1962 Illinois Boys Basketball State Tourney

State Champs- Stephen Decatur

Streaks Alumni Profile- Maddy Ross 2015

Today’s Streaks Alumni Profile is with Maddy Ross from the class of 2015. 

In high school, Maddy was somebody who added to every sport she played, every activity she was involved in, and every classroom. She has energy, enthusiasm, strong work-ethic, and humility. 

In basketball, whether she played a little or played a lot, she was “all-in” for her team and her teammates. 

Maddy has always had a positive impact on the world!

My Scout Report- Shot Clock, Rules, Refs

It has been another fun week watching basketball. Here are some random thoughts from this week. 

Coaches’ Corner- Flex Backdoor

 

This is a nice backdoor off flex action. If you have a shooter that they want to deny coming up off the baseline, this is a good option.

Galesburg Wins 15-13 in 4 OT’s- Why Were Scores So Low?

In 1929, Galesburg defeated Pekin in the Sectional, 15-13 in 4 over-time’s. Any of us who have looked back at basketball scores before 1940 have seen examples of these low scoring games. It is easy to look at the scores and dismiss basketball of the era. Some might say, “They couldn’t have been that good if they couldn’t even score 20 points.” 

We would be mistaken to feel that way. An example would be the great Lou Boudreau of Thornton HS. As a freshman, he led his team to a State title in 1933, then seconds in 1934 and 1935. He went to become one of the all-time greats in MLB. He and many others playing basketball in this era were great athletes. 

Coaches’ Corner- Late Season, Play 8, Trust 7

In the NBA, playing an 82 game schedule, teams need to have a deep roster. If you look at NBA boxscores, you will see that usually teams usually have 9 to 10 players playing at least 15 minutes per game. This allows them to have most of their top players only play 30-35 minutes per game. This distribution of minutes is necessary to maintain play health over an 82 game schedule. 

Once the teams get to the NBA Play-Off’s, teams shorten their bench. Instead of playing 9-10 players significant minutes, they will cut that to just 8-9 players in the rotation.

1966- WGIL Adds FM-95

 

In 1966, WGIL added FM 95 to their programming. The Register-Mail celebrated this with an insert into the paper, describing the inner workings of WGIL.

Coaches’ Corner- Need Two Pros

As coaches put together their playing rotation and their offensive system, each coach is trying to calculate the best formula to produce a championship team. 

Massey Quiz #32- 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 share answers in the comments!!

Senior Night- How Should Coaches Handle It?

I had a conversation with a high school coach who discussed how "Senior Night" can turn into a difficult situation for a coach and for a team. His basic question centered around how a coach should handle who starts and the playing time of senior players on Senior Night. 

Not all parents, coaches, players, or fans agree on the proper way for a coach to handle Senior Night. 

AP Rankings- Illinois HS Girls/Boys Basketball thru Feb 4

This is AP Rankings for Illinois HS Girls/Boys Basketball thru Feb. 4.

1951-1954: Ken Menke Breaking the Color Barrier in GHS Basketball

Galesburg High School basketball ended an era in 1950 when Gerald Phillips stepped down as basketball coach. Coach Phillips had been the coach of the Streaks since 1929. Phillips’ teams went to State 7 times, including a 2nd place finish in 1931. 

To replace Phillips, Galesburg came up with a huge name in the basketball world. They hired Ken Menke to start in the 1950-1951 season. Menke had been part of the University of Illinois’ famous Whiz Kids. Menke and the Whiz Kids were considered among the best players in America. 

Menke did not have a successful win-loss record as the GHS coach, he had a huge impact on both the basketball program and on the entire Galesburg community. Menke is responsible for playing African-Americans on the Silver Streaks basketball program. Before Menke arrived, GHS had not had an African-American play basketball for over 35 years. 

Coaches’ Corner- ATO’s- How Many Points Do You Lose?

As I watch high school and college games, I am amazed how many teams choose not to use After Time Out plays. Lot’s of teams just keep running their same “stuff” after time outs, after dead balls, and after free throws. If they are a five out team, they just run five out coming out of a time out. 

HOF Insights- Handling the College Recruiting Process

As coaches, we have some of our athletes recruited by D1 schools, as well as D2, D3, and Juco’s. What advice would you have for players as they go thru this process of trying to draw interest, handling being recruited, and deciding on a school? What advice for parents? 

WB6 Update- Boys Basketball Standings & Leaders thru Feb 4

 

This is WB6 Update- Boys Basketball Leaders and Standings thru Feb. 4.