Two people were shot, one critically, near Benito Juarez High School in Pilsen Thursday afternoon.

Authorities responded to the shooting about 12:10 p.m. at Cermak Road and Ashland Avenue, Chicago fire officials said.

A female was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, officials said. A male went to the University of Illinois at Chicago Hospital. His condition was not immediately known.

Chicago police didn’t immediately release details.

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Athletes often take abuse on social media.

But a new study by Pickswise says Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James takes much more than any other athlete in the world.

The study says James received 122,568 abusive messages, which is an average of nearly 336 per day.

Pickswise says the data was collected from Twitter posts with words, phrases and hashtags with abusive terms directed at athletes between June 2020 and June 2021.

Soccer star Marcus Rashford received the second most messages at 32,328, while Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady ranked third with 28,151.

Other athletes ranked in the top 10 are Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (No. 4 at 24,370), NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace (No. 5 at 21,750), Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (No. 6 at 20,904), Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer (No. 7 at 14,083), soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo (No. 8 at 11,757), Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (No. 9 at 11,203) and soccer player Mesut Ozil (No. 10 at 11,192).

James has been the target of some criticism on social media — most recently following a tweet about the fatal shooting of Ma’Khia Bryant, a 16-year-old Black girl in Columbus. The tweet caused a Cincinnati area bar to say they wouldn’t show NBA games on TV until James was “expelled” by the NBA. James later said he “fueled the wrong conversation” with his initial tweet.

Read more at usatoday.com

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NEW YORK — Naomi Osaka says former first lady Michelle Obama and sports stars Novak Djokovic, Michael Phelps and Stephen Curry were among those who reached out to offer support after she withdrew from the French Open to take a mental health break.

In an essay in Time magazine’s Olympic preview issue, on sale Friday, Osaka — a four-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1-ranked player — wrote that she hopes “we can enact measures to protect athletes, especially the fragile ones,” and suggests they be allowed to sometimes skip media obligations without punishment.

“There can be moments for any of us where we are dealing with issues behind the scenes,” the 23-year-old Osaka said. “Each of us as humans is going through something on some level.”

She said before the French Open began that she would not speak to the media during that tournament, saying those interactions were sometimes uncomfortable and would create doubts for her on the court. After her first-round victory in Paris, Osaka was fined $15,000 for skipping her mandatory news conference and threatened by the four Grand Slam tournaments with the possibility of disqualification or suspension if she continued to avoid the media.

Osaka then pulled out of that tournament, saying she deals with anxiety before news conferences and has experienced bouts of depression in recent years.

“Believe it or not, I am naturally introverted and do not court the spotlight,” she wrote for Time. “I always try to push myself to speak up for what I believe to be right, but that often comes at a cost of great anxiety.”

She hasn’t played since Paris, also sitting out Wimbledon, which ends Sunday.

She will return to competition at the Tokyo Olympics, which open July 23, and where she will represent her native Japan.

“It has become apparent to me that literally everyone either suffers from issues related to their mental health or knows someone who does,” Osaka wrote in her essay, adding later: “I do hope that people can relate and understand it’s OK to not be OK, and it’s OK to talk about it.”

On the topic of news conferences, Osaka said she thinks the “format itself is out of date and in great need of a refresh.”

She also proposed giving tennis players “a small number of ‘sick days’ per year, where you are excused from your press commitments without having to disclose your personal reasons. I believe this would bring sport in line with the rest of society.”

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My brother has been a hostage of the Taliban’s Haqqani network since Jan. 31, 2020 — but you may never have heard his name.

Mark Frerichs, who is from the Chicago suburb of Lombard, has been a civil engineer living in Afghanistan for the past decade. When I spoke with him a couple days before he was kidnapped in Kabul, Afghanistan, he told me with pride about having worked on a municipal water project. He has always been good with his hands and wanted to do something to rebuild a country that had seen decades of destruction.

It is perplexing to think that an American veteran — Mark previously served in the U.S. Navy — has been a hostage under Taliban control for 17 months, yet this fact is virtually unspoken as our military rightfully withdraws from a 20-year war in Afghanistan.

As noted in a Sun-Times editorial on Thursday, a series of unforced errors that define Mark’s captivity present a case study in how to waste diplomatic leverage.

The cascade of errors started with the Trump Administration valuing a declaration of an end to the war in Afghanistan above saving the life of an American veteran. Mark was seized a full month before the U.S. signed a peace accord with the Taliban on Feb. 29, 2020, yet our nation’s chief negotiator, Zal Khalilzad, never mentioned Mark to the Taliban before signing the deal.

Roger Carstens, the United States special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, was engaged early in Mark’s ordeal, but all diplomatic efforts related to Afghanistan had to go through Khalilzad, who proved to be an unfortunate bottleneck. Until very recently,D Carstens was precluded from talking with the Taliban or the governments of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Qatar or anyone else who could help to get Mark home.

When asked about Mark in 2020, the Taliban representative said he was safe and healthy and then asked about Bashir Noorzai, a major Afghan drug trafficker who has been in a U.S. prison for the past 16 years. Noorzai’s release is the only thing the Taliban has indicated it wants in return for freeing Mark, but some parts of our government have opposed a swap, fearing it would set a bad precedent.

Of course, such swaps have been agreed to numerous times before. The precedent was set long ago. There was, for example, the very public exchange of hostages and prisoners in 2016 when the Iran nuclear deal was implemented.

Former President Trump, the self-proclaimed master negotiator, apparently did not lift a finger to get Mark home, but our family had great hope that President Biden would make Mark more of a priority. Despite asking twice for a call, we have yet to hear directly from the president, though, and he’s never said Mark’s name publicly.

We haven’t even heard from Khalilzad, who remains the point man in negotiations with the Taliban since Biden took office.

We support bringing our troops home. We support rescuing those Afghans who worked with the United States during the war. But the fact remains that Biden’s announcement that all troops now will be withdrawn by Sept. 11 has made it only harder to get Mark back home.

The president’s announcement amounts to a missed opportunity to trade Mark for Noorzai and, at the same time, perhaps gain an extension of a cease fire and a power-sharing agreement with the Afghan government.

Our senator from Illinois, Tammy Duckworth, tells us she has spoken with President Biden about Mark, and that he’s assured her he’s doing all he can to bring Mark home. We also recently heard that Ambassador Carstens finally has been given clearance from our government to meet with the Taliban, and that our government has reached out to ask Pakistan, Afghanistan and Qatar for help.

I don’t understand why our government waited so long to do these obvious and basic things. Why didn’t they try to get my brother home when we had greater leverage? Why is he just now being mentioned, when our troops are almost completely out of Afghanistan and when the military bases we might have used for a rescue mission have been closed?

Mark wasn’t grabbed because of anything unique to Mark. He was grabbed because he’s a U.S. citizen and the Taliban wanted something to trade. Our government ignored that simple truth for the past 17 months.

On July 13, Mark will turn 59. Our family prays every day that he’ll be home by then to blow out the candles on a birthday cake.

And we dearly hope the diplomatic efforts we’re hearing about now, finally, will not be too little and too late.

Charlene Cakora is the sister of Mark Frerichs.

Send letters to [email protected].

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LONDON — Pirlo’s “Panenka.” Schillaci’s Golden Boot clincher. Another emotional goal celebration from Marco Tardelli.

The major-tournament rivalry — if it can be called that — between Italy and England has been marked by a few stand-out moments, and they all belong to the Italians.

In four meetings at either a World Cup or a European Championship, the Azzurri have won three of them and advanced via a penalty shootout in the other.

England might have home advantage in the Euro 2020 final between the teams on Sunday at Wembley Stadium but, historically, Italy has the edge.

“We know the size of the task,” England coach Gareth Southgate said. “It’s the biggest possible test we can have.”

This is no classic international rivalry. Indeed, they have only met once in a knockout match at a major tournament and that was in 2012, when Italy won 4-2 on penalties in Kyiv — after a 0-0 draw through extra time — in the latest shootout heartache for England.

It will best be remembered for a coolly taken “Panenka” penalty by stylish midfielder Andrea Pirlo midway through the shootout. England was somewhat fortunate to get that far anyway after being outplayed for large parts of the match.

That has been a theme.

The first match between England and Italy at a tournament came at Euro 1980, when Tardelli guided a near-post finish past goalkeeper Peter Shilton to earn the Azzurri a 1-0 win in their second group match.

Tardelli is best known for his screaming, fist-waving celebration after scoring Italy’s second goal in a 3-1 victory over West Germany in the 1982 World Cup final. His reaction after the winning goal against England was also emotional as he wheeled his way around the perimeter of the field before rolling onto the ground and holding his head in his hands.

In 1990, the teams met in a third-place playoff at the World Cup in Italy. It’s regarded as a match no one really wants to play, coming so soon after losses in the semifinals, but it at least gave Italy striker Salvatore Schillaci the opportunity to become the top scorer at the tournament.

And he took it, converting a penalty in the 86th minute to give Italy a 2-1 win and finish with six goals, one more than Czechoslovakia striker Tomas Skuhravy.

The only other tournament meeting was in the group stage of the 2014 World Cup and the Italians again won, with Mario Balotelli’s second-half header handing them a 2-1 victory in steamy Manaus in Brazil’s Amazonian rainforest.

Since then, there have been a pair of 1-1 draws in friendly games, none of which were played before Roberto Mancini became Italy coach in May 2018.

The overall record stands at 11 wins for Italy and eight wins for England in a total of 27 matches. Undefeated in the first eight meetings, England has only managed one win in the last seven.

Under Mancini, Italy is on a 33-match unbeaten run — a national record.

“They have been a top team for the last couple of years,” Southgate said. “We have followed their progress closely. We know the way they play — with great energy, with great style — they are always difficult to score against.”

Italy’s influence on English domestic soccer has been huge over the past decade, with three coaches — Mancini (Manchester City in 2012), Claudio Ranieri (Leicester in 2016) and Antonio Conte (Chelsea in 2017) — leading teams to Premier League titles.

Mancini ended City’s 44-year wait for a top-flight championship, but was fired a year later, just three days after a surprising loss in the FA Cup final to Wigan.

That loss came at Wembley, where Mancini is returning on Sunday in a bid to guide Italy to a second European title.

“I think Italy against England is always a great match,” said Italy midfielder Marco Verratti, who made his international debut in a 2-1 loss to England in a friendly game in Bern, Switzerland, in August 2012.

“Two great teams and nations. Both deserve to be in the final. They had a sensational tournament. We both performed well but there can only be one winner and I hope it’s us.”

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Over at Crain’s, my former colleague Dennis Rodkin reports on record-low inventory in Tinley Park, Romeoville, and Island Lake. The first of those I know pretty well, and like: it’s near my favorite culinary corridor in Chicagoland (Harlem Avenue); there’s lot of good midcentury housing, even if it’s not necessarily for sale right now; it’s near some underrated forest preserves, especially the area around Red Gate Woods; there’s lots of green; and it’s generally well served by the Metra.

And if you’re willing to settle for around Tinley Park, you can find some gorgeous, odd, and very southwest suburban homes.

One house that’s definitely not for sale is Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House, which is preserved for the public on the campus of the University of Chicago. Instead, you can buy a Lego version for several hundred dollars on the resale market, or this full-size replica in Palos Park. Inside, it definitely looks like a replica that was built in 2006, which is sort of interesting from a design perspective, even if it falls into a bit of an uncanny valley—it’s shinier, brighter, sleeker, not as ornate. But judged on its own merits, it’s still awfully nice, especially the long, well-lit main room, which divides the living room from the dining room with a huge centerpiece fireplace, and the layers of porches. And it has one thing Wright couldn’t give Robie: the serenity of a huge yard over sidewalks of college kids.

For a further-afield take on Prairie architecture, the house above is a 1908 farmhouse that, rather than the quaint Victorian porch you might expect, has a physically and visually massive flat porch dropped around it, like something from a Works Progress Administration project. It’s kind of weird! But it’s also kind of neat. Inside is similarly a bit all over the place—some signs of its farm heritage, a lot of contemporary renovations that you may want to either commit to or roll back. If you have young kids, though, you’ll probably want to keep the cute attic. Outside there’s room for everyone to play—4.5 acres up the hill from Hickory Creek, an eight-garage and two more two-car garages, and a coach house for guests.

From the street, it might not look like a $1.4 million house—four beds, three baths, and 3,200 square feet, a bit old, without luxury finishes. The big deal is the lake: 95 acres, spring-fed, and this is the only house on it. The lake is part of massive Centennial Park, with a skating rink, skate park, and Metra stop, a nice combination of sylvan and urban. The inside, though, is pretty delightful as well. There are three masonry fireplaces, including one in the nicely aged finished basement, big open Tudor-ish rooms in the living area, and, as you’d hope, a huge patio on the lake.

This handsome neocolonial home was well-built in 1987, so it’s starting to get a nice patina to it. In the midst of 1.5 wooded acres, it’s got a bit of a neo-gentleman-farmer feel, with an ornate, proper interior that for better and sometimes for worse shows its age. For better, for instance: the two-story main bedroom, with staircase and lofted nook/walk-in closet just for the elegant excess of it. For worse: never thought I’d say this, but probably a bit too much floral wallpaper, although it does work nicely in the huge sunroom, and with the marble floor in the entry under the (of course) main stair. The grandparent-y interior style carries through the whole of the four beds, three baths, and 3,800 square feet above ground, but the semi-finished 1,600 square feet below gives you more of a blank slate.

One of the best features of this area is the ranches, so let’s end on one. 3,200 square feet with five beds and four baths—plus three horse stalls in the small barn. Like any good ranch, it’s outdoor-focused: a bright and airy open interior, with big windows to the back to appreciate the green, and more light coming in through the clerestory windows. The big main-room fireplace by the windows is a must for the form, but the stone planter framing it is a cute, very California bonus. If the open plan is too much noise, the basement has a very official looking office with mahogany wainscotting that should make your Zoom calls more businesslike, just off a rec room whose colorful tile gives it a cheery church-basement feel.

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White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez is set to begin a rehab assignment at High-A Winston Salem, the team said Thursday.

He could be back in a White Sox uniform in three weeks.

“The team is winning, and I feel happy I will be back to help the team,” Jimenez said Thursday. “They said six months but I’m back in three months.”

Jimenez has been out since he tore his left pectoral muscle leaping over the wall during a Cactus League game during spring training. He has been training at the team’s spring training facility in Glendale, Ariz. and has been declared fit to begin playing games.

“I feel better than I did in spring training,” Jimenez said. “I feel 110 percent, let’s say 200 percent. I feel normal. I can finish my swing one hand, two hands, whatever. It’s not going to hurt.

“They’re not give me a timeline — they’re not telling me when I’m going to be there — but I think I can be around the end of this month.”

General manager Rick Hahn recently said a 20-day clock would begin after Jimenez arrived at an affiliate.

“At that point, a 20-day clock begins,” Hahn said last week. “If everything goes smoothly in that time period, you’ll see them back in Chicago.”

Jimenez had surgery on March 30, and at that time a four to five month recovery period was expected. This puts him on track for a return that could conceivably come the last weekend of July.

“It’s been tough,” Jimenez said, “because I’ve dealt with a lot of injuries. But at the same time, it was good because my guys supported me and that was special through the work. I feel like they had my back.”

Manager Tony La Russa on Wednesday said Jimenez would likely be used a lot as a designated hitter when he returns.

“There’s legitimate reasons to think of DHing him a lot,” La Russa said. “That would be one way to get his bat in and not have to worry so much about his legs. The depth we have now in the outfield allows us to think about Eloy maybe getting a lot of swings as a DH.”

Andrew Vaughn moved to left field from first base after Jimenez was injured. The Sox have played 12 different outfielders due to injuries to Jimenez, Luis Robert, Adam Engel, Adam Eaton, Billy Hamilton and Jake Lamb.

Vaughn, who was projected to be the DH, has filled in just fine defensively. Yermin Mercedes covered the DH spot with aplomb in April but has since been demoted to Triple-A Charlotte. La Russa has rotated different guys since, including Jose Abreu, the now-injured Yasmani Grandal and Gavin Sheets of late.

“I can do whatever but I still don’t like to DH,” Jimenez said. “Keep that in mind.”

Jimenez’ poor defense lends itself to slotting him at DH, especially now that there is more wiggle room there. He has been injured in left field before, but said “what happened in that game, I can’t control.”

“I’m going to keep playing hard, that’s not going to change,” Jimenez said.

The Sox have also been without center fielder Luis Robert since May 2 with a Grade 3 strain of his right hip flexor. Robert was medically cleared to increase his level of baseball activities at the Sox complex on June 30, a phase of the rehabilitation process estimated to take approximately four weeks, or to the end of July. A rehab assignment with an affiliate would follow.

“I’ve seen him, he’s going to be back sooner than later, too,” Jimenez said. “We’ve been working hard to get back to our team.”

Jimenez called this period his spring training and cautioned that, while feeling 100 percent, “I don’t how I’m going to react when I start playing nine games back to back.”

La Russa admits to “playing around with different lineups” knowing he’ll get Jimenez.

“It’s part of the fun,” he said. “Wait until we get to the end, see where we end up. Because it’s got a chance to be a hell of a story. Losing him in spring training and the way the guys responded, it’s been very typical. It’s been very special, but if we don’t hit the finish line, it’s not going to be as good of a story.”

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College basketball coaches were finally back on the road recruiting last month, starting with two “live” weekends in June watching players with their high school teams.

This July it’s back to the club circuit with three “live” weekends of AAU basketball across the country.

The recruiting world is starting to resemble what it did prior to the start of the pandemic 16 months ago. There will be unofficial and official on-campus visits for prospects and college coaches evaluating players in gyms rather than on a computer screen.

Among those college coaches, many former local players from this state have had their fingerprints all over the college basketball landscape as head coaches. In total, there are an impressive 18 head coaches at the Division I level who all played their high school basketball in Illinois. And No. 19 is set to take over in a year at Duke with coach-in-waiting Jon Scheyer, who starred at Glenbrook North.

Here is a rundown of those college head coaches — from their playing days in Illinois to their coaching resume.

Chris Collins, Northwestern (Glenbrook North – Class of 1992)

As a prep: A McDonald’s All-American who went on to play at Duke, Collins was a prolific scorer and shooter as a high school star in Illinois. He averaged 31.2 points a game as a senior. He scored 40-plus points six times, including in a super-sectional loss to Stevenson, and he had a 50-point performance in a win over Deerfield that season.

As a coach: After a long run as an assistant at Duke — Collins spent 13 years as an assistant coach under Mike Krzyzewski — he took over in Evanston and led the Wildcats to the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament berth in 2017. In eights years he has compiled a career record of 118-134 with a pair of 20-plus win seasons and a 49-100 mark in the Big Ten.

Billy Donlon, Missouri-Kansas City (Glenbrook North – 1995)

As a prep: Prior to a solid college career at UNC-Wilmington, Donlon was a star guard at Glenbrook North.

As a sophomore, following in the steps of Collins, Donlon helped the Spartans to the Elite Eight. He returned there again as a senior when he averaged 22.5 points and 7.2 assists a game. As a consensus all-stater in 1994-95, Donlon’s Spartans finished the regular season ranked No. 7 in the state and finished the year 29-2 overall.

In his three years he helped Glenbrook North to a 80-10 record.

As a coach: Donlon recently received his second go-around as a college head coach, taking over the UMKC job two years ago. He went 16-14 in his first season and 11-13 this past season.

Donlon, who served as an assistant at both Michigan and Northwestern before taking over at UMKC, also spent six seasons as the head coach at Wright State. While there he compiled a record of 109-94. The year Donlon was let go at Wright State, he led his team to a 22-13 record in 2015-16.

Dana Ford, Missouri State (Tamms-Egyptian – 2003)

As a prep: Ford was quite the high school player at little-known Tamms-Egyptian High School in the far southern part of the state. While growing up in Tamms with a population of 500 or so people, he finished his career with a whopping 2,222 career points. He went on to play college basketball at Illinois State.

As a coach: When he was hired as the head coach at Tennessee State at the age of 29, Ford became the youngest head coach in Division I basketball. In his first season he went 5-26. The next season he led the Tigers to 20 wins and the biggest turnaround in the country.

Ford went 16-16 and 16-17 in his two seasons as head coach at Missouri State in the Missouri Valley Conference before going 17-7 this past season. He led the Bears to a 12-6 mark in the MVC and a third-place finish.

Ford has a career record of 106-105 in seven seasons as a head coach.

Dennis Gates, Cleveland State (Young – 1998)

As a prep: Was a key member of one of the state’s greatest teams at Young. The 6-4 guard was the running mate of the Quentin Richardson-led Dolphins that won the 1998 state title. Gates was the City/Suburban Hoops Report’s No. 9 ranked player in Illinois in the Class of 1998, which is arguably the greatest collection of talent in one class in state history. Gates went on to play for years at Cal.

As a coach: Gates put together a 14-year run as an assistant coach, including a highly-successful stop at Florida State from 2011-2019. While in Tallahassee he was a part of seven NCAA Tournament teams, including a pair of Sweet Sixteen teams and an Elite Eight team.

Gates landed his first head coaching job two years ago, taking over a downtrodden Cleveland State program. He finished 11-21 in his first year of a major rebuilding project, including winning seven league games, while sharing Horizon League Coach of the Year honors.

This past season was even better as he evolved into a hot, young name in college coaching. He was again named the Horizon League Coach of the Year after winning the regular season title, finishing 17-7 overall, and leading the Cleveland State to the NCAA Tournament.

Brian Gregory, South Florida (Hersey – 1985)

As a prep: As a senior star he led Hersey to the state quarterfinals in 1985, averaging 17 points and seven assists a game. Hersey lost to eventual state champion Mt. Carmel in the Elite Eight.

As a college player he played at Navy with David Robinson for one season before transferring to Oakland, where he set assist records.

As a coach: The 54-year-old has been around the college game since 1990. In total, Gregory spent 10 years with Jud Heathcote and Tom Izzo at Michigan State, along with brief assistant coaching stops at Toledo and Northwestern.

Gregory spent eight successful seasons as head coach at Dayton. He won a NIT title there and made two NCAA Tournaments while compiling a 172-94 record. He left Dayton for Georgia Tech in 2011. He was fired at Georgia Tech after five seasons and just completed his fourth season as head coach at South Florida.

In 17 years as a college head coach, Gregory has a combined record of 306-246.

Tavaras Hardy, Loyola-Maryland (Providence – 1998)

As a prep: Before playing four years at Northwestern where he was a two-time All-Big Ten selection and scored 1,122 career points, the Joliet native starred at Providence. Hardy finished his career with 1,238 points (5th all-time at Providence) and 719 rebounds (3rd all-time).

Hardy was the City/Suburban Hoops Report’s No. 22 ranked player in the state in the Class of 1998, arguably the most talented and loaded class in state history.

As a coach: Hardy was named the head coach at Loyola-Maryland following 11 years as a college assistant, including six at Northwestern, three at Georgetown and two at Georgia Tech.

Hardy took over a program that had suffered through four five straight losing seasons, including a 9-22 record the year before he arrived. In three seasons at Loyola, Hardy has compiled a 32-49 record overall.

Juwan Howard, Michigan (Vocational – 1991)

As a prep: Regarded as one of the best players in the country, Howard was named a McDonald’s All-American after averaging 26.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists as a senior at CVS. He was a consensus top 10 player in the country as a senior at Vocational and went on to Michigan where he was a part of the famed Fab Five before putting together a long, successful NBA career.

As a coach: After a decorated high school, college and pro basketball career, Howard is now emerging as one of the hot coaching names in the game.

Following several years of being an assistant in the NBA with the Miami Heat, Howard returned to his alma mater in 2019 to take over for John Beilein. He’s winning big on the court and on the recruiting trail.

In his first year as head coach at Michigan two years ago, Howard led the Wolverines to a 19-12 record.

This past season Michigan won the Big Ten regular season championship and earned a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Wolverines, who have the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in the country coming in next year, finished 23-5 and reached the NCAA Elite Eight.

Brad Korn, Southeast Missouri State (Plano – 1999)

As a prep: As a Class A all-stater as a senior, the 6-9 Korn led unknown Plano to Peoria as a senior. The Reapers finished third in the state as Korn averaged 21 points a game, including a 47-point game and nine games with 30-plus points. Korn is the all-time leading rebounder in Plano history, single-season scoring and rebounding leader and finished with 1,765 career points.

Korn went on to become a key piece for some great Southern Illinois teams that reached three NCAA Tournaments.

As a coach: After assistant coaching stops at Southern Illinois (eight seasons), Missouri State (three years) and Kansas State (five seasons), the highly-respected and likable Korn gets his shot at a head job. Korn was hired last spring at Southeast Missouri State.

He took over a program that was last in the Ohio Valley Conference the previous season with just three wins. In his first season SEMO made a jump, winning nine league games and finishing seventh in the 12-team conference with a 9-11 mark (11-16 overall).

Mike Krzyzewski, Duke (Weber – 1965)

As a prep: Yes, one of the biggest names in basketball began his basketball career at Weber, a Catholic prep school on the Northwest side of Chicago that closed in 1999. He led the Chicago Catholic League in scoring for two seasons before playing under Bob Knight at Army.

As a coach: Where do you begin with Coach K? We’ll start with being in the Hall of Fame and go from there.

In 41 years as the head coach at Duke, Krzyzewski has won five national championships, reached 12 Final Fours and coached the U.S. Olympic team to gold medals in 2008, 2012 and 2016. Overall, he’s won 79 percent of his games at Duke and has recorded the most wins of any Division I basketball coach in history with 1,168 career victories.

However, this past season was Duke’s worst ACC finish in Coach K’s illustrious career.

Jim Les, UC-Davis (Niles Notre Dame – 1981)

As a prep: Les had a modest high school career considering how his college career took off and led him to the NBA. Les began his college career at Cleveland State and transferred to Bradley where he starred. He put together a seven-year NBA career in the 1990s.

As a coach: A veteran Division I head coach for 18 years, Les spent nine years leading the Bradley program. He led the Braves to a NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2006 and finished with a record of 154-140 at Bradley. Les has spent the past 10 years as the head coach at UC-Davis in California with a NCAA Tournament berth in 2017.

Les has a career record of 265-291 in 19 years as a head coach.

Matt Lottich, Valparaiso (New Trier – 2000)

As a prep: Regarded as one of the best all-around athletes in state history, Lottich was an all-state caliber player in football, basketball and baseball.

As an all-state senior the 6-4 guard averaged 24 points, nine rebounds and six assists a game while leading the Trevians to a 28-4 record and the Elite Eight, including a 40-point performance against Homewood-Flossmoor. He averaged 22 points a game as a junior and is the all-time leading scorer in New Trier history.

Lottich had a standout career at Stanford and is among the program’s single-season and career leaders in three-pointers made.

As a coach: Lottich joined Bryce Drew’s staff as an assistant at Valpo in 2013 and took over the program as head coach in 2016. Lottich, who went 24-9, shared a Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship and reached the NIT in his first year, has compiled a 83-78 record in five seasons as head coach.

Cuonzo Martin, Missouri (East St. Louis Lincoln – 1991)

As a prep: Played with LaPhonso Ellis for two years and emerged as an all-stater and a star in the postseason. Martin’s teams at Lincoln won state titles in 1988 and 1989 and finished third in 1990. The 6-6 forward was voted among the “100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament.”

Martin starred at Purdue in college and scored 1,666 career points in four seasons.

As a coach: After spending eight seasons on Gene Keady’s staff as an assistant at Purdue, Martin has been a head coach for three seasons each at Missouri State, Tennessee and California. He’s in his fourth season at Missouri.

Martin has led three different teams to the NCAA Tournament in 13 years, including a Sweet 16 appearance at Tennessee in 2014. He took Missouri to the NCAA Tournament this past season. He has a career record of 252-177.

Porter Moser, Oklahoma (Benet – 1986)

As a prep: In three varsity seasons at Benet, Moser led the Redwings to a 70-14 record and three East Suburban Catholic Conference championships. As a senior he was named ESCC Player of the Year. He went on to play at Creighton and was part of the 1989 NCAA Tournament team.

As a coach: What a run it’s been for Moser.

First, he spent three seasons as the head coach at Arkansas Little Rock (2000-01 through 2002-03) and four seasons as head coach at Illinois State (2003-04 through 2006-07).

Moser then built Loyola from the ground up, including leading the transition for the Ramblers from the Horizon League to the Missouri Valley Conference. Moser won 20-plus games five times in his 10 years at Loyola. That includes the magical 2017-18 season where the Ramblers won 32 games and stunned the college basketball world with a trip to the Final Four.

This past season Loyola won its third MVC regular season championship in four years and reached the NCAA Tournament. The Ramblers stunned top-seeded Illinois in the second round, reached the Sweet Sixteen and finished 26-5 on the year.

He took over for Lon Kruger at Oklahoma this past March.

Bryan Mullins, Southern Illinois (Downers Grove South – 2005)

As a prep: A dynamite point guard who led Downers South downstate as a sophomore and senior, the latter of which the Mustangs finished third in the state in 2005. Mullins was an all-state selection as a senior when he averaged 16.9 points, 5.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 5.3 steals a game. Finished DGS career with the most assists, steals and wins in program history.

Mullins then enjoyed a standout career at Southern Illinois, where he became one of SIU’s all-time great players and fueled a Sweet 16 run and school record 29 wins in 2007.

As a coach: He worked six years under Porter Moser at Loyola — two as the director of basketball operations and four as an assistant coach — before being named the head coach at Southern Illinois two years ago.

In his first season he guided SIU, which was picked last in the Missouri Valley Conference in the preseason, to a fifth-place MVC finish and a 16-16 record in his first season. This past year the Salukis battled injuries and finished 12-14 overall.

Scott Nagy, Wright State (Champaign Centennial – 1984)

As a prep: A key player as a senior for a Centennial team that went 26-4 and reached Assembly Hall and the Elite Eight in 1984. That team, which was led by the great Roger McClendon, beat Joliet West in the Super before falling to Kenny Battle and West Aurora in the state quarterfinals. Nagy scored 23 points in the two state tournament games.

As a coach: Nagy has been a head college coach for 26 years, including the last five at Wright State. He’s led Wright State to four 20-plus win seasons, a NCAA Tournament berth in 2018 and back-to-back trips to the NIT.

This past season Wright State finished 18-6 and shared the regular season Horizon League title.

Prior to Wright State, Nagy spent 21 years at South Dakota State — the last 12 as a Division I school. He averaged 23 wins a year over his finals six seasons, reaching three NCAA Tournaments (2012, 2013 and 2016).

In total, Nagy has compiled a terrific 519-289 career record as a head coach.

Marty Simmons, Eastern Illinois (Lawrenceville — 1983)

As a prep: As the star of one of the iconic high school teams in state history — Lawrenceville went 68-0 with two state championships in 1981-82 and 1982-83 — Simmons was one of the most celebrated prep players in state history.

The 6-5 Simmons, who averaged 31.9 points a game as a senior, scored 2,986 career points and was named Mr. Basketball in 1983. He remains the sixth highest scorer in state history.

He went on to play two years at Indiana for Bobby Knight and then transferred to Evansville for his final two seasons.

As a coach: Simmons returned to his home state this past spring when he was named the head coach at Eastern Illinois.

Prior to EIU, Simmons had spent 17 years as a head coach, including one season at Division III Wartburg and five seasons at what was then Division II SIU-Edwardsville. He had a long run at Evansville (2007-2018), where he spent 11 years and went 184-175.

Brian Wardle, Bradley (Hinsdale Central – 1997)

As a prep: Wardle has the unique distinction of being the only player on the list who is a former City/Suburban Hoops Report Player of the Year in 1997.

Before Wardle’s arrival at Hinsdale Central, the program had won 65 games total the previous six years combined. In Wardle’s junior and senior year the Red Devils won 55 games and reached the Elite Eight both years. Wardle scored a program best 1,632 points in his career while averaging 22 points and 12 rebounds a game as a senior.

Wardle went on to have a terrific career at Marquette where he’s the eighth all-time leading scorer.

As a coach: Wardle, who just completed his sixth season as head coach at Bradley, led the Braves to three consecutive 20-win seasons, winning two Missouri Valley Conference Tournament titles and qualifying for two NCAA Tournament berths from 2018-2020. This past season the Braves went 11-15.

Prior to Bradley, Wardle spent five years at Wisconsin-Green Bay as the head coach, where he won 48 games in his final two years there and reached the NIT both seasons.

Wardle, who spent two years as an assistant Marquette and five as an assistant coach at Wisconsin-Green Bay, has a 187-166 career record in 11 seasons as a head coach.

Luke Yaklich, UIC (LaSalle-Peru – 1994)

As a prep: Yaklich played at LaSalle-Peru under legendary coach Chips Giovanine. The 1994 L-P grad was part of a Sweet Sixteen team as a junior. He played and was part of a 14-13 team coached by Paul Kramarsic as a senior before attending Illinois State, where he served as student manager for the men’s basketball team.

As a coach: It’s been a meteoric rise for Yaklich in the coaching profession. He began coaching high school girls’ basketball team at LaSalle-Peru — for one season in 1989-90. He then spent three years at Sterling, returned to LaSalle-Peru to coach the boys for four years and then headed to Joliet West where he went 104-62 in six seasons.

In a matter of seven years the 43-year-old went from Joliet West head basketball coach to college assistant stops at Illinois State (four years), Michigan (two years) and Texas (one year) before being named the head coach at UIC in March of 2020.

In his first season the Flames finished 9-13 overall and 6-10 in the Horizon League.

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Automaker Stellantis is a little late to the global electric vehicle party is promising to catch up and pass its competitors.

By 2025, 98% of its models in North America and Europe will have electric versions, according to Carlos Tavares, chief executive officer of the company that combined Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot.

Tavares said Stellantis is developing four electric vehicle platforms with ranges from 311 miles to 497 miles.

The models include a fully electric Ram pickup and Jeep Grand Cherokee, as well as small cars. There even will be an electric Dodge muscle car. The company says it will use its electric commercial vehicle expertise from Europe to build EV models worldwide.

Tavares says Stellantis will spend $35.6 billion or more over the next five years on EVs and will build five battery factories in the United States and Europe.

Stellantis says the Opel brand will go fully electric in Europe by 2028, with 100% of its vehicles in China being electric. It will bring back the Manta sports car with a fully electric version by the middle of the decade.

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Welcome to our highlights of events and entertainment in Chicago for kids and families to enjoy. Bookmark this page and check back for updates on the latest activities.

Windy City Smokeout

Jason Kempin/Getty Images

When: July 8-11

Where: United Center Parking Lot C, 1901 W. Madison

What: At one of the first big festival events this summer, attendees will have to be vaccinated or show proof of a recent negative Covid-19 test. The four-day event features great food alongside performances by Brett Eldredge, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Jon Pardi, Morgan Evans, Ryan Hurd, Randy Rogers Band, Hailey Whitters and many more. United Center Parking Lot C, 1901 W. Madison. Tickets: $40-$65.

More information: windycitysmokeout.com

‘Alice in Wonderland’

Scott Phelps

When: 6 p.m. July 9-10, 15-17

Where: Melody Farm Nature Preserve, 350 N. Waukegan Rd., Lake Forest

What: Citadel Theatre presents an outdoor staging of Scott Phelps’ adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s classic. Travel down the rabbit hole with Alice as she encounters the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts, the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter and more. Tickets: $15, $10 for Open Lands members.

More information: citadeltheatre.org

Southport Art Festival

Star Events

When: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. July 10-11

Where: Southport and Waveland

What: The festival is back with its eclectic array of artists and local vendors. There’s a children’s area with interactive games and a patio to enjoy food and drink specials. Also during the festival the Mercury Theatre (3745 N. Southport) will celebrate its reopening with an open house at the theatre’s Venus Cabaret with live music and cocktails. Admission is free.

More information: starevents.com

Taste of Chicago To Go

Sun-Times file

Where: Locations vary

When: July 7-11

What: New and reimagined, Taste of Chicago to Go replaces the usual Grant Park festival this summer as food, music and dance events are offered free across the city. Highlights include pop-up events at Pullman City Market (July 7), Austin Town Hall City Market (July 8), The Hatchery (July 10), the West Englewood neighborhood (July 10) and Eli’s Cheesecake Co. (July 10). There’s also a special “Taste-ing” event at Goose Island Brewery’s Tap Room (July 9); an afternoon of Puerto Rican food and coffee with Marisel Vera, author of “The Taste of Sugar,” at !WEPA! Mercado del Pueblo (July 9); a Picnic in White at Millennium Park produced by women restaurateurs (July 11), and pop-up music performances at participating eateries citywide (July 7-11).

More information: tasteofchicago.us

Tempel Lipizzans’ stallions

Courtesy Tempel Lipizzans

When: Ongoing

Where: Tempel Farms, 17000 Wadsworth, Old Mill Creek.

What: The stallions return for a new season of equestrian dressage along with interactive, educational events. Performances feature synchronized movements set to classical music that show off the strength, beauty and intelligence of the Lipizzan horse. Following each event, there are self-guided tours through the stables to meet and pet the equine stars and ask questions of riders and trainers about how the Lipizzans are raised, trained and taught to “dance.” Tickets: $35, $25 for ages 4-14.

More information: tempelfarms.com

‘Par Excellence Redux’

When: “The Front 9” (to Sept. 16) and “The Back Nine” (Oct. 13-Jan. 2)

Where: Tee off at the Elmhurst Art Museum, 150 S. Cottage Hill, Elmhurst

What: A fun new exhibit features a fully playable 18-hole mini-golf course created by more than 20 artists, designers and architects from Chicago and beyond. The family-friendly course pays homage to the School of the Art Institute’s wildly popular 1988 exhibition “Par Excellence.” Course themes range from social justice to the occult and include a fortune-telling hole that has the power to dramatically change scores as well as a hole that challenges players with an optical illusion. Admission is $5-$10 (online timed reservations); children 4 and under free.

More information: elmhurstartmuseum.org

Chicago Children’s Museum

Where: Navy Pier, 700 E. Grand

When: Ongoing

What: Fun and learning are on the agenda at the popular family gathering spot, offering a wide variety of exhibits aimed at improving children’s lives by creating a community where play and learning connect. Babies and toddlers can enjoy “Treehouse Trails” and “Kids Town” while “Tinker Lab” and “Dinosaur Expedition” will enthrall older children. Admission: $19.

More information: chicagochildrensmuseum.org.

‘Becoming Jane’

Hugo van Lawick/National Geographic

When: To Sept. 6

Where: Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr.

What: Generations have been inspired by the work of primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall who has not only shown the urgent need to protect chimpanzees but also redefined species conservation to include the needs of local people and the environments. A new exhibit at the Field Museum, “Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Jane Goodall,” follows her journey from a curious young child in England to a passionate scientist studying chimpanzees in Africa. Included in the exhibit are a recreation of her field research tent, a hologram-like projection of Goodall who shares her fieldwork memories, augmented reality activities and a projection of Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park. Admission: $18-$32

More information: fieldmuseum.org

‘Hello Helios: The warming suns of Chicago’s Greektown’

Courtesy Greektown Chicago

When: Through spring 2022

Where: Halsted from Monroe to Van Buren

What: Welcome summer with a new outdoor exhibit celebrating the start of summer with 24 artworks inspired by the sun and related mythologies from Greek, Aztec, Yoruba, Japanese and Native American cultures.

More information: greektownchicago.org

Kayak for Conservation

Shedd Aquarium

When: Ongoing

Where: Kayak Chicago: 1220 W LeMoyne,

What: Get close to nature via the Shedd Aquarium’s popular Kayak for Conservation program, which features a variety of socially distant kayaking experiences on the Chicago River. Participants learn about the river’s environmental history and discover wildlife living in its ecosystem. Sessions are open to all levels of kayakers (including newbies) and are led by Shedd’s wildlife conservation experts. The cost is pay-what-you-can ranging from $20-$100 per participant, with a recommended $40, the base cost of the program.

More information: sheddaquarium.org/kayak

‘Take Flight’

Museum of Science and Industry

When: Permanent

Where: Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. Lake Shore Dr.

What: The MSI’s Boeing 747 reopens with a reimagined exhibit that explores modern aviation and the science of flight. The plane’s interior has been restored and new interactive elements have been added. Tickets: $12.95, $21.95.

More information: msichicago.org

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