The Daily Eastern News
9
Wednesday, November 20, 1996
Kruger looking for success in first year with Illini
CHAMPAIGN (AP) – Lon
Kruger began his first year of
Illinois basketball practices by
pushing his players to their limits.
The preseason drills had players rising at 6 a.m. and running
the floor almost constantly. It was
Kruger ’s way of working to
overcome his team’s greatest
weakness: the lack of the big,
dominating frontcourt that has
been almost synonymous with
Big Ten powerhouses.
Kruger wants to use that lack
of size as an advantage.
“We’re going to be aggressive.
We’re going to be fast. We’re
going to take a lot of good
shots,’’ Kruger says.
“We can’t afford to let people
come down the court and pound
us down inside ... we’ll try to pick
up and trap and rotate and scramble things up a bit.’’ Don’t think
that running the players ragged in
practice means Kruger is a tyrant.
The players adore him.
“He’s always calm. He’s never
been angry or impatient with us,’’
says 6-8 junior forward Jerry
Gee. “He always bonds with
us in a positive way.’’
Kruger even won over
Bryant Notree, the
junior guard who was
probably the most disappointed player when
Illinois passed over former assistant Jimmy Collins
when Lou Henson retired last
year.
Both Notree and Collins – the
new head coach at IllinoisChicago – say they remain
friends, but Notree says Kruger
has his loyalty.
“He’s a great guy,’’ Notree
says of Kruger. “He has a lot of
faith in us. He believes in us.’’
Others are believing in the Illini
this year, too. Sports Illustrated’s
preseason prognostications had
Illinois picked 12th in the nation
and second in the Big Ten. While
the Illini aren’t among the four
Big Ten schools in The
Associated Press’ Top 25, they
did get more votes this week
than defending conference
champ Purdue, for
example.
Kruger, who turned a
moribund Florida program into a Final Four
contender, isn’t quite as
optimistic
as
Sports
Illustrated. But he does have reason to hope for a much better
showing than Illinois’ disappointing 7-11 conference mark last
season.
“Hopefully, we’ll be a team
that’s fun and easy to cheer for,’’
Kruger said.
Part of the optimism comes
from the fact that Illinois is finally getting some meat in the middle.
Freshman Victor Chukwudebe,
at 6-7 and 230 pounds, is on the
small side for the inside role. But
the Springfield Lanphier product
is going to be a force in the paint
for the Illini this year, Kruger
says.
“He’s a good rebounder, and
we desperately needed a rebounder last year,’’ Notree said of
Chukwudebe.
Illinois’ best candidate for a
frontcourt force of nature is freshman Festus Hawkins of Pine
Bluff, Ark. He’s 6-9 and 285
pounds (on the way down to
about 270, he says) and had nine
triple doubles in his senior year of
high school.
But Hawkins can’t play. The
National Collegiate Athletic
Association clearinghouse has put
Hawkins on hold indefinitely, ruling him ineligible by questioning
a math class he took during the
summer between his sophomore
and junior years at Dollarway
High School.
Hawkins and Illinois have
appealed the ruling, and there’s
no word on when the NCAA will
rule on the appeal.
So without their only candidate
for a true center, Illinois probably
will play much of the season with
three forwards and two guards,
Kruger said. Even so, that should
take some of the pressure off of
star guard Kiwane Garris,
Illinois’ leading scorer.
Garris often carried the team
on his back last season, and
Illinois suffered last season when
he missed six games and lost
playing time in others because of
injuries.
Notree, who became one of the
team’s best all-around players last
season, also should spend less
time in the lane this year, Kruger
says. That’s just fine with Notree.
“I really want to be on the
perimeter. I don’t want to be
down on the post,’’ says Notree,
who at 6-5 and 205 found himself
guarding players up to six inches
taller last year.
Hodges sues NBA for discrimination Bears ditch dome plan
CHICAGO (AP) – Activism on the part of
African Americans – and not diminishing talents –
ended former Chicago Bulls player Craig Hodges’
career in the NBA, he contends in a federal lawsuit.
Hodges, 36, played 3 1/2 seasons for the Bulls,
including their first two championship seasons of
1990-91 and 1991-92. Hampered by ankle and
knee injuries, he missed 26 games in his final season and averaged a career-low 4.3 points.
In a lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court,
Hodges claims no other team would give him a
tryout after his contract with the Bulls expired
because the league blacklisted him.
He is seeking unspecified damages from the
NBA.
The lawsuit says the league and the Bulls were
embarrassed by Hodges during the team’s visit to
the White House after winning its first title in
The Daily Eastern News
1991. Hodges wore African garments and handed
then-President Bush a letter ``calling for an end to
injustice toward the African-American community,’’ the lawsuit says.
Hodges’ lawyer, David Odom, said Hodges is
an outspoken advocate of living his life as close as
possible to the culture of his African ancestors.
The lawsuit says that as a relatively young player who twice led the NBA in three-point field goal
percentage, teams would have been interested in
Hodges if the league had not wanted him out.
NBA spokesman Brian McIntyre said the league
would reserve comment until it had seen the lawsuit. Bulls officials did not return calls for comment Tuesday.
Hodges is now the basketball coach at Chicago
State University, and he signed as a free agent this
year with the Rockford Lightning of the
Continental Basketball Association.
CHICAGO (AP) – Bears president Michael McCaskey’s proposal to demolish several South
Side businesses to make room for
a new stadium didn’t go over
well with Mayor Richard Daley.
“You’ve got businesses there.
You don’t come up with a plan at
the last minute and say, `We’re
going to do this,’’’ Daley said
Monday. “He’s not living in reality. He’s not living in the real
world.’’
Daley’s plan to refurbish
Soldier Field and equip it with a
retractable roof was scuttled last
week amid reports it would cost
$409 million, which Daley and
McCaskey agree is too expen-
sive.
McCaskey quickly unveiled a
plan for a new open-air stadium
near the McCormick Place convention center south of downtown. His plan calls for a 20,000seat assembly hall attached to a
football-only stadium, with skyboxes in one end zone looking
onto both venues.
The only other plan on the
table is Gov. Jim Edgar’s proposal for a $465 million stadium near
McCormick Place.
Daley has rejected the idea
because Soldier Field would die
without the Bears, and McCaskey
doesn’t want the team to play
indoors or on artificial turf.
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Announcements
Announcements
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TO THE MEN OF SIGMA CHI:I
had a great time at your Crush
Dance last Thursday-Thank you
for the serenade! I hope everyone
has a relaxing and safe
Thanksgiving Break-enjoy the
holiday! Love, Sherry
______________________11/20
JEN BENSFIELD OF DELTA
ZETA: Congratulations on getting
lavaliered to MATT VANDERHEYDEN OF SIGMA PHI
EPSILON! Your sisters are happy
for you!
______________________11/20
MANDY DESREMAUX OF
DELTA ZETA:Congratulations on
becoming the new Greek Week
overall co-chair! Your sisters are
proud of you!
______________________11/20
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______________________11/20
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE
NEW DELTA ZETA GREEK
WEEK STEERING COMMITTEE:LAURA MOORE, STACEY
MOORE AND AMIE TORBERT!
We know you’ll do a great job!
Love, Your sisters.
______________________11/20
DONNA CUISIA, MEGAN HAGGERTY, KIM HARRIS, ROBIN
HICKMAN, AMY LEVINE AND
CYNDI WALKER OF ASA,
Congratulations on Greek Week
Committee! Your sisters are very
proud.
______________________11/20
KAREN
REYFF
OF
ASA:Congratulations on getting
lavaliered to BRYAN ADAMS OF
SIGMA PHI EPSILON. Your sisters are happy for you!
______________________11/20
OLGA, Your real husband will be
a lucky guy. Stay the sweet girl
you are. A Friend.
______________________11/20
CONGRATULATIONS CARRIE
ANASTOS OF ALPHA PHI on
being elected Social Awareness
for Panhellenic Council. Your sisters are so proud of you.
______________________11/20
CONGRATULATIONS RENEE
KAE, ERIN WEED AND RUTHIE
RUNDLE OF ALPHA PHI on
being elected to Student Senate.
Love, Your Sisters.
______________________11/20
PATTI BOHAK: Get ready for a
long evening. Your Dad is dying
to meet you. Alpha Love, Barbi.
______________________11/20
KENDRA WILLIAMSON OF
ALPHA
GAMMA
DELTA:
Congratulations on getting lavaliered to HENRY OSPINA OF PI
KAPPA ALPHA. Your sisters are
happy for you.
______________________11/20
V.J. BELLAFIORE OF SIGMA
CHI: We’re so happy you’re our
new Bordeaux Beau. Love, Kelly
and Jamie.
______________________11/20
KELLEY SPOTANSKI OF TRISIGMA: Congratulations on being
elected as the new President of
Tri-Sigma! I’m so proud of you!
Sigma Love, Hoegger
______________________11/20
SETH WASSON OF SIGMA PHI
EPSILON: Congratulations on
making it to the second round of
Med-School. Your Brothers are
proud.
______________________11/20
CHRONIC ITCH AT REILLY’S
DAUGHTER on Saturday,
November 30 at 9 p.m. (Reilly’s
Daughter is located on the corner
of 111th and Pulaski on the South
Side of Chicago)
______________________11/21
V.J. BELLAFIORE: We are so
excited to have you as our new
Bordeaux Beaux! Get ready for a
great semester! Love, The Ladies
of Alpha Phi
______________________11/20
BRETT CLISH: Congratulations
on Sigma Chi Exec! Love, Amelia.
______________________11/20
CORY BIGGS OF PI KAPPA
ALPHA: Congratulations to our
new DZ man! Thanks for being
the best dad too! Love, Your
Kiddo.
______________________11/20
CONGRATULATIONS JEN LAW
ON GETTING ENGAGED. We
are all so excited for you. Love,
Your Phi Sig sisters.
______________________11/20
DELTA CHIS: Hope to see you all
at the function! Have a good
Thanksgiving break. I’ll miss ya.
Love, Jen
______________________11/20
MOTHER GOOSE & GRIMM
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BY MIKE PETERS