In the 1990s Land of the Giants with aircraft carriers in the paint and seven-foot lottery draft picks on the wing, NIU’s scrappy 5-10, 150-pound senior guard Donald Whiteside always elbowed the big boys for equal time.

You know, crusades for “short people.” Munchkin lib. Make room for Donald.

Whiteside won a major victory for the Randy Newman set by making the 1990-91 United Press International First-Team Small America squad for major college performers 5-10 or under.

Joining Whiteside on the UPI first-team unit were Keith Jennings of East Tennessee State, Mike Iuzzolino of St. Francis, Pa., Arlyn Bowers of Arkansas and Reggie Gallon of Auburn.

With the exception of Gallon, the remaining four “Small Americas” all end their respective teams to the NCAA Tournament this March.

“When you receive such a national award such as this, they are based on the impact that the player has on his team,” NIU assistant coach Rob Judson said. “Donald Whiteside is one of a handful of players who could impact the game from his guard position.

“Donald was our rhythm man. He set the tempo on both ends of the floor. He got people involved. Great guards win games. If you look at the Final Four teams, look at those guards. Next year, from the standpoint of intangibles, Donald will really be missed.”

Whiteside, a candidate for the Naismith Award as the nation’s top player under six feet tall, played a large role in Northern’s record setting 25-6 campaign, the Mid-Continent Conference regular season title and the school’s first NCAA bid since 1982.

The Huskies’ tri-captain finished No. 4 on the school’s all-time assist list with 313 career dish-offs and No. 11 on the Huskies’ scoring ladder with 1,155 career points. Whiteside was only the second Northern player to record over 1,000 career points and 300 career assists. This past season, he averaged 11.7 points and 35.1 minutes per game.

A Second-Team UPI Small America selection in both 1988-89 and 1989-90, Whiteside has done a gigantic job in the personal postseason department. So far, he has made First-Team All-Mid-Continent, First-Team All-Mid-Con postseason tournament, Honorable Mention Basketball Weekly All-Midwest and Chicago Sun Times Second-Team Chicago All-America.