Getting Prepped

Hersey had a tough loss on the court Tuesday night 62-59 at Loyola - but it was also a continued sign of how much better the Huskies have played the last six weeks. They also picked up a win off the court and are now 11-13 after the IHSA ruled Bartonville Limestone must forfeit all 18 of its victories for using two players declared ineligible for failing to meet residency requirements.
Hersey had lost to Limestone 71-53 in the third round of the Pekin Holiday Tournament. Lake Zurich and Jacobs also had losses to the Rockets become victories Tuesday.
Limestone is now 0-21 - yet still ranked 10th in the AP's Class 3A state poll this week.

Looks that way after the IHSA ruled Bartonville Limestone seniors Marquis Lobdell and Demarius Sumrell ineligible Thursday because they didn't establish proper residency and the school was regarded as negligent in its administration of the transfers of the players from schools in nearby Peoria.
Lobdell, who attended Central and Manual before this season, and Sumrell, who transferred from Notre Dame before his sophomore year, average 15 points a game apiece.
Limestone beat Jacobs in the Quincy Thanksgiving Tournament and beat Hersey and Lake Zurich in the final two games of the Pekin Holiday Tournament. Limestone may have to forfeit all 18 of its victories this season.

Then what about four times, which Hoffman Estates will have to do when it hosts a Class 4A regional and will open against Mid-Suburban West rival Fremd. Regional pairings were released Friday by the IHSA.

Hoffman, the seventh seed in the Waukegan regional, won twice in Mid-Suburban West play and also won their meeting over No. 11 Fremd in the third-place game at the Elgin Holiday Tournament. At that time, Hoffman coach Bill Wandro predicted this scenario would take place and it did since 10th seed Lake Zurich also hosts a regional. I don't recall and neither could a few other coaches any time recently boys teams around here played each other four times.

Barrington announced this afternoon that boys head basketball coach Marty Dello will step down at the end of his sixth season at the school. Dello's wife has been battling breast cancer and he contemplated making the move in the fall before making his decision in January.
"During the fall and the beginning of the season I was shuttling between the hospital, the basketball program and our own family activities," Dello said in a release from the school. "It has been exhausting and the young men and families who take Barrington basketball so seriously deserve the full attention and energy of their head coach."
Dello is currently 75-90 at Barrington and 126-125 in his ninth year as a head coach. He was 51-35 in three years at Crystal Lake South.

Checked the voice mail this afternoon and got this one from Leyden baseball coach Gary Wolf: "Had to cancel our game with Oak Park today, it was warm enough but the field was too wet to play." Got a kick out of it (and we laughed about it later Tuesday night at the Leyden hoops game) since it was probably the warmest day we'll have until mid-May.

Some coaches obviously don't like the idea of seeding sectionals on line rather than at an actual meeting, but one positive from it is the seeds and pairings are able to come out a week later than in previous years.
Of course, in the loaded Waukegan Class 4A field, all that likely did was jumble things a bit more after Zion-Benton toppled Waukegan 95-86 on Tuesday. The four best teams in Lake County - Zion, Waukegan, Warren and Lake Forest - can all make legitimate claims for the No. 1 spot.
The next three are likely to go to the Mid-Suburban trio of Conant, Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg. Sorting out those three isn't easy, either. Hoffman has beaten Conant, which has split with Schaumburg, which beat Hoffman without Cully Payne.

Hard-hitting and versatile safety Mike Zimmer, who led Wheeling to consecutive playoff berths for the first time in school history and was a three-year starter, has committed to Illinois State University to continue his football career. Zimmer was a Daily Herald All-Area pick this fall and also plays basketball.

The recent rash of incidents with shootings and brawls at Chicago Public League basketball games is just downright sad. Kids playing a game shouldn't have to be worried about their safety during and after games. The vast majority of people who want to attend games home and away should be able to do so without worrying about being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

It's a shame a few knuckleheads have to spoil it for everyone but that's what happens. And the shame of it is most Public League games go on without incident.

For 29 years Norm Goodman held court as boys head basketball coach at East Leyden in Franklin Park. On Friday, Feb. 6, all Leyden games in the Fieldhouse named after legendary wrestling coach Chuck Farina will be held on Goodman's court.

At halftime of the Eagles' game against Willowbrook, a dedication ceremony will be held as the basketball court will be officially named after Goodman, one of the legendary coaching figures in Illinois high school basketball.

Maybe this is why basketball coaches make their players do what are called "Killers" or "suicides" - sprints from the baseline to free throw line and back, then to midcourt and back and so on.... because Fremd junior Chris Klimek had a killer sequence in Tuesday night's nonconference win over Larkin.

First, Klimek hit 2 free throws with 2:26 left in the third quarter. At the other end, he grabbed a shot he blocked. Then he raced down to the other end and had a one-hand tip slam of a miss. Back to the other end for a defensive rebound that led to Danny Bruno's drive. All of it taking place in 33 seconds.