Exhibition Tour of China

[tornado]

Northern Illinois assistant coach Dennis Gates is blogging while he is part of a touring group of college players who are going to play in China.
The group includes Illinois' Mike Davis & Demetri McCamey, SIU's Nick Evans, and Jerrance Howard (U of I assistant), and others.
Here is his blog...

http://niuhuskies.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/051408aaa.html

They will play 8 games in 14 days.

[mportsch]

I've heard that the team lost today 67-66 to a Chinese professional team. No other details yet.

[C-Rock]

Nick Evans had 16 points for the US team. No other details at the moment. I believe they are playing this morning(night time over there) and there should be another report this afternoon.

[tornado]

Gates' blog says there were 5000 people in attendance in the 67-66 loss to the Chinese team.

http://niuhuskies.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/gates-to-china-08-blog.html

Another cstv story that says Evans had 16

http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/stories/051408aaz.html

[tornado]

The touring team has completed their 2nd game, but the game ended in a tie!

The score was 78-78 at the end of regulation but the hosts decided there would be no overtime! So the US collegians are 1-0-1.

http://siusalukis.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/051508aad.html

http://siusalukis.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/051308aaa.html

[tornado]

The touring USA team is now 1-3-1 (one tie)

Here are the player averages so far, 5 games..........

Xavier SILAS (NIU) - 14 ppg. 7.4 rpg., 1.4 apg., 1.4 spg.

Demetri MCCAMEY (Illinois) - 10 ppg., 7.8 apg., 4.6 rpg., 2.0 spg.

Elgini BAILEY (Mississippi State) - 9ppg 6.6rpg 0.8bpg 0.6apg

Jermaine BEAL (Vanderbilt) - 9ppg 3apg 2.4rpg 1.8spg

Nick EVANS (SIU)- 8.8ppg 5.2rpg 0.6apg 0.4spg

Michael SANCHEZ (Arkansas)- 8.2ppg 7rpg 1spg

Travis WARE (High schooler verballed to UNC)- 6ppg 1rpg 0.6apg 0.6spg

Mike DAVIS (Illinois) - 5.2ppg 5.2rpg 1.4apg 1.2spg

Zach SWANSEY (Georgia) - 5ppg 1.8spg 1.2rpg 1.2apg



By the way, the kid that is the leading scorer, Xavier Silas, is a good kid who was one of Colorado's better players each of the past two years (he's the son of a 10-year NBA veteran), then in Feb. was kicked off the team and no explanation was ever given, except it appeared the new head coach, Jeff Bzdelik, simply didn't want a player from the prior coaching era, and simply wanted to run the kid off.

BUT..unlike situations we have seen elsewhere....note the classy, dignified, and honorable way the kid handled the situation.
He could have gone public and trashed the coach or maybe had his dad call the local press with some slams, but no.....
the kid issued this simple press release.......... you decide if this kid has more dignity than what we've seen elsewhere...

http://www.buffzone.com/news/2008/feb/23/silas-statement/

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/22/silas-kicked-off-cu-basketball-team/

Silas has now transferred to NIU to be reunited with the coach that recruited him to Colorado, Ricardo Patton.
Also numerous other players have exited Colorado or been "run off" by Bzdelic.

[MacabreMob]

Wow - DMcC was very good at times for UIUC and I expect he will have a huge year this coming season. But right now he is "2nd-Fiddle" to a player for Northern Illinois?

[tornado]

BTW--
NIU just signed a potentially good big man!

http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/stories/051608aaf.html

Plus, I am still convinced Tyler Storm is going to be good at NIU.