Steve Bryant- UCLA Shirt & Loyola Upset

Front of UCLA t-shirt

Normally on Facebook I do “T-Shirt Tuesdays.” Today’s t-shirt has a long story that needs to be told. I received this t-shirt from Steve and Jeanine Bryant many years ago. Steve’s son was a grad student at UCLA, and the Bryants happened to visit when John Wooden was doing autographs at the UCLA Bookstore. Knowing I was a big John Wooden fan, Steve got me an autographed John Wooden t-shirt. For about 30 years, Steve and Jeanine did that kind of thing for me, and did that kind of thing for the Streaks girls basketball program.

Back with John Wooden’s autograph

Just this past year I asked Steve how he became such a big Streaks girls basketball fan. It all started when Steve was hired to be custodian of Wicall Gym. He said, “I was so impressed with how your girls came out for practice and immediately went to work. They didn’t stand around, mess around, or talk- they just got to work.” We have always done some form of “Prepractice Routine” when we come on the floor- shooting and ball handling. We won Steve over. 

Julia Robinson- Senior Reflection

 Julia Robinson was a valuable member of the varsity as both a junior and senior. Her value did not always show up in the box score. Her teammates and her coaches knew how valuable she was to us. Julia never took off a practice and never took off a drill. Julia is one of the "all-in" kind of people- about everything!

Julia came to every practice with high energy, enthusiasm, and competitiveness. Her approach made her team a better team. In practice, none of the starting group liked to have Julia guard them. Julia made it very tough on them in practice. It made the games much easier for the starters because the person guarding them did not play as hard as Julia had in practice. 

Kiarra Kilgore- GHS All-Time Scoring Leader

Kiarra Kilgore & Joey Range
GHS All-Time Leading Scorers

Kiarra finishes with 1986

Win 998- KWQC

This is KWQC talking to Streaks after win #998.

Jay Redfern- WGIL- Last Season

(Click on the second line of each set- it will take you to the spot.)

Podcast with Jay Redfern and Lexi Demott

Podcast- Redfern and Demott

Keeping It in The Familly

Demott Hired

Thanks You Galesburg, Thank You Players

Thank You Galesburg

Caitlin Clark Effect?

 Caitlin Clark has had a huge impact on women’s college basketball this past year. Iowa sold out all of their games going into the 2023-4 season, and had over 50,000 fans attend an outdoor game at Kinnick Stadium. It was exciting to see the impact.

Fans can be both rabid and irrational. This past year there were people who were either critics or haters of Caitlyn Clark. For any of us who have followed sports, this should have been predictable. Why did many hate the Yankees- they won. Why can’t some people admire Lebron James’ game- they don’t want anyone saying he is better than Michael. I could go on and on. People like it when their team wins, but hate it when their rival wins.

During the Final Four, in the alternative broadcast both Diana Taurasi and Breanna Stewart, were both outspoken in their criticism of Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes. It would be legitimate to say there are WNBA players who are better than Clark, so I am sure Taurasi and Stewart were sensitive about how much Clark was built up, but there “UConn” pride was coming thru. Just as some think complimenting LeBron tarnishes Michael’s reputation, the UConn players seemed sensitive to Clark and Iowa’s attention, as if it was an attack on UConn’s history. 

To set the record straight, UConn had a more impressive run than Iowa. UConn’s run went on for decades. UConn won multiple titles. UConn had numerous GOATS play for them thru the last couple decades. But the UConn critics, the LSU fans, and the South Carolina fans are all missing the point. Celebrating what Clark and Iowa achieved is not meant as an attack on any of those teams or any of those legacies. Even a Badger fan got swept up in impact Clark and Iowa had on college basketball- we had not seen this on any level in women’s sports before.

Kara Lawson: Handle Hard Better

Kara Lawson played for Pat Summit, and is coach at Duke. Her talk about handling hard is fantastic. Her message, great things in life are going to be hard. 

Mastering a skill in practice will be hard.

Competing in a game will be hard.

Winning a conference title will be hard.

Winning a Regional will be hard. 

Expect it to be hard and prepare yourself to handle hard. Championship players want things to be hard. Championship players know they have prepared themselves to be tougher than their opponent. Championship players know they are prepared to be tough when things are hard!!

1961 Small Town America

Savanna High School

The 1960’s were a great time for Savanna, Illinois. According to the 1960 U.S. Census, Savanna’s population was 4,900 with 5,700 in Savanna Township. The Army Depot and the two railroad companies supplied employment. New houses were going up, and a new high school had just been completed in the late ‘50’s. Savanna was a “big small-town” that was growing.

The neighborhood was an important social entity. Baby boom children filled neighborhoods so there were always kids to play with. If your dog got loose, a neighbor down the street would bring them back. You didn’t lock your doors, so if you went to the Davis’ you knocked, didn’t wait for an answer, you just opened the door and went in. And even in grade school, it was safe to walk a mile home from school, and on the walk there were 3 “neighborhood groceries” to stop and get candy or baseball cards. 

European Basketball- Whole World of Basketball Out There

Coach Shiltz- State Trophy

It is obvious that if a coach is going to be successful, they really have to study the game. Basketball is an evolving sport. If you stick with what you learned 10 years ago or even 10 months ago, basketball will pass you up quickly. The casual "coach" who coaches weekends with youth basketball or the fan who watches games on TV have no idea of the work high school and college coaches put in as students of the game. Coaches can learn by attending clinics, subscribing to virtual clinics, reading articles, joining coach's groups on Facebook, and watching tons of film.

Justin Shiltz has been successful everywhere he has coached. In the 15-20 years that I have known him professionally, it is amazing how much he has evolved, changed, and grown as a coach. Several summers ago, he came to Galesburg in the summer with his team for our summer league. I had an opportunity to talk basketball with him. I was struck by how invested he was watching and learning from European basketball. Since then I have read more and tried to learn more about European basketball. It is clear that offensively a lot of what is going on now in American basketball has European routes.

Get Rid of the Blue Stuff

Ernie Broglio sent from Cards to Cubs

 You know that old guy you run into at the grocery store who starts talking to you? You are ready to pick a couple items and get home but the guy start telling you some story and you are still there 20 minutes later. Today as I write, I am that guy. The only difference is with the blog you can click and go back to whatever you were doing. 

HOF’er Lou Brock sent from Cubs to Cards

My mom always said to be careful in who you look to for inspiration. So I am embarrassed to say that my inspiration for writing this today was Don O’Brien. For those of you unfamiliar with Don. He grew up in Galesburg and has spent most of his adult life in Quincy. Hard to believe anyone could get a GHS education and make such a horrible mistake as to choose to live in Quincy. I tell people that Don was the “player to be named later” in the trade for Bumpy Nixon. Galesburg got Bumpy and many wins, Quincy later got Don. So yes, Quincy should view Don as their Ernie Broglio. For those of you who don’t know what I am talking about- google Broglio for Lou Brock trade.

Shanell (Jackson) Lightfoot- Advice for Off-Season

Shanell at Redbird Arena 2001

Shanell (Jackson) Lightfoot was a key player on the 2001 Streaks, who finished 4th in the State. In 2011 I asked her what advice she would give players for the off-season. Her response is something every player should read, reread, and tape up in their room!!

1, Don't ever think that you are guaranteed a spot.

2. Remain humble about the work your doing on your own because your improvements will be noticed by others.

3. Know that the off-season is the time to get better and that you may not be comfortable shooting 3s or pulling up for a jump shot at the beginning of the spring/summer, but if you work hard on a few things consistently, they will become habit and your hard work will pay off.

4. If it were easy, everyone would do it. So on those days when you're not really in the mood to go workout on your own, remember how it felt to lose in that last game of the season. Trust me, it will pay off.

Hold Your Follow Thru

Everybody has gotten so excited about Caitlyn Clark's "logo threes." Now that I am retired from coaching, I am more focused on working on my own game. So I have been in the driveway working on my version of the logo three. All shooting involves is three things:

1- Get the ball into your shooting pocket.

2- Keep your eye on the rim.

3- Hold you follow thru.

Jim Wyman’s Blog on Galesburg Basketball

 

Jim Wyman was an announcer for Galesburg radio back in the 1970’s when I first came to Galesburg and was a boys basketball assistant. Jim came back and was announcer on radio again in the 2000’s- this time covering girls basketball. At the time, Jim was a retired English teacher from Palatine Fremd. I always enjoyed conversations with Jim. Jim was a blogger too. This is a blog he wrote about me. 

Jim Wyman’s Blog

Welcome to Coach Demott

 

This is a video from players and coaches wishing Coach Demott congratulations and good luck!!

Thank You Galesburg- Thank You Players

John Thiel Gym

 I was blessed to teach and coach at Galesburg High School. Being the Galesburg Girls Basketball Coach was the best basketball coaching job in Illinois. No place in Illinois can match the atmosphere of Thiel Gym for a girls basketball game on a Thursday night. No place can match the community support given to girls basketball in Galesburg. 

The past couple months have been happy but have also been emotional. People have been so nice to me.  Last week I was made aware there was a movement to name the basketball court in John Thiel Gym, the Massey Court. I have to admit that over the past few days as I have reflected on this tremendous honor, it has brought tears to my eyes. 

Coach Demott- The Streaks Are Proud of You

From Coach Massey

As a coach, you always hope your players will connect with each other, and feel being part of the team is special. Over the last month, I have NEVER been so proud of the Streaks players. I have gotten dozens and dozens of texts from former Streaks, some from players from the 1980's and 1990's. I have been stopped by former players in the grocery store, and at school been questioned by present Streaks players. All of them wanting to know- "What is going on? Are they going to hire Lexi?" The reason that I have been so proud is that it is clear to me that the questions and the concerns were because they viewed Lexi as their teammate. They may have played in 1996 or they may have played in 2024, it didn't matter, all of them felt connected. You sent me a message- you are all teammates. Being a Streak meant something to you, and it has become clear to me over the last month that you wanted one of your teammates to be in charge of the program. 

Former players, you can be sure you have not heard the last from me. From time to time, expect me to be calling you out when it is time for you to step up to support the program and to support your teammate- Coach Demott. 

From Sara Wood (1996)

Congratulations Lexi on being named Head Coach of the Galesburg Silver Streaks Girls Basketball Program. I cannot think of a better person to take the reins and continue leading this historic program. Your hard work and dedication have not gone unnoticed, and you have demonstrated the ability to not only lead but also inspire. Having once been in the position of the players that you coach has given you a different perspective that will be invaluable on this coaching journey. Know that you have the support of former players and coaches, and we are here if you need anything!

 PLAY HARD, PLAY TOGETHER, SILVER STREAKS!

Woody

Sara Wood class of 1996

Streaks Players

I anticipate your wait is almost over, that they will name your new varsity head coach very soon. It is going to be a very exciting time for you- the first meeting, the first day of Streaks Camp, your first league game, the first practice in November, and your first game next season. Every team, every year is different and special. But you are going to be a very special and unique team- you will be the first team with the new coach. I hope you will feed off this excitement, and bring a high level of energy! Hopefully you will "bring it" to your individual workouts this spring, practices this summer, and games this summer!

Streaks Parents- Past, Present, Future

Streaks Parents (Past, Present, & Future)

To be successful in high school basketball, it truly takes a "team effort." Individuals don't win, it takes a team. For the Streaks basketball program, our parents have been an important part of our team, and critical to the success of the girls on the floor. While we can find negative stories about parents at other schools- stories of parents tearing teams apart, the opposite has been true at Galesburg. As I look back on the last 46 years of Silver Streaks basketball, I had very few negative parent experiences. At Galesburg, parents have been very important to our success. Our parents helped create a positive championship culture. 

There are literally hundreds of examples of parents stepping up to help make our program a winner and making our players feel special. There were times when parents making treats for long road trips or camp sessions, volunteering for the concession stand or to take summer league tickets, filming our games or doing the score book, racing down at State to let us know we were close to a scoring record, Mama Pacheco being mom to every player, parents hosting team dinners, after tough losses putting an arm around their daughter's teammate, calling the morning after a tough Regional loss wanting me to know they would do whatever needed to help with the banquet, at summer league a whole group of parents wearing khaki shorts and a gray t-shirt to be "Coach Massey's", the Burga's giving me the keys to their station wagon for a tourney in Chicago (this was before people knew my driving issues), parents driving players to tourneys/camps, and Grandpa & Grandma Daniels supporting us at Missouri Camp. The list could go on and on- parents have been so supportive, enthusiastic, and giving so much to make Streaks Basketball a championship program. 

15,000 Made Threes

Coaches are always looking to share stories of hard work with their players. Coaches are always looking for examples of successful players being successful doing things that you want your players to be doing. Galesburg players will think this story is made up!! It is real- and it shows the value of what Coach Demott has been telling them. 

Last off-season, Coach Demott put together a workout program challenging our players to get 10,000 made threes in the summer. We actually had two players get 15,000- Antonia Kisler and Alexis Edgerson. The best ever in the off-season- Coach Demott (25,000) and Saige Milroy (20,000). This is a story about Alabama guard. Shooting in off-season works!!

The following was written by Ronald Evans in the Bama Hammer on April 1, 2024.

Rylan Griffen from backup wing to team leader

Coming out of high school in Texas, Rylan Griffen was a highly touted 6' 5" 4-Star. His slim frame held him back some as a Crimson Tide freshman. There was no mistaking his potential to become an outstanding player.

As an Alabama freshman, Griffen played in 37 games with no starts. He averaged 15.7 minutes per game. Griffen did not quite live up to his 'shooter' reputation in his first Crimson Tide season. He made 50.8% of his shots but only 30.1% of his three-point attempts. His average of 5.9 points must have been well short of his expectations.

No doubt other programs targeted Griffen as a transfer. Thankfully he spurned the offers and stuck with Nate Oats. This season Griffen has sometimes not been given enough credit. Along with becoming a team leader, Rylan was Alabama's best defender who repeatedly asked to be assigned the best opposing guards and wings. In the Elie Eight, his defense against RJ Davis was outstanding.

Griffen has played in 35 games this season with 32 starts. In an average of 26.3 minutes per game, his scoring almost doubled to 11.3 points per game. He made threes at a 39.1% pace, was 82.1% at the foul line, and averaged 3.5 rebounds. Griffen was the difference maker in the Crimson Tide winning multiple games.

The message, the lesson, the evidence-- they all show one thing: If you want to become a great three point shooter, you must shoot a high volume of threes in the off-season!!

No great shooting program has started tomorrow! The greats all start today!!