Collins back for more with UIC

Jimmy Collins isn't a fool.

He scheduled his physical for the morning after Illinois-Chicago's exhibition game against Lewis on Tuesday.

Ten months after undergoing surgery to repair a life-threatening abdominal aortic aneurysm, Collins needed to know how his nearly 60-year-old body handled his return to the sidelines.

"That game was one that would send your blood pressure up a little bit," said Collins, whose team squandered all of its 14-point halftime lead before winning 59-57. "I did yell. I did stand quite a bit. Ran up and down the sideline a little bit.

"But I got 100 percent approval (from the doctors), so it's going well."

But Collins isn't the same man who asked for a leave of absence in December 2006, even before he learned of the aneurysm ballooning in his stomach.

His weight has shot up from 180 to 220, a byproduct of his forced inactivity for several months. His diet has become salad-heavy (he'd like to shed 10 pounds), though he admits to piling bacon bits and other niceties atop his daily lettuce.

And his mind-set?

While he says he never has been big on the "hugs and kisses" school of coaching, he's at least contemplating an occasional pucker.

"As a matter of maturing in the business, I'm probably doing a little less attacking (and) negative actions," Collins said. "I'm probably explaining and counting to 10 a little more.

"I'm a little more selective with the wording that I use when I'm trying to get them to respond in a positive way."

Collins' new resolve figures to be tested early and often during his comeback year. His Flames were picked to finish eighth in the 10-team Horizon League for several reasons:

• All-conference star Othyus Jeffers is spending his senior year at NAIA powerhouse Robert Morris -- just 1.7 miles from UIC -- after apparent academic issues.

• The guy Collins recruited as UIC's next great small forward, junior-college transfer Billy Baptist, was booted off the team last month.

"Oh, that left a big gap," Collins said. "My picture, initially, was to get after people. To run, to run and jump and be similar to the way the Golden State Warriors play. He made that much of a difference."

• UIC's other supreme upper-class athlete, senior swingman Robert Bush, suffered a left-knee injury requiring arthroscopic surgery. He may be back for next week's Virgin Islands trip, but that might be pushing it.

So what's left among the Flames' nine healthy scholarship players?

Well, it's no sin to have junior guard Josh Mayo and junior center Scott VanderMeer as your inside-outside combo.

Taking a cue from a Kobe Bryant interview, Mayo (12.2 ppg, 49 3-pointers) put together a rigorous summer shooting regimen.

"I heard he put up 2,000 shots a day during the summer one time," Mayo said. "That kind of inspired me. I thought, 'Two thousand? I don't know, but I can do 1,000.' "

So on his easy days, he fired up 1,000 shots.

On his harder days, he put in his heavy lifting in the morning (he jumped from 160 to 175 pounds) and then jumped into the gym.

He couldn't leave until he hit 200 5-footers (for form shooting), 100 15-footers (20 from five spots), 100 college 3-pointers (20 from five spots) and 50 NBA 3-pointers.

"That's what it was all for, really: shoot while I was tired," he said. "I would even do conditioning sometimes before I shot."

Mayo scored a game-high 21 points against Lewis, hitting 6-of-8 3-point shots. He figures to be the Flames' top scorer, but the No. 2 guy might surprise all UIC fans.

Collins has ordered VanderMeer, the 7-footer whose points (5.1 per game) weren't much higher than his blocks (3.5) last year, to become an offensive force as well.

He delivered 12 points and 12 rebounds in the Lewis win, but Collins met with him the next day to reinforce how much he needs VanderMeer's offensive productivity.

"Through the post goes wins," Collins said. "Our offense must go through the post."

"I've always had these post moves and I like shooting the 15-footer," VanderMeer said. "But I sat out a year before I played last year, so my confidence was down. But at the end of the year I think I was playing really well."

An intriguing mix will revolve around the Mayo-VanderMeer axis. Sophomore point guard Spencer Stewart, senior guard Karl White (in Bush's absence) and Texas Tech transfer Jeremy Buttell have the other starting spots.

Collins thinks the world of freshmen Robert Kreps and Tori Boyd, but they'll only be asked to deliver 15-20 productive minutes off the bench initially. Same goes for jumping-jack senior forward Jermaine Dailey.

Can the young squad with relatively little depth keep Collins relatively sane?

"I'd buy it for now," Mayo said. "Once we get started for real, he starts to tighten the reins on us a little bit. But for now I'd say he's sticking with it. He's been really positive."

Illinois-Chicago at a glance

Coach: Jimmy Collins (176-156, 12th year at UIC)

2006-07 record: 14-18 (7-9 Horizon, tied for fourth); lost to Loyola in Horizon League tournament's second round

Starters returning/lost: 2/3

Projected starters

• PF Jeremy Buttell 6-7 240 So. Texas Tech transfer has scoring skills, but the Flames first need his grit under the boards.

• C Scott VanderMeer * 7-0 275 Jr. Nation's No. 3 returnee in blocks (111) has been asked to be a prolific scorer this year, too.

• WG Karl White 6-2 185 Sr. Academically ineligible latter half of last year, but his head is screwed on straight for final run.

• SG Josh Mayo * 5-11 175 Jr. Added 15 pounds of muscle to deal better with the pounding top scorers (12.2 ppg) must undergo.

• PG Spencer Stewart 6-4 185 So. Loves to throw all kinds of passes, some of which are more risky than the coaches prefer.

*Returning starter

Reserves

• WG Robert Bush 6-4 210 Sr. Should regain starting spot once his scoped left knee heals; Collins expects big things.

• PF Jermaine Dailey 6-7 200 Sr. Big leaper needs to provide the junkyard things and interior scoring as primary backup.

• SF Tori Boyd 6-5 210 Fr. Rangy athlete from Rockford will blossom at some point; the coaches think sooner than later.

• PG Robert Kreps 6-0 180 Fr. Collins has known "Robo" since day he was born; considers him a winner who has fundamentals and game.

• PF Jovan Ignjatovic 6-9 230 So. He'd be a hero if basketball was solely offensive efficiency, but Flames need intensity from "Iggy".

• F Ebenezer Noonoo 6-4 185 Sr. Perpetually positive walk-on received a scholarship this year for, among other things, his sunny attitude.

• G Alex Tkaczuk 6-2 180 Fr. Walk-on from New Trier adds a shooting touch.

• G Jimmy Harding 6-5 165 Fr. Walk-on averaged 15.2 points for Minooka last year.

Flames' 2007-08 schedule

Saturday BRADLEY 7 p.m.

Tuesday ILLINOIS-SPRINGFIELD 7 p.m.

Paradise Jam (Virgin Islands)

Nov. 16 vs. Winthrop 2:30 p.m.

Nov. 17 vs. Charlotte/Georgia Tech loser 5 p.m. or Nov. 18 vs. Charlotte/Georgia Tech winner 5 p.m.

Nov. 19 Baylor/Wichita State/Notre Dame/Monmouth TBA

Nov. 28 at Central Michigan 6 p.m.

Dec. 1 at Illinois State 7 p.m.

Dec. 6 MILWAUKEE* 7 p.m. (Channel 56)

Dec. 8 GREEN BAY* 3 p.m.

Dec. 15 at DePaul 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 19 TOLEDO 7 p.m.

Dec. 22 HOWARD 3 p.m.

Dec. 29 at Akron 6 p.m.

Jan. 3 at Youngstown State* 6 p.m.

Jan. 5 at Cleveland State* 6 p.m.

Jan. 12 LOYOLA* 7 p.m. (Ch. 56)

Jan. 17 WRIGHT STATE* 7 p.m.

Jan. 19 DETROIT* 3 p.m.

Jan. 24 at Valparaiso* 7 p.m. (Ch. 56)

Jan. 26 at Butler* 1 p.m.

Jan. 31 CLEVELAND STATE* 7 p.m.

Feb. 2 YOUNGSTOWN STATE* 7 p.m.

Feb. 9 at Loyola* 7 p.m. (Ch. 56)

Feb. 11 VALPARAISO* 7 p.m. (Ch. 56)

Feb. 14 at Detroit* 6 p.m.

Feb. 16 at Wright State* 4 p.m.

Feb. 20 BUTLER* 7 p.m.

Feb. 23 Bracket-Buster TBA

Feb. 28 Green Bay* 7 p.m.

March 1 at Milwaukee* 7 p.m.

March 4-11 Horizon League tournament TBA

*Horizon League games

Home games in CAPS