Lantz Arena is scheduled to receive an academic services center and basketball complex in the fall of 2005. The basketball complex will consist of offices for all of the coaches.

The coaches are currently spread out over the second floor of Lantz and do not have a room large enough to meet in. Assistant coaches are also sharing offices near each other as well as enough space for meetings.

“This will also greatly help our recruiting,” said Rick Samuels, men’s basketball coach. “Right now my office is not even big enough to fit a recruit and his parents. We are just really cramped right now. The new addition will make it more comfortable.”

These new offices will help make coaches more available to players if they need to see them outside of practices and weightlifting.

In addition to the offices, the complex will also have an academic services center that will contain a study area, computers for the athletes to use and available tutors. The new center will have tutors available to work around the athletes’ schedules. The athletes will also benefit from readily available computers. The Athletic Academic Services is currently located in the basement of Stevenson Hall.

“This is very inconvenient for athletes,” Samuels said. “They have higher time demands, and the centralized locations will greatly help all of our athletes. Eastern Illinois currently has over 500 athletes that will benefit from access to the new academic center.”

Having the academic center will also be a good impression for possible recruits that come to visit. The new addition to Lantz, which is scheduled to be built in late 2005, will benefit both coaches and players.