Megan Young- What's College Like?

Megan Young is a freshman at Augustana College. As you might anticipate, Megan seems to enjoy college!

What have you enjoyed most about college?

I love being able to choose my own classes and plan out my day. Also,

since I live by my friends college is pretty much a never ending

sleepover.

Jessica Howard- What's College Like?

Jessica Howard is attending Monmouth College and playing basketball. She has been playing about 10-15 minutes per game. She has a high of 15 points in a game, and is coming off a 2 for 2 three point shooting game at Ripon.

So Jessica, what is college like?

What have you enjoyed most about college?

The freedom. It's nice being able to hang out with friends without needing permission from my parents and not having a curfew. 

Mickey Rodriguez- What's College Like?

Mickey Rodriguez is a freshman at Knox College in Galesburg. She is a classic example of a senior who kept her options open as far as college, and ended up going some place she had not planned to go. Mickey was not sure she wanted to take the “hometown option” but after visiting Knox and after seeing the financial aid package they gave her- Knox became her choice.

Selfishly, it is nice to be able to see Mickey often. When I took my Community Studies class on a tour of Knox for the history of Galesburg and Knox, Mickey saw us and joined the tour. She is a regular at men’s and women’s basketball games. She has a good job with the Admission’s Dept. She is not playing basketball but is obviously very, very busy.

I had a chance to ask Mickey questions about her first year.

Tai Peachey- What's College Like?

Tai Peachey is now a freshmen at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais. She is also a member of the women’s basketball team. ONU plays in the NAIA division, and is probably the most high scoring women’s team in America. They are a “system” team and averaging 101 point per game. They have twice been over 120 point this year, and over 110 in five games. They are presently 10-3.

Tai has been able to get in all 13 games as a point guard. She is presently averaging 6.8 minutes per game which translates to about 8-10 shifts per game- pretty good for a freshmen. Tai is #3 on the team with 23 assists. She also has 13 offensive rebounds, 10 steals, and averages 2.8ppg.

I got to ask Tai some questions about her college experience.

Congratulations to Coach Hatch

The Alleman girls beat Quincy on Thursday night. It was the 400th time that a Jay Hatch coached team has won a game in his twenty years of coaching. Twenty years of coaching is an accomplishment in its self- and adding 400 wins is very impressive.

The first time I met Jay was in Mike Tracey's basement after a boys basketball game. Jay was a young assistant coach at Alleman, and Mike was the AD. That is well over 20 years ago. Wow. 

Jay's teams have always been very well prepared. And he is very much responsible for me deciding to go to the "system." I honestly got tired of us calling out a play and his kids would then show our kids where they were supposed to cut on the play. I have trouble remembering the name of the kid in the third row in my class and he can tell you the difference between when we call 4up and 4down, and then of course with all of the other teams in the conference. 

Congratulations Jay. I am especially happy you won your 400th tonight because if you had waited to win it next week at Galesburg, I would not have been very happy for you!!

Another National Record for Streaks?

Last year the Streaks set a national record by hitting 397 threes during the season. As impressive as that was, this year's version of the Streaks is much more of a defensive oriented team. As we hit the 1/3 mark of the season, it appears the Streaks are headed for setting another national record- on the defense side this year.

Defense is something that requires lots of hard work and repetition. And to be successful on defense, you have to study game tape over and over. All of this hard work is really paying off.

Tom Loewy- Great Listener

Tom Loewy wrote sports for the Register-Mail when he first came to Galesburg. I didn’t know what to think of him, he was from Peoria. But I realized maybe he could become the opposite of Jane Miller- someone who started in Peoria and finished in Galesburg.

From perspective, Tom is good at what he does because he is a great listener. Some writers have in mind what the story is supposed to be- so they keep asking forms of the same question over and over until they succeed in getting the exact sound bite they want. Often with both players and with coaches after a game, Tom would start by saying one of two things,

A-    “What do you think happened tonight?”

B-    “I don’t know a lot about basketball, but it seems like _______ happened, is that accurate?”

And as a coach, you always had a sense that he just wanted to listen. And after he listened to your answer, there would be a pause, and he would then ask a question that probed your answer. It was obvious he really wanted to make sure he understood the game from your perspective.  It didn’t mean when he was done that he agreed with my analysis, but he understood. In all of the year’s Tom covered girls basketball, he never once misquoted me. Sometimes he might clean up the grammar, and actually made me sound more intelligent- but the bottom line was that I always felt he quoted me accurately.

IBCA Hall of Fame Inductees- Galesburg Flavor

Three people with connections to Galesburg will be inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame this spring. Tiffany Sibley (1992 GHS grad), Joe Thompson (Galesburg ref), and Jane Miller (GHS grad who writes for the Journal-Star). All three are very deserving of the honor.

Treasure Hunt- 2011

Last place team getting their last clue!!!

We did it again. We had our 2nd Annual varsity basketball treasure hunt. Our adult drivers were Coach Andie Allison, Coach Jaque Gohlinghorst, and Coach Michelle Wynne. Coach Allison's team was the winner this year. Here were our questions--

1- If you are going deer hunting, you are going to need one of these. I don't have one, but I know where you can find 3 of them.

2- What are those machines that count radiation? We have one at GHS that counts baskets.

3- YHHOUBNGOR

4- In 1988 his fastball smoked, now his whole house smokes.

5- When a car gets old, they put it in this yard.

6- The college is gone but the court is still there.

7- Math problem-- (Old Main built - Streaks wins last year - when Cinderella had to be home)
(Supposed to be knee high by 4th of July + my first initial + first name of an Anderson who played bball)

8- If Ronald Reagan's mother needed a cup of sugar, she might have gone here to get one.

9- If Steve Bartman was in Galesburg, this is where he would sit.

10- Someone really misses you. They are a weeping _______ .

T-Shirt of Day-Celebrating State Record- 2003

This is a real collector's item- 2003 Sweet 16 which was
celebrating our 9th consecutive Sectional championship.
That is still a state record for boys or girls- 9 straight Sectional titles.

1999 T-Shirt

Today's t-shirt is from 1999. It is the shirt printed after we won the Supersectional and were headed to Redbird Arena. It was a great year, we went on to finish 2nd in State.

Experienced Staff

We start practices on Monday. I am VERY fortunate to have an experienced staff at GHS. I would guess there are view programs with more experience in their coaching staff.

Coach Michael Rux has 20+ years as sophomore coach. He has been active not just with the sophomore team but in assisting the varsity team. He has definitely been there and done it.

Coach Jay Barshinger has been freshmen coach for 10+ years. He is the most patient teacher in our school district, and he takes the same approach to basketball.

Woody in Knox HOF

Note his Old Siwash sweathirt.

Dave Wood, Knox class of 1972 was inducted into the Knox College Hall of Fame. Woody was a Streaks great who was a leader on the Streaks '68 second place in State team. Woody transferred to Knox from Western and went on to become a three year starter at Knox (freshmen were not eligible to play varsity in the NCAA at that time). Woody led the Siwash in scoring every year at Knox and led the Midwest Conference in scoring his senior year by putting in 21.7ppg.

Woody was Grinnell basketball before Grinnell.

Jay Bilas- Toughness

This is a famous essay on toughness written by Jay Bilas....

“Toughness” – Jay Bilas – ESPN .com

I have heard the word "toughness" thrown around a lot lately. Reporters on television, radio and in print have opined about a team or player's "toughness" or quoted a coach talking about his team having to be "tougher" to win.

Then, in almost coordinated fashion, I would watch games and see player upon player thumping his chest after a routine play, angrily taunting an opponent after a blocked shot, getting into a shouting match with an opposing player, or squaring up nose-to-nose as if a fight might ensue. I see players jawing at each other, trying to "intimidate" other players. What a waste of time. That is nothing more than fake toughness, and it has no real value.

I often wonder: Do people really understand what coaches and experienced players mean when they emphasize "toughness" in basketball? Or is it just some buzzword that is thrown around haphazardly without clear definition or understanding? I thought it was the latter, and I wrote a short blog item about it a couple of weeks ago.

Putting First Things First

"Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe