McLean County Tournament Opens With Execution and Authority Photos by Alan Look Photography The opening round of the 2026 McLean County Boys Basketball Tournament offered an early reminder that January basketball is less about promise and more about purpose. Two games, played in different gyms with different energies, underscored that truth as Fieldcrest dispatched Flanagan-Cornell and El Paso–Gridley asserted control over Heyworth. Fieldcrest Knights 66, Flanagan-Cornell Falcons 50 Watching Flanagan-Cornell during shootaround and pregame warmups, it was easy to believe points would come easily. Shots fell cleanly, the ball moved crisply, and confidence appeared abundant. Once the game began, however, the tone shifted. Under pressure, the Falcons struggled to convert opportunities, and the scoreboard quietly documented just how cold the offense became and how vulnerable the defense proved against a disciplined opponent. Fieldcrest, by contrast, played a game rooted in patience an...

  U-High’s Patience Pays Off in Home Win Over Lincoln Photo by Alan Look Photography University High School doesn’t rush things. Not possessions. Not decisions. And certainly not basketball games. That measured approach was on full display Tuesday night in Normal, as the U-High Pioneers steadily wore down Lincoln Community High School for a 56–37 boys varsity basketball win inside a quietly tense gym that never quite found an upset pulse. From the opening tip, U-High dictated pace. The Pioneers led 12–9 after one quarter, content to probe, pull the ball back out, and make Lincoln defend every inch of hardwood. By halftime, the advantage had grown to 25–18, less because of any single surge and more because of a thousand small, disciplined decisions.                                                            Photo by Alan Look Photograp...

  A One-Point Night in Heyworth Photography by Alan Look Photography Some basketball games are remembered for what went right. Others linger because of what almost did. El Paso-Gridley’s boys varsity team left Heyworth with a 51–50 win Tuesday night, a game that stayed tight from start to finish and never allowed either side to breathe easily. From the outset, both teams showed a clear sense of strategy. Possessions were deliberate. Defensive looks changed. Coaches adjusted. The structure of the game was solid, even when the results were not. Execution, for long stretches, was uneven. Passes were mistimed. Shots didn’t fall. Rebounding effort came and went. Those small breakdowns, shared by both teams, kept the score locked in a one-possession window and prevented either side from taking control. That margin showed itself most clearly in the final moments. Heyworth had three chances to win — two missed layups and a missed free throw that would have sent the game to overtime. Instea...

  I Don’t Know Who Started Counting Toilet Paper Sheets, but I’d Like a Word I don’t know when we decided that the number of sheets on a roll of toilet paper was important, but I’m fairly certain no consumer ever asked for it. Image by Alan Look Photograhpy Nobody has ever walked into a store and said, “I’d like a roll that has exactly 410 sheets on it, and not a sheet more.” Yet there it is, printed on the package in bold type, as if it’s a meaningful statistic—like calories on food or miles per gallon on a car. The problem with counting sheets is that  a sheet isn’t anything . It’s not a measurement. It’s a suggestion. One company’s sheet is thick enough to qualify as light cardboard, while another company’s sheet is so thin you can read the warranty information through it. Calling them both “one sheet” is like saying a thimble and a coffee mug are both “one cup.” Then there’s the ply. Nobody explains how ply factors into the sheet count, because if they did, the whole thing...

 McLean County Basketball Tournament 2026: Preview and Look Back Basketball season in McLean County reaches its annual peak with the  2026 McLean County Basketball Tournament , tipping off   January 17th . This is the tournament where every team rises to the occasion, where pride, bragging rights, and lasting memories are on the line. Many of these players know each other off the court as teammates in travel leagues when the school season isn’t in play, adding extra intensity and rivalry to every matchup. Fans can expect fast-paced action, fierce competition, and the kind of moments that define high school hoops in our community. The  boys’ bracket  kicks off in  El Paso-Gridley , where first-round games promise plenty of intensity, surprises, and early fireworks as teams fight to advance. While the top seeds —  Le Roy  (#1) and  Eureka  (#2) — won’t see action until Monday, every matchup before then is a chance for underdogs to make a s...

  The Quality of a Photograph Still Matters — Especially Now We live in an age where more photographs are made in a single day than were produced in entire decades not that long ago. Cameras are everywhere. Bursts are cheap. Storage is endless. And yet, for all this abundance, truly  good photographs—images that stop you, hold you, and tell you something real—feel increasingly rare. That’s because quality in photography has never been about volume or convenience. It has always been about intent. At its core, photo quality is a convergence of three things: technical execution, visual composition, and emotional truth. Sharpness matters, but only when it serves the moment. Exposure matters, but only when it reveals what the image is trying to say. Timing matters most of all—because the decisive moment, once missed, is gone forever. Nowhere is this more evident than in sports action photography. A great sports image doesn’t just show  what  happened; it shows  how ...

  Wall Art Trends for Today’s Homes and Offices — And How Photography Fits the Moment Interior design trends come and go, but wall art remains one of the most personal and impactful ways to define a space. As homes and offices move away from sterile minimalism and toward warmth, texture, and storytelling, photography has re-emerged as a top choice for wall art in 2026 — especially work rooted in nature, atmosphere, and authentic place. Today’s design aesthetic favors calm over clutter, meaning over novelty , and art that invites viewers to pause rather than scroll past. That shift plays directly into the strengths of well-composed photographic wall art. Nature, Landscapes, and a Sense of Place One of the strongest trends right now is nature-inspired wall art . Landscapes, skies, rural scenes, and environmental details are being used to soften interiors and bring a biophilic element indoors. These images work particularly well in living rooms, bedrooms, offices, and reception areas...

  Ironmen Set the Tone Early, Hold Off Panthers at Normal Community The crowd inside Normal Community High School may have been sparse, but the message delivered by the Ironmen was anything but quiet. From the opening tip, Normal Community seized control and never bothered to hand it back, dispatching United Township 67–57 in a game that was decided more by pace and poise than by the final margin. Normal Community came out crisp, confident, and comfortable in its own gym. Shots fell early and often, and by halftime the Ironmen had built a commanding 32–16 advantage. The Panthers, meanwhile, spent most of the first half chasing rebounds, chasing shooters, and chasing a rhythm that never quite arrived. The Ironmen looked like a team that knew exactly where it wanted to go—and how to get there. Credit United Township for refusing to fold. The third quarter belonged to the Panthers, who tightened defensively and finally found some daylight at their own end of the floor. Holding Normal ...

   Golden Balls and Hardwood Truths: Four Crowns, One Night at the State Farm Holiday Classic Basketball, at its best, doesn’t need alibis. It simply shows up, laces its sneakers, and tells the truth. On December 30, 2025, the truth echoed off the hardwood at the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, where four championship games decided four destinies at the  2025 State Farm Holiday Classic . Four divisions. Four final whistles. Four golden balls handed to teams that survived December, pressure, and the long arithmetic of tournament basketball. Small School Girls Championship Paris Tigers 53, Winnebago Indians 40 The top seed usually writes the script, but Paris brought its own pen. Winnebago, the No. 1 seed, arrived with expectations packed neatly in their warmups. Paris, seeded third, arrived with something more dangerous—belief. The Tigers stalked the game patiently, turned defense into currency, and cashed in when it mat...

  Illini Men’s Basketball Dominates Southern University at State Farm Center Photo by Alan Look Illinois men’s basketball delivered a commanding performance at the State Farm Center on Tuesday night, rolling past the Southern University Jaguars with a decisive 90–55 victory. The win marked the Illini’s  10th victory of the season  and showcased a complete effort on both ends of the floor. The Illini set the tone early and never relented, building a lead that swelled to  36 points  at its peak. Defensive intensity defined the second half, as Southern University was held to just  25 points after the break , allowing Illinois to control tempo and close out the game emphatically in front of the home crowd. A standout performance came from  Jake Davis , who delivered one of the most efficient shooting nights of his career. Davis knocked down  five of his six three-point attempts , matching his personal single-game high for made three-pointers. His peri...

  Day Two Delivers Definition at the 50th State Farm Holiday Classic Day two of the  2025 State Farm Holiday Classic  leaned into what five decades of December basketball in Bloomington-Normal have taught us: by now, the pretenders start to fade, and the programs built for March begin to look very comfortable in late December. On the tournament’s  50th anniversary , the large-school boys bracket provided clarity, contrast, and a reminder that this event still knows how to separate teams with purpose from teams still searching for it. Machesney Park Harlem and Chicago Prosser set the tone with a game that demanded patience. Harlem absorbed pressure, handled stretches of half-court basketball, and made the possessions count when they mattered most. The result was a  58–49 Harlem victory , a scoreline that reflected control rather than chaos. Prosser kept it within reach, but Harlem’s ability to finish plays late proved decisive inside a gym that has seen this movi...

  A Golden Milestone: The State Farm Holiday Coed Basketball Classic Turns 50 in Bloomington-Normal For half a century, the  State Farm Holiday Coed Basketball Tournament  has been a cornerstone of winter sports in  Bloomington-Normal , blending tradition, competition, and community into one of Illinois’ most enduring high school basketball showcases. Now celebrating its  50th year , the Classic stands as a testament to the staying power of the game and the student-athletes who give it life every December. What began as a local holiday event has evolved into a respected stage where boys and girls programs share equal spotlight, fans pack the stands, and generations of families return year after year. The Classic is more than a tournament—it’s a seasonal marker, signaling that basketball season has fully arrived in the heart of the state. Over five decades, it has built a reputation for competitive matchups, spirited crowds, and an atmosphere that feels both nost...

  Saturday Night Special: Pioneers Outlast Spartans in a Defensive Grind!       Photos by Alan Look Photography Welcome to the high school hoops scene! Despite a sparse pre-Christmas crowd, The atmosphere? Electric! The intensity? Through the roof! On Saturday night, December 20, 2025, the hardwood in Normal was the place to be as the  Pioneers of Normal University High  played host to the  Spartans of Springfield Southeast . It was a classic Central Illinois showdown—physical, determined, and a total defensive battle from the opening tip to the final horn! Right from the get-go, you knew points were going to be at a premium. Defense was the name of the game! The Pioneers? They brought the energy! Coach was leaning on that depth, using a revolving door at the scorer’s table. Wave after wave of fresh legs coming at the Spartans! It was a track meet disguised as a basketball game! U-High substituting early and often, keeping the pressure high and the pac...

 Peoria Lions Outrun the Ironmen in a Hard‑Charging, Heartland Showdown Photos by Alan Look Photography There are nights in Illinois high school basketball when the gym feels less like a venue and more like a broadcast booth waiting for Harry Caray’s voice to boom through it. Last night’s Peoria Lions vs. Normal Ironmen matchup was one of those nights—loud, fast, physical, and brimming with the kind of Midwest determination that Caray would have stretched into a full‑throated spectacle. From the opening tip, the Lions pushed the tempo with a confidence that suggested they wanted the game played on their terms. They attacked the floor in long, punishing strides, turning rebounds into runway‑length sprints and forcing the Ironmen to defend in transition more often than they preferred. The pace wasn’t just quick—it was relentless, the kind of up‑tempo surge that wears on legs and tests discipline. Normal, known for its structured sets and half‑court execution, found itself wrestling w...