Former player to speak at Union

Former IU basketball standout and NBA player Kent Benson will speak at 7 p.m. tonight in the State Room West of the Indiana Memorial Union as a guest of Indiana University Students For Life, a pro-life student group on campus. Benson, an IU alumnus, is an outspoken opponent of abortion. \nBenson was an integral member of the 1976 national championship team, winning the Final Four MVP. Benson also won Big Ten Conference MVP in 1977. Later, Benson spent 11 years in the NBA as the No. 1 draft pick of the Milwaukee Bucks in 1977 and later as a player for the Detroit Pistons. He has also been inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.\nSince his retirement, he has worked with such organizations as the American Lung Association, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, the Boys and Girls Club and Habitat for Humanity.\nAside from motivational speaking, Benson is running for Indiana secretary of state in 2002.\nSenior Patrick Baxter, activism director for IUSFL, said the event is a fundraiser as well as an effort to boost awareness and membership for IUSFL.\n"From what I hear, he is a very inspirational speaker," Baxter said. "I believe he will have a good message for pro-life supporters."\nA reception will precede Benson's speech at 6:15 p.m.\nProceeds from admission will go to support pro-life advertisements and other for-profit speakers' visits to IU.