BASKETBALL: Illinois High School Basketball Hall of Fame inducts first class
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Colonnades Club inside Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois played host this past Saturday night as the Illinois High School Basketball Hall of Fame and Museum inducted its inaugural class of 60 male and female players from the Pre-1960's and Post-1960's eras.
The ceremony was held in Champaign, but the museum itself will be located on the square in Pinckneyville, where Hall of Fame and Museum Executive Director Dick Corn made a name for himself with two IHSA state championships coaching the Panthers. Corn hopes the museum will have a ground-breaking date to announce when the 2012 Hall of Fame class is inducted next year.
"There comes a point where you have to show some action, it can't just be giving lip service," Corn said after the ceremony. "You have to move a step forward, and I think tonight was a big step forward for us."
"I think it also gives us some state-wide credibility where we move out of just Pinckneyville, Southern Illinois-type mode and people now can see that we are serious about wanting to bring the Hall of Fame and Museum to the state (of Illinois)."
Upon completion, the Pinckneyville facility will be filled with archival video and as many as several hundred LCD projected video displays. Memorabilia, images and artifacts from around the state will be displayed in professionally lighted and audio-driven exhibits. The Hall also plans to integrate the iPad and Wii-style motion sensors into the exhibits along with technology that allows the visitor to experience historic moments tailored to their specific region.
"We're about 40% complete with our capital campaign," Corn said. "If I had to guess, I would say that at some point in 2013 we hope to be able to break ground and then the following year at some point we would be open for business."
"With 40% of our capital campaign complete now, it's probably unrealistic to think that we could get that totally done in the next 12-14 months, but hopefully by the end of '12 we're right there knocking on the door."
Roughly half of the 60 athletes honored were either in attendance or represented by a friend or family member at the podium including two-time all-stater Rich Yunkus from Benton, whom legendary coach Rich Herrin claimed was the best player he produced in 32 years.
"They were the ones that I read about when I was a kid," Corn said of the group of attending inductees.
"It was kind of emotional to be honest with you, to meet some of the true, great players of all-time, the people who have made Illinois high school basketball what it is. It was a thrill for me."
University of Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas and Illini head basketball coach Bruce Weber were guest speakers at the event and urged support for the museum and its board. A letter from Hall of Fame and Museum executive board member Mike Krzyzewski (Duke head coach) was also read by emcee Jerry Hester, followed by a video message from fellow board member Jerry Colangelo (former Phoenix Suns owner).
In closing, Corn encouraged those in attendance to spread word of the Museum's efforts, and to tell their schools to preserve their basketball history.
"We need people to just spread the word to their friends and family in central Illinois and northern Illinois and people that have connections to Illinois high school basketball that have moved out of the state," Corn said.
"Obviously we need capital, but we also need people to start to document their stories. We need people that will hang on to their memorabilia because if we don't start to collect that, eventually it's going to be gone and lost forever."
The 2011 Illinois High School Basketball Hall of Fame Boys Pre-1960s class included Ted Beach (Champaign), Terry Bethel (Collinsville), Ron Bontemps (Taylorville), Lou Boudreau (Harvey Thornton), Bruce Brothers (Quincy), Charlie Brown (Chicago DuSable), Ted Ciazza (LaGrange Lyons), Deacon Davis (Freeport), Archie Dees (Mount Carmel), Dave Downey (Canton), Dike Eddleman (Centralia), Nolden Gentry (West Rockford), Tommy Hawkins (Chicago Parker), Art Hicks (Chicago St. Elizabeth), Max Hooper (Mount Vernon), Mannie Jackson (Edwardsville), Paul Judson (Hebron), Paxton Lumpkin (Chicago DuSable), Bobby Joe Mason (Centralia), Walt Moore (Mount Vernon), Don Nelson (Rock Island), Don Ohl (Edwardsville), Johnny Orr (Taylorville), Andy Phillip (Granite City), Harv Schmidt (Kankakee), Jerry Sloan (McLeansboro), Bill Small (Roanoke-Benson/West Aurora), Chales 'Chico' Vaughn (Tamms), Governor Vaughn (Collinsville) and George Wilson (Chicago Marshall).
The Boys Post-1960s class consisted of Mark Aguirre (Chicago Westinghouse), Nick Anderson (Chicago Prosser/Simeon), Jamie Brandon (Chicago King), Jim Brewer (Maywood Proviso East), Quinn Bucker (Dolton Thornridge), Bruce Douglas (Quincy), LaPhonso Ellis (East St. Louis Lincoln), Kevin Garnett (Chicago Farragut), Glen Grunwald (Granklin Park East Leyden), Dan Issel (Batavia), Marcus Liberty (Chicago King), Howard Nathan (Peoria Manual), Tom Parker (Collinsville), Glenn (Doc) Rivers (Maywood Proviso East), Dave Robisch (Springfield), Cazzie Russell (Chicago Carver), Jay Shidler (Lawrenceville), Marty Simmons (Lawrenceville), Isiah Thomas (Westchester St. Joseph) and Yunkus.
Girls Hall of Fame inductees were Kathy Boswell (Joliet West), Dominique Canty (Chicago Whitney Young), Tamika Catchings (Lincolnshire Stevenson), Pam Gant (Joliet East), Yolanda Griffith (Chicago Carver), Janet Harris (Chicago Marshall), E.C. Hill (Chicago Whitney Young), Tina Hutchinson (East St. Louis Lincoln), Nora Lewis (Peoria Richwoods) and Kim Williams (Chicago Marshall).
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