April 13, 2010
CHICAGO- Inspirational messages from keynote speaker and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Jerry Colangelo highlighted the 2010 UIC men's basketball banquet held at the UIC Pavilion on April 9.
Colangelo, currently the chair of USA Basketball's Board of Directors and the man who engineered the resurgence of the U.S. Senior Men's National Team, directed words of encouragement and strength to the players, coaches, and supporters in attendance.
"It's not if you have adversity, it's how you deal with it when it comes," said Colangelo, who has left a legacy of success in basketball, baseball, and various sports and business ventures.
The longtime face of the Phoenix Suns was happy to be back in his old stomping grounds. Colangelo grew up in the "Hungry Hill" neighborhood of Chicago Heights.
"When I come back to Chicago, I feel at home," said Colangelo at the Pavilion, just blocks from the Colangelo Center, the building that bears his name on Taylor Street and houses the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame.
Colangelo told stories infused with motivational quotes and historical examples of perseverance that carried over to the rest of the evening, a night that also included remarks from UIC athletic director Jim Schmidt and head coach Jimmy Collins.
"From my perspective, the team was resilient, tough-minded and hard-working," said Schmidt. "Although we may not have reached our goals, we can take away some very positive things and build on them next year."
"Through the good and the bad, we've been able to persevere," said Collins as he looked back on the season. "We came out this fall with a group of energetic, hard-working young men. Hard work was something we didn't shy away from.
"These guys worked extremely hard every single day, and they were positive."
Team awards were then handed out by Collins and "The Voice of the Flames" Adam Levinson. Robo Kreps was named the team's Most Valuable Player to headline the haul of honors.
Brad Birton was awarded the team's Purple Heart honor for his tenacity, hustle, and energy on the court and his penchant for going after loose balls and rebounds. Jimmy Harding became the first-ever back-to-back winner of the Ebenezer Noonoo Spirit Award, presented to the Flames player who constantly exhibits the most selflessness and team spirit.
Those in attendance received a complimentary copy of Return of the Gold: The Journey of Jerry Colangelo and the Redeem Team and had the book personally autographed by Colangelo.
Attendees also enjoyed a splendid meal catered by Connie's Pizza, and a fantastic highlight film created by Chris Hoerdemann featuring the season's top plays was shown on the Pavilion video board.
2009-10 UIC MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM AWARDS
MVP - Robo Kreps
Defensive Player of the Year - Zavion Neely
Best Shooting Percentage Award - Jeremy Buttell
Newcomer of the Year - K.C. Robbins
Rebounding Award - Jeremy Buttell
Assists Award - Spencer Stewart
Purple Heart Award - Brad Birton
Ebenezer Noonoo Spirit Award - Jimmy Harding
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