Northern Star Online: Patton and son maintain good relationship on and off the court

Michael Patton always wanted one thing – to play basketball for his dad’s team.
Finally, the freshman has his chance.

It all started when his dad, Ricardo Patton, left his coaching job at Colorado University to be the head coach at NIU.

“Being a small guard, it’s hard to make it in the Big 12,” said Michael, a Boulder, Colo. native, “When he received the new job, I felt like I could come here and make a difference.”

Patton is doing just that. The guard is averaging 6.8 points per game, while his team has struggled to a 5-14 overall record, with a 2-5 mark in conference play.
Before Michael could put up big shots for the Huskies, he and his coach had to make the move from Colorado to Illinois.

“I think the thing I am most excited about is having him around,” Coach Patton said. “A few months ago the family was scattered all over the place, and now to have my two sons here at Northern Illinois, it is special.”

Despite what some may think, Colorado is warmer than DeKalb, Michael said. But even with the cold weather, Patton could not be happier playing for his father. However, the 5–foot–10 guard said it can get tough playing for a relative.

“He gets on me and points out the things I do wrong,” Michael said. “And tries to not point out the good things.”

Although the guard may not always get the positive acknowledgment he wants, he knows his dad is proud of him.

“I am pretty hard on him, but I believe he understands that it’s not personal,” Coach Patton said. “The thing I am most proud of is that he has a great work ethic. He comes here and works hard.”

The Pattons have a good relationship both on and off the court, but the freshman said it took effort to balance the relationship between father and coach.

“The rule is, it’s coach during the day - around the office or on the court,” Michael said. “But at home, it’s dad, and he tries not to talk to me about basketball.”

On the court, however, Michael understands his father means business and expects his son to play hard. The best basketball advice his father has given him, Michael said, was to play hard defensively and let the game come to him.

Such advice helped Michael start his NIU career on the right foot, he said. The freshman hopes to take that advice with him into the Huskies’ next matchup against Ohio (14-6, 5-2 MAC) Saturday.

Ohio enters Saturday’s contest after a 62-47 win against Central Michigan.

“This team is very athletic and physical as well,” Coach Patton said. “To beat good teams you have to play well, and you can’t have a night were you shoot poorly from the field and expect a win.”