At the University of Illinois-Springfield, J.J. Cravatta feels he'll be a big part of new head coach Bill Walker's plans.
And that makes all the difference for the local star.
After announcing over the weekend his plans to join the UIS Prairie Stars basketball program, Cravatta said Monday that the hiring of Walker — who comes to UIS with over 25 years of college coaching experience, most recently at Division I Drake University — and Walker's plans for the Streator standout weighed heavily in his decision to transfer downstate from Division I Northern Illinois University.
"A couple weeks ago when (Walker) took the job, he gave me a call and I really like what he had to say," Cravatta told The Times on Monday. "So we kept in contact quite a bit these last couple weeks, and I finally got a chance to meet him face to face and watch him workout a couple of his guys.
"We sat down, he told me everything he was planning on doing, and I really like what I heard. There was a full ride (scholarship) on the table, so I took it."
The story was published in the Ottawa Times on May 6, 2014.
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