I have noticed recently a lot of discussion on the Peoria Journal Star forums page about high school basketball. That is not surprising, its cold and snowy out and with local football all but over it certainly is basketball season.
However, the surprising thing is the slant of all the talk in the area. Is the Mid-Illini the only conference playing basketball this year??? It's as if no one talks about Peoria or Mid-State basketball anymore.
It amazes me in this area, where Manual went back to back to back to back just a decade ago, where Chuck Buescher and Central won back to back state titles just 5 years ago, and where the I.H.S.A. State Finals are played that it seems Basketball is only talked about on the other side of the Illinois River.
What has happened to Peoria basketball?? Didn't Richwoods knock the Washington Panthers out of the postseason last year? Didn't Richwoods play in the Pekin Holiday Tournament final just last week?
What has happened to Peoria hoops? In fact, just this season, the Washington Panthers added a transfer point guard, Dyricus Simms-Edwards. He has led the team in scoring on several occasions this year, and his back court mate is some guy named Matt Roth ;) Did I mention that Simms-Edwards transferred from Peoria Central!!!
Who ever heard of someone transferring from Central to play ball at Washington? No way that would ever have happened 10 years ago, or even 5 years ago. Peoria was THE hot spot in Illinois High School basketball....everyone wanted to play there.
Is high school basketball dying in Peoria? Is this the result of the class system expansion, or something else? Could it just be the regular ebb-and-flow of talent?
I don't know, but it is really interesting to see the changes in the past four of five seasons.
Let me know your thoughts with a comment below. I will also be putting up a high school poll question today.
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3 comments:
Go to a Manual game, then go to a Washington game. The number of fans you see at each gym will explain why all of the talk comes from the Mid Illini. Fan base for Mid Illini schools seem to be much bigger.
Sandbagger is correct. Peoria basketball is horrible right now. They only cheer when the team is winning it all. Where are all the followers now?????
I do not believe that Midstate 6/5 basketball is down - you just do not see the fan base anymore. Richwoods and PND still have a nice fanbase, Central is alright, Woodruff is struggling, and I dont think Manual knows they have a team anymore. But the Rams are looking like the single-A team to beat in the state (are they 1 or 2A?). Central is not looking terrible. Woodruff is a decent IMO. Richwoods is looking good. PND is decent at best. Like the other guys said, it is because of the fanbase. THe teams are still good, and I believe we will have a state champion in one of those teams
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