It’s official: No more Bailey

BANKS, WILLIAMS WILL RETURN

(9/13/04)

UIC athletic director Jim Schmidt and coach Jimmy Collins announced Monday that guard Cedrick Banks and forward Armond Williams will return for a fourth season, but point guard Martell Bailey will not.

Banks (pictured) and Williams sat out their freshman years due to NCAA Initial Eligibility Guidelines. They have now earned the year back by meeting specific academic components to their individual cases, according to a University press release.

Collins said in July that Banks would be eligible all along. Williams, however, will become eligible after the start of the regular season, likely missing the first few games of the campaign, while finishing some remaining coursework on his Movement Science degree.

Williams could be back in time for the Flames’ three game road trip that starts Dec. 12 at UNC-Wilmington, continues two days later at Duke, and wraps up Dec. 18 at the Allstate Arena against DePaul. The fall semester ends Dec. 10, which means he’ll miss contests with Georgia Tech, Bowling Green, South Dakota State, Illinois State and the first of two games with Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

“Cedrick and Armond are two gifted players who have meant so much to this program both on and off the court,” Collins said in a release. “They came to this university with lofty goals to achieve athletically and academically, and I think over the course of this upcoming school year they can accomplish both.”

Bailey (pictured) finished his career with 656 assists in three years, second on the Flames’ all-time list – 99 behind Craig “Cubby” Lathen (1981-85). He did not earn his fourth season of eligibility, but will attempt to finish his degree requirements while serving as a student assistant coach.

The Flames have two players ready to replace Bailey at the point, including reserve Marcetteaus McGee and redshirt junior Rocky Collum. As a freshman, McGee played 27 games, averaging about seven minutes per contest and about 1 assist per game. He was originally recruited by Wisconsin before transferring to UIC.

Collum transferred to UIC last year from Kankakee C.C. and sat out, retaining two years of eligibility.

His two older brothers Ricky and Robby each played two years of Division I ball at Southern Illinois and Western Michigan, respectively. Rocky has solid passing skills, according to Collins, who also said that “he’s a better shooter than his brothers” and he will be threat from beyond the three-point arc. Collum averaged 12.6 points and 4.5 assists two years in Kankakee.

In addition to attempting to put UIC into postseason play for the fourth straight year, Banks will have numerous personal goals as well. He needs just 470 points to pass Kenny Williams and become the Flames’ all-time leading scorer. He currently ranks sixth with 1,556 career points.

He also has 180 three-point field goals for his career, ranking third on the school list and will likely finish at least second in that category.

Banks could also become just the third Flame to land three First-Team all-conference selections, joining Williams (1991-94) and Ivan Daniels (1982-85).

Williams will look to pass Daniels for first on the all-time field-goal percentage list. His .557 ranks second to Daniels’ .565. He also needs just 15 points to become the 18th Flame to surpass the 1,000-point barrier.

Williams could break into the school’s top 10 in scoring and rebounding. He was also the Horizon League tournament MVP last year, helping the lead UIC to its second tournament title in the last three years.

ANOTHER POSSIBLE ADDITION FOR ’05: Whoosh! has learned from Dan Laffee of the Prep Report that former Fenger center DeMario Williams, who played last season at Cincinnati State Technical – one of the top junior college programs in the Midwest – has enrolled at UIC and will sit out the year, hoping to play in 2005-06.

The 7-foot, 215-pound Williams, if he plays for the Flames, will become the tallest player in school history. He was a reserve at Cincinnati State during his freshman year. He was listed on Chicago State’s summer roster in 2003 before enrolling at Cincinnati State.

ALUMNI NEWS: Former Flames star Bill Merchantz, the founder and president of Lakeview Technology, a provider of infrastructural software based on Oakbrook Terrace, was named the Lou Liay Spirit Award winner for 2004.

He played at UIC from 1975-79 when the school was a Division II program and ranks eighth in school history in rebounding. He pledged a $1 million gift to help build the Flames Athletic Center. The basketball practice area is named in honor of him and his friend, the late Chuck Lambert, who was the school’s third all-time leading scorer.

A story on Merchantz can be found in the current edition of UIC Alumni Magazine.

AN ASIDE: Congratulations to former Flames baseball player Curtis Granderson, who made his major-league debut with the Detroit Tigers Monday night. He went 0-for-4, while playing center field and batting in the No. 9 spot.