Banks still hoping to catch NBA dreams

AGENT PUSHING HARD

(7/2/05)

Former UIC superstar Cedrick Banks recently completed his rookie season in the United States Basketball League with the Nebraska Cranes.

Banks (pictured) was the Cranes’ third-leading scorer, pouring in 16.7 points per game – ranking 15th in the league. He shot 45 percent from the field, 33 percent from three-point range and made a team-best 49 threes in regular-season play.

Banks was not selected in the 2005 NBA Draft and has not yet heard about playing with an NBA summer league squad.

“Cedrick has done well, but continues to be underestimated,” said Banks’ agent, Chicago-based Mike Naiditch via e-mail. “We’re still plugging away, though. There is plenty of interest coming from the minor leagues and from Europe.”

Banks was key in the Cranes’ first-playoff game against the top-seeded Brooklyn Kings, barely missing a triple-double with 21 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. His effort helped the Cranes upset the Kings 117-110 before they lost in the semifinals to eventual league champion Dodge City.

Banks was impressive in the Cranes’ final regular-season home game when he erupted for 29 of his 35 points in the second half of a 96-90 victory over the Kansas Cagerz.

If the NBA doesn’t come calling, Banks could have another professional opportunity in the United States. The brand-new All-American Professional Basketball League had offered Banks a contract for the league’s maximum salary, according to Cranes head coach and general manager Terry Layton in a report in the June 21 edition of the Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star. The AAPBL will have teams in the Midwest and in the Great Plains.

BANKS ON NBA TV: The USBL announced that all games from the seven-game, three-day USBL playoffs will air at some point in July on NBA TV, meaning that Banks will make two appearances on the channel. Check NBA TV for details.

MAYO ON THE RISE: The stock of incoming freshman Josh Mayo continues to rise with his performances in recent high school All-Star games. He led his Indiana All-Stars to a two-game sweep of the Kentucky All-Stars last month.

Mayo was valuable in Indiana’s 94-72 victory on June 18, scoring a game-high 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-5 on three-pointers and earned some props from Kentucky’s coach.

“If you read our scouting reports, we said [Mayo] was probably the most athletic player on their team,” said Kentucky coach Gary Forrest.

Mayo was also solid in the rematch – an 88-65 Indiana victory on June 25. He scored 10 points on a perfect 3-of-3 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.

Mayo’s defense in this game contributed to Indiana’s containing Kentucky Mr. Basketball, Domonic Tilford, limiting him to 1-for-15 shooting and two points.

Also, Mayo had nine points and six assists in middle game of a three-game All-Star series between Indiana’s seniors and juniors. Three of Mayo’s assists were converted into alley-oop dunks in a 118-111 seniors’ victory in triple-overtime on June 21.

He had a team-high 16 points and three three-pointers in the Seniors’ 30-point victory on June 15.

NEW FURY LEADERS: Two new athletic administrators will lead the Fury for the upcoming school year. Jeremy Makins and Samantha DeMaria are the new leaders for the rowdy, student support group.

Makins and DeMaria have been working closely with coach Jimmy Collins in the past month to spread the word about the group, making presentations at freshman orientations on campus.

For more information on joining the Fury, contact Makins or DeMaria. More information can be found on the Whoosh! front page.

SEVEN-FOOTER GONE: Seven-foot center Demario Williams, who sat out last season as a transfer from Cincinnati State, will not play for the Flames this season. Oddly enough, Williams has resurfaced at Cincinnati State and will play his sophomore season there.

Williams’ departure means that 6-foot-11 Thor Solverson is still the tallest player ever to play for the Flames.

ALUMNI COACHES: Former UIC point guard Bobby Locke, who had two very productive years with the Flames, was hired as the new head coach for boys basketball at Evanston High School last month.

Locke replaces veteran coach Paul Pryma, who won about 70 percent of his games in a six-year period.

Locke played two seasons (1985-87) for the late Willie Little, scoring 1,067 points, ranking 14th on the school’s all-time list. He had 296 assists, tying for fifth all-time in that department (with Anthony Coomes). Locke led the Flames to a 30-31 record over those two seasons, which the final years of Little as coach. He once scored 33 points in a game against Illinois State on Feb. 2, 1987.

Locke had worked for the last 10 years as a security guard at the school, while gaining coaching experience at the Latin School in Chicago where was the girls basketball coach. He was 67-21 in three years at Latin.

Other former Flames coaching high school ball in Illinois include Dick Knar (1984-87), who just completed his first season as head boys coach at Mundelein after several years at Northridge Prep in Niles and Jonathan Schneiderman (1999-03), who was named coach at Forreston in May.

SCHEDULE UPDATE: Last week’s edition of the Chicago Flame reported that Georgia Tech game will be played in Atlanta on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Another item of note was that the Flames are in talks with DePaul for a two-game home-and-home series that would start in 2006-07. DePaul’s new coach Jerry Wainwright is originally from West suburban Berwyn and has played UIC before as coach of UNC-Wilmington in the late ‘90s.

Another impetus for the UIC-DePaul talk is the solid working relationship of UIC Athletic Director Jim Schmidt and his DePaul counterpart Jean Lenti-Ponsetto.