by Steve Dunford

I was going to release a preview of both Mid Winter tournaments going on this week in the county.   I began to look at things and between both boys and girls teams, there are seven teams in midwinter tournaments this week.  I am going to incorporate what each coach sent me in the game previews this week.  I thank you so much for your response.  We will be previewing two games from the BIT, and one from the Midwinter tonight.  It seemed like the Holiday Tournament previews got very long and people dropped out reading them before finishing them all.  I am still very green and learning at this.

WEST FRANKFORT MIDWINTER CLASSIC

• 5:30 p.m. Anna Jonesboro (6-10) vs. Herrin (10-4)
• 7:00 p.m. Eldorado (18-1) vs. Carterville (10-6)
• 8:30 p.m. WEST FRANKFORT (6-10)  vs. CHRISTOPHER (11-4)

We will be previewing game three of the night as the West Frankfort Redbirds take on the Christopher Bearcats.

Noah Allen and Kaeleb Pedigo match up well.  Austin Glodich and Jared Curry do as well too.  Who I see giving the Bearcats fits tonight is Keagan Thrash.  I can see him having a big game down in the post.

When both WF coach Kevin Toney and Christopher coach Eric Stallman play man to man most of the time, I have defensive match ups going thorugh my head.

Freshman Bryce Pratt will have to guard either Glodich or Thrash tonight and Curry will have the other.  Who will match up with Andrew Strugill and Kyle Hammers will be the other two players that Jim Johnson will call their number before tip off.

Zack Snell a 5′ 11″ senior made a couple of starts at the first of the season.  The only ones other than him that have played much  at all is 5′ 9″ freshman Gabe Motsinger and 6′ 2″ junior Cole Sanders.

I will have to go with the Redbirds by 12 in this one.

BENTON INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT

I believe this is the 43rd annual.  The BIT was the first tournament in the area to go to the round robin format.  The Friday Night-Saturday afternoon and Evening sessions were designed to simulate the format of the IHSA State Tournament in two classes.  I wish I had the stats in front of me of the teams that played in the BIT that went on to take home hardware from then Champiagn and now Peoria.

Along with the Franklin County schools, we are going to start giving coverage to the Hamilton County Foxes as well this week.  There will be nights there will be three games previewed tonight there will be two.

Here is the schedule for this evening.

• 5:30 p.m.  Meridian (7-9) vs SESSER-VALIER (7-9)
• 7:00 p.m.  Carlyle (9-7) vs Pinckneyville (15-1)
• 8:30 p.m.  BENTON (13-1) vs HAMILTON COUNTY (4-12)

We will preview the first game of the night the Meridian Bobcats and The Sesser-Valier Red Devils.

This is a game that I am keeping a close eye on.  For one is that I hold both head coaches in high regard, Shane Garner and Erik Griffin.

Meridian has an enrollment of 125.  The conference schedule they play is schools of similar size in the southern seven counties.  Their non conference schedule consists of schools that are 1,000 plus in size.  Their record might not be pretty but the goal is to play games in March.

Sesser-Valier has the same goal in mind going to the BIT.  They have a second and a fourth place class 1A trophy in their case, and Meridian has a second place in the years they have been there.

Here is what coach Erik Griffin has to say about his team:

“Our losses resemble a who’s who in southern Illinois basketball; Marion (3A), Mt. Vernon (3A), Herrin (3A), Carterville (3A), Collinsville (4A) and Harrisburg, in addition to Saxony Lutheran (small school champion of the Carbondale Holiday Tourney) and most recently to Graves County, KY (with 7’0 Northern Kentucky University signee Chris Vogt).”

“We have gradually strengthened our schedule in the three years I have been head coach.   The only Class A schools on our non-conference schedule being Metro East Lutheran, Madison (canceled due to weather), and an upcoming match up with Waltonville at the Pinckneyville Shootout.”

“Our starters are guards Jabare Patrick (sr), TJ Nichols (sr), Darnell Lowe (jr) and junior forwards Demareon Nicholson and Demond Vasser. Seeing action off the bench, are senior big man Byron Nesby, guards Ja’Quan Jones (jr), Eddie Robertson (so), Malik Pratt (sr) and Jalil Amerson (jr).”

“Robertson leads us in scoring off the bench and Vasser, Lowe, Nicholson, Nesby, and Jones all hover near double figures. We are pretty balanced, and even though we are taking some lumps with our schedule, our kids continue to work hard and have shown great attitudes in regards to what our ultimate goals are.”

Both teams come into this with a balanced attack.  Shane Garner has been playing a solid nine man rotation as well.

I don’t mean to sound like a broken record but Lowe and Nesby will give the Devils some big time problems in the post.  I am going with Meridian by five.

We are going to look at game three of the night, the Hamilton County Foxes and the Benton Rangers.

The Rangers come into tonight’s action the number six team in Class 3A.  The Foxes have been very close to pulling an upset off any day now.  Their 4-10 record is a little deceiving.

Here is what Benton Coach Ron Winemiller had to say about tonight’s matchup, “Oakley Dial is playing as well as anyone in the tournament coming in. We will have to limit his looks and not let him have a big game. I really like (Jake) Whipple as well very athletic off the bounce and always plays very hard. We will have to force them into an up and down game.”

Here is what Hamilton County Coach Jeremy Varner had to say about the BIT in General,  “The Fox players, coaches, and fans always look forward to the BIT. It is always loaded with talented teams and players. The past few years have been rough for us over there, but teams get better when they play good competition.

“Our kids are very aware of the history of the tournament and that they will have to be ready to compete all week when they go. We fell like we know the challenges ahead and are looking for a good showing and bringing home some wins.”

Hamco is improved than when the two teams met in the Goreville Tournament.  Oakley Dial has been on an unreal roll since the Eldorado Holiday Tournament.  The Rangers just have too many horses.  I am going with Benton by 20.