3 May 1999CONTACT: Stew Salowitz, 309-556-3206 and/or head coach Dennie Bridges, (309) 556-3345
Milford's Eric Starkey to Attend Illinois Wesleyan
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- High-scoring guard Eric Starkey of Milford High School has elected to further his academic and athletic career at Illinois Wesleyan University, IWU head coach Dennie Bridges announced today.
The 6-foot-2, 160-pound Starkey averaged 26 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4 assists per game as a senior, when he earned honorable mention on the Associated Press Class A all-state team and was named to the third team of the all-state squad selected by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association.
He holds Milford High School records for points in a career with 1,308 and for points in a season with 696. Starkey played for Bearcat teams in his final three varsity seasons that posted a 64-18 overall record.
In both his junior and senior seasons, Starkey was a first team member of the all-area squads chosen by both the Danville Commercial News and by the Kankakee Daily Journal. He was a unanimous all-Sangamon Valley Conference player as a junior and senior as well as his team's "Most Valuable Player" both seasons. He was also the Class A "MVP" and an all-Kankakee Holiday Tournament selection as a junior and senior.
"I like for my guards to be able to score and Eric averaged 26 points a game as a senior," Bridges said. "Physically he reminds our coaching staff of [just-graduated] Nathan Hubbard when he was in high school. Our hope is that Eric develops into the same kind of player as Nathan."
Hubbard, a 6-foot-4 guard and IWU's "Most Valuable Player" last winter, was a two-time second team all-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin selection and finished his IWU career with 870 points, at No. 33 in career rebounds (388), sixth in assists (335), and seventh in 3-point field goals (109).
Starkey, who plans to major in a pre-law curriculum at IWU, is the son of Bruce and Sue Crist, 598 N. 1800E Rd., Milford.
About IWU Men's Basketball
The Titans were 17-9 last winter and advanced to the NCAA Division III tournament for the sixth straight season and for the 13th time in the 16 years of NCAA association. Bridges completed his 34th season at the Titan helm with a career mark of 626-304 and a league record of 402-120. The Titans won the national Division III championship in 1997 and placed third in the national tourney in 1996.
Joining Starkey at IWU as incoming freshmen are Seth Hubbard (6-foot-7, 210 pound forward) of Normal U High, a first team Chicago Sun-Times Class A all-stater; Luke Kasten (6-foot-7, 190 pound forward) from Hillsboro High School, also a first team Chicago Sun-Times all-stater; and Kewanee High School's Mark Boswell (6-foot-6, 195 pound forward), a unanimous first team all-North Central Illinois Conference selection.