Bob Hallberg didn’t say much when he was at the podium. The Illinois-Chicago coach let his peers in the Mid-Continent Conference do the talking at their media day.
“We’ve seen enough of Kenny Williams,” Eastern Illinois coach Rick Samuels said of the UIC guard. “We’re ready for him to have his senior year.”
All-conference picks Williams and junior forward Sherell Ford are the leaders. Everyone from the Mid-Con to the Yukon knows about the UIC stars.
“I don’t feel they’re the key to our team at all this year,” Hallberg said. “Some of the other guys have to step up and become good players in their own right.”
That process started at midnight Friday-UIC’s first practice. The support players Hallberg is talking about are forwards Charles Brakes, Mike Lampley and Mario Bailey and guards Jessie Henderson, Jevon Hobbs and Drennon Jones. Brakes, a 6-6 senior, is an offensive threat. He averaged seven points a game last season, third-leading scorer behind Williams (21.7) and Ford (18.8).
UIC, 17-15 last season, is ranked No. 1 in the Mid-Con media poll and No. 2 behind Cleveland State by Mid-Con coaches.
The Flames play exhibition games at the Pavilion on Nov. 19 against AAU-Marathon Oil and Nov. 23 against the Slovenia National Team before opening their season Nov. 26 in a four-team tournament in Boise, Idaho.
