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Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what’s going on around the area:
Keison Peoples and the Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin boys’ basketball team are 20-0 going into Thursday night’s game with Hoopeston Area in the Vermilion County Tournament at Danville Area Community College.
Three reasons we love sports today
➜ 1. Five area high school basketball teams are ranked in this week’s Associated Press Top 10 statewide polls. On the boys’ side, Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin (20-0) is fourth in Class 2A and Tuscola (15-4) is tied for ninth in 1A. On the girls’ side, Watseka (19-1) is eighth in 2A, while Cissna Park (17-3) is fourth in 1A and Salt Fork (20-2) is seventh in 1A.
➜ 2. The boys’ basketball state tournament tips off at State Farm Center in Champaign on March 13, with Quincy (18-1) in 4A, DePaul Prep (20-1) in 3A, Auburn (19-1) in 2A and Pecatonica (18-0) in 1A all ranked first going into late January.
âžœ 3. The top-ranked girls’ teams are Benet (20-1) in 4A, Washington (23-1) in 3A, Breese Central (20-1) in 2A and Abingdon-Avon (19-3) in 1A. The girls’ basketball state tournament takes place March 6-8 at CEFCU Arena in Normal on the Illinois State University campus.
Tomislav Ivisic leads the Illini with 153 rebounds this season.
Numbers game: 45.2
rebounds per game the Illinois men’s basketball team is averaging going into Thursday night’s home game with Maryland. Which, before Wednesday’s games, had the Illini ranked second in the country in that category, just behind Florida. The Illini haul in the most defensive rebounds in the country at 31.8 and are 34th in offensive rebounds at 13.4.
Salt Fork’s Grant Wilson (1) and Westville’s Jackson Gibson (5) in a Vermilion County boys’ basketball tournament game on Tuesday night at Mary Miller Gym on the Danville Area Community College campus. Wilson and the Storm play Georgetown-Ridge Farm at 5 p.m. Thursday, while Gibson and the Tigers play Armstrong-Potomac at 8 p.m. Thursday.
Crowd control
Three events I’m paying attention to
➜ 1. Salt Fork vs. Georgetown-Ridge Farm boys’ basketball. The final night of pool play at the Vermilion County Tournament tips off at 5 p.m. Thursday when the Storm (12-6) meet the Buffaloes (3-18) at Mary Miller Gym on the Danville Area Community College campus.
➜ 2. Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin vs. Hoopeston Area boys’ basketball. Can BHRA (20-0) stay unbeaten? The Cornjerkers (14-5) will try to put an end to that run at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at DACC.
➜ 3. Westville vs. Armstrong-Potomac boys’ basketball. Two quality programs meet at the Vermilion County Tournament, with the Tigers (18-3) and Trojans (15-6) scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. Thursday.
Zachary Morgan with his wife, Amie, and their son, Jesse.
Coach’s corner
Three questions with Georgetown-Ridge Farm boys’ basketball coach Zachary Morgan:
âžœ 1. My favorite sports teams are … Illinois basketball, Illinois football, the Chicago Bears, the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago Bulls.
âžœ 2. Three coaches I’d like to have dinner with are … Jim Valvano, Jay Wright and Nick Saban.
âžœ 3. My biggest pet peeve is … selfishness. Whether it’s in the game of basketball or someone’s personal life, I believe it’s one of the worst qualities someone can have.