http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/mens_basketball Latest Illini SportsFacts stories for the News-Gazette en-us Copyright 2008, The News-Gazette, Inc. http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/rss Sun, 11 May 2008 08:39:00 PST CHAMPAIGN – Twenty-two years ago, when Robby Speer started taking college players on tours of China, the basketball atmosphere was a far cry from what they see today. "Literally, you walked in and the arena was filled with smoke and it was packed wall to wall. Most of them had never seen an American," says Speer, the executive director of Sports Reach, a Christian faith-based organization out of Louisville. "You would look out the windows of the gym and people were climbing up the trees just trying to see the game." http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/mens_basketball/2008/05/11/three_illini_embark_on_china_tour_monday/ Sun, 11 May 2008 14:00:00 CST Each Sunday during the offseason, beat writer Paul Klee will take you around the world of college basketball: http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/mens_basketball/2008/05/11/klees_corner/ Sun, 11 May 2008 14:00:00 CST Staff writer Paul Klee might be the fastest text messager in the Midwest. FWIW, each Wednesday we'll utilize his GR8 skill to interview a text-savvy personality. THX to CBS2-Chicago lead sports anchor Ryan Baker, a 1991 UI grad, Flyin' Illini team manager and Bruce Weber Show host with a wit to match his fast-rising career: http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/mens_basketball/2008/05/07/textin_with_klee/ Wed, 07 May 2008 14:00:00 CST Should Illinois renovate the Assembly Hall or build a new basketball arena? http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/mens_basketball/2008/05/05/faceoff/ Mon, 05 May 2008 14:00:00 CST Each Sunday during the offseason, beat writer Paul Klee will take you around the world of college basketball: http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/mens_basketball/2008/05/04/klees_corner/ Sun, 04 May 2008 14:00:00 CST Since the APR is not the RPI, that Illinois was listed among the nation's elite summoned few headlines. But an NCAA academic report last week ensured the Illini will be safe from penalties that could spite some of their high-major brethren. http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/mens_basketball/2008/05/04/classroom_scores_outperform_on-court_results/ Sun, 04 May 2008 14:00:00 CST CHAMPAIGN – After a lengthy recruiting process, Verdell Jones III plans to announce his college intentions next week. Central's 6-foot-4 senior point guard will host a press conference at the Jupiters in southwest Champaign at 5 p.m. Monday, his father said. http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/mens_basketball/2008/04/30/centrals_jones_set_to_announce_college_choice_next_week/ Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:00:00 CST Illinois recruit Tyler Griffey started receiving letters from college basketball programs when he was in eighth grade. As Griffey opened his first few letters, the junior high student was overjoyed to learn he had a future in college basketball. But when a small stack of mail turned to nearly 3,000 letters, writing out his name, address, phone number, statistics, grade- point average, height, weight, and other personal information became a burden. "There's got to be a better way to do this," Griffey's father, Chris, thought to himself. http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/mens_basketball/2008/04/27/its_the_golden_age_of_gadgets_in_basketball_recruiting/ Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:00:00 CST ATHENS, Ga. – Illinois freshman gymnast Allison Buckley became Illinois' first NCAA All-American by tying for sixth place on the balance beam Thursday at the national championships. Buckley, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, tallied a 9.825 on the beam to earn the honor. http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/mens_basketball/2008/04/25/buckley_nabs_national_honor/ Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:00:00 CST Staff writer Paul Klee might be the fastest text messager in the Midwest. FWIW, each Wednesday we'll utilize his GR8 skill to interview a text-savvy personality. THX to former Illini sharpshooter Eddie Johnson, the school's sixth-leading career scorer who answered our questions via texts while in the thick of the NBA playoff race as the Phoenix Suns color commentator: http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/mens_basketball/2008/04/23/textin_with_klee/ Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:00:00 CST This week's comments from readers: http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/mens_basketball/2008/04/21/letter_rip/ Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:00:00 CST CHAMPAIGN – Just as the 3-on-3 drill was finished, with a winning team celebrating and a losing team sulking, Bruce Weber hollered instructions to the latter. Get on the line. http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/mens_basketball/2008/04/20/message_sent__weber_selfevaluates_takes/ Sun, 20 Apr 2008 14:00:00 CST Each Sunday during the offseason, beat writer Paul Klee will take you around the world of college basketball: http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/mens_basketball/2008/04/20/klees_corner/ Sun, 20 Apr 2008 14:00:00 CST CHAMPAIGN – Goodbye, former juco star. Hello, former juco star. http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/mens_basketball/2008/04/18/weber_hoping_to_strike_juco_gold_with/ Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:00:00 CST URBANA – A twisting and sometimes-painful basketball journey has come to an end where it began for Steve Holdren. A Champaign native and former Centennial standout, Holdren said he won't return for the 2008-09 season at Illinois. The 6-foot-5 junior has decided to "move on" after battling a knee injury for two-plus years while seeing brighter prospects outside the sidelines. http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/mens_basketball/2008/04/16/walkon_holdren_decides_to_walk_on/ Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:00:00 CST Illinois handed out awards at the program's 86th banquet Tuesday night: http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/mens_basketball/2008/04/16/handing_out_the_hardware/ Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:00:00 CST Staff writer Paul Klee might be the fastest text messager in the Midwest. FWIW, each Wednesday we'll utilize his GR8 skill to interview a text-savvy personality. THX to UI basketball assistant coach Jerrance Howard, who answered our ?'s via text with the same charisma that's lifted recruiting since his hire seven months ago: http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/mens_basketball/2008/04/16/textin_with_klee/ Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:00:00 CST CHAMPAIGN – When Illinois recruited Rodney Alexander out of a junior college in Oklahoma, the Illini did not foresee a one-and-done scenario. But that's how it turned out. http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/mens_basketball/2008/04/15/alexander_leaves_program/ Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:00:00 CST This week's comments from readers: http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/mens_basketball/2008/04/14/letter_rip/ Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:00:00 CST Each Sunday during the offseason, beat writer Paul Klee will take you around the world of college basketball: http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/mens_basketball/2008/04/13/klees_corner/ Sun, 13 Apr 2008 14:00:00 CST CHAMPAIGN – Midway through the 2007-08 season, the Illinois basketball programs added another assistant coach. But this hire was under the radar. Troy Collier was brought on as the academic counselor for men's and women's basketball after eight seasons of recruiting and game planning as an assistant at Eastern Illinois, Missouri State and Ball State. http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/mens_basketball/2008/04/13/hire_learning_new_aide_collier_focusing/ Sun, 13 Apr 2008 14:00:00 CST TOLEDO, Ohio – Toledo hired Notre Dame assistant Gene Cross as its men's basketball coach Friday, giving the former Illini responsibility for a program that hasn't been to the NCAA tourney since 1980. Cross replaced Stan Joplin, fired last month after 12 seasons. http://www.news-gazette.com/sportsfacts/mens_basketball/2008/04/12/former_illini_cross_named_new_toledo/ Sat, 12 Apr 2008 14:00:00 CST