Magic extend one-year offer to Augustine

The Orlando Magic tendered an offer to former Illini James Augustine. The one-year deal would reportedly be worth $700,000.

In two years in Orlando, Augustine has struggled for playing time. He has appeared in 27 games, including 25 games last season, and averaged 1.6 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. He played a career-high 18 minutes in the Magic’s regular season finale against the Washington Wizards, scoring a career-high 8 points.

Even though Augustine has barely been on the floor, the Magic must like Augustine enough to offer him the one-year deal. Augustine was selected by the Magic with the 41^st overall selection in the 2006 NBA Draft.

“Augie” finished his Illini career as the school’s career rebound leader (1,023) and is the only player in
Illinois history with 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds.

Dee will play with Pistons, Sonics for summer

Dee Brown will play with Pistons during the NBA summer league in
Las Vegas from July 11-20. Brown will also play with the Seattle SuperSonics at the Orlando Pro Summer League from July 7-11 with former Illini teammate Brian Randle.

Brown spent last year in Turkey last year and averaged 14.3 points and 3.8 assists per game for Galatasaray Cafe Crown. Brown played one season with the Utah Jazz after he was drafted 46^th overall in the 2006 NBA Draft. In 49 games, he averaged 1.9 points and 1.7 assists per game. 

With Alfonso Soriano on the disabled list and the Cubs looking for a replacement leadoff hitter, it would seem like a perfect fit for the Northsiders to go after veteran outfielder Kenny Lofton. Not only would he be able to bat at the top of the order while Soriano is gone, but him and Reed Johnson would make a much better platoon in center field even when Soriano comes back. Though Jim Edmonds has shown signs of positive improvement in recent games, it’s doubtful he’ll make it through the season as the starter. He just doesn’t have the bat speed for his type of swing at his age.

Lofton still has plenty left in the tank. Last season, he posted a .380 OBP and 21 steals (in 25 attempts) with the Rangers in 84 games after being traded by Cleveland. And he has the advantage of starting midseason so he’ll still be fresh come playoff time.

That sort of speed and veteran leadership at the top of the order would do a lot for the Cubs as they vie for the top seed coming out of the NL. Kenny Lofton has been there (with the Cubs in 2003 even) and has proven he can give a spark to a ballclub time and time again. He may not be the best option available, but rumor has it the Cubs are interested in Randy Winn, a poor man’s Kenny Lofton at best. Why would you give up even a halfway decent prospect for Winn (that you could save as trade bait for C.C. Sebathia or AJ Burnett) when Lofton is still a free agent waiting to be signed?

Like the Edmonds deal, there really is nothing to lose. And with the Cardinals heading for a tailspin with Albert Pujols and 87% of their rotation on the DL, the Cubs have some room for error.

The following post was written by staff writer Jeremy Werner.

Basketball Complex and the Assembly Hall were buzzing with high school basketball excitement on Sunday for the University of Illinois team shootout.

The shootout showcased many talents that could soon be wearing orange and blue.

- Despite being kicked off Waukegan in February for arguing with coaches, Jereme Richmond played for the Bulldogs on Sunday. The 6-foot-6 Illinois verbal commit showed plenty of the talent that makes him a consensus top-10 recruit in the Class of 2010. He had a put-back slam off a rebound, hanging on the rim for a second after the dunk to the delight of some Illinois players and coaches.

Richmond is by far the most talented player on his team, which seemed to frustrate him quite a bit. He did not seem happy after Waukegan’s game against Limestone, talking to his parents with an annoyed look on his face.

- Limestone sophomore Donivine Stewart looks more like a football player than a basketball player. Illinois assistant Jerrance Howard doesn’t expect the 5-foot-10 point guard to grow much more but said it shouldn’t be a problem because he is “stocky.”

Stewart plays more like a senior than a sophomore. He was constantly communicating with teammates and looks like the type of leader any coach would want. Stewart received an offer from Weber as a freshman and hasn’t received an offer from any other school. He said playing with Richmond and Crandall Head would be a benefit of committing to Illinois.

“I like (Richmond’s) game,” Stewart said. “He’s big. He can be a force on the inside or outside.”

- Illinois commits Joseph Bertrand (Sterling) and Brandon Paul (Warren) got a firsthand glimpse at each other. The future teammates defended each other, and it made for a pretty entertaining basketball game. Both were offensive forces. Each time one made a spectacular move or shot, the other seemed to follow with an equally impressive play.

“(Bertrand’s) really explosive,” Paul said. “He’s really explosive.”

“(Paul’s) a really good player,” Bertrand said. “It was really fun playing against him.”

- Former Chicago Bull Dickie Simpkins was in attendance to watch Warren’s Brandon Paul. Simpkins has taken Paul under his wings as his offseason coach. Paul has seen his value increase lately and could have the most potential of any 2009 recruit.

- Crandall Head did not play in the shootout but was in attendance. Head is deciding on whether to return to Rich South for his junior season. Scout.com’s No. 12 prospect in the Class of 2010 said he has not made a decision yet.

Head said he has been lifting weights and working on his shot with his brother, Houston Rockets guard and former Illinois player Luther Head.

- Tyler Griffey, a 6-foot-8 forward from Wildwood, Mo., showed up to the shootout as well despite his team not being in the field. Griffey has been participating in the adidas Nations program and has been coached by former NBA coaches Paul Silas and Dwayne Casey.

Griffey said he will not participate in as many AAU tournaments because he is committed to Illinois. He said taking some time away from the AAU circuit will allow him to get stronger in the weight room.

Football head coach Ron Zook made the trip to Wrigley Field on Sunday for Illini Day and assumed the 7th inning stretch duties.

Some people may remember last year’s debacle, when Zook was caught reading the words to “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” from a cheat sheet.

Yesterday’s attempt was a little more inspiring, though if you look closely enough Zook does manage to sneak a couple of suspicious glances at something sitting on the table in front of him . . .

As far as an evaluation goes, pretty much anything beats blatantly reading the words to a song most people learn by the third grade off of a piece of paper. Especially at Wrigley.

It fell somewhere between “I’ve definitely heard worse” and Illinois’ performance in the Rose Bowl.

Zook’s yelling didn’t seem to scare the Cubbies, who went on to win the game 5-3 and complete a weekend sweep of the Rockies.

(Video link credits sportsbybrooks.com and ballhype.com, respectively)

Money and bats both come from trees. I guess that’s how one minor leaguer can look at it. John Odom was traded from one independent league team to another for the grand some of 10 bats.

Odom wasn’t too unhappy. Ten bats is actually two bats and 450 toothpicks more than his contract is worth. He’s looking to sign a new extension for a lofty four barrels of saw dust over the next two tree rings.

The following column was written by senior writer Jason Grodsky.

Usually this end of the year column is reserved for graduating seniors to say there farewell and thank yous, but the senior class here in the sports department at the Daily Illini is a little thin and as the longest employed person in sports and someone who is moving on I’m going to do the honors.

I feel very grateful to have worked at the DI for the three years I’ve been here and to have had the opportunity to a side of Illinois athletics that few get to see. But it’s my time to step down and move on to bigger and better things and let some of the up-and-coming writers take the reigns and lead the way.

I’ve bled Orange and Blue since the day I was born and grew up watching Illini sports and sitting in the crowds at Memorial Stadium and the Assembly Hall. When I first started working at the paper as a freshman who came a whole two miles away from his house to go to college, I never thought it would take me to the places I’ve been and allow to meet some of the most interesting characters this campus has to offer.

This year alone I’ve gotten to travel to Maui and sit five feet away from the greatest basketball player of all time. The football team’s magical run took me to Pasadena to chat it up with some of the best sports journalists in the world today (even if getting there took a 54-hour Greyhound bus trip from hell). And the best part of all of those trips and the countless others I’ve taken to cover games: I was getting paid to do it. Well, if you call what gets deposited into my bank account every two weeks getting paid.

Getting to where I am couldn’t have been possible without the help from certain people along the way, so I’d like to take the chance to thank them.

First off I’d like to thank former sports editors Erin Foley, Mike Rodriguez, Dave Just and Steve Contorno, all of whom have helped me refine my writing. Erin you taught me the ins and outs and took a chance on a kid who loved sports and gave me my big break. Mike and Dave, you two were probably the most entertaining guys to work under, and Steve, we may not have seen eye-to-eye on everything but I know you’ll make a great Editor-In-Chief.

To my partners in crime: Dan Johnson, Mike Theodore, Alex Symonds, Adam Harris and Jermey Werner. Thanks for making this past year one all never forget. From football practices, to the list of questions we came up with at the Western Illinois game, to the trip on Route 666, to the “bucket o’ beers” in Indianapolis, to not remembering the DI Sports Desk bar crawls, it’s been a great ride and I know you’ll keep up the quality of the sports section and surpass what I’ve done.

A special thank you the Illinois Division I Hockey team and head coach Chad Cassel. Covering you guys was probably the best time I had covering a team. Congratulations on a well deserved ACHA National Championship this year. Figures, I come in after you guys win a national title the year before and then the year I stop covering you guys you win another one. Guess I was the bad luck charm.

A big shout out to all the guys on the Illinois Division II Hockey team (yes, there are two teams). Playing with you guys the last two years has been indescribable and I’m looking forward to another year of late night practices and bus trips next year. I told all of you guys I would eventually get you into the paper.

To men of Alpha Sigma Phi, you’ve made the studying part of college bearable. You truly are gentlemen and scholars, with hearts beneath your vests. My times at the Ole Gal will never be forgotten.

A lot of credit has to be given to a group of guys that I’ve spent a very large portion of the last five-plus years with talking sports and getting into all sorts of shenanigans with. You know who you are and there are too many memories and moments to even start mentioning. I know we have another summer to remember ahead of us, even if Fat City is gone. Lets just all try to stay out of the hospital this year when August rolls around.

Last but not least, I’d like to thank my family. You all have supported me over the years and helped me reach my goals. I’m still convinced that you guys are the only people who even read my articles. A special thanks to my mom who has pulled my all my clips of the things I’ve written to make me an organized portfolio.

The biggest thank you is reserved for my grandpa, John Maurer. You’ve been my inspiration. Without you I wouldn’t be where I am today and I would be clueless in the world of sports, you’ve taught me pretty much all I know and I love you for that.

Finally, thank you to anyone who read any of the things I’ve written. It’s been a pleasure and trust me, I leave you in good hands.

The following post was written by deputy sports editor Stuart Lieberman.

At the end of March the women’s basketball team’s orange jerseys looked
like fireflies driving to the hoop. The players pushed their way to the Big Ten
Championship game with victories against Wisconsin, Michigan State and
Purdue along the way. The Illini were on the verge of a possible NCAA
Tournament bid before they lost to Purdue in the championship game.

Illinois failed to receive a bid, however it advanced to the third round of the
WNIT, where it lost to Marquette, the eventual tournament winners. But from
there, the fireflies started dropping and everything went up in question.

Junior guard Lori Bjork quit the team. Five days later, freshman guard
Chelsea Buher quit as well. Bjork will receive her bachelor’s degree in political
science this May and pursue graduate studies at another university.

Meanwhile, for the five days between the two announcements, Buher may
have been the top starting guard for the team. Now, with the two departing and
senior guard Rebecca Harris graduating, the team will struggle to find a solid
backcourt before next season.

If you would like to put it this way, the team is now just about all Jenna
Smith’s, the honorable mention All-American. Junior Chelsea Gordon and
sophomore Lacey Simpson will be Smith’s two deputies, but other than that
everything else right now is a hole waiting to be filled.

Head coach Jolette Law signed four student-athletes to letters of intent last
week, and one must hope they are as good on a college court as they look on
paper.

But for now, maybe Smith donning No. 13 on her jersey is not such a smart
idea after all.

The following post was written by staff writer Alex Iniguez.

Today, I’m digging deeper into Illinois men’s tennis’ woes at the No. 3 doubles spot.

Head coach Brad Dancer has tried out four different combinations at the position, which has been a troublesome spot in the Illini attack all season.

Here are the four combinations used at the No. 3 spot and their records:

Waylon Chin/Marc Spicijaric (5-4)

Connor Roth/Abe Souza (1-1)

Marc Spicijaric/Connor Roth (3-2)

Brandon Davis/Waylon Chin (6-1, led 5-4 in only unfinished match)

Overall Record: 14-8

In contrast, the No. 1 and No. 2 spots have a 35-11 record combined.

After the team’s loss at Wisconsin, Dancer speculated that his team may not be good enough to recover and win a match after losing the doubles point. I’d have to agree with him from what I’ve seen up to this point. Illinois’ record when losing the doubles point is 0-5. When winning the doubles point, the Illini are 16-2.

Before teaming with Chin, Davis played primarily at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles with Gonzales. The duo had plenty of triumphs, but Davis seems better fit to provide some crucial senior leadership to the No. 3 spot. Dancer recognizes the fact that he kept Davis paired with Gonzales for too long.

So has the newfound success at No. 3 doubles translated to team victories?

Since pairing Davis with Chin, the Orange and Blue have only dropped one match – a 5-2 loss to No. 2 Ohio State. In that time, Illinois defeated four top-50 teams – No. 41 Kentucky, No. 40 Penn State, No. 37 Indiana and No. 17 Michigan.

“It’s a pretty good combination because he hits pretty good returns and has a decent serve, so I’m able to use my strengths at the net,” Davis said. “I’ve been playing solid return games, and we’ve just been meshing lately.”

Dancer may have found the right combination to fill the No. 3 doubles spot. Sure, if Chin and Davis were paired earlier, some outcomes might have been different, but it seems the Illini are getting solid play at the No. 3 spot when it matters most.

Chin and Davis have solidified the spot, and the tandem could be just what this Illinois team needs. If Davis and Chin can keep up their impressive play, the Illini could not only be looking at a strong showing in the Big Ten Championships, but also at another deep NCAA Tournament run.

“Brandon’s skill and ability to dominate the doubles court is maybe unparalleled in college tennis,” Dancer said. “We need to find the right person to complement Brandon, but Waylon’s done a pretty good job at it so far.”

The following post was written by staff writer Kyle Diller.

The women golfers have been fantastic this spring having placed in the top five in four of their five tournament appearances. In two of those top-five finishes the Illini took top honors, including the Illini Classic. The team has really hit good form in this spring season and the majority of their success comes from experience and a strong team bond.

In the current team make-up, four members of the six-woman team are seniors. The seniors have provided the team not only with experience, but with strong leadership. They have pass down their knowledge to the younger golfers and help them as they look to improve their game for future seasons. Having been together four years the bond is probably strong and I’m sure the rest of the team has been brought into that. These factors have been key in the helping the team reach the success that it has had this season.

With the Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Regionals coming up and being such competitive tournaments this success has come at the perfect time. The team struggled this past weekend at the Lady Buckeye Invitational, but with the success they’ve been having they could bounce back and continue with their success in this weekend’s Big Ten tournament. With this weekend’s Big Ten Tournament being the last in the seniors’ regular season career, there is no doubt the team will want to end on the highest note.

This post was written by staff writer Bret Greenberg.

A year ago the Illini were struggling to put a full lineup out on the court because of injuries. This year, knock on wood, they have not only stayed relatively healthy, but they have proven they can be a force in the Big Ten. Last year, in head coach Michelle Dasso’s first year at the helm, the team went 5-17, winning only one conference match. This had a lot to do with the team playing hurt, sometimes to the point of forfeiting certain courts because they couldn’t field a full lineup.

This year the Illini are 11-9, 7-3. Part of this turnaround was sparked by the play of redshirt freshman Leigh Finnegan. She was forced to redshirt last season when she fractured a bone in her foot. This year she has come back strong, playing on court two singles and doubles. She even made the Illini of the Week honorable mention this week for defeating Iowa’s Milica Veselinovic, who hadn’t lost a singles match in the Big Ten all season.

Recently, the team has had a couple bumps and bruises, but nothing too serious. Sophomore Megan Fudge’s back and Kristina Minor’s ankle were dinged up, but they say it’s nothing. Fudge has been receiving some treatment for the back and Minor wears an ankle brace, and it seems neither of them has slowed down a bit in their matches. Don’t worry, these girls are warriors.