TERRE HAUTE — Not long after arriving at my parents’ home in rural northern Indiana on Christmas Eve, the Andy Williams song “It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” began coming from the living room speakers.
Filling the role of The Grinch, my comment was to the effect “It’s been 35 degrees and raining lately and before that much colder, is this really the most wonderful time of the year? I’d really enjoy some 85 degree temperatures and some sunshine.”
Well, eventually I got into a semblance of a Christmas spirit — it’s tough for a single guy in his 20s — and enjoyed the time with my family, which is easy to do.
But the perfect cure for the winter time blues was to spend as much time as possible at the Pizza Hut Wabash Valley Classic.
This year’s version was the most enjoyable one I’ve witnessed, having spent time at much of the past few years’ tournaments. I try to take full advantage because it is often one of the only times I get to see much high school basketball because I have in-office duties on Friday nights.
Our Tribune-Star sports staff recently voted on the top stories of the year and the Pizza Hut Wabash Valley Classic didn’t make my top five. I would like to retract that vote (even though it’s a little too late). This is definitely one of the top events in the Wabash Valley each and every year.
The Odum brothers of Terre Haute South took on the Eitel twins of Marshall for the tournament championship Saturday. This may have been the best story of the year in the Wabash Valley even though the game turned out lopsided.
As a former player at a school with an enrollment around 300, it would be nice to see a small school win this tournament at some point. But Terre Haute South’s dominance was impressive behind an aggressive, physical defense.
Marshall twin brothers Logan and Lucas Eitel appear to belong on the Phoenix Suns with their acute ability to find the open man as well as nailing shots from 3-point range when they have the chance. It would be like Steve Nash having a twin brother.
The Eitels appear to have the potential to be future Division I players, and it will be interesting to see if they are a package deal for some “lucky” coach.
After a couple tough seasons, it’s great to see the Odums and John Michael Jarvis leading coach Mike Saylor’s team back to being the best in the Wabash Valley. Despite an ugly offensive performance against Terre Haute North, the Braves were able to acclimate show off their strong chemistry and toughness during this tournament.
And while Terre Haute North coach Jim Jones’ team isn’t one of his best so far, 6-foot-6 Thomas Anderson showed he has a bright future as just a sophomore. I’m glad I had a chance to see the Patriots battle West Vigo’s Vikings on Friday, and those two teams will rematch in the Green Dome on Jan. 11 by the way.
Friday’s game that left several young fans saying “West Vigo won” even though the scoreboard disagreed after Anderson’s 40-footer was let go it seemed simultaneously as the buzzer sounded.
West Vigo is as fun to watch as anyone. The desire to win shown by coach Tommy Thornton’s team is inspiring. Maybe Santa can bring Thornton a 6-foot-8 center for Christmas next year.
Speaking of 6-8, Rockville’s 6-8 R.J. Mahurin put on a show as well, racking up a tournament record 40 points in a first-round victory against Monrovia in front of a large contingent of Rockville fans that never failed to arrive early and in a large mass. Mahurin also topped former Northview standout Zach Keyes’ tournament scoring record. Keyes is now an assistant coach for Mitch Lancaster’s Knights.
As excited tournament director Gary Fears pointed out Friday, the Eitels, Mahurin and most of his Rockville teammates will be back next year, along with most of the West Vigo guards and many many other high-quality players and coaches will be back next year.
“It was a tremendous tournament,” Fears said Saturday night. “A lot of great games. A lot of small 1A schools against the big schools … great matchups, very pleased with the attendance at the tournament and really looking forward to year No. 9.”
Here’s to enjoying the most wonderful time of the year next December.
Craig Pearson can be reached by e-mail at
craig.pearson@tribstar.com.
Falling records
Most Points in a Game
R.J. Mahurin, 40 points
Most Points in a Tournament
R.J. Mahurin, 118
Most Field Goals in a Game
R.J. Mahurin, 15
Most Points in a half (1 team)
Casey, 53
Most Points in a half (2 teams)
Casey (53)/Monrovia(39), 92
Most free throws attempted (game)
Casey, 42 (tied record)
Given to Fly
December 30, 2007
Given to Fly: Plethora of reasons to enjoy Pizza Hut Classic
- Given to Fly
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GIVEN TO FLY: Come to expect new standards of excellence
Records are definitely meant to be broken; athletes today are faster and stronger than those in the past in many endeavors in athletics.
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GIVEN TO FLY: ISU women have solid recruiting class
The caliber of athletes that the Indiana State women’s basketball coaching staff is bringing in is on an upswing.
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GIVEN TO FLY: Major leaguers John, Dorsett meet up at tonight’s game
Terre Haute’s only two big leaguers of the last 50 years — Tommy John and Brian Dorsett — will catch up with one another today.
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FOOT NOTES: Valley natives perform well on national stage
Several Wabash Valley natives continue to shine on the national track and field scene.
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'Til It's Over: Sycamores ‘in a good place,’ but searching for more in MVC
Can Teri Moren lift Indiana State, last year’s seventh-place team in the Missouri Valley Conference, to one of the league’s contenders in her first year on campus?
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'Til It's Over: Two sets of identical twins should keep North Central baseball a contender
The last high school baseball team standing in the Wabash Valley was the North Central, the Thunderbirds falling short 4-3 in the Class A Semistate on Saturday just one game shy of Victory Field.
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'Til It's Over: Jarvis, Anderson confident Olney, hard work leads to Division I dream
Olney, Ill., population 8,000-plus and known for its population of white squirrels, might not be the dream destination for high school basketball players in Indiana.
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'Til It's Over: Robinson 7-footer more focused in postseason; 6-foot Jones keeps producing
Robinson 7-footer Meyers Leonard is not going to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA some day, but his odds of reaching the league are pretty solid if his game continues to evolve as it has during high school.
- 'Til It's Over: ‘Stepping stone’ game points Sycamores in right direction Whether the win comes against a top-25 team or a conference pushover, ending a four-game losing streak is always a relief.
- 'Til It's Over: Indianapolis ISU recruit rolling along in senior season As Indiana State recruit Anna Munn approached Christmas with the Decatur Central basketball team, the senior guard didn’t seem to need much of a wishlist.
- 'Til It's Over: Magic’s still there for '79 Sycamores For the former Indiana State players who visited the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in late November, the weekend was a chance to relive memories with teammates and see Larry Bird’s career with the Sycamores celebrated again.
- CRAIG PEARSON: North has strong history in cross country state finals Vigo County is home to just four IHSAA state championships in team sports. Most recently, Terre Haute South won girls titles in basketball (2002) and tennis (2001).
- 'Till It's Over: It’s been rough year but no need to break up Cubs' core Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry is only in the first year of a three-year contract, and aren’t back-to-back division championships enough to keep him around despite this year’s season filled with bad luck?
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'Til It's Over: Hansbrough, Hibbert give Pacers glimpse of future
You might have heard of the Indiana Pacers’ 2009 first-round draft pick. He was on the television once in a while during his four-year career at North Carolina.
- 'Til It's Over: Bertoli, Moore put on show in abundance of events “Anthony and Erica” may not have the marketing capability of “Dan and Dave,” but neither of Indiana State’s outstanding multi-event participants had let-down performances this weekend in the Missouri Valley Conference Championships.
- ‘Walking wounded’: ISU seniors return to provide spark All three ISU seniors will graduate in May, and all three will be in uniform today as Indiana State battles Bradley in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament quarterfinals.
- Given to Fly: Northview standout runner Thacker coming to ISU Doc Brown told an old-timer in a saloon in “Back to the Future III” that despite having automobiles in the future people run for recreation.
- Given to Fly: Schilli’s Rodman-like performance aids ISU With Indiana State’s women’s basketball team ranking eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference in field-goal percentage (36.5), the Sycamores need as many shot attempts as possible to maintain their standing on top of the league.
- Given to Fly: A classic in every sense of the word What tournament director and co-founder Gary Fears had in mind when creating the tournament came to fruition Tuesday. Marshall, with an enrollment of 438 students, became the smallest school to win the Pizza Hut Wabash Valley Classic in the ninth season of the tourney.
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Given to Fly: ISU women should build confidence off strong outing
Indiana State did not pull off the monumental upset Saturday against No. 23 Kansas State, but the Wildcats are —aside from Connecticut in 2005 — the best team the Sycamores have played in the Jim Wiedie era.
- Given to Fly: ISU women's hoops team slides onto commercial radio Coach Jim Wiedie expects the Indiana State women’s basketball team to have a bit of a retro feel this season, meaning the Sycamores have the potential to get back to creating havoc with their full-court press.
- Given to Fly: ISU vets hope to prove pundits wrong Indiana State’s only two seniors were surprised to see they were picked ahead of just three Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball teams Tuesday morning.
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Footnotes: In first marathon, former Sycamore comes out a winner
Indiana State graduate Dani Prince made her debut in the event with a victory in the Columbus Marathon on Sunday.
Prince’s goal was a time under 2 hours and 50 minutes, and she ran a 2:48.56. -
Given To Fly: ISU volleyball turning things around
It was an extremely busy weekend for Indiana State athletics this weekend.
- Footnotes: Here’s hoping perfect weather is still around for Nationals in November The weather made for a perfect fall afternoon Saturday at LaVern Gibson Championship Course. For what it’s worth, the Farmer’s Almanac calls for more sunny conditions from Nov. 20-24, with the NCAA Championships falling on the 24th this year.
- Terre Haute natives cherish memories of ‘House that Ruth Built’ Yankee Stadium was packed as usual on Easter Sunday in 1979. George Steinbrenner’s Yankees were one loss away from being swept by the Milwaukee Brewers to start the season. That was no way for the two-time defending World Series champions to perform, so the boss had a conversation with his new veteran left-handed starting pitcher prior to the game.
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Footnotes: Oregon men and women have strangehold on preseason NCAA cross countryrankings
The Oregon men and women were almost both unanimous picks as the No. 1 teams in the nation in the preseason cross country national rankings released recently.
- Given to Fly: Bronze medalist has strong ISU ties One of the remarkable American medalists of this 2008 Olympics thus far also provided one of the most sparkling stories in the brief history of the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course here in Terre Haute.
- Former ISU QB gets back to Amarillo This week, Indiana State signed its most highly-touted football prospect in years, and former quarterback Julian Reese is ripping it up for the Amarillo Dusters of Arena2.
- Indiana State track sending strong group to NCAA regional Three sophomore women and three senior men lead a large Indiana State contingent of track and field athletes into the NCAA Mideast Regional this weekend at Fayetteville, Ark.
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