Illinois men’s wheelchair basketball player joins Colombia National Team
By Ryan Wilson, Staff writer
March 30, 2017
Before Dago Saenz hit the basketball court at the 2017 Youth Parapan American Games, he had to learn parts of a language. Saenz, who was born in Colombia and can speak fluent Spanish, is used to speaking English when playing for the Illinois men’s wheelchair basketball team. When he joined the Colo...
Rallying Illinois men’s wheelchair basketball team settles with fourth in playoffs
By Ryan Wilson, Staff writer
March 13, 2017
Wheelchair basketball player Spencer Heslop’s father paced from left to right. Arms crossed. Hands in his pockets. Back to arms crossed. Hislop's mother — also wearing a No. 24 jersey — was on the other side of bleachers. As Heslop’s dad looked antsy in the purple stands at the University...
Illinois women’s wheelchair basketball not getting hopes too high for playoffs
By Ryan Wilson, Staff writer
March 8, 2017
The members of the Illinois women’s wheelchair basketball team are starting to echo each other as the playoffs approach. “Play hard,” Erica Wilson and Kaitlyn Eaton said. “Finish the season strong.” Illinois enters the National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball Tournament as the No. 4 seed in a br...
Illinois men’s wheelchair basketball team finds laughter before playoffs
By Ryan Wilson, Staff writer
March 8, 2017
Illinois men’s wheelchair basketball’s Mak Nong participated in a shootaround Monday morning when he heard teammate Mike Mitchell tell a quick-witted joke. “Mike is one of those guys that’s going to go out of control at a circus,” Nong said. Cracking jokes is natural for Mitchell, a junio...
Illinois men’s wheelchair basketball team ends season on high note
By Ryan Wilson, Staff writer
March 1, 2017
Ryan Neiswender entered his senior year with confidence. Now, he is leaving with even more. “We’re peaking at the right time, which is what’s important,” Neiswender said. “I don’t think our mindset or thought process of what we can achieve has changed.” The Illinois men’s wheelchair...
Buchi emphasizes mental toughness for Illinois men’s wheelchair basketball team
By Ryan Wilson, Staff writer
February 17, 2017
Illinois men's wheelchair basketball head coach Matt Buchi has been emphasizing mental toughness since Illinois’ 1-2 finish at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania two weekends ago. After the Illini shot below 35 percent in the first half of two of its three games, Buchi wants the team to start...
Illinois men’s wheelchair basketball team seeks inside dominance in Edinboro
By Ryan Wilson, Staff writer
February 3, 2017
The Illinois men's wheelchair basketball team has won five of its last seven games and is coming off a tournament in which it beat the experienced Milwaukee Bucks for the first time this season. Illini head coach Matt Buchi will look to carry their momentum to an intercollegiate tournament this weekend...
Illinois men’s wheelchair basketball team adds stunts, downs Bucks
By Ryan Wilson, Staff writer
January 30, 2017
Head coach Matt Buchi looked over to his left and pulled out an imaginary bow from his back. He aimed it at Patrick Tomic, who was sitting on the opposite side of the bench, and pulled back his right arm in the direction of Tomic. Tomic, then playing off the fun, then fell back and flailed on ...
Illinois men’s wheelchair basketball team eyes the Bucks in Champaign
By Ryan Wilson, Staff writer
January 28, 2017
Illinois men's wheelchair basketball's Patrick Tomic is getting taller just in time to face a 6-foot opponent on the court. Tomic, an average-sized guard/forward, started using a new wheelchair last month, and he said it sits higher than his previous chair. “Now that I’m taller and can actually...
Questions remain for Illinois men’s wheelchair basketball team beyond leaders
By Ryan Wilson, Staff writer
December 8, 2016
With senior Ryan Neiswender on the court, the Illinois men’s wheelchair basketball is full of aggression. When Neiswender is not driving to the rim, he will habitually roll to the left or right wing to set up a pick and roll with junior Spencer Heslop. The play often leads to an assist to Heslop...
Illinois men’s wheelchair dominated by Whitewater
By Ryan Wilson, Staff writer
November 24, 2016
After the Illinois men’s wheelchair basketball team defeated Southwestern Minnesota State University, the Illini scrambled to the other side of the gym to watch rival Wisconsin-Whitewater play Missouri. Illinois saw the last five minutes of the game between Whitewater and Mizzou. The game foreshadowed...
Illinois wheelchair basketball teams look out for rubber in Whitewater
By Ryan Wilson, Staff writer
November 23, 2016
The hoop can be a problematic thing in basketball. But in wheelchair basketball, so can the court. The courts became a factor in the Illinois wheelchair basketball teams’ games over the weekend at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. The team competed in a series of games on the basketball...
