By Roy & Harv Schmidt

There is something about the Purdue basketball coaching hierarchy that jumps out at us immediately. It is the number of assistant coaches who worked under Gene Keady, including Kevin Stallings, Steve Lavin, Bruce Weber, and Matt Painter, who have gone on to become successful head coaches. That is why we are betting that Cuonzo Martin, who was recently hired as the new head men's basketball coach at Missouri State, stands a good chance of being the next name that can be added to this list.

By Roy & Harv Schmidt

It is that time of year again--time to reach into our grab bag and name the recipients of our postseason awards with respect to everything concerning Illinois high school basketball. As is usually the case, some of our award winners are obvious choices, while others are not so cut and dry. Therefore, without any further adieu, here goes.

By Roy & Harv Schmidt

Richards' Eliud Gonzalez, Evanston's Steven Rudnicki and Lockport's Justin Jarosz may not be D1 basketball prospects and may not always fill up a stat sheet, but they are all ideal recruits at the small college level. All three of them were just as instrumental in leading their respective teams to the Class 4A state finals in Peoria as anybody. Not only that, but they all have what it takes to not only be successful in basketball but in the most important game of all, the game of life. It is for those reasons that we believe it is time for them to receive their just due.

By Roy & Harv Schmidt

There are two people in particular who we believe deserve the bulk of the credit for Marshall's Class 3A state championship--head coach Courtney Hargrays and 6'4 senior Ryan Hare. In this blog we are going to focus on Hare, who has come a long way in comparison to how he was feeling and what he was saying prior to the start of this basketball season. We can honestly say that we are extremely proud of him, as the things that he is now saying, the attitude that he is now exhibiting and the maturity that he has shown over the past five months speaks volumes.

By Roy & Harv Schmidt

After debating the topic for much of the season, we hope that everyone is listening when we state the following comment emphatically and without hesitation. Simeon's Lazeric Jones is a D1 player and is worthy of a scholarship. If he hadn't proven that already, he certainly did so today with his performance in the Class 3A semifinals in Peoria.

By Roy & Harv Schmidt

There was plenty of talent on display in both the class 3A and 4A supersectional games that were played at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb last night. Coming in, most everyone thought that the most entertaining matchup would be the battle between Indiana University recruit Matt Roth of Washington and University of Illinois class of 2009 commit Joe Bertrand of Sterling. In the end however, it was a pair of other talented underclassmen and an unheralded senior who turned in the top three performances of the evening.

By Roy & Harv Schmidt

Let us cut through the chase and make one thing abundantly clear right now. Mt. Carmel freshman Tracy Abrams is as good as any other guard in the state of Illinois from the class of 2011. You name 'em--Donivine Stewart, Jay Parker, Ryan Boatright--after watching Abrams turn in a terrific performance in the Class 4A Sectional at Proviso East, there is no doubt in our mind that he can play with any of them. With Abrams' arrival, the class of 2011 is shaping up to be as good as any class in recent memory from the state of Illinois.

By Roy & Harv Schmidt

There may not be a hotter unsigned prospect in Illinois from the class of 2008 than Pinckneyville's Kyle Cassity, as the 6'5 wing recently added to his list of scholarship offers, continues to attract widespread recruiting interest and has even received some acclaim from some of the national "gurus." However, in many ways Cassity is still a relative unknown amongst many in-state observers outside of his immediate area. With Pinckneyville having reached the Class 2A state finals in Peoria this weekend, that should undoubtedly change and as a result there is a possibility that Cassity's recruitment could become even more solidified.

By Roy & Harv Schmidt

Some high school basketball players have the uncanny ability to raise their level of performance even higher once the state tournament comes around. Glenbard West's John Shurna is one of those players. As a result, Shurna's team has reached the sectional round of the tournament for the second consecutive year. While others may be a bit surprised, for us we have come to expect this from Shurna, especially if everyone remembers where we ultimately projected him in comparison with the rest of the 2008 class in Illinois.

By Roy & Harv Schmidt

We had heard rumblings that Dion Dixon was ready to pull the trigger with respect to offering a verbal commitment, and sure enough that is exactly what happened following Dixon's official visit this weekend. As a result, the top available prospect in Illinois from the class of 2008 is now off the board and will be playing his college basketball in the Big East.