A few rambling thoughts on the 40th Annual BIT

By Tom Wheeler

Some thoughts from a week of basketball in Benton at the 40^th Invitational at Rich Herrin gymnasium. Let’s just ramble today … Congratulations to Carlyle and coach Andy Palmer as his Indians won their first BIT since 1998 when Brad Weathers tied with Curt Reed’s Foxes with a 4-1 record … Looking back the Championship game was played on Monday in the first game of the tournament when Carlyle defeated Okawville 47-40 as each team won in the next four sessions … The biggest surprise of this game was the play of two BIT all-tournament players Matt Hilmes of Carlyle and Jeremy Weeke of Okawville.  Hilmes had missed 13 Indian games with a broken hand while Weeke was thought to have a broken foot but a second opinion showed Jeremy had an extra bone in his foot and the injury was just a bad sprain. Both athletes were released Monday in time to play and play they did … Carlyle’s Tyson Boehne sat out Saturday night’s game with a sprained ankle, Tyson will play baseball at McKendree University where his dad James is head coach … McLeansboro’s Tyler Cross showed up on crutches Friday night with a broken foot and the point guard will be out for the remainder of his senior year … Rockets coach Jon Krause, Ranger’s Ron Winemiller and the Foxes Keith Welch all played in the BIT, in fact Coach Welch won the Bob Blondi Sportsmanship Award twice in 1999 and 2000 while his young brother Jake won it in 2007. Another brother Devon, who is an assistant coach to his brother, was all tournament in 00 and 01 … Devon was also honored to be named one of the top 40 players to play in the BIT and was one of the 20 all stars who returned for a nice half time ceremony … veteran basketball official Roger Grumley was honored Monday night for his service at the BIT as this is his last year to officiate, a great guy on and off the court … the only “Little Wheels” camper to make this top 40 list was Collinsville coach Doug Kirk one of Benton’s all-time leading scorers … other ex-Little Wheels who made the all-tournament team when they played besides Kirk who made it three times were, Seiger and Sayler Shurtz, Ryan Fraulini, Brett Blondi and Aaron Cantrell … Benton great Rob Dunbar was a 1974 All Star and made the ceremony, teammate that year Paul Dinkins did not make it but 1975 teammate Billy Smith was also honored, in fact Smith looked like he could still go 32 minutes … all-stars Shane Hawkins (Pinckneyville) was coaching for Marion Saturday night and couldn’t attend as was Rend Lakes Randy House(Benton) and Belleville East’s Able Schrader (Okawville) … Okawville legendary coach David Luechtefield was in attendance Friday night, he won titles in 1995,1997,1999 and 2000.  His son Jeff made the all-tournament team in 1986 and 1987 while youngest son Ryan was honored in 1993 and 1994 … The only Harlem Globetrotter to be a BIT All-star was Carlyle’s Jacob Tucker … I also had a chance to visit with a couple ex-Little Wheels campers who were assistant coaches Benton’s Jason Hobbs (Christopher) and Pinckneyville assistant Todd Thomas(Johnston City, Tommy’s son) … The top five scorers in the tournament were Carlyle’s Hilmes (95),Sesser-Valier’s Justin Kulich (75), Oakville’s Weeke (73), Carlyle’s Cody Huels (72) and Benton’s Nathanael Higgins (64), all five were all tournament selections