Bainter, Hagel to represent S'ville at ASC

After a standout season, Steeleville boys basketball coach Bryce Bainter is getting a unique opportunity.

Bainter will be one of the two head coaches of the 29th annual All-Star Classic on Sunday at John A. Logan College in Carterville.

Christopher's Eric Stallman is the other. Stallman will be assisted by Hamilton County's Jeremy Varner.

"This is my first all-star game as head coach," said Bainter, who will be assisted by Thompsonville's Pete Gordon. "There isn't a whole lot of strategy in a game like this.

"We've only had one practice and some of the kids weren't there."

Both teams held their only pre-game practice last Sunday. This week's event begins with a group photo at 1:15 p.m., followed by a 3-point contest, dunk contest, introductions and then tipoff at 2 p.m.

"I definitely think each kid's going to get a lot more playing time than they did at Rend Lake," Bainter said, referring to the Lion's Club All-Star Game at Rend Lake College that took place on March 25. "For the players who got selected to this, it's a little more of an honor."

Among Bainter's players is Steeleville senior Nic Hagel, who will put on the Warriors' basketball uniform for the final time.

The 6-foot-4 standout recently finished second at the COUNTRY Financial 3-point King of the Hill competition at Peoria's Carver Arena.

Hagel averaged 19.9 points per game for Steeleville, with single-game best of 37, and is signed to play basketball at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield this winter.

"Nic and I have been together every day for about the last four years," Bainter said. "Whether it was basketball or whatever.

"It will be neat to coach him one last time. He's won a lot of games for me and when you coach a kid like that, he really makes it look like you know what you're doing."

Bainter has some impressive talent on his team, including Woodlawn's Ross Owens and Dongola's Kyle Cox.

Owens helped lead the Cardinals to a fourth-place finish at the Class 1A state tournament in February, and Cox averaged 29.8 points per game for the Demons with an incredible single-game best of 48 points.

"We had practice (last) Sunday and there's a reason why these kids were selected to this game," Bainter said. "I think it will be neat to see that much talent on the floor. I think it will be a fun game to coach in."

On the other sideline, Stallman has a mix of talent from five different conferences, including the South Seven, SIRR and Black Diamond.

Three players - Braden Fitzjerrells (Mount Vernon), Austin Swalls (Carterville) and Dylan Miller (Waltonville) - averaged more than 20 points per game last season.

Six of them - Fitzjerrells, Swalls, Miller, Clayton Houghland (Pinckneyville), Lane Hutson (Crab Orchard) and Hunter Wheeler (Christopher) - reached the 30-point plateau in a single game.

"The only other time we've faced off was in 2013," Bainter said on if he's faced Stallman before. "We beat Christopher in the regional championship. That's the only other time we've coached against each other."

Bainter was asked if there's any particular strategy to coach an all-star game.

"Obviously, letting the kids play and probably five in and five out with 10 players on the team," he said. "Perhaps getting to more of the X's and O's late in the game."

Bainter was asked what it means to him to coach in this event.

"I just think it's a nice honor to coach in this game," he said. "I think the team having a lot of success this year helped get me this honor and it's nice to be able to coach in a game like this."

All tickets are $5 and doors will open at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Chester's Jason Schwartz was invited to participate, but Yellow Jackets coach Brad Norman told the Herald Tribune last Saturday that the senior standout will not be able to attend.