May 11--Northwestern is adding another walk-on basketball player with an interesting personal story.
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Joining Charlie Hall, the son of "Seinfeld" star Julia Louis-Dreyfus, will be Tino Malnati, a former standout point guard at New Trier. Malnati considered Division II and III schools before deciding to play for the Wildcats.
His family is known for hoops and deep dish. Rick Malnati, Tino's father, was New Trier's head coach from 1999-2008 and is now Fenwick's coach. Rick's father, Lou, opened the first Malnati's Pizzeria in Lincolnwood in 1971. There are now more than 40 locations.
Coach Chris Collins can't publicly comment on walk-on players until they enroll in school. Malnati is said to be a top-notch student and excellent ball distributor who plays like the coach's son he is.
Hall saw brief action in eight games last season. He will return, with Collins saying: "The guys really like him, and he brought good energy to the program."
Collins has spent some time with his parents, actor Brad Hall and Louis-Dreyfus, who currently plays Selina Meyer in the HBO hit "Veep."
"She's awesome," Collins said. "What I love about them is they are regular parents, very understated when they come to the games. If you didn't know how famous she was, you'd have no idea."
tgreenstein@tribpub.com
