Sure, basketball season ended more than a month ago, but area teams already are gearing up for summer play.
For a sneak preview of next season’s basketball elite, check out the Proviso West Booster Club Summer Shootout July 13-14 and the Morris Shootout July 20-21.
Some of the top teams at the Proviso 32-team tournament include three-peat Class AA champion Peoria Manual, Farragut, Westinghouse, Young, Proviso East, New Trier, West Aurora, Homewood-Flossmoor, Libertyville and the host Panthers.
At Morris, widely acclaimed as the state’s premier summer tournament, the 32-team field features Manual, Thornton, Fenwick, Hinsdale Central, King, Carver, Deerfield, Joliet, Peoria Richwoods, East Peoria, Springfield Lanphier, Quincy, Rock Island, St. Joseph, Batavia and the host Redskins.
Jet-setters: Emanuel Williams, a freshman at Bogan, has been selected as a member of an area basketball team representing Illinois in the Belgium International Tournament.
Also invited to the team are Eric Mollin from Thornton Fractional North, Charlie Alsberry from Fenger, Moises Martinez of Steinmetz, Moiz Bhanpuri of Maine East and Micah Downs of Hirsch. Morgan Park Academy’s Chuck Schroeder will coach.
The July 29-Aug. 4 tournament in Mechelen, Belgium, is being coordinated by Sports Challenge International Inc. of Cary, N.C., and Belgium Basketball Federation.
Players are selected based on recommendations from coaches, camps and state associations.
Teams representing 11 other states, Croatia, Poland, Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic have been invited. Teams will play a minimum of five games under Olympic rules and will also have an opportunity to visit historical sights in Belgium and spend a day in Paris.
Gala night: The highlight of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame banquet April 27 at Illinois State is expected to be the presentation of the Mr. Basketball of Illinois award to Farragut’s Ronnie Fields.
It will be one of Fields’ first formal public appearances since a one-car accident on Feb. 26 that required surgery to repair a broken bone in his neck.
Also honored will be Tauja Catchings of Stevenson, named Ms. Basketball. Marshall coaches Luther Bedford and Dorothy Gaters, ex-Tinley Park coach Gordon Rogers and Illinois Benedictine coach Tony LaScala will be among those inducted into the hall. Among the 20 players to be inducted are Kenny Battle of West Aurora, Ricky Green of Hirsch, Sonny Parker of Farragut and Kenny Williams of Lyons Township.
Coaching vacancies: Waukegan has three coaching vacancies for the 1996-97 season: head boys basketball coach, head boys soccer coach and cheerleading coach.
Rich Central will accept applications for its vacant head football coaching job until April 26. Contact Jimmy Daniels at 708-748-6070. Harold “Gus” Holly retired as head coach after five seasons and will stay on with the school as a physical education instructor.
Optimistic: If winning is contagious, then St. Patrick’s football program could be headed for the fast track with new coach Kevin Seibel. The Shamrocks former sophomore coach and varsity defensive coordinator, was a high school All-American linebacker in South Dakota and played on four bowl teams at Nebraska. The Elmwood Park resident also played for the Chicago Blitz of the defunct USFL and competed in several preseason games with the Washington Redskins.
Camping out: One of the top basketball camps in the Midwest–run by Detroit Pistons coach/General Manager Doug Collins–is nearly filled. There are three sessions July 7-25 at Concordia University in River Forest for boys 7th through 12th grades and girls 6th through 12th. NBA players, college and high school coaches put the campers through a rigorous schedule from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, call 312-582-2629.
