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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 14, 2004)
GIVING continued from page 7 Sica's life, but one lucky young man was able to see a completely different side of him. Sica presented the boy, who was paralyzed at age 10 in an au tomobile accident, with a racing wheelchair at halftime of last year's spring football game. The money was raised in last year's inaugural Birdie-a-thon, where Sica, members of his family and fellow teammates were sponsored by Cham bers Communications to make birdies during the golf season. By the "(Mike Sicas) worked quite hard on different projects that we've done.... He will always have a soft spot in my heart for what he was." Steve Nosier Oregon head coach * end of the season, more than $3,200 dollars was raised. "That is something that I am pretty - proud of," Sica said. "I just went to high school and grew up in a family where charity work was pretty im portant." Sica also is involved with the Stu dent-Athlete Advisory Committee, which does community service work throughout the year. "We have days were we invite, like, 10 elementary schools and we get all the athletes and play with them over at the Moshofsky Center for the day," Sica said. "It's fun to be able to give back, because we are so lucky to be athletes here at Oregon, and it's nice to showr the community that we're thankful for what they do for us." This year, with help from the Spar row's Club and Chambers Communi cations, Sica again will head the Birdie-a-thon to raise money for a 3 year-old boy with leukemia. "He needs a bone marrow trans plant and his insurance won't cover it, so we're trying to raise money for him," Sica said. Sica's mother, Joan, was one of the jSStSMi, Mike Sica Before Oregon: Sica was a three-time West Catholic Athletic League selection for San Francisco's St. Ignatius High School. Won 16 prep tournaments and also captured the 1999 Robert O'Brien Junior and the California Golf Tour Amateur. He holds the course record (66) at the Olympic Club’s Ocean Course. At Oregon: Redshirted in 1999. 2000- 01: Played in five events. Tied for 17th at the Western Intercollegiate (76-73-69-218) with a career-low 69 in the final round. Tied for 49th at the Pacific-10 Conference Championships. 2001- 02: Came on strong in the spring as Oregon's No. 5 golfer. Tied for 29th at the PING/Arizona Intercollegiate. Top 50 finishes at the Cleveland Golf Classic, the Duck Invitational, the U.S. Intercollegiate and the Pac-10 Championships. 2002- O3: Oregon’s No. 4 golfer with a 74.7 stroke average. Eleven biggest influences for him. "I grew up just helping her out," Sica said. "I can remember in middle school, going to wrap presents for un derprivileged families. It's nice to be able to give back." ' Nosier said Sica's willingness to volunteer helps him stand out on the team. "He's worked quite hard on differ ent projects that we've done as far as community service projects, and he has always been willing to do that type of thing," Nosier said. "He will always have a soft spot in my heart for what he was." A soft spot, indeed. One that most hope will continue wherever Sica's travels take him. Brian Smith is a freelance reporter for the Emerald. BRIEFS continued from page 8 Gordon expected to leave UConn for NBA STORRS, Conn. — After UConn defeated Georgia Tech for the na tional championship, Ben Gordon stood on the ladder and cut his own piece off the Alamodome net. From the UConn section, fans be gan to chant, "One more year." Gordon looked at them and shook his head. Gordon will hold a press confer ence at 3 p.m. EDT today at Gampel Pavilion and add words to his gesture. Neither Gordon nor UConn coach Jim Calhoun has said Gor don is leaving but it does not take an abacus to do this math. The junior guard is being pro jected as a Top 10 pick in the June 24 NBA draft — some mock drafts have him going as high as No. 6 — and he already has accomplished everything he can on a college bas ketball court. Gordon led the I luskies in scor ing this season (18.5) and was even better in the NCAA Tournament. In six games, he was UConn's leading scorer (21.2), was named most out standing player of the Phoenix re gional and, along with Emeka Okafor and Rashad Anderson, was one of three UConn players named to the all-tournament team at the Fi nal Four. This is likely only the first such press conference in Storrs this spring. Okafor, who will graduate in May but has another season of eligi bility available, is also expected to make the jump to the NBA. To be eligible for the draft, an un derclassman must send a letter to the NBA by May 10. If a player with eligibility remain ing has not signed with an agent, he can return to his college team if he withdraws from the draft by June 17. Gordon said in San Antonio last week that if he were to enter the draft, he would begin looking for an agent immediately. Okafor is being projected as the first pick in the draft. There was a time this season when it was uncertain whether Gordon would be able to join his old room mate. Then down the stretch he ban ished the image of "Gentle Ben" and became a forceful scorer in the clutch. He hit the winning hoop against Pittsburgh in the Big East tourna ment final and carried that momen tum into the NCAA Tournament. He helped the 1 luskies reach the Fi nal Four with 36 points, one shy of his career-high, against Alabama in the Phoenix Regional final. 1 le had 18 points against Duke and 21 against Georgia Tech. After winning the national cham pionship, Calhoun seemed to signal this day in his postgame press con ference. "1 do think (Ben and Emeka) are ready for the NBA," Calhoun said. "If they're in position, they should leave because they're both incredi ble basketball players and have ac complished so much in college bas ketball." Gordon accomplished much in three years. The 6-2, 195-pound guard from Mount Vernon, N.Y., evolved from a sixth man as a fresh man on a team that was eliminated in the Elite Eight into one of the mainstays. Along the way, he scored 1,795 points and was part of 85 wins, two Big East championships and a na tional championship. There were so many highlights. He hit big threes against Arizona in a thrilling overtime win his fresh man season. Six weeks later, he stuck one of the biggest shots of UConn's season — a three in the Big East tournament against Villanova — and this caused Caron Butler to start calling Gordon "the next one," a prophecy Gordon fulfilled this season. Gordon's draft position isn't sta ble — it rarely is for guards — but he is unlikely to drop in any indi vidual workouts because of his speed, skills and leaping ability. And NBA teams are not as willing to take risks on young guards the way they might for a big man.... Okafor was named Sports Illustrated's Player of the Year. 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