The knocking you hear is Mr. Opportunity banging on Michael Finke’s door.
With Darius Paul dismissed and sophomore Leron Black “iffy” for the UI’s Nov. 13 basketball opener, the power-forward slot is wide open for Finke during these weeks of preparation.
If there are doubters out there — and there always are — this is his chance to show them. Last we saw of him was at Centennial, where he had high and low moments as a senior. He racked up 42 points at Kankakee and 33 in a triple-overtime loss at Central.
He also had lows of nine in a 50-45 regional loss to Wayne McClain’s surprising Maroons, six in a 45-42 win at Normal Community and seven in the 66-59 loss to North Chicago at the State Farm Classic.