Illinois Boys BB- Who Was Most Impressive Undefeated State Champ?

It is impossible to compare teams that are separated by decades. Could Bogie Redman and the ‘61 Collinsville ball press have stopped either of Sonny Cox’s ‘90 or ‘93 Chicago King teams? How would the ‘44 Taylorville Tornadoes have matched up vs. the ‘81 Quincy Blue Devils? I am betting Dolph Stanley and Jerry Leggett would each have the surprises for the other!  And would small school Lawrenceville have had an answer for the powerful Thornridge team?

Here is a list of all the Illinois boys basketball teams who were undefeated State Champs….

Streaks Alumni Profile: Jim Schaefer 1983

Today’s “Streaks Alumni Profile” is Jim Schaefer from the GHS Class of 1983. 

Coaches’ Corner- Getting the Ball to the Elbow

When we talk about getting the “ball inside”, we usually think about getting the ball to the low post. Today, more and more pro and college teams want to get the ball to the elbow. From the elbow, there are a lot of good DHO and Zoom actions, but it is a great clear out situation. 

Usually coaches are NOT looking to add complex actions, but this involves some simple ways to get the ball to the elbow to either a player who has great one on one skills, or who is quick off the dribble, or a player who will have a mismatch with a slower defender. 

Streaks Girls Basketball: 50 Memorable Games

There have been many great games in Galesburg HS girls basketball history. Here are “50 Memorable Games.” They are listed in chronological order. 

If you think there are other games that should have included, leave comments in the blog. And if you want to share some of your memories of any of these games, leave comments in the blog. Enjoy!!

Streaks Boys Basketball: 37 Memorable Games

There have been many great games in the history of Galesburg HS boys basketball. Here are 33 “Memorable Games.” 

These games are listed in chronological order. If you think there are games missing, share them in the comments on the blog. And if you want to add memories or details about any of the games, share them in the comments on the blog. 

Coaches’ Corner: Coaches Instructing Players to Cheat

I get to watch a lot of games in retirement. Sometimes you see really good things that promote basketball as a sport, and sadly sometimes you see things that are ugly and have no place in sports. 

This season, I witnessed a coach instructing their players to cheat in a basketball game. In a close game, a foul was committed by the other team. It was clear which player had been fouled. The fouled player knew they had been fouled and went to the free throw line to shoot their free throws. 

Coaches’ Corner- Coach Anderson’s Favorite OB’s

 

Legendary Williamsfield coach, Bob Anderson shares three of his favorite baseline out of bounds plays. 

Massey Blog- The Best of 2025

It has been a fun year researching stories for Massey Basketball Blog. I especially appreciate WGIL giving me the opportunity to share some of these stories on the WGIL website. At the end of the year, I wanted to share some of my favorites from 2025. 

It would be great if you would share your favorites in the comments. 

John Ring Looks Back

This is an interview that Massey Basketball Blog conducted with John Ring on February 12, 2011. John has written sports in Galesburg for over 3 decades. 

Don Nelson’s Six Bullet Theory

Basketball is a long season. At every level, it is a challenge for coaches to balance being positive and praising players, and being demanding and critical of players. 

Coaches’ Corner- Alabama’s Flare Slip

When we go vs. switching man to man defenses, we are always looking for ways to slip screens or run ghost screens. Usually if we are going to slip a screen, it is off of a ball screen. This is a different way to slip a screen. 

Massey Quiz #27- 15 Galesburg Pictures

  

I have fifteen Galesburg pictures of the past and present. There may be pictures of places, people, monuments, parts of buildings, and even more. The quiz is designed to celebrate how wonderful Galesburg is, and test your knowledge of our community. Enjoy and have fun!!

The answers are at the end of the quiz. Keep track of your score and read exactly what your score indicates. If you would like- share your score on the Facebook or Massey Blog under the comments. Please don’t put answers in the comments!!

Coaches’ Corner: Stagger Actions for Threes

Coaches’ Corner: Second Time You Play Teams

The second time you play teams, it gets tougher to run your offense. In fact, with all of access to game tape, it gets tough to run your offense once you get 5-6 games into the season. Here are some ideas to help offensively:

Streaks Alumni Profile: Barry Mink 1979

Today’s “Streaks Alumni Profile” is Barry Mink from Galesburg High School’s Class of 1979. I got to know Barry when he made the switch from football to cross country for his senior year.