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Semrau: Good news, bad news

Posted by: Paul Klee

Friday, November 30, 2007 7:24 PM

Some good news has been handed down in regards to Illinois freshman Rich Semrau.

The UI compliance office applied for a medical hardship waiver after Semrau missed the final 30 games last season due to a surgery. The Big Ten recently notified the compliance office and basketball program that Semrau met the criteria for a hardship waiver and will not be charged with a season of eligibility for the 2006-07 campaign.

The 6-9 forward was granted a so-called fifth year of eligibility, meaning he can play through the 2010-11 season.

-It's been a difficult haul over the past year for Semrau. He was averaging about 12 minutes over the first five games of last season, before he underwent surgery for a bizarre chest infection. This season he's played the fewest minutes (two) on a 15-man roster, and he didn't play in four of the six games.

Still, Semrau said he's not pointing the blame anywhere but inward.

"I didn't think I was going to be at this stage right now. I thought I was going to be a little further along," Semrau said today before practice at the Assembly Hall. "But I guess it's just the way things work out. I didn't put enough work in (during the offseason). I pretty much just set myself up to not being able to play right away.

"I can't blame it on the injury. When something happens bad you have to go out and have the right attitude to go and get yourself back to that point. I don't think I really accomplished that. I would say it's my fault."

-Today, Semrau called his high school coach for some counsel. Phil Argento, who coaches Lutheran West High School in Ohio, played for Adolph Rupp at Kentucky.

"He said that his first games when he was on the varsity team (at Kentucky), he didn't play," Semrau said of the conversation with Argento. "He said when they played Louisville they lost. Two years later (when they played Louisville) he was the MVP of the game with 27 points, 13 assists, some crazy stats.

"He said you can't look at the short-term effects. You have to look at the long-term value that you're going to gain out of it. By not playing, you're mental toughness is going to increase because you understand what you have to do to get back to that level where you can play."

-Illinois is thick with young big men, which begs the question: Would Semrau consider a transfer?

"Absolutely not," he said. "I chose to come here because of the program, because of the people. Their decision not to play me is not their fault; it's my fault. I haven't done enough to where I can play. Transferring, that's not an issue."

-There are a handful of tickets -- single seats -- remaining for Saturday's game against Weber State.

-More on Semrau, the medical hardship waiver, what Bruce Weber is hoping to see over the next three weeks and the Weber State game in Saturday's News-Gazette.

Paul
pklee@news-gazette.com