HOLIDAY HOOPS: Wide-Open Field Converges on P'ville
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ For the high school boys basketball fan, its like that stocking-stuffer you didn't quite expect. A post holiday treat lasting into the New Year and beyond.
The 2nd Annual Duster Thomas Hoops Classic brings eight tradition-rich teams to Pinckneyville Community High School and the gymnasium bearing Thomas' name.
With 16 games spaced over a period barely stretching past 32 hours, the event will be a test of talent and durability. Call it a post-Christmas gut check.
Host Pinckneyville and Olney East-Richland, trophy winners last March in the IHSA Class 2A State Finals, again headline an impressive field of entries.
Teutopolis, Larwenceville and Benton-all household names in the annals of Illinois small school basketball history-bring more history to the event.
Local strongboys Du Quoin, Carterville and Steeleville are again back to complete an exciting field.
Olney won the inaugural DTHC, edging Pinckneyville in front of a packed house. Du Quoin bested Teutopolis for third place.
Benton and Steeleville went home with consolation trophies.
"With the history of Duster Thomas included into the tournament name we should bring back some more nostalgia to the Christmas holiday," tournament director and PCHS Athletic Director Greg Hale said.
"There's a lot of tradition here with all the teams and we are laying the foundation for what should be a great holiday event for years to come. We'll have 16 great games again this year. "
For the record, the eight teams assembled by Hale have combined to win eight state championships and 24 overall state trophies.
They've captured 58 sectional crowns and 221 regional or district titles.
More than a quarter-century after his death, the influence Thomas left on Pinckneyville basketball is still running strong today.
Steal a quick glance towards the locker room tunnel on the gym's east end. You'll find it very easy to imagine Thomas leaning against the rail, wearing a trademark powder blue shirt. He's the white-haired fellow, flashing a mischevious grin as two teams battle for what's destined to become one of the state's top honors: Duster Thomas Holiday Classic champions.
Action begins at 8:30 a.m. sharp both Friday and Saturday with the finals set for 8:30 p.m. Saturday night.
POOL A:
BENTON RANGERS
The Runnin' Rangers-despite losing senior standouts Tim Corn (illness) and Zach LaBuwi (injury)-finished a solid week at the recent Du Quoin Tip-Off Classic. Corn, an all-tourney pick at the DTHC last year, is sidelined indefinitely with mono.
LaBuwi, a 6'5 force inside, should be at full strength for the tourney.
Senior guard Trevor Myers is a four-year starter boasting over 1,000 career points.
A threat at the three-point arc, Myers is joined in the starting backcourt by freshman Cody Smith.
Up front, veteran coach Matt Wynn has plenty of size with LaBuwi, Ryan Stevens (6'3) and Austin Lynch (6'7). The roster is youth heavy with only four seniors.
Pinckneyville is just the third holiday home for Benton since the early 1960's.
Prior to 2007, the Rangers enjoyed long and successful associations with holiday affairs in Centralia and Eldorado.
Du QUOIN INDIANS
After spending three-plus decades at Carbondale's event, the Indians have found a new holiday home just across the Beaucoup Creek.
Mike Crews, the dean of Southern Illinois coaches, led his alma mater to a title share in its Tip-Off Classic and again brings a highly-touted squad to town.
T he Indians were ranked eighth in the Class 2A pre-season Associated Press poll, but have been playing catch-up after the football team's brilliant run to the Class 3A State finals.
All 10 of Crews' letter winners suited up on the gridiron and continue making the transition back to the basketball.
6'4 junior wing Matt Gossett (11 ppg.) was named MVP of the Du Quoin tourney and tops the Tribe in scoring.
Seniors A.J. Hill (6'2), Dalton Morgan (6'4) and Seth Flint (6'3) provide ample size inside.
Gossett is joined out front by a solid rotation that includes Jamor Reed (5'9, so.), Marcus Clarry (6'0, jr.), Cody Youngman (6'0, sr.) and J.C. Davis (5'11, so.).
Hill and Morgan-college football recruits -are three-year starters for Crews. Hill will sign with Northern Illinois in February with Morgan expected to attend Eastern Illinois on a grid scholarship.
OLNEY-EAST RICHLAND TIGERS
The first DTHC champions, O-ER swept to a perfect 4-0 record on its way to a 32-4 campaign and third place finish in Class 2A.
While 6'11 center Keane Thomann and stellar point guard Tyler Miller graduated, the cupboard's anything but bare in Olney.
Longtime coach Rob Flanagan welcomes back All-DTHC pick Charlie McDowell (6'3, sr.) and one of the state's best juniors in 6'4 Brandon Berry.
Griffin Groves and Jordan Portoff, a pair of 6'1 seniors, see extended court time. There's size with 6'5 juniors Christian Kabbes and Todd Boyle.
Derek VanGundy (6'1), Mitchell Schonert (6'2) and Blake Pampe (5'9) are also in the rotation.
McDowell and Berry each scored in double figures last year and have led the Tigers in points through the first five games of this season.
McDowell set the early DTHC standard for three-pointers, connecting for 11 longshots last year.
STEELEVILLE WARRIORS
Its been a bit of an early season roller-coaster ride for Carl Zumbhalen's Warriors.
After finishing 1-4 at the Trico Pioneers Classic, Steeleville bounced back for impressive wins over Chester and Marissa-Coulterville.
6'5 senior Peter Zobel-expected to be one of the DTHC's top players-is out with injury and is a longshot to play this week.
Despite Zobel's absence, the Warriors have caught fire behind the play of guards Jason Becker (5'11, sr.) and Josh Diercks (5'7, jr.).
Sophomores Andrew Pokrzywinski, Colin Smith and Jeremy Wilson have also picked up the scoring slack.
Steeleville was seventh in last year's tourney, garnering a last second win over Larwenceville to start the final session.
With just 146 students, Steeleville is far and away the smallest of the eight DTHC entries. The Warriors, however, have a knack for pulling off a few surprises against much larger schools. 2008-2009 will be no different.
POOL B:
CARTERVILLE :
While winning just once in its first six starts, Scott Burzynski's young Lions squad continues to flash plenty of promise and will again likely finish near the top of the Black Diamond Conference standings.
Senior guard Brad Drust (15 ppg.) has been the Lions' leading scorer and receives solid support from Daniel Lingafelter (6'0, jr.), Alec Lenzini (6'0, sr.) and Drew Bonner (5'8, so.).
Carterville pulled an early BDC surprise in the league's West Division by toppling Zeigler-Royalton. The also played talented Sesser-Valier to a four-point road decision recently.
The Lions lost four games at the Du QuoinTip-Off Classic, where Drust was among the scoring leaders while earning all-tourney honors.
LARWENCEVILLE
As of December 15, Jason Green's Indians were just one victory shy of reaching last season's win total. A tall and experienced group, Lawrenceville welcomes back seven key letter winners. Six players are 6-foot-2 or taller. Four-including 6'7 German exchange student Jan Kraft-are at least 6'5.
Point guard Josh Potts (5'9) and Zach Manley (6'1) return at guards with Manley the Indians' three-point ace. Nathan Waldroup (6'2), Ryan Klein (5'11) and Dane Kelly (6'6, jr.) will work the inside.
Michael Leighty (6'2, so.), Zon Mitchell (5'6, jr.), Nick Potts (6'5, jr.), Aaron McCullough (6'5, so.) and Zach Benson (6'0, fr.) are other players to watch.
A starting guard on Lawrenceville's 1996 Elite Eight squad, Green has brought back respect to what was once the mecca of all Class A basketball in Illinois. After ending a 30-game loss streak early last season, the Indians went 2-1 in the Larwence County Capital Classic and while defeating Casey-Westfield and Edwards County.
Tough tests against Robinson, Effingham St. Anthony and Carmi-White County come in a brutal three-game stretch prior to the DTHC.
PINCKNEYVILLE
The host Panthers were runner-up to Olney-East Richland last year en route to a fourth place finish at state. Gone to graduation is a 12-player senior class led by Saint Louis University guard and DTHC MVP Kyle Cassity. Collin Woodside and Hayden Hicks-two other all-tourney picks-are also on that list.
Don't feel sorry, however, for second year coach Bob Waggoner. This is Pinckneyville, where there's no rebuilding. Just reloading.
Waggoner's team is built around defense and balanced scoring. Seniors Dustin Winter and Cody Sims (6'5) are averaging in double figures with talented juniors Nathan Morton (6'3) and Shay Kellerman (6'3) not far behind. Bryant Lively, a 6'2 senior, is another key performer.
Transfer Kyle Lamb (6'5), Taylor Pyatt (6'3) and Christian Shopinski (6'2) are sophomores seeing plenty of playing time inside.
Cassity was second to Olney's Thomann with 66 points during last year's tournament.
Pinckneyville's early season resume included a last second win over Miller Career Academy of St. Louis at the Cape Girardeau, Mo. Hoopfest. They've lost to Du Quoin and Nashville.
TEUTOPOLIS
While there's no clear-cut favorite in the DTHC, most lean towards Teutopolis as the team to beat this time around. The Wooden Shoes were fourth last year and welcome back four returning starters and four other key reserves.
Second-year coach Andy Fehrenbacher leans on returning all-tourney guard Tony Zerussen (6'1, sr.) and classmate Brian Haskenherm (6'5) for scoring and leadership.
Zerussen is a three-point threat with Haskenherm leading the Shoes in rebounding and blocked shots.
Jeremy Niebrugge (6'1, jr.) and John Runde (6'2, sr.) also start, along with 6'3 senior forward Jeremy Schumacher. Brock Sandschafer (6'4), Michael Brummer (6'2) and Kendall Glles (6'3) are first off Fehrenbacher's bench.
T'town is favored to win the always-rugged National Trail Conference and ended a longtime stint at Charleston's Holiday Tournament to join the Pinckneyville field.
Next year, the Shoes return to Charleston with Red Bud entering the DTHC.