Monday, July 31, 2017

UIS men’s basketball team looks ahead to start of season

The University of Illinois Springfield men’s basketball team will travel to Carbondale for an exhibition game Nov. 18 against Southern Illinois University.

“We’re looking forward playing them,” UIS coach Bill Walker said. “We almost played last year, but couldn’t work out the date. I’ve known (SIU coach Barry Hinson) for a long time and I like him.” 

It will be the second time UIS has played the Salukis. In 2011, SIU beat the Prairie Stars 79-56. 

Taking on the Salukis gives two UIS players a chance to return to their neck of the woods. Junior forward Bahari Amaya is from Harrisburg. Transfer wing Gilwan Nelson is from Mount Vernon. 

When the 2017-18 season gets underway, the Stars will be without assistant coach Joel Plummer. He has been hired as an assistant at Murray State College, a junior college in Tishomingo, Oklahoma.

Plummer was on staff at UIS for three years. For two of those years, he was a volunteer.

This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on July 28, 2017.

Read the entire article online.