00 AM JOLTS job openings, November (GS 7,600k, consensus 7,715k, last 7,670k)
10:00 AM Factory orders, October (GS -1.4%, consensus -1.0%, last +0.2%); Durable goods orders, October final (GS -2.2%, consensus -2.2%, last -2.2%); Durable goods orders ex-transportation, October final (consensus +0.2%, last +0.2%); Core capital goods orders, October final (consensus +0.5%, last +0.5%); Core capital goods shipments, October final (last +0.7%)
Thursday, January 8
08:30 AM Nonfarm productivity, Q3 preliminary (GS +4.3%, consensus +3.8%, last +3.3%); Unit labor costs, Q3 preliminary (GS -0.2%, consensus +0.5%, last +1.0%)
08:30 AM Initial jobless claims, week ended January 3 (GS 220k, consensus 220k, last 199k); Continuing jobless claims, week ended December 27 (last 1,866k)
08:30 AM Trade balance, October (GS -$52.0bn, consensus -$58.4bn, last -$52.8bn)
Friday, January 9
08:30 AM Nonfarm payroll employment, December (GS +70k, consensus +55k, last +64k); Private payroll employment, December (GS +75k, consensus +50k, last +69k); Average hourly earnings (MoM), December (GS +0.25%, consensus +0.3%, last +0.1%); Unemployment rate, December (GS 4.5%, consensus 4.5%, last 4.6%)
We estimate nonfarm payrolls increased 70k in December. On the positive side, big data indicators indicated a moderate pace of private sector job growth. On the negative side, we expect a 5k decline in government payrolls—reflecting a 5k decline in federal government payrolls and unchanged state and local government payrolls—and sequentially slower construction employment growth after an outsized increase the prior month and unusually poor weather early in the survey period. We estimate that the unemployment rate edged down to 4.5% in December from 4.6% in November: the bar for rounding down to 4.5% is not high from an unrounded 4.56% in November, continuing claims have declined slightly, and the furloughed federal workers that likely contributed to the spike in workers on temporary layoff (+171k in November vs. September) and unemployed government workers (+193k, SA by GS) that explained most of the increase in overall unemployment in November would have returned to work. We estimate average hourly earnings rose 0.25% month-over-month in December, reflecting negative calendar effects.
08:30 AM Housing starts, October (GS +1.0%, consensus +1.4%, last -8.5% [August]); Housing starts, September (GS +0.3%)
10:00 AM University of Michigan consumer sentiment, January preliminary (GS 54.1, consensus 53.4, last 52.9): University of Michigan 5-10-year inflation expectations, January preliminary (GS 3.3%, last 3.2%)
01:35 PM Richmond Fed President Barkin (FOMC non-voter) speaks: Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin will deliver a speech on the economic outlook at the Maryland Bankers Association First Friday Economic Outlook Forum in Baltimore, Maryland. Speech text is expected.
Source: DB, Goldman
Tyler Durden
Mon, 01/05/2026 – 10:55
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/key-events-week-jolts-and-jobs
Man Arrested For Breaking Windows At Vance’s Home: Secret Service
Man Arrested For Breaking Windows At Vance’s Home: Secret Service
A man was arrested on Jan. 5 after causing damage to Vice President JD Vance’s property, according to the Secret Service.
The Secret Service confirmed their detention of the individual, who is now in the custody of Cincinnati Police, ABC News reported.
Vance and his family were not home at the time.
William DeFoor, 26, faces charges of criminal damaging/endangering, obstructing official business, criminal trespass, and vandalism, according to local outlet WLWT.
DeFoor allegedly broke several windows on the premises.
Although it is unconfirmed, you may not be surprised as his family’s political leanings…
The Cincinnati Police Department took custody of the man later in the day.
The house was not occupied when the damage occurred, the spokesman said.
Vance and his family were in Washington when the incident occurred.
The VP has weighed in with a statement on X:
I appreciate everyone’s well wishes about the attack at our home. As far as I can tell, a crazy person tried to break in by hammering the windows.
I’m grateful to the secret service and the Cincinnati police for responding quickly.
We weren’t even home as we had returned already to DC.
One request to the media: we try to protect our kids as much as possible from the realities of this life of public service.
In that light, I am skeptical of the news value of plastering images of our home with holes in the windows.
The Secret Service is coordinating with Cincinnati officials and federal prosecutors on the charges to be brought against the man, who has not been publicly identified.
The Secret Service declined to provide more details.
The Cincinnati Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Vance, 41, grew up in Ohio and represented the state in the U.S. Senate before becoming vice president.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 01/05/2026 – 10:45
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/man-arrested-breaking-windows-vances-home-secret-service
Man who broke windows at Vice President JD Vance’s Ohio home is detained, the Secret Service says
A man who broke windows at Vice President JD Vance’s Ohio home and caused other property damage was detained early Monday, the U.S. Secret Service said.
The man was detained shortly after midnight by Secret Service agents assigned to Vance’s home, east of downtown Cincinnati, agency spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press. He has not been named.
The Secret Service heard a loud noise at the home around midnight and found a person who had broken a window with a hammer and was trying to get into the house, according to two law enforcement officials who were not publicly authorized to discuss the investigation into what happened and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The man had also vandalized a Secret Service vehicle on his way up the home’s driveway, one of the officials said.
The home, in the Walnut Hills neighborhood, on hills overlooking the city, was unoccupied at the time, and Vance and his family were not in Ohio, Guglielmi said.
The Secret Service is coordinating with the Cincinnati Police Department and the U.S. attorney’s office as charging decisions are reviewed, he said.
Vance, a Republican, was a U.S. senator representing Ohio before becoming vice president. His office said his family was already back in Washington and directed questions to the Secret Service.
Walnut Hills is one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods and is home to historic sites, including the Harriet Beecher Stowe House.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/05/jd-vance-ohio-home/
State/Lake ‘L’ station in the Loop closed for 3-year rebuild
The State/Lake “L” station in the Loop closed Monday for construction and won’t open again until 2029.
The 120-year-old station is one of the CTA’s most heavily used and serves the Purple, Pink, Brown, Orange and Pink Lines.
The station is slated to get demolished and rebuilt as part of a massive $444 million revamp the CTA and the Chicago Department of Transportation say will “improve safety, accessibility, and comfort for all riders.”
Trains won’t stop at the station during construction, with Loop riders instructed to use the nearby Clark/Lake and Washington/Wabash stations instead. Some traffic impacts are expected as well, including the limitation of Lake St. to local traffic only between Dearborn St. and Wabash Ave. Sidewalks on Lake St. and State St. will remain open to pedestrians.
The new station will feature wider platforms and new elevators for full ADA-accessibility, the agencies said.
CTA crime down slightly despite series of high-profile incidents in 2025
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/05/state-lake-l-station-rebuild/
Huge Industrial Explosion In Iran Sparks Panic, Protest-Related Speculation
Huge Industrial Explosion In Iran Sparks Panic, Protest-Related Speculation
A large explosion initially under mysterious circumstances has rocked Iran. Regional media has identified the location of the blast, which released a small mushroom cloud high into the air, in Amol, northern Iran. The timing couldn’t be worse, as it unleashed some degree of panic in the country when it happened Monday afternoon.
It reportedly occurred at Kalleh dairy factory, which is one of the largest dairy producers in Iran, with the mayor of Amol telling Mazandaran Broadcasting Agency that the fire and explosion was sparked by accident due to repairs and a welding fire.
🚨 URGENT – AMOL | IRAN
An explosion has been reported in Amol.
The cause of the blast is currently unknown, and no official statement has yet been released regarding casualties or damage. pic.twitter.com/tJHhDDzWGX
— Niyak Ghorbani (نیاک) (@GhorbaniiNiyak) January 5, 2026
The smoke in the blast aftermath could be seen from several miles away, and news of it spread fast both within Iran and around the world, resulting in rapid speculation that it may have been connected to the ongoing wave of protests.
Some pundits have denounced that the industrial blast is being directly related to anti-government, economically-driven protests. The timing seems unfortunate, but the natural questions arise concerning the possibility of sabotage.
Currently, all eyes are on the US and Israeli reaction to the ongoing protests – now just over a week in progress, after President Trump pledged that he would “rescue” Iranians and potentially “hit” Iran “very hard” if authorities begin shooting protesters.
دقایقی پیش کارخانه یکی از خطوط تولید شرکت کاله در شهر آمل دچار آتشسوزی شدید شد. ویدئوهای منتشرشده در شبکههای اجتماعی نشاندهنده برافروخته شدن شعلهها و تلاش نیروهای آتشنشانی برای مهار حریق است، هنوز علت دقیق حادثه اعلام نشده است.
این خبر در حالی منتشر میشود که شرکت کاله و… pic.twitter.com/jsDWAQqDCL
— توانا Tavaana (@Tavaana) January 5, 2026
As for these persistent protests, so far at least 12 people have died, including at least one member of the security forces.
Al Jazeera reviews of the spiraling situation:
Thousands of people have mobilized across the country with security forces responding forcefully in some places.
On Thursday, Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency reported that three people had died in confrontations between security forces and protesters in Lordegan in southwestern Iran. A further three deaths were reported in Azna and another in Kouhdasht, both in central Iran.
“Some protesters began throwing stones at the city’s administrative buildings, including the provincial governor’s office, the mosque, the Martyrs Foundation, the town hall and banks,” Fars reported of protests in Lordegan, adding that police had responded with tear gas.
With things on edge, and as Tehran leaders remain under pressure from the West, even the instance of a simple industrial accident – if this narrative indeed proves accurate, comes at the worst of moments.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 01/05/2026 – 10:15
How Chicago engineer Kevin Patel hopes to rewire American manufacturing
Content oversight provided by Studio 1847
As the United States accelerates its transition toward autonomous, AI-powered and data-driven manufacturing, Chicago engineer Kevin Patel has emerged as a leading innovator shaping the future of American industrial intelligence. With more than a decade of advanced engineering experience, Patel has become widely recognized for developing AI-driven automation systems, robotics-assisted quality frameworks and predictive manufacturing models that are transforming production environments across the U.S. automotive and electronics sectors.
Patel earned his Master of Engineering in mechanical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, where his graduate research focused on computational mechanics, industrial robotics, digital control systems, IoT-integrated automation and applied artificial intelligence. His academic work included developing automotive digital-twin simulations, designing cyber-physical manufacturing architectures, analyzing real-time sensor-fusion data streams and creating machine-learning algorithms for predictive production behavior. This research foundation placed him at the forefront of autonomous manufacturing, intelligent automotive engineering and advanced industrial automation.
Throughout his professional career, Patel has worked extensively to convert traditional U.S. production environments into intelligent, adaptive and data-driven ecosystems. He has engineered deep-learning models for early-stage quality anomaly identification, generative AI engines capable of identifying previously unmodeled production anomalies and process deviations, high-resolution surface-analysis systems for precision automotive components, IoT-linked process monitoring networks, and autonomous robotic inspection platforms capable of dynamically adjusting to production variability. His contributions have delivered measurable improvements in process consistency, quality control precision, yield optimization, cycle-time performance, operational stability and long-term process reliability, strengthening the competitiveness of American manufacturing.
Patel also brings significant expertise as an IATF 16949-certified automotive quality auditor, a role that gives him direct insight into the rigorous standards required for U.S. automotive production. His understanding of compliance, advanced process control and quality-management frameworks enables him to design AI-based systems that not only improve performance but also align with the stringent regulatory and reliability expectations of the American automotive sector.
Outside of engineering development, Patel is a respected national speaker and educator, sharing his research across major U.S. industry platforms. He recently spoke at the Next-Gen Smart Logistics Conference 2025 in Virginia, delivering sessions on AI-driven supply-chain intelligence, IoT-powered logistics automation and predictive quality ecosystems. In addition, he is an invited speaker at several IEEE-recognized technology conferences, including SSITCON 2025, ICICNCT 2025, and ICCES 2025, where he will present his latest research on autonomous automotive automation, cyber-physical production networks and AI-enabled industrial systems.
Patel is a Senior Member of the IEEE and a Senior Member of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers, -distinctions awarded to engineering professionals who demonstrate exceptional technical impact. He is also an active professional member of American Society of Mechanical Engineers, supporting national efforts to advance mechanical engineering, industrial automation and modern manufacturing science. His peer-reviewed publications span AI-assisted quality inspection and anomaly recognition, IoT-enabled quality intelligence, federated manufacturing networks, computer-vision inspection for electronics, blockchain-secured traceability, and physics-informed neural models for automotive analytics-work that continues to influence engineering research across the United States.
Patel’s mission is, “American manufacturing must evolve toward intelligent autonomy systems that predict, adapt, and improve continuously. My goal is to build AI-automated, IoT-connected, cyber-physical infrastructures that eliminate problems before they occur.” His ongoing research includes reinforcement-learning robotics, predictive maintenance engines powered by hybrid AI, automotive digital-twin ecosystems and advanced cyber-physical control loops designed for next-generation U.S. production environments.
As Chicago rises as a national hub for industrial AI, robotics and smart manufacturing, Patel aims to stand out among the innovators leading the United States into a new era of autonomous, connected and highly resilient production systems. His experience as a researcher, speaker and engineering leader places him at the forefront of the country’s evolving industrial future.
US Manufacturing Sector Ends 2026 At Weakest In Over A Year
US Manufacturing Sector Ends 2026 At Weakest In Over A Year
The US Manufacturing sector ended 2026 on a down-note as yet another ‘soft’ survey data disappointed with ISM reporting at 47.9 (below the 48.4 expected) – the 10th consecutive month below 50 (contraction)…
Source: Bloomberg
Despite strong ‘hard’ data, that is the weakest print for ISM Manufacturing since Oct 2024.
The decline in the measure reflected producers drawing down their raw materials inventories at the fastest rate since October 2024. That indicates many firms are relying on existing stockpiles to satisfy tepid demand.
Plus, materials costs remain elevated.
The ISM prices-paid index, which held at 58.5 last month, is 6 points higher than it was at the end of 2024.
New orders contracted for a fourth month and export bookings remained weak, based on the ISM data. Headcount shrank for an eleventh straight month, albeit at a slower pace, amid modest production growth.
The ISM’s gauge of imports shrank to a seven-month low, while supplier delivery times slowed and order backlogs continued to shrink.
Respondents remain focused on the ‘t’ word…
“Morale is very low across manufacturing in general. The cost of living is very high, and component costs are increasing with folks citing tariffs and other price increases. It’s cold in our area of the country, absenteeism is worse around the holidays, and sales were lower than we expected for November. So, things look a bit bleak overall.” [Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components]
“2025 revenue was down 17 percent due to tariffs. The lost revenue has inhibited our ability to offer bonuses to employees or create and hire for new positions.” [Miscellaneous Manufacturing]
“Things are quieter regarding tariffs, but prices for all products remain higher. Our costs have increased, so we have increased prices for our customers to compensate. Margins have deteriorated, as full pass through (of cost increases) is not possible.” [Computer & Electronic Products]
“Winding up the year with mixed results. It has not been a great year. We have had some success holding the line on costs; however, real consumer spending is down and tariffs are ultimately to blame. I hope for some return to free trade, which is what consumers have ‘voted for’ with their spending.” [Chemical Products]
“Trough conditions continue: depressed business activity, some seasonal but largely impacted by customer issues due to interest rates, tariffs, low oil commodity pricing and limited housing starts.” [Machinery]
But looking ahead, abating tariff uncertainty and the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are anticipated to offer a tailwind to capital expenditures this year.
Will the soft data catch up to the hard data? Or vice versa?
Tyler Durden
Mon, 01/05/2026 – 10:06
https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/us-manufacturing-sector-ends-2026-weakest-over-year
After torn ACL, Hinsdale South’s Anna Wilcox dives for loose balls ‘like nothing happened.’ Now wins happen.
Hinsdale South senior Anna Wilcox plays every game as if it will be her last.
Whether she is guarding the opponent’s best player, fighting for a rebound or diving on the floor for a loose ball, the 5-foot-7 guard brings an unmatched intensity that borders on abandon after recovering from a torn ACL.
“She’ll go for a ball, and something will buckle, and my heart stops,” Hinsdale South coach Katie Salley said. “I ask, ‘Are you OK?’ And she’s like, ‘I’m fine.’
“So (injury) is not even a worry in her mind, which is incredible because I think the hardest part is the mental part. She goes out there and she plays like nothing happened.”
Thirteen months ago, something did happen, and it wasn’t good.
“It was our Thanksgiving tournament on our home floor,” Wilcox said. “I was going for a rebound. The ball was bouncing out of bounds.
“There was my opponent running right next to me, and we were both reaching for the ball. I just stepped straight-legged on my leg and just twisted it.”
Wilcox’s injury wiped out her basketball and soccer seasons and threatened to do the same to her senior season of cross country. Physical therapy ensued, testing the mental and physical strength of someone who has been active in sports since she could walk.
As a sophomore, Wilcox was a starter on the girls basketball team, which finished fourth in Class 3A and earned the program’s first state trophy. She is also a starting midfielder on the girls soccer team and had qualified for the Class 2A state meet in cross country as a junior.
“The hardest part was knowing that I’m sitting on the sidelines and there’s honestly nothing I can do,” Wilcox said. “Yes, I’m going to PT, but I’ll still be out for months, and I was watching my teammates play and knowing that I wouldn’t be able to do that for a year.”
Hinsdale South’s Anna Wilcox, left, dribbles the ball against St. Laurence’s Elle Rice during a game in the Montini Christmas Tournament in Lombard on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (Steve Johnston / Pioneer Press)
But Wilcox found strength in the support she got from teammates and coaches in basketball and soccer.
“At the beginning of soccer season, when we were getting our jerseys on jersey day and taking pictures, I went up to my coach and said, ‘Oh, I don’t need a jersey,’ because we knew that I would be out for the entire season,” Wilcox said. “My coach (Jen Belmonte) told me, ‘You’re getting a jersey, you’re getting a bag and sweats and everything. You’re going to be in the team picture.’
“I feel like moments like that are what kept me going, to be part of the team even if I didn’t believe in myself. For my coach and my teammates to be like, ‘No, you’re still part of the team,’ that motivated me even when it was really hard to see far into the future.”
Wilcox’s recovery took eight months. She wasn’t cleared to compete until late August, but she got the OK to participate in a cross country meet at Peoria’s Detweiller Park, the site of the state meet, at the end of July.
“It’s a preseason meet, so it’s not taken super seriously,” she said. “But it’s really fun, and I’ve been doing it since my freshman year.
“I knew that I wanted to run it, and I still wasn’t 100%. But I asked my physical therapist. He told me I could run on predictable surfaces, and that’s a flat course.”
Mother Nature threw a wrinkle at Wilcox. Thunderstorms delayed the meet.
“It’s a race that’s run at night, so it was pitch black,” she said. “It was so muddy, and then the team actually left.”
Wilcox said she and two teammates decided to stay, and they ran in the rain at 11 p.m.
“Physically, it might not have been the best choice to do that when I wasn’t even 100% cleared,” Wilcox said. “But mentally I knew that I needed to run that to tell myself that I would be back and that I would do well.
“I’m very fortunate that my PT let me do that. I feel like that’s when I realized that I can be back, and everyone was so supportive.”
Hinsdale South’s Anna Wilcox (24) reaches to grab a rebound during a game against St. Laurence in the Montini Christmas Tournament in Lombard on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (Steve Johnston / Pioneer Press)
Wilcox came back better than ever. She again qualified for the state meet, where she finished 118th, improving her time from the previous year by nearly 30 seconds.
Wilcox’s return to the basketball court has proved to be just as successful. Through Sunday, she was averaging 2.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.9 steals and was shooting 82% on free throws for the Hornets (11-3), who look like a vastly improved team after winning 13 games last season.
“Those seniors have been together now for four years,” said Salley, who is in her first season as coach. “They know Anna’s Anna. Anna’s going to do everything to make everyone else successful.”
Hinsdale South senior forward Maeve Savage has known Wilcox since they were in elementary school.
“She’s an amazing player,” Savage said. “Last year, we really struggled without her. Our coach didn’t hold people accountable. People didn’t show up, but Anna showed up every single day, every single practice, every single game, and she couldn’t even play. I think that speaks volumes to the kind of person she is.”
Wilcox said she’s grateful for the support from her teammates and Salley.
“Coach Salley was our assistant two years ago when we had the state run, so I know her, and she knows me,” Wilcox said. “She knew how much I wanted to be back.
“It felt like I stepped in without taking a year off because most of the people that are on our basketball team are seniors that I have played with since freshman year. So getting back to the team was really easy.”
Wilcox has never been the Hornets’ leading scorer, but she makes the tough stuff look easy.
“This year, she’s such a big role player,” Savage said. “Maybe she doesn’t have the most points on the board, but she will always be diving on the floor for balls, boxing out, getting rebounds. She’ll guard the biggest girl on the court. So she’s an amazing teammate.”
Hinsdale South’s Anna Wilcox goes for a layup against St. Laurence during a game in the Montini Christmas Tournament in Lombard on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (Steve Johnston / Pioneer Press)
Sports have always been important to the energetic Wilcox, whose parents, George and Becky, let her play any sport she wanted when she was growing up.
Wilcox wears No. 24 in honor of her mother, who wore it at Hinsdale Central. Becky Wilcox also played college basketball at Augustana and returned to teach at Hinsdale Central, where she worked as the softball coach and as an assistant under girls basketball coach Steve Gross on the team that won the 2002 Class AA state title.
George Wilcox, who worked for 28 years as a reporter covering high school sports in the Chicago area, often comes home from work to find Becky and Anna walking through plays in the kitchen. Sometimes he’s asked to stand in a certain spot to simulate a defender.
“I still do that because my mom played basketball in college and coached for a while, so she knows what she’s talking about,” Anna Wilcox said. “I go home, and I get the postgame talk from her, and she’ll show me things.
“I’m really glad that my parents gave me these opportunities to find out what I loved and do sports. I want to continue doing that in college.”
Wilcox, who has a 5.0 GPA on a 5.0 scale, intends to study engineering and run in college. Her top two choices are the Milwaukee School of Engineering and Rose-Hulman.
“She’s going to be so successful,” Salley said. “I can’t wait to read about her one day.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/05/basketball-hinsdale-south-anna-wilcox/
College football transfer portal tracker: Illinois signs QB Katin Houser — and kicker David Olano moves on
The college football transfer portal window opened Friday and will stay open until Jan. 16.
The Tribune is tracking some of the key portal moves of local teams and players.
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Monday
Illinois kicker David Olano reportedly signed with Texas A&M
Illinois place kicker David Olano (24) kicks an extra point in the first quarter against Western Illinois at Memorial Stadium on Aug. 29, 2025, in Champaign. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
What it means: Olano, who made the winning field goal in Illinois’ Music City Bowl win over Tennessee, announced he was hitting the transfer portal on Jan. 1.
On Monday, Olano reportedly signed with Texas A&M, according to on3.com. He made 37 of 43 field-goal attempts the last two seasons, including the winner against USC this season.
Sunday
Former East Carolina and Michigan State quarterback Katin Houser signed with Illinois
Michigan State quarterback Katin Houser looks to pass during the first half against Michigan on Oct. 21, 2023, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
What it means: Illinois is in need of a new quarterback with three-year starter Luke Altmyer graduating. Houser arrives in Champaign after throwing for 6,438 yards and 43 touchdowns with 22 interceptions over four seasons at Michigan State and East Carolina.
Most recently in his second season at East Carolina, Houser completed 65.9% of his passes for 3,300 yards and 19 touchdowns with six interceptions. He also rushed for 181 yards and nine touchdowns.
‘Tough as nails’ Luke Altmyer puts a fitting finish on one of Illinois’ most successful QB tenures
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/05/college-football-transfer-portal-tracker/
