Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
(written by Claire Norfleet, Student Sports Information Assistant)
Feb. 22, 2016 - The opportunity to participate in multiple sports at a young age can help with the development of fundamentals and the ability to create memorable experiences, two aspects that are beneficial to any athlete throughout their career. For senior Kevin Honn, his passion to compete was discovered when he first started playing basketball at the age of five, and has been a significant part of his life ever since.
"When I was in elementary school I remember watching college basketball games on TV with my dad and knew that playing collegiately was a goal and a dream of mine," Honn said. "At the time I obviously had no idea which level that I would or could even play at, but I knew at that moment it was something I wanted to do."
Before making the decision to focus solely on basketball, Honn spent time playing soccer, baseball, volleyball and even competitive swimming, all of which he enjoyed but never found a strong desire to stick with.
"My dad played when he was growing up and through high school," Honn said. "He was the one who got me involved with basketball at such a young age and I have loved it since."
The Downers Grove native was intent on attending a school that was not only close to home, but one that excelled both academically and athletically.
"I wanted my parents and other family members to be able to come to a majority of my games," Honn said. "And being an education major, I knew that North Central has such a great education program so that was also a big part of my decision."
After closing the regular season with a 19-6 overall record and a 12-2 finish in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) play, Honn hopes to relive his greatest basketball memory at North Central: the 2012-2013 season when the Cardinals reached the Final Four of the NCAA Division III Championship in Salem, Virginia.
"That was a great experience and was a great team to be a part of," Honn said. "Hopefully we can achieve that and more this year."
In North Central's final game of the regular season, Honn recorded a career-high 29 points, 26 of which came in the second half, in a 84-74 win at North Park University on Saturday. He currently averages 10.4 points per game and leads the team in field-goal percentage (.537), and has been at his best late in the season. In the last 10 games, nine of which were Cardinal victories, Honn ranked second on the team in scoring (13.6 points per game) and shot 63.6 percent from the floor while playing just 20.8 minutes per contest.
Playing for head coach Todd Raridon, who recently set the school's all-time record for coaching victories (207), has been a tremendous experience for the senior.
"He has been around basketball for so long and he is so knowledgeable about the game, so from the X's and O's standpoint I have learned a tremendous amount," Honn said. "Anyone who knows coach Raridon knows that he is a very intense guy, so he has pushed me a lot these last four years and has helped me become a lot tougher as a basketball player and as a person as well."
Following graduation in June 2016, Honn will be student-teaching at Hinsdale South High School within the physical education (PE) department. Ultimately, he hopes to find a job at a local high school as a PE teacher along with the opportunity to coach basketball.
The Cardinals will take on Elmhurst College on Friday at 5:00 p.m. in the semifinal round of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Tournament at the Carver Center on the campus of Augustana College. Visit cciw.org for more information about this weekend's tournament.
