Coaches: Four-class system should be expelled

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Thumbs-down for the four-class basketball playoffs.

That seemed to be the consensus, judging by the number of nodding heads anyway, at Wednesday's annual Basketball Coaches Report hosted by the Aurora Noon Lions Club at Luigi's.

"I was on the (IHSA basketball) committee for a little while, and the feedback I got was people don't like it," said Waubonsie Valley coach Steve Weemer, answering a question from an audience member.

"The fans don't like it, coaches don't like it. If Washington, which is five miles from downtown Peoria, didn't qualify for the state tournament last year, there's no one there.

"So it's really disheartening. If fans such as yourself don't like it, you're not gonna go. Will it change? We don't know, but there are not too many people in favor of it."

Coaches from five of Aurora's six high schools (West's Gordie Kerkman had a prior commitment), Waubonsee Community College and Aurora University were at the dinner, open to the public, to offer previews of their teams.

"Rumor is, the city of Peoria may not bid for the state tournament when it comes up again for renewal (because attendance was down)," Weemer said, adding he hopes that's not true.

He said Peoria is a great place for the tournament because the arena, hotels and restaurants are all in close proximity, making it easy for coaches and fans to park and walk wherever they need to go.

Weemer favors a return to two classes.

"I'm kind of the old-fashioned guy," he said. "If it's not broke, why fix it? Two classes worked great since, what, 1974?"

Going international

It resulted in a team from Milwaukee (Pulaski) and an Australian traveling team joining the field.

"They saw it and got in touch with our athletic director," East coach Wendell Jeffries said. "It's kind of a unique situation. The Australian Travelers are going to stay in a hotel their first night here, then the players are going to stay with host families the other two nights because they want to experience American life."

Jeffries doesn't know much about the Aussies but assumes they are an all-star team of some sort.

"They could be pretty good. I mean, you're not gonna travel that far with just anybody. But I'm not playing them first," he said with a smile.

Actually, the teams are in different pools and could only meet in a crossover the final day.

• Aurora Christian coach Marc Davidson was looking forward to getting the football players on his roster after an 0-3 start at the Batavia tournament with "basically five guys."

• Aurora Central Catholic coach Nate Drye was pleased with his team's 4-0 start at the Sandwich tournament but is looking forward to the tougher part of his schedule.

"We're not as good rebounding and defensively as last year," he said. "Right now, we're outscoring people."

• East, which went 2-2 but beat eventual champion Downers Grove South in pool play last weekend at the St. Charles East Tournament, gets another crack at Proviso West (76-56 loss) at home Saturday.

"We had hoped to be in different pools (last week)," Jeffries said.

• West, which went 2-2 last week at Rock Island, opens DuPage Valley Conference play tonight at Naperville Central.

The Blackhawks, who beat Julian and Dunbar, dropped decisions to tournament champion Rock Island and runner-up Richwoods. Freshman Juwan Starks and senior Markus Cocroft made the all-tournament team.

• Drye likened 6-foot-5-inch senior Anthony Kelley to "a pterodactyl, all arms and legs." The senior guard was flying high, like the dinosaur, averaging 25 points to earn MVP honors at Sandwich.

"He's really playing phenomenal and starting to get a lot of college attention," Drye said.

Tickets will be sold through the schools through Dec. 17.