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Prior to practice Friday, Bubba Chisholm joined the Illinois basketball team at midcourt and led it in prayer.

He does that before every practice. Now the Central product has even more to be thankful for. Chisholm has been awarded an athletic scholarship for his final semester at Illinois.

"It's really special for me, especially coming in here and I never expected it," Chisholm said Friday. "It's been above and beyond what I expected here. The coaches have been great. They've always treated me like anyone else. The coaches have always included me. It's been a huge blessing for my family. I appreciate it even more, knowing how much money it actually is."

It's the first time the senior guard has been on an athletic scholarship at Illinois. He played two seasons at Springfield's Lincoln Land Junior College before transferring to Illinois.

He earned a spot on the Illini roster as a walk-on. A finance major, Chisholm is scheduled to graduate from Illinois in May.