Djuric and Barnes Inducted to SIC Hall of Fame
On Saturday, Feb. 9, Southeastern Illinois College hosted the 11th annual Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony for two former Falcon athletes.
Former Falcon standouts Neda Djuric and Tim Barnes were honored between the men’s and women’s basketball games against John A. Logan College. Plaques representing their individual accomplishments will be placed in the college’s Hall of Fame room, where they will join 38 former athletes who have been recognized for outstanding contributions to SIC athletics.
Djuric, a native of NoviSad, Yugoslavia, played basketball for the Lady Falcons from 1998-2000. Under coach Mark Motsinger, the 5’8” point guard was named to the NJCAA All-Great Rivers Conference team and All-Region 24 team. After leaving Southeastern, she played two years for the University of Rhode Island.
Her freshman year at Southeastern, Djuric averaged 12 points and 7.1 assists per game, helping the Falcons finish the season with a 25-6 record. During her sophomore year, she averaged 15 points and a conference-best 6.8 assists per game. While at SIC, Djuric also earned academic honors. She now plays professional basketball in Europe for Vojvodina (Serbia), a member of the Adriatic League.
Barnes, from Henderson, Ky., played for SIC basketball coach Todd Franklin during the 2000-2002 seasons. Barnes was later recruited by the Iowa State University Cyclones.
His freshman year at Southeastern, Barnes led the Falcons to a 26-4 season by averaging 15.3 points, 8.4 assists, 2.4 steals, and 3.3 rebounds per game. During his sophomore year, he averaged 19.4 points, 7.2 assists, and 2.1 steals per game, leading the team to the NJCAA Region 24 championship game and a 26-7 record. That same year, Barnes was named Region 24 Player of the Year.
Barnes completed his two years at Southeastern by setting the single season and career school records for assists, 260 and 498 respectively.
According to Iowa State’s Cyclone Sports Report.Com, “At Southeastern Illinois Community College, Barnes was regarded as one of the nation’s best junior college products, blossoming into a top-notch point guard. His improvement and emergence on the national scene went full circle his sophomore year at Southeastern…garnering second-team All-American accolades, first-team Region XXIV honors and rated as the nation’s No. 1 junior college point guard prospect.”
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