ISAAC CHEW ON AN ISLAND
I don’t think anyone noticed that ephemeral Illini assistant Isaac Chew was also at the Maui Invitational, along with ex-DePaul coach Herman Munster and that kid from Deliverance.
I talked with Isaac about his departure from Illinois, and his transition to Buzz Williams’s staff.
“The transition’s been good. Obviously, we’re still a work in progress, like most teams this early in the season. But for the most part, things have been good for me.”
Did he interact with the Illinois staff in Hawaii?
“Yeah, all the coaches got together to have a dinner for the entire event. So I visited with the entire coaching staff. And I still talk to most of them frequently.”
Any ill will?
“Obviously, the timing wasn’t great for anyone involved. Obviously, there’s going to be some natural friction, but since then I think we’ve tried to iron things out. This is a business and everybody understands that.”
“I want those guys to do well and I think they want me to do well. So I think that we’ve moved past it, and I think Illinois did a great job in hiring Paris Parham. I’ve known Paris for a long time. I think he’s going to do a great job there. I have a lot of respect for Jamall Walker, Dustin Ford, and obviously coach Groce. I’ve known Jamall for a long time, so I’m happy they’ve moved on and did a good job of hiring Paris.”
After the Gardner-Webb game, I posed similar questions to Ford and Walker.
“I didn’t see him all of July,” said Ford, regarding college basketball’s most intense recruiting period. “I don’t really know him that well.”
Walker was more circumspect in his response. He’s the one that had a previous relationship with Chew, and the guy who recommended Chew for the position: “Well, we don’t talk all that often.”
“Obviously, he’s a good coach if Buzz wanted him,” he added, before amending the thought. “Obviously, he’s a good coach if we wanted him. And I hope that means I’m a good coach too.”
Walker intimated that it was a difficult time in the aftermath of Chew’s sudden departure. But he waxed philosophical about grudges, animosity, and the short time we all have on the planet. He holds no anger.
“He felt it was the right thing for him and his family.”
RAY RICE STAYED IN CHAMPAIGN
Rayvonte Rice was one of two Illini conspicuously absent from the Hawaiian adventure. The other was Dan Flannell. Since his elevation to Chief Judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit, Flannell has had no time for the really important things, like Illini basketball.
Ray didn’t go to Maui because transfer rules prohibit travel expenses. SID Derrick Burson explained: “Transfers in their year sitting out have to pay their own way or make their own travel arrangements if they want to attend a road game. In the past, we’ve had players do that for easy trips like Purdue and Chicago.”
Ray’s mom, Rhonda Rice, finally made it to a game. Sunday was her first time in the Assembly Hall’s courtside bleachers. She had a bit of an entourage as well.
When I told her of my ambition to capture all of Ray’s fine threads over the course of the season, she averred that he’d be wearing a suit next game. I hope I didn’t start trouble for Ray. He’s a mellow guy. His outfits are sharp, but distinctly casual.
VACATIONING WITH THE LaTULIPS
The entire Berardini Army made it to Maui. A vast contingent of Griffeys, and two Pauls were there.
Originally, the whole LaTulip family had planned to spend the week on Maui as well. But when youngest brother Mitch realized he had his own tourney to ball in (St. Viator), eldest brother Joe stayed behind to root him on.
Joe was booked to fly to Maui last Friday with Mike’s girlfriend, Megan. So Megan had to fly alone. But when she got to Maui, she became the constant companion of Gary and Kathleen LaTulip.
Did Mike LaTulip get to spend any time with Megan out there in paradise? “Not much,” he explained. “When we weren’t on the court, we were in film. When we weren’t in film, we were in the gym. And then rest time and study hall.”
Like coach Groce promised, it was a business trip.
But while they probably would have liked to have seen more of Mike, Megan and the Ps seemed to have a good time of their own. “Oh yeah, they get along great,” Mike reported.
Mitch is a freshman at St. Viator, but plays with the sophomore team. Gary LaTulip says Mitch is the most natural point guard among his sons.
DARIUS PAUL = ALL-TOURNAMENT
Brandon Paul was MVP of the Maui Invitational. His mother is proud of him, but she doesn’t want that achievement to eclipse her youngest. Lynda Paul emailed to report Darius Paul’s triumph: “Darius was named to the All-Tournament Team in the South Florida Invitational with the Western Michigan University winning efforts.” Darius is a freshman in Kalamazoo.
Everybody should have the opportunity to meet the Paul family. They are a joyful bunch, but very down-to-earth.
BRANDON MILLER – THE BUTLER DID IT
Walking off the Lahaina Civic Center court, immediately following the trophy presentation, I found Brandon Miller. Miller played for (John Groce and Brad Stevens and) Thad Matta (and Todd Lickliter and certainly Barry Collier) at Butler.
“No mixed emotions for you. I’m guessing.”
Brandon bulged and rolled his eyes in that familiar way that fails to keep up with its descriptors. “Are you fucking kidding me?” was the 2001 version, when Brandon was still in college. “Consarn it, no!” is how Scout board would read it.
The upshot was that, while probably holding an eternal flame for Butler, Brandon Miller was much pleased to be part of a staff that had thoroughly rented out its dear friends, the other staff, for the enjoyment of its players.
The Gardner-Webb game was the reverse. Those Bulldogs rubbed it all up on our collective bidniss.
B1GGER
University President Bob Easter attended Sunday’s game. He’s heard no rumors about Virginia and/or Georgia Tech joining the BIG fourTEeN.
But he pointed out that it’s really Chancellor Phyllis Wise who’s in the loop. She sits on the conference oversight committee.
“DEE + (CARICATURE OF WHITE PICKET GATE)”
Hey, this Illinois defense is exciting. Gardner-Webb coach Chris Holtmann’s defense was even more exciting. It was the same defense.
Holtmann repeated and John Groce reiterated and Holtmann and Groce kept repeating and reiterating and repeating the same thing they’d said before, which was (and is) that “our system is the same system.” The Webbs showed us how frenetic, attacking, and larcenous the system can be.
Be excited about this stuff. Your team is undefeated. They survived themselves, in angry dwarf form.