Banks leads American Revolution in France

EX-FLAME MAKES DEBUT WITH NANCY

(9/30/06)

Whoosh! photo Cedrick Banks has returned to France and made his debut with Pro-A team, Nancy.

Cedrick Banks scored 12 points in 33 minutes in his debut game with Nancy in the French Pro-A League on Sept. 23. He was 4-of-8 from the field with three rebounds and two steals in Nancy’s 86-60 victory over Cholet.

Last season with Besancon, he averaged 20.6 points per contest for the Pro-B regular season champs. This past summer, Banks played with the Chicago Bulls’ summer league team in Orlando.

Banks isn’t alone in France as far as local, state and Horizon League talent is concerned. David Bailey (Loyola), T.J. Lux (Northern Illinois), Joah Tucker (UW-Milwaukee), T.J. Parker (Northwestern), Cory Bradford (Illinois), Modibo Niakate (Cleveland State), Pape Badiane (Cleveland State), and Jermaine Guice (Butler) are also in the Pro-A league.

Notables in Pro-B include Zach Williams (Wright State) and Rick Cornett (Notre Dame).

SOMEONE LIKES THE FLAMES: The latest preseason college publication has weighed in on the upcoming season and it says good things about the Flames.

CBSSportsLine.com’s College Basketball preview magazine has pegged UIC for the NCAA Tournament. Tony Mejia, the Web site and magazine’s college basketball guru, placed the Flames a No. 14 seed in the East Rutherford Region, drawing LSU in the first round.

The magazine also features a Horizon League preview, but it doesn’t predict an order of finish. Junior swingman Othyus Jeffers was projected to be on the Second-Team All-Conference.

SCHEDULE UPDATES: Chicago State is no longer on the 2006-07 UIC basketball schedule.

UIC athletic director Jim Schmidt announced last week that the game originally scheduled with the Cougars on Dec. 30 will not be played. Schmidt said that he is helping the Cougars with a scheduling conflict.

The Flames will now play 30 regular season games and open up with St. Edward’s on Nov. 11 at the UIC Pavilion.

Also, the Flames’ opponents for the Chicago Challenge Invitational have been officially announced. UIC will play Florida A&M at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 24 at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates. The next day, the Flames will take on either Jackson State or Savannah State in an early afternoon matchup.

UIC’s clash with Illinois at United Center will tip off at 1 p.m. on Dec. 9, following the Fighting Illini women’s game with Rhode Island. The doubleheader will be known as “The Lexus December to Remember Classic.”