NORMAL — Justin McCloud has plenty of Christmas memories about his father, Randy. It is difficult for Illinois State's 6-foot-4 senior guard to pick one, he said.
Then, something quickly flashed in McCloud's mind. A smile came to his face.
"When Santa came he would always say, 'Put out this,' but it would be what he liked, a Coke and a certain kind of cookie," said McCloud. "We kind of knew, but we played along with it. He was always comical and joking around."
This will be the eighth Christmas for McCloud without his father. Randy McCloud passed away from cancer on March 2, 2008.