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...

From expanded football playoffs to board changes, IHSA schools approved sweeping by-law amendments with statewide impact. Officials say the expansion will improve scheduling and long-term stability and moves regular-season games up one week. Photo: Sentinel /Clark Brooks Structural changes to high school football in Illinois will benefit teams around the state. Quality programs can schedule games against top-tier opponents like Byron and Unity without the potential loss affecting playoff eligibility. BLOOMINGTON - Friday nights in October are about to mean a little more to a lot more Illinois high school football teams next fall. Illinois high school football will see its largest postseason field in state history beginning in 2026, after member schools approved a sweeping expansion of the IHSA football playoffs. The change reshapes not just who gets in, but how schools schedule, compete and stay invested long after the first losses of the season. I...