[JRutledge]

I am watching the Illinois vs. Wisconsin game right now. And I forgot how many of these players I have officiated during the regular season.

Proviso East High School (Maywood)
Brian Carlwell—Illinois

Richwood High School (Peoria)
Bill Cole—Illinois
Jamar Smith—Illinois

St. Joseph High School (Westchester)
Demetri McCamey—Illinois
Tony Freeman—Iowa
Evan Turner—Ohio

I had Carlwell during summer games since he was a freshman in HS and then I finally officiated a real game with him when he was a junior.

Cole and Smith from Richwood came up to a suburban area and played. The funny thing about this game Cole was a rather skinny kid and got hurt every time he hit the floor. The head coach told me at one time, "You have to protect my two All-Americans." I tried everything I could not to laugh. He also claimed he was getting homered. Little did he know I was from a town about an hour out of Peoria. When I told him this fact, he stopped that claim really quick. At the time Richwood was ranked and they lost. Smith was in foul trouble early in the game and they never could overcome the home team. Interesting side note, the home coach had went up against Eddie Curry during his last game (few years before our game) in the State Championship Final and beat that team. I am not sure why the Bulls thought he was a good first round pick. Oh well.

The last three I had several times during their Junior and Senior years. The head coach is the same guy that coaches Isiah Thomas and was in the movie "Hoop Dreams" coaching one of the players to Marquette University. Freeman was a little cocky, but the other kids were for the most part very reserved and not very vocal. Funny thing there was a game I had with St. Josephs where they were lit up for about 36 by a player from Evanston that originally went to Boston College but transferred after being their for a year. I cannot think of his name to save my life. This kid beat a ranked St. Joseph team all by himself with multiple players either going D1 or about to go D1. This was Freeman's senior year and the others had a year or two left.

Peace