01/19/2026
BY JACK BULLOCK
CARBONDALE - So here we are, the week where the Mid-winter tournaments dump a bunch of basketball on us with games being played all around the state.

Invitationals and conference tournaments abound in the next 14 days.

Most of the events feature not so stellar first round match ups in either brackets or pool play.

Mainly because there are so many tournaments now, it makes it tough to have top-to-bottom strong fields.

Each of the ranked teams on the ABV lists will need to show up in this mid-season fortnight.

The top teams in each ranking stay the same.

Staunton has answered each bell so far this season since a first week loss to a Missouri team.

The Bulldogs are heavy favorites this week at the Macoupin County Tournament, the 107th edition of this event.

Coach Ty Laux and Company beat highly regarded 1A Jacksonville Routt on Saturday to win the Winchester Invitational Tournament.

That event turned 103 years old this year.

Nashville has done nothing wrong since a pair of early defeats to Wesclin and Carterville.

They have one of the area's top players and they host an event this week that will be an extreme test.

Ironically both Stote Reeder, Nashville's head coach, and brother Coach Chet Reeder at Teutopolis have 11-game win streaks going.

The Wooden Shoes have losses to 1A Lawrenceville and 2A Bloomington Central Catholic on the resume with some strong wins against an independent schedule.

Alton Marquette has been sort of a surprise but when you look at the coaching mark of mentor Steve Medford, it is less of a shock.

The coach came back to lead his former program this season and the kids have responded with some big wins, including a tournament championship at Columbia, beating the host Eagles.

Columbia will spend the week at Okawville, a tournament that they have won the last four consecutive years.

The Eagles are in the driver's seat in the Cahokia Conference Mississippi Division but there are some big games coming up.

Coach Mark Sandstrom's club will get a shot at Staunton at the East Alton-Wood River Shootout on February 7th.

Following a hiccup loss at Massac County, the Carterville Lions got back to business with three wins last week.

They will face a dangerous field this week at Benton for Coach Shane Hawkins.

With the way the state tournament is set up, some of the teams will head north to Monticello if they were able to make it to the sectional.

Tolono Unity is one of the teams that will likely be there waiting, depending on the winners of the regionals in each of the sub-sectionals, hosted by Vandalia, Robinson, St. Joseph-Ogden and Maroa-Forsyth.

The Rockets two defeats came against Teutopolis, by five points early and a 37-36 loss in the title game of the Effingham/Teutopolis Christmas Classic for Coach Matt Franks.

After a tough early beginning for Breese Central, the Cougars have awoken and they, per usual, will be a postseason threat.

Coach Jeremy Shubert will have his club ready in February and they, too, are at the Nashville event this week with a slew of top teams.

Roxana has cooled down some after a grand beginning of the season for Coach Mark Briggs but they have weapons that are capable of handling a postseason challenge.

The Shells head to Litchfield this week for the 58th annual event.

St. Joseph-Ogden is in the same boat as Tolono Unity with a tough regular season schedule.

Coach and his club are seven points in two games against Teutopolis from being undefeated.

The Spartans are a threat and are just a few miles from Monticello should they win another regional, which would be their fourth in five seasons for Coach Kiel Duval.

They would love to celebrate their 10-year anniversary of winning the state championship with another trip to the finals.

Class 1A has been a mad scramble for rankings and seedings for the upcoming state tournament.

Lawrenceville has emerged as the front runner but there isn't much separating the top ones in southern Illinois and, for that matter, around the state.

The Indians hold some quality wins and the loss is to 2A ranked Tolono Unity.

Sparta is the number two this week as they have been hot since a narrow loss to Woodlawn in the title game of the Duster Thomas Hoops' Classic at Pinckneyville.

Coach Jordan Beckley has set some lofty goals for his mostly young Bulldogs, who have a pair of wins over Wesclin and host a tournament where they will likely face in the finals either Pinckneyville or Murphysboro on Saturday.

Coach Todd Tripp has done his usual quality job having his Goreville Blackcats ready each night.

Only a three-point loss to 2A Carterville is the bad spot on the sparkling resume, which includes quality wins over Waltonville, 2A Benton, Hardin County, Gallatin County, Anna-Jonesboro, and Christopher.

All of which have winning records. The 'Cats sport two tournament championships heading into the Massac County Superman Classic this week as the number-one seed and defending champs.

Waltonville, after the Goreville 40-39 loss in the title game at Sesser-Valier, have reeled in five-straight victories for Coach Anthony Lowery.

The Spartans are the number-one seed at the Midland Trail Conference Tournament this week and will likely rematch against either Woodlawn or Webber Township in the finale next Saturday afternoon.

The W's have split games with each other so far this season and the final game, ever, for the MTC Tournament should be special.

The schools voted to end the annual event and the 95th will be the last one.

The Murderer's Row of games on the Tuscola schedule finally caught up to Coach Justin Bozarth and his Tuscola club.

The Warriors dropped games to both Tolono Unity and Teutopolis on the road last week after a 17-0 start.

They're too talented to be down long and they should respond quickly heading into what should be a top-seed in their sub-sectional as they host one of the regionals that will feed into the Macon Meridian Sectional.

Webber Township has two losses to Waltonville and a win over Woodlawn this season for Coach Jaxon Helm.

They also have the championship trophy from the Wayne City Holiday Tournament and one of the top scorers in the state in Nathaniel Marlow.

A semifinal match up against Woodlawn looms large at the MTC.

The Trojans are slated to head north again for the postseason and will land at either Altamont or North Clay for the regional, depending on how the seedings and assignments go.

The Cardinals, after a couple of clunkers against Webber and Altamont, got well in a hurry with road trips to 2A Flora and 1A North Clay.

Woodlawn spanked both the Wolves and Cardinals to right the ship after 14-0 straight wins to open the campaign for Coach Luke Cooper.

After a tough roller coaster start to the season, Coach John Niebrugge has his Altamont Indians back on track.

They ambushed Woodlawn a week ago and added an overtime win over North Clay Friday night on the road.

The Tribe host a loaded National Trail Conference Tournament next week where they will face North Clay again in the opening round.

Cumberland has put together a fine season for Coach Justin Roedl and the Pirates won a coin flip with 2A Effingham St. Anthony to be the top-seed at the National Trail Conference Tournament a week from today at Altamont.

The schedule hasn't been the toughest so far but it will get significantly more rugged the remainder of the season.

Casey-Westfield has two wins against Cumberland that were the exact same score; 44-39.

But they also have some notable defeats to Tuscola, North Clay, 3A Mt. Zion, and Breese Mater Dei along with a pair of losses in Indiana during Christmas break.

Coach Tom Brannan and his club will host a regional in February, which will keep them from facing Tuscola again until at least the sectional as the Warriors also host.