Ruggles ready for long-distance repeat attempt
All in all, it's not just another brick on Josh Ruggles' wall.
It is odd that the winner of a high-profile basketball shooting contest is awarded the physical embodiment of poor shooting touch, but such was the spoils of Ruggles winning the Spanish League's 2013 Three-Point Contest in Vitoria-Gasteiz last September.
Also, the sound of jaws hitting the floor and teenage girls clicking cellphone cameras after Ruggles, then 16, beat the likes of North Carolina State career 3s leader Scott Wood; former Chicago Bull Andres Nocioni; and in the final, two-time Spanish League scoring leader and Utah State 3s leader Jaycee Carroll.
(The winner was eligible for a prize of 4,000 euros, but to retain his amateur status the Asociacion Clubs de Baloncesto instead donated the money to Philippines typhoon victims.)
Now the boy with the brick is back to help celebrate Supercopa, the Spanish league's kickoff tournament.
Last year Ruggles earned the ACB's invite after video of his August 2013 world-record 135 3-pointers in 5 minutes went viral. The ACB couldn't help but invite him again, and the Wheaton Warrenville South senior is in Spain right now, preparing to defend his brick, er, crown.
He's hoping to ease into Saturday's contest.
"I'll be probably just be walking around some, experiencing the different culture. They've got some stores and stuff that I remember from last year," the 17-year-old guard said before leaving Wednesday with his parents, Dave and Holly.
Dave Ruggles said the ACB will attempt a full-court media press, but Josh will try to calmly shake off jet lag before Thursday and Friday shootarounds.
Last year was a whirlwind especially coming off the video of his 3-point record, accomplished at Wheaton Academy. Josh and younger brother Jake transferred to WW South before this school year started.
"Last year was just really stressful," Josh said. "It was fun after I won but I didn't enjoy the experience as much as I wanted to. This year I'm going back and I obviously want to win again, but I know there's a lot of excuses I could make that I don't want to make."
Chiefly, he means coming off a broken bone in his right shooting hand. The Ruggles don't know exactly how it happened, narrowing it down to an August pickup game. For weeks it wiped out Josh's practice of 500 shots a day, though he blew off steam by shooting with his left. He is still not cleared for contact but is healthy enough to jack up 400 righty shots before the hand starts getting sore.
"I've had about a week and a half where I've had good shots, probably three, four days where I'm taking them from 22 feet," said Ruggles, who has offers from Hillsdale, Ferris State and Grace College. He made 21 of 25 the first time he shot from 3-point range.
Win or lose, this year he plans to stop and smell the rosas and make more memories.
"I think I'll be disappointed if I lose," he said, "but I'll enjoy that trip more. Whatever happens I still have the brick in my room."
Old home week
College of DuPage head football coach Matt Foster said this Saturday's 1 p.m. game will be the first homecoming celebration in 40 years at the Chaparrals' sprawling campus in Glen Ellyn.
College of DuPage (3-1) comes off a 29-2 win over Wisconsin-Oshkosh to face Georgia Military College (2-2), ranked 16th in this week's National Junior College Athletic Association poll.
During COD's record-setting reign of 36 straight victories, former coach Bob MacDougall's Chaparrals beat Georgia Military 35-7 in the 1993 the McKinnon Travel Midwest Bowl. The COD field is now named for MacDougall.
Foster said the game against Georgia Military is for the newly established Armed Forces Trophy. Festivities include a pregame performance by the National Guard Color Guard and a presentation of medals by the Wounded Warrior Project to two College of DuPage players - Army Ranger Matt Fletcher and Marine Evan Kirk. Foster said that between students, faculty and staff, more than 800 veterans attend COD.
Saturday's homecoming crowd figures to swell just with the families of Foster - a former Wheaton North head football coach who still teaches there - and his staff.
The mix of young and old includes former Lake Park coach Andy Livingston and one of his assistants there, Jim Salter; one of Foster's Falcons linemen, Matt Rahn; the outstanding Lisle and North Central College player Josh McLeod; and York graduate Scott Skuteris, this year's defensive coordinator.
New wardrobe in order
It's a good thing Janor Sports has a specialty in athletic apparel. The Naperville company's owner, Rich Janor, may quickly become his own best customer. He'll need a lot of maroon and gold.
"Pretty much every T-shirt and jacket in my closet right now is Spartan blue. That'll certainly be different," said Janor, who on Monday resigned as St. Francis' head varsity baseball coach to take the same position at Montini.
Over 12 seasons at St. Francis, his first head coaching job, Janor compiled a record of 214-158. He was an Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association coach of the year after an Elite Eight run in 2011 and again in 2013, when the 25-12 Spartans finished second in Class 3A. Those seasons were St. Francis' furthest playoff drives to date.
On Tuesday Janor cited "professional differences" leading to his resignation, but said St. Francis athletic director Dan Hardwick wished him well and provided a positive reference. St. Francis is accepting letters of interest, resumes and references toward the baseball position through Oct. 17, sent to Hardwick at dhardwick@sfhscollegeprep.org.
"At the most fundamental level I'm a big believer in continuous improvement as a coach and as a person, and I just felt at this point a fresh start would be a good thing," Janor said.
He rose through the baseball ranks in 22 years all at Catholic schools - St. Joseph, Notre Dame High School and the University of Notre Dame before St. Francis principal Raeann Huhn hired him in 2002 as both head baseball coach and a business teacher.
"I'm deeply grateful for them taking a chance on me and giving me a chance at my first head coaching job," said Janor, 37, whose business empire also includes the event management firm Game Day USA and a book, "Building a We Not Me Culture," due out in 2015.
At St. Francis Janor coached against Montini's IHSBCA hall of famer Bill Leeberg and the recently retired Bob Landi. As the choice of first-year Montini athletic director Tom Lentine, Janor called it "an honor" to follow in their footsteps.
"I got the impression right away from Tom Lentine that he's committed to me and the Montini baseball program long-term. That was important to me," Janor said.
He said there's a "common thread" between St. Francis and Montini in the schools' commitment to religion, family and student-athlete success. Speaking of threads, Janor will have a whole new ensemble when the two teams face off next spring.
"I look forward to those games and seeing how the players at St. Francis have developed," he said.
doberhelman@dailyherald.com
Follow Dave on Twitter @doberhelman1