URBANA — By his own admission, Chris Cross had prepared a speech for his college basketball reveal and signing ceremony Tuesday evening.
But the 2020 Urbana graduate decided to go off script. Issue his thank yous straight from the heart.
And it led to an emotional moment in the middle of Cross’ words.
He paused once, then a second time to collect himself before discussing the impact of Tigers boys’ basketball coach Verdell Jones Jr. on Cross’ hoops career. Even after that, the typically strong-but-silent Cross couldn’t help his voice breaking.
“I’ve known Coach V all my life, but I really started to get to know him going into my freshman year,” Cross said, “when he brought me into (Champaign) Central High School (where Jones works) to work out with him.
“And Coach V saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself at that time. I was a 5-10, 265-pound lineman. And coming out of high school now, I’m a 6-2, 195-pound guard.”
The crowd in front of Cross let loose thunderous applause at that statement. Just a few minutes later, Cross’ supporters repeated the process when he unzipped his black Urbana jacket to display a maroon Southern Illinois shirt.
Cross will join Bryan Mullins’ second Salukis team later this year as a preferred walk-on. The decision makes Cross the second 2020 Tigers alumnus to ink with a Division I basketball program in less than a week, joining Miami (Ohio) signee Bryson Tatum.
“This has always been a dream to me, and I’m just very fortunate,” said Cross, whose uncle, Joshua Cross, played for SIU basketball between 1997 and 2001. As a result, Cross is receiving a legacy scholarship in addition to an academic scholarship, and he hopes to be on athletic scholarship after his first college season.
“I’m very excited to go back to where I was born,” Chris Cross continued. “All my uncles and my dad went to Carbondale High School. ... I’m just looking to come back and bring the family name back to Carbondale, and I’m excited to get back to work and compete.”
Cross was instrumental to Urbana in 2019 ending a 30-year regional championship drought, and Cross aided the Tigers to another regional crown earlier this year. He earned News-Gazette All-Area second-team status as a senior by averaging 14.5 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals per game.
“He’s set the bar extremely high,” Jones said of Cross, whom Jones compared to one of his own sons, former Illini Clayton Jones. “We’ve been fortunate to have him come through this program. ... He’s just left an indelible impression upon this program and upon me.”
Cross, who also is the son of former Illinois hoopster Joe Cross, said “I never thought I could be” a D-I athlete at the start of his high school tenure.
Chris Cross was both a football and basketball player as a Tigers freshman, before Jones convinced his pupil there was more in store on the hardwood.
“I had a great summer (before my sophomore year), and I decided to focus on basketball,” Cross said. “And I told Coach V I was ready to be the leader he wanted me to be.”
To that effect, Verdell Jones said Cross “could’ve easily been our captain all four years.”
“He could’ve shot the ball more. He could’ve scored more. He could’ve did a lot more for us,” Jones said. “But he said, ‘Coach, I think this is what’s going to help us to be better.’ That’s leadership.”
Cross said Mullins and his staff entered Cross’ recruitment picture about a month ago, and Cross couldn’t pass up “the best possible position for me to live out my college dream.”
That half of the battle now is over. Cross is officially signed to the Salukis, who finished 16-16 in their 2019-2020 campaign, their first with Mullins at the helm.
Cross isn’t satisfied with knowing his name will appear on a D-I roster, though.
“The grind hasn’t stopped,” Cross said. “I still run miles. I run hills. I still get up shots outside. I do everything that I’ve been doing, and I’m more and more motivated now to show that I can compete at the Division I level.”
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June 10, 2020 at 08:00PM
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'I'm just looking to ... bring the family name back to Carbondale' - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette
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