There are many great teams in Illinois HS basketball ball history. It is impossible to determine which team was the greatest team. For basketball fans, it is fun to look back and to debate.
In 1961, Collinsville went a perfect 32-0 with legendary Coach Vergil Fletcher. Their top two players were Bogie Redman and Fred Riddle.
The Kahoks averaged 77 points per game, and held their opponents to only 55 points per game.
On their run to 32 straight wins, only 5 times did an opponent come within 10 points of Collinsville.
During the regular season, Collinsville beat Litchfield by 3, and Edwardsville by 3. During the Regional, Collinsville beat Madison by 9, and Granite City by 10. Then in the Super-Sectional, the Kahoks squeaked out a 2 point win.
In the IHSA Sectional, Super, and State, Collinsville won by an average of 30 points. In the three games of the Elite 8, the Kahoks led at half-time of those three games by scores of 31-19 (Quarterfinals), 34-16 (Semi-Finals), and 37-23 (State Championship). They won those games by 23 (Rockford East-Quarterfinals), 37 (Manual-Semi-Finals), and 34 (Thornton-Championship).
During the 4 “State tourney games”, Bogie Redman averaged 23.8ppg and Fred Riddle averaged 18.3ppg. Redman went onto to play basketball for the University of Illinois, and Riddle went onto play both football and basketball for the University of Iowa. Fred Riddle had played for Madison as a sophomore and helped them go to State.
In IHSA boys basketball history, there have been only 16 undefeated State Champions.
Truly one of the great Illinois prep teams. I did get to meet Coach Fletcher and Bogie Redman years later. They were truly class acts!
ReplyDeleteLooking at their scores at State, certainly one of the most dominant teams in Illinois history. Thanks for comment, Joe. (Evan Massey)
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