COMMENTARY: Can Flames stop collapse?

(2/6/07)

Whoosh! photo UIC senior Jovan Stefanov compared the Flames’ dwindling roster to “Survivor” after a game with Cleveland State on Jan. 27.

Many phrases have been tossed about concerning the state of the 2006-07 UIC Flames men’s basketball team.

“Team Turmoil” … “Soap Opera” … “Sinking Ship.”

Even senior forward Jovan Stefanov said after one game that the dwindling number of healthy bodies on the roster is like the TV reality show, “Survivor.”

A nightmarish three-day, two-game road trip just before Christmas that started in Oxford, Miss. and went through Philadelphia was the catalyst of the downturn. Talk about no joy before the holidays.

It wasn’t just because UIC lost two games in which they lead against Mississippi and Penn. Games like that happen on the road. What happened off the court during the trip and shortly thereafter was rather … perplexing.

ADVERSITY

Head coach Jimmy Collins took a leave of absence from the team because of “mental and physical exhaustion” and then had surgery for an abdominal aortic aneurysm less than two weeks later.

Collins gave a prepared statement on Dec. 28: “Directing a college basketball team can be a taxing profession at times and in the last few weeks I have found myself both physically and mentally exhausted.

Photo: Steve Woltmann/UIC Athletics UIC head coach Jimmy Collins (right) took a leave of absence and had a surgery all within two weeks. Mark Coomes has filled in as acting head coach since late December.

“After the game at Penn, I realized that the disposition of myself and the team was causing un-needed stress amongst the team and not allowing my players the best opportunity to succeed. I decided upon returning to Chicago that it would be best for me personally, and for this basketball team, if I took some time away.”

At the same time, assistant coach Lynn Mitchem took a leave absence from the team for unspecified reasons.

Two scholarship players, Kevin Bond and D.J. Smedley, departed from the team, apparently for the lack of playing time.

Walk-on Greg Zimny, who had left the team previously, came back for a short time and then left again.

Junior guard Karl White, whose UIC career has fallen short of expectations, was declared ineligible for the spring semester due to academic troubles.

Sophomore Josh Mayo, freshman Spencer Stewart and junior Robert Bush have all suffered from various injuries with Stewart currently on the shelf with a severe contusion in his lower left leg.

Most recently, senior forward Danijel Zoric snapped in Green Bay, putting a forearm shiver into the back of UWGB’s Mike Schachtner after receiving an accidental elbow. Acting head coach Mark Coomes immediately benched Zoric and subsequently suspended him indefinitely for “conduct detrimental to the team.”

In a game against Cleveland State on Jan. 27, UIC played just seven men with the only bench players being rarely-used subs Jovan Ignjatovic and Eb Noonoo.

It didn’t start all that badly after Collins took his leave on Dec. 22. Coomes took over and the Flames started to play inspired ball.

UIC became only the second team to knock off Butler this season with a dramatic 73-67 overtime victory over the Bulldogs at the Pavilion on Jan. 10. It was a total team effort and it seemed like things were starting to come together.

Three days later, the Flames defeated Loyola, the Horizon League’s preseason favorite, 79-73. It was a win that snapped a four-game losing streak to the crosstown Ramblers and put the Flames in first place in the conference at 4-1.

Even I was asking, “Is Coomes eligible for Coach of the Year?”

THE STORM

A few days later, the winds changed and, like in the movie, “The Day After Tomorrow,” things got really cold for the Flames. The snowstorm was about to begin. Even Jake Gyllenhall or Dennis Quaid wouldn’t even be able to save the day.

Three-pointers rained down on the Flames in Milwaukee on Jan. 17 as UWM shredded the UIC defense in a 76-65 loss that dropped the Flames out of first place. That would only be the beginning.

The next day, the bombshell was made public.

Whoosh! photo Jimmy Collins (from left), Mark Coomes and Luis Martinez sit on the Flames’ bench during Midnight Madness in October.

Luis Martinez, a 20-year-old walk-on freshman, who disappeared from the Flames’ bench around the same time Collins and Mitchem took leave, filed a suit against the University in federal court.

Martinez, a freshman from Lincoln Park, joined the team when practice began in October and even played in three games, alleged that Mitchem sexually harassed him.

The defendants in the suit include Mitchem, Collins, Coomes, assistant coach Dave Donnelly, director of basketball operations Bryant Lowe, athletic director Jim Schmidt, associate athletic director Denny Wills and the University Board of Trustees.

The suit claims after the Flames lost to Mississippi on Dec. 19, with Mitchem in his underwear in the locker room, that Mitchem allegedly put his hand on Martinez’s bare chest and asked him: “Can I see that sexy body of yours? Can I do something with your body later on tonight?”

Mitchem repeated the statement, then tried to intimidate Martinez in the days that followed, including punching his arm and pressuring him about his grades, according to the suit, filed at the federal courthouse in Chicago.

Martinez, who has since dropped out of school and is living with his father in the North side, is seeking more than $1 million in damages.

Martinez’s attorney, Sheldon Nagelberg said that Martinez has been undergoing treatment for depression. The suit also stated that Martinez was unable to eat or sleep normally, couldn’t focus on his work on the team and he felt unsafe.

According to the suit, Martinez spoke to Collins in Philadelphia and said he would “take care” of him. Schmidt told Martinez to fill out a grievance form.

Mitchem is being sued for sexual harassment and the other coaches and officials are being sues on the grounds that they did nothing to protect Martinez and failed to perform a full background check on Mitchem before he was hired at UIC in 2001 to replace the retiring Dick Nagy.

No one from the team or the University would comment on any specifics and would only discuss generalities on the team.

Coomes has done a decent job on focusing the team with the task at hand.

“Right now, our team is not into excuse making,” Coomes said after a loss to Detroit on Jan. 20. “We’re into trying to get better on a daily basis and keep our heads above water.”

CAN’T HIDE FROM IT

Whoosh! photo Coomes has kept a cool demeanor, but the outside circumstances have affected the Flames despite everyone’s best efforts.

Unfortunately for Coomes and the Flames, the circumstances surrounding the program have had a negative effect as of late.

Before Wednesday night’s game against Wright State, UIC has lost six straight games to fall from first place to eighth place, just ahead of cellar-dweller Cleveland State. Five of the losses have occurred since the lawsuit became public.

Coomes’ tactics had been working for awhile as the team had started 3-2 under his guidance with big wins over Butler and Loyola. However, as much as one can try, the distractions can become so great, that they will affect the team. Add in injuries and frustration fouls and you’ve got full-blown problems.

To Coomes’ credit, he has not cracked publicly under the pressure. Huge credit must go to the remaining players and the remnants of the coaching staff, including assistants Donnelly and Lowe and players like Stefanov, Othyus Jeffers, T.J. Gray, Mayo, Bush, Jermaine Dailey, Scott VanderMeer, Ignjatovic and Noonoo, as well as Stewart and incoming transfer Jeremy Buttell, who are sitting out right now.

As a follower of Flames basketball for the last 14 seasons with many guys that I consider friends in the program, this month of turmoil has affected me. I get razzed because I’m an alumnus. I feel for these guys. I believe that most of the people involved with the lawsuit will get cleared.

However, who knows what the fallout might be? One way or the other. People could lose jobs over this. Lives are already being affected.

A source within the program told me the other day that “we’re getting support from the administration on this.” At least, the staff isn’t going to be left out on an island during this ordeal.

GOOD CAN STILL COME OUT

Whoosh! photo Othyus Jeffers has done his best to keep the Flames competitive despite a downturn in the team’s fortunes.

There are five conference games left, and believe it or not, the Flames still have a shot at the No. 3 or No. 4 in the Horizon League tournament. Besides Butler and Wright State, who have left everyone else back at the starting gate, the race for the third seed is still wide open.

The first step would be: UIC defending its home court. It can be done. Wednesday’s game with Wright State will be very difficult. The Raiders have been hot and playing with confidence. However, UIC is 16-1 all-time at the Pavilion against the Raiders, and certainly with a good effort, can escape with a victory. And a win would definitely raise the Flames’ confidence.

The other two home games are against Wisconsin-Green Bay and Wisconsin-Milwaukee, who haven’t proven much on the road this season.

The second step: Winning a road game at Detroit or Loyola. UIC will need muster up something extra special, like coming up with “Butler-like intensity” to steal at least one of these road games. Detroit’s Calihan Hall is not an easy place to play, but the Titans are just 5-5 there this season. The Flames have had their share of success at Loyola’s Gentile Center, but the Ramblers will be celebrating Senior Day, so it will be an emotional game.

If the Flames can win four of the last five league games, chances are good for No. 3 or No. 4 seed, especially if one of the victories comes against Wright State. Owning wins against each of the top two teams in the conference could be a major tiebreaking factor down the stretch.

If the Flames can pull off the remarkable and run the table to finish 9-7 in the league, a No. 3 seed is practically a given. Loyola would have to lose just once in four other conference games (it still plays at Butler) and UIC would claim the No. 3 seed. Amazing, but true.

This season can be saved, but it has to start with a statement on Wednesday night. Succeeding through adversity can make a young man stronger, let’s hope it begins now.

WSU PREVIEW: Red-hot Wright State comes to the UIC Pavilion for a 7 p.m. game with the Flames.

The Raiders are 17-8 overall and 10-2 in the Horizon League. They have won 12 of their last 14 games since a loss to LSU on Dec. 27.

Senior guard DaShaun Wood, a surefire First-Team All-Horizon player, leads the way at 19.2 points and 3.6 assists per game.

The rest of the Raiders’ starting five has also been impressive. Two freshmen, Vaughn Duggins and Todd Brown have been vital. Duggins, a 6-foot-4 combo guard, puts in 8.8 points and 2.5 assists per contest. Todd Brown has been the team’s top outside threat, shooting threes at 39 percent clip. Brown averages 9.5 points per outing.

Two stalwarts comprise the rest of the lineup, include senior forward Drew Burleson, who always seems to play well against the Flames. Burleson is averaging 7.9 points and 5.6 rebounds. Junior center Jordan Pleiman, who also usually enjoys success against UIC, averages 7.6 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting a team-best 54 percent from the field.

The Raiders have also been on top of their game defensively, holding their last five opponents to 51.8 points – 10 points below its season average.

For UIC, Stefanov has averaged 15.3 points and 7.0 rebounds in UIC’s last three games. Jeffers has been solid all year with nine double-doubles and had 19 points in the teams’ last meeting on Jan. 4, which Wright State won 76-62.

The Flames hope to continue their success on offense after shooting 50 percent from the field and committing just four turnovers in a 92-87 loss to Youngstown State last Saturday. Both Mayo and Gray were solid and need to continue that trend.

UIC must improve its rebounding and impose its will using their pronounced size advantage. In the Jan. 4 game, WSU outworked UIC and came away with a 36-23 advantage on the boards.

The game will be video streamed live on the Horizon League Network (free registration is required) and it will also be aired live on WMVP-AM 1000 and streamed at www.espnradio1000.com with Mike Kamin and Chris Boden on the call.

As usual, there will be free postgame pizza for Fury members wearing their red Fury T-shirts. All students are admitted for free with valid I-card.