IHSA State Tournament Thread

IlliniKat91 · Mar 12, 2023

RickBB said:
You know what. You made some points I didn’t consider. My apologies.

I can’t believe the IHSA can’t get one of the local high schools though. But maybe the IHSA execs are examples of your failing up comment.

You're good. And maybe they are.

I do agree that there has to be a way to do what football does in terms of trying to reach out and get as many Illinois basketball players interested in coming to Champaign. I think tours are a good place to start. Show off the facilities, let them take pictures in front of the map of Illinois, etc. That kind of stuff builds excitement and could be really good for us.

2X2L · Mar 12, 2023

I like the "failing up" thing. Is that like The Peter Principle? Never heard failing up expression, but it perfectly descibes a lot of stuff - politics, many school boards and teachers ...

I have just gotten used to the "pay it forward" or whatever idea. When I thought of doing it, the person ahead of me in line had six New York Strips and lobster tails! No way. A guy once paid it forward for me at Subway. I was flummoxed. Someday soon I will repay the gesture, but I don't hang out at Subway stores. Maybe sometime when the person ahead of me orders one cheeseburger* at McDonald's.

*Offer not valid on cheeseburger meal.

pruman91 · Mar 12, 2023

Growing up in southern Illinois , watching the state tournament featuring 8 teams for a 1 class trophy was a religious event....Even wen they went to class A & AA it still was mandatory viewing ......

Watched all the games over free antenna TV on WSIL-3 in Harrisburg , then including Carterville , it was always so much fun to start with the quarterfinals on Friday , then the semifinals on Saturday morning and 3rd place and championship Saturday evening .......

I haven't watched the Illinois state tourneys in a long time ....I miss it , I really really do.......

Roundball Sage · Mar 13, 2023

pruman91 said:
Growing up in southern Illinois , watching the state tournament featuring 8 teams for a 1 class trophy was a religious event....Even wen they went to class A & AA it still was mandatory viewing

Every year there was always one day to circle on the calendar that I would have to be ‘Sick’ and away from school (and then work)... and that was the Friday of the IHSA Tournament.

Funny how that illness affliction always seemed to hit me on that day every year. Like clockwork. (And it STILL does).

And the occasional year or two when I just ‘couldn’t’ be sick on that day for some damn reason I used every means necessary to keep up with the game developments.

And then one year... a miracle happened. I actually got to attend one of the early Friday games on the hallowed floor of the Fighting Illini. That was a true, transcendent and ecstatic experience... walking into that shrine and seeing the teams and the fans and the excitement in person.

So many people over the generations have so many rich and powerful memories of this great tournament. All of us could use much more of these amazing kinds of experience in the course of our lives.

Se Il Illini · Mar 16, 2023

pruman91 said:
Growing up in southern Illinois , watching the state tournament featuring 8 teams for a 1 class trophy was a religious event....Even wen they went to class A & AA it still was mandatory viewing ......

Watched all the games over free antenna TV on WSIL-3 in Harrisburg , then including Carterville , it was always so much fun to start with the quarterfinals on Friday , then the semifinals on Saturday morning and 3rd place and championship Saturday evening .......

I haven't watched the Illinois state tourneys in a long time ....I miss it , I really really do.......

We always could watch the tournament during studyhall on WSIL. The nearest local television outlet for Southern Illinois this year was WSPD channel 6 In Paducah, KY. All my local channels are Evansviller, Indiana. And 664 and 665 out of Chicago on Directv did not carrry the tournament. Although, 664 did carry 2 really good Supersectional games from the United Center on the previous Monday night.

Central IL Illini · Mar 16, 2023

2X2L said:
Yes, I admire Brock Harding. But it was bad form for him to wave an Iowa t-shirt at Assembly Hall /SFC after the game.

I wasn't too bothered by it. If someone like Goode had done it in the Indiana state finals we would have loved it.

pruman91 · Mar 16, 2023

Se Il Illini said:
We always could watch the tournament during studyhall on WSIL. The nearest local television outlet for Southern Illinois this year was WSPD channel 6 In Paducah, KY. All my local channels are Evansviller, Indiana. And 664 and 665 out of Chicago on Directv did not carrry the tournament. Although, 664 did carry 2 really good Supersectional games from the United Center on the previous Monday night.

I found a pay site called NHS something something ......Evidently they do ALL the nationwide State HS Finals......$ 9.95 monthly........nope , not gonna do it........
The Paducah site for me were 6.1 and 6.2 which I think are free antenna channels...The regular WPSD-TV channel 6 didn't carry the games...I could of change my source on my TV upstairs to the 6.1 and 6.2 sites but I'm a lazy blob of human mass...........................

I wonder why WSIL quit broadcasting the tourney...........??.....

IllinoisssssssVarsity · Mar 16, 2023

IlliniKat91 said:
You're good. And maybe they are.

I do agree that there has to be a way to do what football does in terms of trying to reach out and get as many Illinois basketball players interested in coming to Champaign. I think tours are a good place to start. Show off the facilities, let them take pictures in front of the map of Illinois, etc. That kind of stuff builds excitement and could be really good for us.

Good call on the failing up. For those who don’t know, it’s generally known around teacher circles that good teachers stay in the classroom. Your administrators are the ones who couldn’t handle the classroom which is why they were always stressed out, not as effective, and became admin. Then as teachers, we’re trained and evaluated by people who couldn’t do it themselves. Makes absolutely no sense.

To the facilities point, I’ve been lucky enough to be on many tours of facilities. But generally at a 4 to 1 adult to student ratio AT WORST. You gotta keep your eyes on kids. You don’t want to be that team that messes stuff up. When we toured Houston last winter, they had a HS team practicing in their facility while we were touring. Maybe they signed a waiver. They let us shoot around for a bit for fun before their game day walkthrough.

It’s not uncommon for teams to have walkthroughs in non gyms while they’re traveling. Ballrooms, conference rooms, you hear about it even at the D1 level. Parking lot seems a bit rough tho.

2X2L · Mar 16, 2023

N

Central IL Illini said:
I wasn't too bothered by it. If someone like Goode had done it in the Indiana state finals we would have loved it.

Not me. I'm not into nose-thumbing.

Se Il Illini · Mar 16, 2023

pruman91 said:
I found a pay site called NHS something something ......Evidently they do ALL the nationwide State HS Finals......$ 9.95 monthly........nope , not gonna do it........
The Paducah site for me were 6.1 and 6.2 which I think are free antenna channels...The regular WPSD-TV channel 6 didn't carry the games...I could of change my source on my TV upstairs to the 6.1 and 6.2 sites but I'm a lazy blob of human mass...........................

I wonder why WSIL quit broadcasting the tourney...........??.....

You know. I tried NHS one time, and something misfired on my credit card. I went to Walmart the next day and was locked out. Called the credit card company and fortunately got things straightened out. Have not tried since. Fortunately, our local school streams all football and basketball games home and away for free. I do know that some local schools do use NHS. I am not sure about WSIL.

Roundball Sage · Mar 16, 2023

pruman91 said:
I found a pay site called NHS something something ......Evidently they do ALL the nationwide State HS finals...

High School Sports Online - Stream Live & On Demand

Watch high school sports and events nationwide, live and on demand, via the NFHS Network. Stream regular season and playoffs online from anywhere.

www.nfhsnetwork.com

For me... I've had great luck with this site. Tons of games in all sports from all over the Nation. There is the occasional tech glitch now and then but that has not been the norm.

But then I like watching tournaments from the other States as well as some of the other sports during the year. They have a yearly package that is quite reasonable.

Mr. Tibbs · Mar 16, 2023

Roundball Sage said:
High School Sports Online - Stream Live & On Demand

Watch high school sports and events nationwide, live and on demand, via the NFHS Network. Stream regular season and playoffs online from anywhere.

www.nfhsnetwork.com

For me... I've had great luck with this site. Tons of games in all sports from all over the Nation. There is the occasional tech glitch now and then but that has not been the norm.

But then I like watching tournaments from the other States as well as some of the other sports during the year. They have a yearly package that is quite reasonable.

I get it - I always enjoyed watching the local prep team play, but not beyond that

but I knew guys who would go spend 10 hours at the Proviso West Holiday Hoops tournamnet and then go to the Pontiac one the next day for 10 hours

Se Il Illini · Mar 17, 2023

I have watched a lot of Illinois high school basketball over the years. My first state tournament experience was in 1966. I still watch several ClassA/ ClassAA games either in person or online. I know it is coming, but I hate the idea of a shot clock. Many smaller schools have trouble finding competent score keepers and timers as is. It will be a big adjustment. It will probably be the biggest change since the 3 point line.