Craig Lathen
Encyclopedia
Craig "Cubby" Lathen is an American basketball player who is most notable for his time spent as point guard
for the UIC Flames men's basketball
team in the early 1980s. He was the 1983–84 NCAA Division I men's basketball season assists leader and earned the The Summit League Men's Basketball Player of the Year
back when The Summit League was known as the Association of Mid-Continent Universities (AMCU), which later became known as the Mid-Continent Conference. He holds the Summit League records for career and single-season assists
per game. He holds the UIC records for career, single-season and single-game assists as well as single-season steals
. During his junior season as a high school basketball player, his East Aurora High School
team set the Illinois record for most single-season 100-point performances. In college, he helped his school post its all-time highest score with a 120 point night. Due to academic difficulties he only played nine games as a senior. His Summit League records are also abbreviated by the fact that his freshman season predated the conference.
. Without Harden, Lathen led the team back to the Sectionals the following season with a 23–3 record. He was an All-State honoree. Following the season, he signed with UIC. Lathen was listed at 6 in 1 in (1.85 m) when he signed.
He dropped out of UIC in the fall of 1984 and entered Triton Community College in order to make up some academic work. After leading the nation in assists as a junior, Lathen was not academically eligible to start his senior season. Lathen returned to the team in January. Initially, Lathen was benched for what were termed "Disciplinary reasons" at the beginning of February. After becoming eligible to play in the middle of the season, he played nine games before running afoul of the teams academic standards and quitting the team for good.
Lathen formerly held all of the AMCU major assist records (career total, career per game, single-season total, single-season per game, and single-game). He continues to hold both the career per game and the single-season per game assists records for the conference. He tied the single-game assist record with 16 vs. Eastern Illinois on December 30, 1983 and broke the record with 17 vs. Cleveland State
on January 24, 1984. This record stood until the current record of 19 was established on February 24, 1986 by Frank Nardi. , no conference player has exceeded 16 in any other games. His 244 assists during the 1982–83 season set the conference single-season record, and he broke his own record the following season with 274. This total stood as the league record until the 2008–09 season when Johnathan Jones posted 290. In this season, he established the current conference assists per game record and runner up totals with 8.71 and 9.45 assists per game. Of course, he led the league in both of these seasons, but he also led the league in steals in 1983–84 with 2.2. His career assists total record of 562 set from 1982–85 stood until Tony Bennett
established a new record of 599 seven seasons later. His career average of 8.52 per game stands far ahead of the second place total of 6.46. Note that Lathen's freshman season predates this conference and is not included in the record books or career totals. Lathen's UIC four-year assist total was 755, which would have stood as the conference total record until Jones totaled 819 in 2010. For the 1982–83 season, Lathen was a second team ALL-AMCU selection and the following season he was a first team selection and conference player of the year. In addition, in 1983–84 he was an All-Tournament Team selection despite the fact that UIC was eliminated in the semifinals of the AMCU Tournament.
Lathen has held numerous UIC records. He continues to hold career, single-season and single-game total records for assists. He formerly held the career steals record with 184 and continues to hold the single-season record with 75 set in 1982–83. He has the three highest single-game assist totals of 17, 16 and 16. A 2009 publication by ESPN
ranked him among the five greatest players in the history of the UIC basketball program.
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
for the UIC Flames men's basketball
UIC Flames men's basketball
The UIC Flames men's basketball team represents the University of Illinois at Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Horizon League, in which it has competed since the 1994-95 season. The Flames are currently coached by Howard Moore.-NCAA...
team in the early 1980s. He was the 1983–84 NCAA Division I men's basketball season assists leader and earned the The Summit League Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The Summit League Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The Summit League Men's Basketball Player of the Year is an annual college basketball award given to the most outstanding men's basketball player in The Summit League . The award was first given following the 1982–83 season. Only one player—Caleb Green of Oral Roberts—has won the award three times...
back when The Summit League was known as the Association of Mid-Continent Universities (AMCU), which later became known as the Mid-Continent Conference. He holds the Summit League records for career and single-season assists
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
per game. He holds the UIC records for career, single-season and single-game assists as well as single-season steals
Steal (basketball)
In basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally causes a turnover by his positive, aggressive action. This can be done by deflecting and controlling, catching, or batting to a teammate a pass or dribble of an offensive player...
. During his junior season as a high school basketball player, his East Aurora High School
East Aurora High School
East Aurora High School, or EAHS, is a public four-year high school located in Kane County, at the corner of Smith Boulevard and Fifth Avenue in Aurora, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is the sole high school in East Aurora Public School District 131...
team set the Illinois record for most single-season 100-point performances. In college, he helped his school post its all-time highest score with a 120 point night. Due to academic difficulties he only played nine games as a senior. His Summit League records are also abbreviated by the fact that his freshman season predated the conference.
High school
In 1980, Lathen was a member of the East Aurora Tomcats team that set the Illinois High School record for most 100-point performances. Their 11th such performance, which occurred prior to February 16th, set the record as they reached a 20–2 record. All-State performer Melvin Harden usually led the team in scoring that season. The team finished with a 25–3 record after losing to West Aurora High School in the Class AA Sectional Championships in overtimeOvertime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
. Without Harden, Lathen led the team back to the Sectionals the following season with a 23–3 record. He was an All-State honoree. Following the season, he signed with UIC. Lathen was listed at 6 in 1 in (1.85 m) when he signed.
College
When UIC posted a school record 120 points on November 29, 1983 against Chadron State, Lathen had 15 points and 13 assists. Later that season, UIC would win 12 games in a row heading into the conference tournament. He made the 1984 conference All-Tournament Team.He dropped out of UIC in the fall of 1984 and entered Triton Community College in order to make up some academic work. After leading the nation in assists as a junior, Lathen was not academically eligible to start his senior season. Lathen returned to the team in January. Initially, Lathen was benched for what were termed "Disciplinary reasons" at the beginning of February. After becoming eligible to play in the middle of the season, he played nine games before running afoul of the teams academic standards and quitting the team for good.
Lathen formerly held all of the AMCU major assist records (career total, career per game, single-season total, single-season per game, and single-game). He continues to hold both the career per game and the single-season per game assists records for the conference. He tied the single-game assist record with 16 vs. Eastern Illinois on December 30, 1983 and broke the record with 17 vs. Cleveland State
Cleveland State Vikings men's basketball
Cleveland State Vikings men's basketball started in 1929. Before as Fenn College they were known as the Fenn College Foxes. Cleveland State has been in Division I since 1972. They are a member of the Horizon League Cleveland State was formerly in the Mid-Continent Conference...
on January 24, 1984. This record stood until the current record of 19 was established on February 24, 1986 by Frank Nardi. , no conference player has exceeded 16 in any other games. His 244 assists during the 1982–83 season set the conference single-season record, and he broke his own record the following season with 274. This total stood as the league record until the 2008–09 season when Johnathan Jones posted 290. In this season, he established the current conference assists per game record and runner up totals with 8.71 and 9.45 assists per game. Of course, he led the league in both of these seasons, but he also led the league in steals in 1983–84 with 2.2. His career assists total record of 562 set from 1982–85 stood until Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett (basketball)
Anthony "Tony" Guy Bennett is an American college basketball coach and current head coach for the University of Virginia Cavaliers men's team. Previously, he played professionally for the NBA's Charlotte Hornets and was later head coach at Washington State University...
established a new record of 599 seven seasons later. His career average of 8.52 per game stands far ahead of the second place total of 6.46. Note that Lathen's freshman season predates this conference and is not included in the record books or career totals. Lathen's UIC four-year assist total was 755, which would have stood as the conference total record until Jones totaled 819 in 2010. For the 1982–83 season, Lathen was a second team ALL-AMCU selection and the following season he was a first team selection and conference player of the year. In addition, in 1983–84 he was an All-Tournament Team selection despite the fact that UIC was eliminated in the semifinals of the AMCU Tournament.
Lathen has held numerous UIC records. He continues to hold career, single-season and single-game total records for assists. He formerly held the career steals record with 184 and continues to hold the single-season record with 75 set in 1982–83. He has the three highest single-game assist totals of 17, 16 and 16. A 2009 publication by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
ranked him among the five greatest players in the history of the UIC basketball program.