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The Monticello Middle School seventh-grade boys’ basketball team will play in the IESA Class 3A state tournament this Saturday in El Paso.
Three reasons we love sports today
➜ 1. Congrats to the successful seventh-grade boys’ basketball teams at Holy Cross School in Champaign and Monticello Middle School.
➜ 2. Both will play in the IESA state tournament this weekend after winning sectional titles on Monday night, with Holy Cross (23-2) set to take on Ford Heights Cottage Grove (15-11) at 11:30 a.m. Saturday in a Class 1A state quarterfinal game at Normal Kingsley Junior High School. Monticello (27-0) tips off against East St. Louis Lincoln (16-5) at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday in a 3A state quarterfinal game at El Paso-Gridley High School.
➜ 3. Win their state quarterfinal games and they’ll bring home a state trophy, with the state title games set for Feb. 13.
Kasparas Jakucionis continues to generate national attention.
Numbers game: 10
men’s college basketball players, including Kasparas Jakucionis of Illinois, who are candidates for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Tuesday. Joining Jakucionis are RJ Davis (North Carolina), VJ Edgecombe (Baylor), PJ Haggerty (Memphis), Tre Johnson (Texas), Curtis Jones (Iowa State), Chaz Lanier (Tennessee), Caleb Love (Arizona), Alijah Martin (Florida) and Hunter Sallis (Wake Forest).
It’s all smiles lately for, from left, Genesis Bryant, Shauna Green and Kendall Bostic, as the Illinois women’s basketball team returns home to face Northwestern on Thursday night at State Farm Center in Champaign.
Crowd control
Three events I’m paying attention to
➜ 1. Northwestern at Illinois women’s basketball. Kendall Bostic, one of 68 players named Tuesday to the Women’s College All-Star Game watch list, and the Illini (17-5, 7-4 Big Ten) host Northwestern (7-13, 0-9) at 6 p.m. Thursday at State Farm Center in Champaign.
➜ 2. Illinois State at Drake women’s basketball. Unity graduate Elyce Knudsen is averaging 13.6 points for the Redbirds (14-7, 8-2 MVC) before they play at 6 p.m. Friday in Des Moines, Iowa.
➜ 3. Murray State at Illinois-Chicago women’s basketball. Oakwood graduate Katelyn Young is up to 2,699 career points for the Racers (14-5, 8-2 MVC) ahead of their 7 p.m. tip on Friday in Chicago.
Judah Christian girls’ basketball coach Matt Joines
Coach’s corner
Three questions with Judah Christian girls’ basketball coach Matt Joines, whose Tribe are scheduled to play Friday at Chrisman:
➜ 1. My favorite sports team is … the St. Louis Cardinals.
➜ 2. Three coaches I’d like to have dinner with are … Geno Auriemma, Shauna Green and John Wooden.
➜ 3. My biggest pet peeve is … when people aren’t willing to try or have a lack of trying.