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Leftover teams from questionnaires received
These are the partials I got from coaches that filled out the questionnaire. They are in no particular order
BY JACK BULLOCK
I created this section for the coaches who bothered to fill out the ABV Questionnaire and who are part of a conference that I wanted to preview.
However for some reason I have trouble getting information from everyone in these leagues.
There is one conference and set of four schools in which I officially have washed my hands with.
The SCC West Division has four schools in it that I no longer have a use for.
After numerous attempts to get them on board – Gillespie, East Alton-Wood River, Carlinville and Alton Marquette will no longer be contacted for information.
As I said on my homepage – this hurts the kids, the fans and disrespects me. In this case three strikes and you’re out.
One coach from the other side of this league didn’t fill out the questionnaire either.
His team isn’t in the preview.
You will quickly recognize the ones that failed to return calls, emails and the questionnaire.
Now with that said I will try to organized this mess and see if I can make some sense to you the reader.
A huge thank you to the ones who filled out the questionnaire and got it back to me in time and a huge raspberry to the ones who didn’t.
These teams are listed in alphabetical order by the conference that they are in.
In the Apollo Conference look for Olney East Richland and head coach Rob Flanagan to be the team to beat.
With 6-foot-11 center Keane Thomann (18.4 p.p.g., 8.5 r.p.g.) returning for his final prep season the Tigers will be a threat to head north the Carver Arena in March.
Five other East Richland vets scored at least two points a game in 2006-07.
Five-foot-nine senior guard Tyler Miller and 6-foot-4 Keith Kermicle are legitimate scoring threats for a team that won the Apollo title last season along with a third regional title in four years. They could add a fourth regional championship on February 22.
Class 3A Mount Zion has went 63-19 overall since head coach Jay Driscoll arrived on the scene.
His 6-foot-6 guard/forward Mark Yelovich was a first team all conference pick as a junior after scoring 16 points and dragging down eight rebounds.
The Braves also have 11 p.p.g. scorers Jordan Grinestaff was an all-conference quarterback on the football team and will need to lead the cagers this season, too.
Newton lost three starters and seven seniors to graduation a year ago but return a pretty good group led by Eric Schackmann – a 6-foot-3 senior forward – who averaged 14.2 points a game on an explosive team of Eagles last winter. Six-foot-one Nick Mammoser and 6-foot-3 Corey Hahn will have a hand in what Newton will accomplish this season.
Head coach Trevor Doughty has five returning letterwinners from last season’s 17-12 Charleston club.
Six-foot-five senior Trey Ryan average 10 points a game as a junior.
Add another 6-doot-5 product – Jamel Johnson (10.3 p.p.g.) to the returning mix. Those two are the top scorers back.
Robinson has some size and ability for head coach Bob Coffman to work with.
After an 8-21 mark (which was an improvement over the previous two seasons) the Maroons look to be improved with just one senior and a group of enthusiastic underclassmen.
Senior Logan Brimberry – a 6-foot-2 guard – is back as the lone senior.
Two juniors – 6-foot-4 Derek Watson and 6-foot-2 Stephen Jones – were also letterwinners.
Two teams from different sides of the state filled out the questionnaire and are previewed here.
The Pittsfield Saukees have an equally impressive basketball resume and deserving of the ABV respect.
From the beginning of two-class basketball in Illinois this program was in the statewide spotlight having won 23 regional titles since 1971-72.
Only three Class A (small schools) in Illinois have won over 1,500 games. Pinckneyville, Teutopolis and these guys are in that elite group.
His club was 19-10 last season with a loss to eventual Peoria qualifier Brown County, 61-47, in the championship game at the Pittsfield Class A Regional.
In fact the Saukees had a major case of ‘Second-itis’ having been the bridesmaid in two regular season tournaments to go with the loss to Brown County.
Tomhave will have four returning starters to go along with three other kids that earn the Big ‘P’ on their jackets from last winter.
Jake McNulty – a 5-foot-10 senior guard – is back for the Saukees this season. McNulty averaged 11 points with three rebounds and two assists a game.
Six-foot-three senior Garrett Howland averaged 12 points and seven rebounds while 6-foot-2 junior Kyle Harris chipped in seven points and four rebounds. Both are returning starters.
Ditto for 5-foot-8 junior Clint Hamilton – who added four points and a couple of assists per outing.
Those four are the Pittsfield core that returns to try and improve on last season – perhaps with a regional title.
ABV welcomes back Chrisman as the Cardinals from just north of Paris have a rich tradition of basketball accomplishments.
The Cardinals have been a staple in the Class A picture since Illinois split the teams up for the first time in the 1971-72 season.
This program has won over 1,300 games and since going to Class A the Cardinals have won 18 regional titles, five sectional crowns and have made three state finals appearances – most recently in 1998.
Last season the Cardinals were all set to cut down another pair of regional nets when they were upended by Tolono Unity, 52-50 in the finale at their own Class A Regional.
Chrisman finished the season 23-5 and 12-0 in the newly formed Vermillion Valley Conference, which has been in existence just three years.
Head coach Shawn Nugent sent away five seniors from that squad and four starters from that successful campaign a year ago.
Six-foot-three Taylor Ross was the second leading scorer on the team and two of his classmates – 6-foot-5 Will Redman and 6-foot Chaise Barrett – were in double-figures last season in scoring finishing third and fourth on the points chart.
Add the names Zach Romoser and Reed Morris to the list of departed.
The best scorer of the bunch does return.
Six-foot senior guard Jordan Kindred averaged 16.4 points a game for Coach Nugent in 2006-07. Kindred nailed 42 percent of his 3-point attempts last season and handed out assists (five per game) like candy at Halloween.
The South Central East has several candidates for the 2007-08 basketball champions and Greenville looks to be the leader of the pack.
The Comets and head coach Todd Cantrill has ten years under his belt at this school and is a staple in the community having graduated from GHS and then Greenville College.
His club returns a pair of starters and some key letterwinning reserves from an 18-11 club that lost to Breese Central in the regional championship game last February.
Kyle Dannaman – a 5-foot-10 junior guard – was a 6.6 points per contest scorer in 2006-07. Classmate Derek Atchison is a 6-foot-3 forward (8.6 p.p.g.).
Five reserves from last season will be in contention for three starting assignments for the Comets.
Six-foot-four senior center Jim Dierkes, 5-foot-11 senior guard Ethan Willman, 6-foot-1 senior forward Scott Eaton, 5-foot-10 senior guard Eric Fohne and 5-foot-10 senior guard Jason Etcheson.
“We have a lot of returning experience and I hope that carries over to getting of to a better start to the season,” said Coach Cantrill.
Coach Gary Bowker will have his Pana club in the championship chase in the SCC East.
Just two returning players are back from a 20-9 team that finished second in the league in 2006-07 at 6-4.
Frank Schmitz – a 6-foot-4 junior – has experience as does Colton Waddington – a 6-foot-2 senior.
Others likely to start are 5-foot-10 junior Justin Vernon, David Maziarz – a 5-foot-11 junior and 6-foot-1 junior Derek Beyers. Coach Bowker has the most wins of any coach in Pana history (176-64 in eight seasons).
Litchfield has a new coach in place after Ed Roundcount stepped down following a 16-15 season that ended with a loss to Girard in the regionals.
Michael Niehaus returns as the only starter leftover. Niehaus is a 5-foot-10 senior guard who averaged 12 points a game as a junior.
The sixth man for the Purple Panthers a year ago was Corbin Govaia – a 5-foot-10 senior guard.
“The strength of our team will be our perimeter players,” said new head coach Andy Kassebaum. “We return just one starter and we lost six seniors from last season so Niehaus and Govaia will need to carry us.”
Staunton has a new coach as well as Steve Moore takes the reigns of a program that has no where to go but up.
The finished 5-21 last season and dead last in the SCC East at 0-10. Mulberry Grove – who Staunton dwarfed in enrollment – beat the Bulldogs in the regionals last February.
This new coach returns just one starter – 6-foot-2 junior Lucas Loots.
Cody Best is a 6-foot-2 junior who will likely start for Coach Wilson.
Six-foot-two senior Phil Rhodes will also be part of the opening night lineup as will Mike Mihelcic – a 6-foot-1 junior – and 6-foot junior Daryl Podwojski.
Vandalia mentor Kevin Jackson has zero returning starters from a 25-5 regional championship team that featured ABV Charleston Supersectional Area ‘Player of the Year’ Eric Hobbie.
The Vandals will rely on four returning letterwinners this season.
Mitch Johnson – a 6-foot-4 senior – 6-foot-1 junior Drew Bell and Dallas Gray – a 5-foot-11 senior will be the first ones Coach Jackson will look for in leadership roles.
Sophomore Will Cowger and Austin Wollerman – a 5-foot-10 junior – could end up in the starting lineup.
“This is a team I believe will get better as the season goes on,” said Coach Jackson. “We hope to be in contention for a regional title by the end of February.”
As for the two that sent me info from the SCC West – Piasa Southwestern and Roxana both return some quality for the 2007-08 campaign.
Piasa Southwestern sent away seven seniors including ABV Jacksonville Supersectional Area First Team selection Dace Hartman – a 5-foot-11 senior point guard who took with him a ton of points and rebounds.
The likely starters for the Bird are Wiley Johnson – a 6-foot-4 senior forward – averaged 4.6 points a game last season and is the top returning scorer from a 20-9 team that ran the table in the SCC West (10-0) for the second season in a row.
Two juniors – 6-foot-1 forward Daniel Powell and 5-foot-10 guard Cole Lawson will join a pair of sophomores – 5-foot-11 guard Ryan Cox and 6-foot guard Brett Guthrie.
Roxana limped home with a 9-23 mark last season after losing to Lovejoy-Lincoln Charter in the regionals last winter but look to be much improved for this winter's action.
Coach Mark Briggs has reason to be optimistic heading into 2007-08 as his Shells lost just one starter and return four starters and gained a key transfer.
Michael Rust is the top returning scorer at 11.3 points a game for Roxana.
Brian Elkins is a 5-foot-8 transfer from Oklahoma while Daniel Beatty – a 6-foot-4 junior center – comes in from White Hall-North Greene. Both should impact the Roxana future.
East Alton-Wood River and head coach Adam Miller have a wealth of guards but not much size heading into the 2007-2008 season.
But with five seniors coming back from a 7-23 squad that lost to Civic Memorial in the first round of the Class AA regionals there is some optimism at this Class 3A school..
Leading the Oilers this season is two returning players 5-foot-8 senior point guard Steve Flowers and Trevor Moss - a 6-foot-0 senior shooting guard.
Moss averaged 6.2 points a game last winter while Flowers is the top-returning scorer with seven points a contest.
John Ramsey – a 5-foot-9 senior - and 5-foot-10 senior Drew Carlisle each added nearly five points a game apiece in 2006-07.
Zack Carlton - a 6-foot-2 senior forward – and 6-foot-1 senior forward Troy Gibson will likely start in the EA-WR frontcourt.
Six-foot-four freshman forward Colby Hall could be a key component off the bench for Coach Miller.
“We have five seniors this season - four of which are guards - so we are very heavy in returning guard experience but very thin in the post and even thinner with experienced post players,” said Coach Miller. “Our goals for this season are to finish in the top half of the conference and we're excited to play in the new 4-class system where we will be a 3A team for this season.
Editors Note: After this preview originally was posted – Coach Miller contacted ABV and explained that he didn’t receive the questionnaire and wanted to be part of the preview. So I added this information about his team and kids.
ABV sent questionnaires to schools (and called and left messages) to all schools in the Prairie State, MSM, Pike County and WIVC leagues.
Only five of those schools returned questionnaires to me.
Girard is a member of the Prairie State Conference and the Big Red and head coach T.J. Wilson have a host of returning players from a 16-12 club dropped a 73-56 decision to Raymond-Lincolnwood in the title game of the Divernon Class A Regional.
Nick Sloman – a 6-foot senior guard and scoring machine from long range – is back for his senior season with 1,402 points scored in three varsity seasons heading into 2007-08.
Expected to join Sloman in the starting unit are Dustin Witt – a 6-foot- senior.
Three others of the same size as Sloman and Witt will give the Big Red a small but quick starting five.
Zach Turner – a 6-footer – will join 6-foot Allen Sutton and Dylan Burton – a 5-foot-11 junior transfer from nearby Palmyra Northwestern.
Mount Olive is also a member of the Prairie State Conference and has southern Illinois roots with head coach Drew Logan being a native and graduate of Harrisburg High School.
Coach Logan has five returning letterwinners from an 11-16 group that finished at .500 in the PSC at 5-5. That was the first time the Wildcats were even or better in 20-years.
Logan turns to Corey Mathis - a 5-foot-10 senior guard – for leadership.
Six-foot-five senior forward Cole DeVries can also step out and face the basket.
Chad Niehaus is another senior forward at 6-foot-4.
Backcourt help comes from Garth Garrels - a 6-foot junior.
Six-foot-one junior Codey Martin should be part of the Wildcats’ plans.
“Our team rallies around our philosophy of tough defense. I have realized in coaching at a small school that many years it is hard to put big offensive weapons on the floor and win the "Shootouts". I can always find five kids to play hard nose defense,” said Coach Logan. “I really expect our seniors to play a huge role in our team. The majority of them played last season, but this season they will be looked at to play the majority of the minutes in a game.”
Pawnee went 19-9 last season under the tutelage of first year head coach Dan DeWerff.
The Indians return four-year starter Daniel Kohavi – a 6-foot-3 forward.
Five-foot-eleven junior guard Alan Mundhenke is also back for Coach DeWerff along with returning letterwinners seniors Ed Bowen and Ryan Beaty.
Bowen is a 6-foot-1 forward while Beaty stands 5-foot-11 at his guard spot.
Kohavi should pass the 1,000-point barrier this season for the Indians. “He is expected to be one of our top scorers night in and nigh out,” said Coach DeWerff. “We return four players that contributed last year. The progress of our newcomers will determine how successful we will be.”
New Berlin has five letterwinners back after graduation took leading scorer 6-foot-6 senior forward Andy DeGroot and another senior 6-foot-3 Mike Graves. Head coach Jon Barth will look for one senior and four juniors to start the season on the right path.
Dalton Johnson – a 5-foot-10 senior guard – returns for the Pretzels.
Point guard duties go to 6-foot junior Kody Kirkpatrick. Six-foot-two forward Joel Burger, 5-foot-9 guard Cory Simpson and Austin Neuman – a 5-foot-7 guard – from a smallish lineup for a team that finished 11-16 last season.
Jacksonville Routt is a catholic school that is a member of the Western Illinois Valley Conference and the only member of that league that returned my correspondence.
Head coach Mike Rigoni led his team to a 19-11 overall mark in 2006-07 before losing to Pittsfield in the semifinals of the Pittsfield Class A Regional.
Losing two good ones to graduation (6-foot-5 Patrick Langdon and 6-foot-2 Darren Shea) the Rockets return a host of vets to try to make a difference this season. Eight of them are seniors led by Devin Vaughn – a 6-foot-1 guard. Vaughn – with a good senior season – will also join the 1,000-point club.
Six-foot-one guard/forward Joe Zeller and 6-foot-6 forward Andrew Lockman should also find spots in the lineup.
Joe Langdon – 6-foot-2 forward and Michael Doyle – a 6-foot-5 forward – will provide Routt with further size upfront.
The rest of the group also looks solid with 6-foot guard Brock Lemon, 6-foot-2 forward Scott Lindsey, 5-foot-9 guard Caleb Ruyle and Ryan Hufendick a 6-foot-1 forward – all in the picture for PT.
Two juniors – 6-foot-1 forward Jay Gross and 5-foot-8 guard Tim Denny – will provide backup.
“This is my third year we have a senior class that has been playing varsity since their sophomore year,” said Coach Rigoni – a Nokomis graduate who is 24-29 at Routt. “We should be one of the top teams in the WIVC and the area.”
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