BELLEVILLE EAST LANCERS, BELLEVILLE, IL .: The fourth-place Lancers finished with a record of 2-2 in their first appearance in the Methodist Medical Center Invitational. Belleville East posted two victories in the event, with their first win coming over Springfield, 57-44 as 6’6” Jr. Malcolm Hill led the team with 30 points. The Lancers then disposed of Peoria Notre Dame 55-49 as Hill poured in a game-high 27 points. Hill proved to be one of the elite players in Illinois as he averaged 25.5 points per game in the MMCI. Hill could have used a little more assistance from his teammates in his other two games. Hill fired in 22 points against the feisty defense of Proviso East, but the Lancers lost the game, 79-61. Hill scored a hard-earned 23 points against Washington, despite being locked up in a box-and-one defense, but the Lancers lost by the score of 60-50 to the host school Panthers. 6’5” Sr. Timmy Goodwin averaged 10.7 points and eight rebounds for the tournament, while 6’4” Sr. Stephen Brock and 6’3” So. Darreon Reddick showed signs of future star power for East. The Illini-bound Hill was named to the MMCI All-Tournament team.
CHAMPAIGN CENTRAL MAROONS, CHAMPAIGN, IL .: The Maroons made quite a statement in their first game of the MMCI as they steam-rolled East Peoria, 109-48. The 109 points were the highest point total ever scored in the State Farm Tournament of Champions. 6’0” Sr. Clayton Jones was the game’s leading scorer with 25 points, while 6’6” Sr. Corvon Butler dominated the paint with 19 points and 12 boards. The Maroons were defeated in their next two outings to two extremely talented squads- Washington (65-58) and Montgomery Carver, AL (76-59).
The Maroons (2-2) finished the MMCI in 5th place with a very strong showing against Peoria Notre Dame, 78-44. Jones finished the tournament as the Maroons’ top scorer with a 19.3 scoring average. Butler averaged 12.3 points and 6’5” So. Jordan Caroline, 10.0 for Central. 5’10” Sr. Chris Freeman (13 steals) and 6’0” Sr. Andrew Miller were key defenders for the Maroons throughout the week. Clayton Jones finished his ToC career as the 7th All-Time leading career scorer with 138 points and the event’s 4th All-Time leading career Assist-Man with 31 dimes in his 3-year tournament career.
EAST PEORIA RAIDERS, EAST PEORIA, IL .: 6’0” Sr. Corey Crotz (19 ppg) was a one-man wrecking crew for the Raiders during this year’s MMCI as he scored 76 points in four games. Crotz went coast to coast against some serious competition on a nightly basis, and still managed to fire in 26 points against Montgomery Carver and 25 points against Champaign Central. The 6-foot guard led his team in every statistical category, except blocked shots. 6’5” Jr. Adam Sommer showed some flashes in the lane and 5’9” So. Sean Mulhern exhibited a nice shooting touch from the perimeter. Crotz finished the ToC as the event’s 6th All-Time leading career scorer with 139 points. The Raiders went 0-4 in the MMCI with losses to Champaign Central, Washington, Montgomery Carver and Springfield.
GALLATIN COUNTY HAWKS, JUNCTION, IL .: The Hawks were the smallest team in this year’s event, and one of the youngest. The Hawks struggled mightily against pressure defense, but as the tournament progressed the team settled down and ultimately found their big man inside- 6’11” 275 Andrew Drone. The Junior Drone finished the tournament with a 17 point per game average and hammered down several big time dunks. Drone would have scored a whole lot more, but his guards had trouble connecting with him throughout the weekend. One player who did connect with him on several no-look passes was Coach Radar Patton’s son- 5’9” Sr. Drake Patton. 5’9” Sr. Bryant Aud nailed several 3-pointers in the tournament, including five in a row against Imagine College Prep.
HUNTINGTON PREP EXPRESS, HUNTINGTON, WV .: Coach Rob Fulford’s team knows how to play the game of basketball! Let it be known, the Huntington Prep Express are one of the “Top 5” teams in America, and they will more than prove that statement by the end of the year. 6’7” So. Andrew Wiggins (17.3 ppg- 10.3 rpg) proved that he is the next Super Star of this Sport! There is nothing, this kid cannot do on the Hardwood! He flew the air for some incredibly athletic finishes, he knocked down the deep range 3-pointer and he did not back down from any challenges on the floor. His first step quickness with the ball is reminiscent of Le Bron James at the same juncture of James’ career. 6’6” Sr. Negus Webster-Chan did a tremendous job running the point for the Express. He was a stat stuffer throughout the weekend as he averaged 8.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.0 steals and 3.3 assists. 6’1” Sr. Evan Payne soared through the air for some impressive finishes and 6’8” Sr. Elijah Macon played very well in the championship game against Tilton School. Wiggins was named the Team Works “Most Outstanding Player” and Webster-Chan was named to the TW All-Tournament Team.
ILLINI WEST CHARGERS, CARTHAGE, IL .: The Chargers top player- 6’7” Sr. Evan Mc Gaughey was still not 100% from his knee surgery, but he was still able to put in some great moments late in the game as he finished with 13 points and six boards. But, the story of this Charger victory was not about Mc Gaughey, it was about the other players on the Illini West team who effectively answered the bell in their 68-42 win over Midland. 5’10” Jr. Brody Gronewald scored 14 points and passed out four assists as he walked away with the DriveChevy.com MVP award. 6’4” Sr. Spencer Kirkenslager (10 points) did a great job on both ends of the court and 5’10” Sr. Jack Bastert was a whirling dervish in the open court.
ILLINOIS VALLEY CENTRAL GREY GHOSTS, CHILLICOTHE, IL .: The Ghosts played a tremendous game as they knocked off the Troy Trojans, 51-43. 6’8” Sr. Jordan Seele was named the game’s top player as he scored 14 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and blocked four shots for the Ghosts. 6’2” Sr. Bryce Jackson filled it up from beyond the arc and finished the game with 14 markers. 5’10” Sr. Sherrarr Tate had a tremendous 4th quarter and finished with 10 points and five assists.
IMAGINE COLLEGE PREP BEARS, ST. LOUIS , MO .: The Bears tripped out of the blocks, when they lost their opening game against Park Tudor, 64-45. However, Coach Tony Irons and his Bears regrouped and pulled out two strong wins against Limestone (70-55) and Gallatin County (67-52). 6’2” Sr. Martavian Payne was the most consistent performer for the Bears as he averaged 15.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Payne was tough on the defensive end and was named to Uftring All-Tournament Team. 6’1” Jr. Kevin Baker had tremendous games against Limestone (24 pts) and Gallatin County (17 pts- 7 asts- 5 stls), but was held to 3 points by Park Tudor. 6’0” Jr. Taj Arazzaaq was unstoppable against Park Tudor as he scored 20 points on 6 3-pointers. 6’4” Jr. Miles Nettles played very well against Gallatin County as he rebounded, blocked shots and came up with six steals.
INDIANAPOLIS PARK TUDOR PANTHERS, INDIANAPOLIS, IN .: The Panthers will win the Indiana 2A state championship in March of 2012! You can bet on it. This is a well-oiled machine with super talent and a great coaching staff. The Panthers blew through their Uftring Auto Group competition like a hot knife through yogurt. 5’11” Sr. Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell (17.3 ppg- 5.0 apg) was phenomenal as he knocked down jumpers and created buckets for his teammates all weekend long. Ferrell is a bouncy athlete who eludes defenders with his incredible body control and ball handling capabilities. 6’5” So. Trevon Bluiett was extremely strong on both ends of the court. Bluiett (18.3 ppg- 9.0 rpg) was the tournament’s leading scorer and rebounder and was always in the right place at the right time. 6’3” So. Troy Spears (12.0 ppg) is a gritty competitor who knows his role on the floor and knows how to make things happen. 6’4” Sr. Paul Bayt gives the Panthers a long-range shooting weapon. Bayt helped the Panthers break the State Farm ToC record for 3-pointers in a game, as he hit five of his team’s 15 treys against Gallatin County. Ferrell was named the Uftring MVP/MOP, while Bluiett and Spears also made the Uftring All-Tournament Team.
LIMESTONE ROCKETS, BARTONVILLE, IL .: The Rockets started the Uftring Auto Group Invitational with some high energy and destroyed Gallatin County, 68-40. Limestone then stubbed their toes in the next two games as they lost to both Imagine College Prep and Park Tudor. 6’2” Jr. Hank Mathews (14.0 ppg) was the most consistent Rockets’ performer as he hit some long-distance 3’s and made some slick passes in the half court set. 6’5” Sr. Devonte Lawson was a buzz-saw in the lane, as he gobbled up rebounds and contributed some tough buckets in traffic. 6’0” Sr. Aaron Catterall knocked down some perimeter jumpers and did a solid job running the point. Mathews was named to the Uftring All-Tournament Team.
MARQUETTE MUSTANGS, CHESTERFIELD, MO .: The Mustangs understood the game plan and they executed it to a tee- Get the ball to Ryan Rosburg. The 6’10” Sr. Rosburg finished the game with 25 points as he led Marquette to a 53-50 victory over the Richwoods Knights in this year’s first DriveChevy.com Shootout game. Rosburg also pulled down 11 rebounds and blocked six shots in the game, as he earned the game’s Most Valuable Player Award. 6’2” Jr. Chris Lenzen scored 10 points for the Mustangs. Rosburg will be playing for the Missouri Tigers next season.
MIDLAND TIMBERWOLVES, VARNA, IL .: 6’6” Sr. Doug Shanklin finished his storied 3-year ToC career with 8 points and 12 rebounds, but it was not enough to push the Timberwolves over the Illini West Chargers. Shanklin finished his ToC career with 92 points and 48 rebounds. 6’0” So. Nick Varvil was as hot as a firecracker from beyond the 3-point stripe as he popped in 15 points for the T-Wolves. 5’11” Sr. Jake De France (8 points) did a solid job on both sides of the court for Midland.
MONTGOMERY CARVER WOLVERINES, MONTGOMERY, AL .: The Wolverines proved to be one of the most talented teams to ever play in the MMCI! If Craig Sword wasn’t draining long distance jumpers from 25 feet, he was attacking opponents with his acrobatic finishes HIGH above the rim. The 6’3” Sr. Sword (17 ppg) was incredible throughout the event, but his 3-point jumper at the buzzer against Washington will go down as one of the greatest shots ever made in the ToC. But, Sword was not a one-man team by any stretch of the imagination! 6’6” Jr. Jeremy Johnson (15.5 ppg- 8.0 rpg) was a human highlight film with his athletic takes to the bucket and his long-range shooting. The All-American Football Quarterback (Johnson) showed his leadership qualities and imposing athleticism on both ends of the court. 6’5” Sr. Tony Armstrong (10.3 ppg- 8.8 rpg) was a warrior on the boards and with his defensive play inside. Junior guards Zach Rumph and Anthony Jarrett were clutch performers throughout the tournament, but the Wolverines were tripped up in the MMCI championship game by the Proviso East Pirates, 72-60. Sword and Johnson were both named to the MMCI All-Tournament Team. Future Mississippi State guard- Craig Sword was named the MMCI’s “Most Outstanding Player”
PEORIA NOTRE DAME IRISH, PEORIA , IL .: Many people believed the Irish would be undergoing a total reconstruction with their hoops program this year. Coach Tom Lacher proved otherwise as the Irish battled strong throughout the MMCI. The Irish started off this year’s ToC with a hard-earned 72-71 overtime, comeback win against Springfield. The Irish then matched up with three exceptional teams in their remaining games and found themselves on the short end of the stick in each of these matchups: Proviso East (88-56), Belleville East (55-49) and Champaign Central (78-44). The Irish showed balanced scoring throughout the tournament as 6’2” Jr. Nic Reynolds (11 ppg), 6’1” So. Shea Feehan (10.8) and 6’7” Sr. Jack Stephens (10.5 ppg) provided inspired individual outbursts at certain times throughout the week. However, it was the rugged play of Junior Nick Bell (12.3 ppg- 5.0 rpg) that reverberated with fans inside Washington’s Den. Bell battled from the opening tip to the last whistle, as he drove the lane like a run-away freight train. At 6’0”, Bell was the shortest post man in the event by far- but he dominated in low, rarely getting his shot blocked against his taller foes. He was fun to watch!
PROVISO EAST PIRATES, MAYWOOD, IL .: The Pirates became the fourth Illinois team to win the MMCI crown as they used their slew of ultra-quick backcourt defenders to rip their opponents apart for fast break baskets after fast break baskets. 6’1” Sr. Keith Carter (17.5 ppg- 3.8 apg- 11 steals) was the leader of the Pirates’ vicious “Shock and Awe” attack! Carter defended, scored and dished to his teammates with high regularity, which ultimately led to him being named the MMCI’s “Most Valuable Player”. The Pirates recorded 77 steals in four games for an average of 19.3 steals per ball game! 5’10” Sr. Paris Burns (11 ppg- 11 steals), 5’11” Jr. Paris Lee (10.5 ppg- 14 steals), 6’0” Jr. Michael Nicholas (10.3 ppg) and 6’0” So. Jevon Carter (10 steals) were the guards most responsible for wreaking holy havoc on their four opponents. 6’4” Jr. Sterling Brown (12.5 ppg- 7.8 rpg- 12 steals) was the top interior provider for the Pirates and was named to the MMCI All-Tournament team for his efforts. Burns was also named to the MMCI All-Tournament team and received the “Bronze Medal” for best dunk in the ToC- when the 5’10” guard exploded through the air for an alley-oop dunk in transition against Belleville East.
RICHWOODS KNIGHTS, PEORIA, IL .: The Knights played a great defensive game, but struggled offensively until their 4th quarter of action against Marquette. 6’1” Jr. Preston Wells scored 14 points, passed out five assists and collected four steals while 5’11” Sr. Nate Des Jardins scored 11 points. 6’6” Sr. Jack Murphy scored 11 points and did a great job of holding Ryan Rosburg in check in the post.
SPRINGFIELD SENATORS, SPRINGFIELD, IL .: What can you say about 6’7” Sr. Willie Wiley and his 12-game career in the State Farm ToC? How about- REMARKABLE! After starting off this year’s event with a sub-par performance (5 pts- 9 rbs) against Peoria Notre Dame, Wiley came out on fire in his next three games. Wiley scored 16 pts and grabbed 11 boards against Belleville East. He scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds against Proviso East and finished up his ToC career with 22 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks in his Senators’ 60-50 win against East Peoria. Wiley finished his State Farm ToC career as the event’s All-Time leading career rebounder (136 rebounds), the event’s 2nd All-Time leading career scorer (175 points) and the event’s 2nd All-Time career leader in blocked shots with 29. Wiley was honored after his final outing, by being named to the “ALL-TIME TOC TEAM”. Wiley (16.8 ppg- 11.5 rpg) was not the only Senator player that starred in this year’s event. 5’11” Jr. Isaiah Nelson averaged 16 points a game, and had a game high 29 points in his team’s overtime loss to Notre Dame.
SUNRISE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY BUFFALOES, BEL AIRE, KS .: The Buffaloes finished in 3rd place in this year’s Team Works National Classic as they battled both Tilton School and Huntington Prep to the very last plays of each game. Sunrise knocked off Trent InternationalE in their final game, 59-42. 6’4” Sr. Buddy Hield was the team’s leading scorer with 20.3 points per game and was named to the TW All-Tournament Team. 5’10” So. Lourawls Nairn was a jet in the open court and created many buckets with his lightning fast-takes through the lane. 6’8” Jr. Andre Sands and 6’9” Sr. Lawrence Fejokwu were strong on the defensive end for the Buffaloes and 6’6” Jr. Janari Joesaar and 6’6” So. Nathan Bain showed great upside for Sunrise.
TILTON SCHOOL RAMS, TILTON , NH .: The Rams are most definitely on their way to becoming the #1 team in the land after winning the Team Works National Classic over highly ranked Huntington Prep, 53-48. 6’5” So. Wayne Selden came to life in the Rams’ win over Huntington Prep as he scored 16 points on an array of athletic finishes and pull-up jumpers. 6’7” Sr. Georges Niang was the top point getter in this year’s Team Works National Classic as he pumped in 21 points per game and snared, 9.7 rebounds per outing. 6’9” Jr. Goodluck Okonoboh was excellent on both ends of the court with his shot blocking and offensive put backs. However, it was the play of their Super Junior- 6’11” Nerlens Noel that proved to be the catalyst to the Rams’ three victories this year. Noel only averaged 9 points per game, but he led the team in rebounding (11.0 rpg), blocks (5.0 bpg), steals and was 2nd in assists. He was a defensive super star in the lane as he redirected numerous shots throughout the weekend and totally changed his opponent’s thought processes when attempting to take the ball to the goal. Noel was named the TW’s Most Valuable Player, while Niang and Selden were both named to the TW All-Tournament Team.
TRENT INTERNATIONALE PHOENIX, SUGAR LAND, TX .: The Phoenix came into this year’s Team Works National Classic a little short handed. 6’10” Sr. Ali Mohamed (committed to Rice) was unable to play due to a 3rd degree ankle sprain. 6’9” Jr. Ahmed Hamdy stepped up to the challenge and played very well despite having two sprained wrists from a fall he took in a tournament the previous weekend. Hamdy battled Tilton and Huntington Prep with impressive vigor and finished the tournament with 14.7 points per game, 12.3 rebounds per outing and 3.3 blocks per game. 6’1” Sr. Manroop Clair put on a show against Tilton School with his electric jukes and slick ball handling, but the Phoenix still finished 0-3 in this year’s event.
TROY BUCHANAN TROJANS, TROY, MO .: The Trojans had a solid game, but could not remove the lid on the rim as they dropped a tough one to the IVC Grey Ghosts, 51-43. 6’2” Sr. Derek Deters scored 15 points and passed out four assists to lead the Trojans. 6’3” Jr. Ben Chaney had a great first half and finished the day with 13 points. 6’1” Jr. William Johnson did a solid job off the bench for the Trojans.
WASHINGTON PANTHERS, WASHINGTON , IL .: The Panthers were a team on a mission in this year’s MMCI! The Panthers buzzed past East Peoria (79-32) as 6’5” Sr. Ben Ryan scored 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. The Panthers then defeated a strong, athletic Champaign Central in their second game, 65-58- behind the strong play of 6’7” Jr. Alec Peters who torched the Maroons for 26 points and 14 rebounds. Coach Kevin Brown changed his style of play in his team’s third matchup against Montgomery Carver, and was dominating the game with his back door cuts, expert passing and tough-nosed defensive sets. But, with 1.5 seconds on the clock, Carver’s All-America guard Craig Sword hit a fade-away 3-pointer with Panther guard Mason Mc Coy directly in his face, to defeat the Panthers, 44-43. Washington bounced back in the 3rd place game and defeated Belleville East, 60-50 as Peters poured in 30 points for the Orange and Black. Peters (20.8 ppg- 8.8 rpg) and Ryan (16.0 ppg- 7.8 rpg) were both named to the MMCI All-Tournament Team. Ben Ryan was named to the “ALL-TIME TOC TEAM” as he became the event’s 3rd All-Time leading career rebounder (81 rebounds) and the event’s 9th All-Time leading career scorer with 136 points.
