PROGRAM FACTS • 9 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Championships in the program’s history • CCIW boasts the most NCAA Final Four appearances at 16 • CCIW boasts the most NCAA Champions at 6 of any conference in America • The Big Blue men’s basketball program is 104 years old with more than 1,000 wins PLAY FOR THE BIG BLUE To find out how you can attend a practice, sit down with a coach or schedule an overnight visit with the Millikin Basketball team, contact Head Coach Marc Smith at 217.424.3725. For more information on Millikin Financial Aid packages, contact the Student Services Center at 217.424.6317. To contact a Millikin Admission counselor or to schedule a visit day, call 217.424.6210. All offices can also be reached by using our toll free number, 1.800.373.7733. Head Coach Marc Smith The 2007-08 season marks the 104th year that the Big Blue men’s basketball program “ has been in existence. This season will be one that draws from the great history of the program and will also bring an elevated level of excitement about how our game will be played in the future. The student-athletes in our program will be champions on the court, in the classroom and in the community. ” Senior Keanon Harrington, Guard My experience here at Millikin as a student-athlete has been unforgettable. I have not “ only grown as a basketball player but also as a person. I would tell any one looking at Millikin that this a great place to become more than just a basketball player and student. Coming to Millikin will make you a great person. ” CONTENTS 04 - Head Coach Marc Smith 05 - Big Blue Coaching Records 05 - Griswold Physical Education Center 06 - Big Blue Assistant Coaches 06 - 2007-08 CCIW Preseason Poll 07 - 2007-08 Preseason Roster 08 - 2007-08 Season Preview 09-11 - Big Blue Player Profiles 12-13 - 2006-07 In Review 14-15 - Big Blue Record Book 15 - A Season At A Time 16 - The Last 5 Years 16 - All-Time Records vs. Opponents 17-20 - CCIW History and Information 17 - Big Blue On CCIW First Teams IBC - Millikin Athletic Facilities QUICK FACTS BC - 2007-08 Varsity Schedule Location . Decatur, Illinois Founded/Opened . 1901/1903 MEDIA INFO PROTOCOL President . Douglas E. Zemke & Enrollment . Appx. 2,400 Press facilities - Press seating is available at the scorer’s table Nickname . Big Blue on the east side of Griswold Center’s gymnasium. Please call Colors . Royal Blue and White the Sports Information Office if you plan to cover a game. National Affiliation . NCAA Division III Telephones are available before, during and after the game in Conference . Illinois and Wisconsin the press box. Visiting radio stations must call in advance to Home Field (Capacity) . Griswold Center (3,052) secure a phone line, located in the press box. Head Coach . Marc Smith Overall Record at Millikin (Years) . 0-0 (1st year) Parking - A limited number of parking spaces are available in Career Record (Years) . 88-50 (5) Mills Hall lot. Please contact Sports Information to reserve a spot Assistant Coaches . Enzley Mitchell at least three days prior to the scheduled home event. Basketball Office Phone . 217.424.3725 2006-07 Record . 9-16 Statistics - A full NCAA box score will be available in the Sports 2006-07 CCIW Finish . 2-12 (8th) Information office shortly after the conclusion of each game. Letterwinners Returning/Lost . 6/5 Starters Returning/Lost . 1/4 Interviews - Media representatives are at liberty to find their own Sports Information Director . Julie Farr post-game interviews. Please contact the Sports Information Asst. Sports Information Director . Leah Durbin Office at 217.362.6429 or via e-mail at [email protected] or Sports Information Phone . 217.362.6429 [email protected], to schedule player interviews at all other Sports Information Fax . 217.362.6414 times. Coaches may be contacted directly at any time. Athletic Department Fax . 217.420.6629 MILLIKIN UNIVERSITY MEDIA OUTLETS newspapers: wire service: Chicago Sun-Times Chicago Tribune Decatur Herald & Review Decatur Tribune Associated Press ph: 800.572.7003 ph: 312.222.3474 ph: 217.421.6979 ph: 217.422.9702 ph: 800.572.2585 fax: 312.321.3084 fax: 312.828.9392 fax: 217.421.7965 fax: 217.422.7320 fax: 312.781.1989 television: radio: WAND-TV WCIA-TV WJMU US101 WHOW ph: 800.252.1601 ph: 800.252.3349 ph: 217.424.6377 ph: 217.428.4487 ph: 217.935.9590 fax: 217.424.2583 fax: 217.373.3663 2007-08 big blue basketball - 3 HEAD COACH MARC SMITH Marc Smith, a native of Springfield (Ill.), returns to Millikin after five years as the head coach at Keystone College in La Plume, Penn. Prior to his years at Keystone, Smith served as an assistant coach for Millikin’s Big Blue (1998 to 2002) and has also held assistant coaching positions at Mount Union College (Ohio), Martin Methodist College (Tenn.) and Ashland University (Ohio). At Keystone, Smith’s teams posted an 88-50 record while transitioning the pro - gram to NCAA Division III. His best record Lincoln Memorial where he was again named the team’s as a head coach came in 2003-04 when Defensive Player of the Year (1992, 1993), a team captain the team finished 24-4 with a North (1992) and winner of the Frank B. Turner Award (1993). Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) con - Smith is believed to be the first African American full- ference and tournament championship. time head men’s basketball coach in Millikin history and His 2004-05 squad followed up with back- one of a small number of African American head coaches to-back conference and tournament in the history of the CCIW. championships (22-7) but for the second Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business year in a row was unable to advance into Management from Lincoln Memorial University (Tenn.) in the NCAA Tournament due to the rules of 1993 and completed his Masters of Education degree in its transition. Sport Science at Ashland University in 1996. He is a 1987 In addition to his coaching duties at graduate of Springfield Lanphier High School. Keystone, Smith also served as the Smith and his wife, Faith, live in Decatur with their chil - Associate Athletic Director (2005-07) and dren Marc, Jr. and Kaileigh. an academic advisor and faculty member (2002-05). As the Associate Athletic Director, he was responsible for several different areas, including scheduling ath - Record vs. CCIW Opponents letic events, fundraising, training and edu - cation programs for the athletic staff and vs. Augustana 0-0 developing alumni and parent programs. vs. Carthage 0-0 As a college player, Smith was the 1990 and 1991 Defensive Player vs. Elmhurst 0-0 of the Year at Black Hawk Community College. During his two years vs. Illinois Wesleyan 0-0 there, he was also a team captain (1990), Coaches Award recipient vs. North Central 0-0 (1990), Most Valuable Player (1991), first-team all-conference (1991) vs. North Park 0-0 and NJCAA all-region (1991). He capped his career with two years at vs. Wheaton 0-0 MEN ’S BASKETBALL MAGAZINE CREDITS The 2007-08 Men’s Basketball Media Guide was prepared by Sports Information Director Julie Farr. on the cover (L-R) - Robert Rexroade, Joscar Demby, Zach Ott, Keanon Harrington action photography - Kevin Krows cover photography - Thompson-McClellan Photography (Champaign, Ill.) printing by - Wallender-Dedman Printing (Decatur, Ill.) cciw website: www.cciw.org 2007-08 big blue basketball - 4 CHASING THE DREAM big blue career coaching records Coach W L Pct. Joe Ramsey (1976-96) 293 249 .540 Ralph Allan (1948-62) 203 169 .546 Tim Littrell (1996-07) 122 153 .444 Don Williams (1963-69) 98 76 .563 Norman Wann (1916-18, 1920-23) 96 47 .671 Jerald Gray (1970-75) 80 60 .571 Leo Johnson (1925-26, 1933-37) 53 50 .515 smith Wayne Gill (1927-32) 51 50 .505 James Ashmore (1906-07, 1910-14) 48 29 .623 smith year-by-year Marshall Wells (1941-42, 1946) 27 25 .519 Harold Johnson (1938-40) 17 33 .340 Overall CCIW Don Lindeberg (1947) 15 5 .750 Season W L Pct. W L Pct. Robert Brannan (1919) 12 4 .750 2007-08 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 Totals 00.000 00.000 Neal Price (1915) 11 4 .733 Jim Goff (1942-430 6 10 .600 L.L. Hoopes (1908-09) 18.111 No Coach 12.333 J.C. Elder (1907-08) 03.000 post-season tournament appearances naia district - 1946-47, 1947-48, 1949-50, 1950-51, 1951-52, 1952-53, 1953-54, 1954-55, 1956-57, 1967-68, 1968-69, 1973-74 naia national - 1950-51, 1951-52, 1967-68, 1968-69 ncaa regional - 1982-83, 1987-88, 1988-89 GRISWOLD CENTER Griswold Physical Education Center has been the home of Millikin University basketball since the 1970-71 season. The Big Blue men christened the new facility with a 108-77 victory over Grinnell on Dec. 1, 1970. The men also won the basketball program’s 1,000th game at Griswold Center, a 67-54 victory over North Central on Jan. 11, 1995. Three regulation-size basketball courts are located in the fieldhouse portion of the building, which is 114 by 192 feet. The original Tartan surface was replaced by a maple floor in 1989. Seating for 3,052 spectators is available in Griswold Center. In the summer of 2004, new bleach - ers were installed on the building’s west side. In addition to traditional bleacher seating, fold- down style chairs are also part of the new bleacher design.