To subscribe, please click here
Want a copy of today’s edition? Here’s a map of single-copy locations
Sign up for our daily newsletters
The Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin boys’ basketball team — after winning its sixth consecutive Vermilion County Tournament championship on Jan. 25 — is still undefeated with two weeks left in the regular season.
Three reasons we love sports today
➜ 1. The undefeated Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin boys’ basketball team — the Blue Devils are 25-0 going into Friday night’s game at Milford — are ranked fourth in the latest Class 2A Associated Press statewide poll that was released on Wednesday afternoon.
➜ 2. One other area boys’ basketball team, Tuscola, is ranked in the AP poll. The Warriors (20-5) are 10th in the 1A rankings and will play Friday night for the Central Illinois Conference Tournament title.
➜ 3. On the area high school girls’ basketball side, four teams are ranked in the AP polls. In 2A, Sullivan (24-3) is ninth and Watseka (23-3) is 10th. In 1A, Sal Fork (24-2) checks in at No. 5 and Cissna Park (21-4) comes in at No. 6.
Adalia McKenzie is just 123 points away from 1,500 in her Illinois career.
Numbers game: 4
Illinois women’s basketball players on the current roster who are also among the top 30 scorers in program history going into Thursday night’s home game with Northwestern. Adalia McKenzie leads the way with 1,377 points that has her 17th in school history, followed by Genesis Bryant (1,277 points, 21st place), Kendall Bostic (1,270 points, 22nd place) and Makira Cook (1,152 points, 26th place).
Russ Brown and the Monticello wrestling team will host a Class 1A regional this Saturday.
Crowd control
Three events I’m paying attention to
➜ 1. Class 2A Mahomet-Seymour boys’ wrestling regional. The host Bulldogs, along with Centennial, Champaign Central, Danville, Rantoul and Urbana, are the area programs in the eight-team event that starts Saturday.
➜ 2. Class 1A Monticello boys’ wrestling regional. The host Sages are joined by local programs BHRA, GCMS/Fisher, Hoopeston Area, LeRoy/Tri-Valley, Prairie Central, St. Joseph-Ogden, St. Thomas More and Unity in the 11-team event that takes place Saturday.
➜ 3. Class 1A Lawrenceville boys’ wrestling regional. Oakwood/Salt Fork and Westville are local teams heading south for Saturday’s 11-team tournament.
Shane Stonecipher, middle, and his Holy Cross basketball team.
Coach’s corner
Three questions with Holy Cross seventh-grade boys’ basketball coach Shane Stonecipher. The Champaign school will play Saturday during the IESA Class 1A state tournament in Normal:
➜ 1. My favorite sports teams are … the Chicago Cubs and the Illini.
➜ 2. Three coaches I’d like to have dinner with are … Lou Henson, Bobby Knight and Gene Keady.
➜ 3. My biggest pet peeve is … locker rooms with no whiteboards.