TERRE HAUTE — 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.
Bloomfield was runner-up twice, Turkey Run once and Marshall bounced back from a runner-up finish and a 64-33 loss to Terre Haute South in last season’s title game. The Lions came back on a mission this year, avenging that loss to coach Mike Saylor’s Braves team that he feels can compete with any team in the country. The Braves did defeat Lawrence North, a team ranked among the top 32 in the nation by rivals.com.
Marshall pulled away from Terre Haute North on Tuesday for a 64-48 triumph.
“It feels great to get over that hump,” said Marshall coach Tom Brannan. “It’s all about the players. Players and effort.”
Marshall’s current enrollment isn’t far removed from when it won the original Wabash Valley Tournament in consecutive seasons in 1971-72. According to Dean Kendall’s book “The Wabash Valley High School Basketball Tournament,” Marshall had 416 students in 1972, the last year for the old tournament, which grew to as large as 128 teams during its span from 1916 to 1972.
The new version includes just a fraction of those teams — the 16 allowed by the IHSAA in a tournament — but that doesn’t take away from the excitement that has built around the new Classic.
Fans were turned away from Terre Haute South on Saturday and Monday as the late-night matchups approached tip-off.
“It’s the way I remember the old Wabash Valley for many years,” Fears said. “We wish we had a bigger gymnasium, we don’t. We love the full gym and the atmosphere that creates. When class basketball came into the state of Indiana, we lost that. The kids and players love to perform in front of a full house, and that’s what this tournament’s re-created.”
The tournament’s third-place game and championship game have been televised on WTWO for the last four years for more fans to witness the high-quality basketball on display.
“Small schools” such as Switz City, Monroe City, even Flat Rock (enrollment 82 in 1940) used to win the old Wabash Valley Tournament, but all of the previous eight Pizza Hut champions have been Class 4A or Class 5A schools.
Fears has re-created the tournament because of his love of the sport, and he seemed to enjoy the possibility of Marshall becoming the first to break through for the small schools. He gave high fives to Marshall captains Lucas Eitel, Logan Eitel and Taylor Duncan when delivering the championship trophy amid chants of “We are Marshall” from the Lions’ faithful.
The idea of the Pizza Hut tournament when he and Jim Jones and Pat Rady discussed was to re-create the days when small communities could put a team together that could be giant killers in a tournament setting.
“When class basketball came in, meeting with Pat Rady and Jim Jones, we all kind of reminisced about the good old days and how we could bring that back,” said Fears, who was a starting guard for Honey Creek High School in 1959 and 1960.
The tournament has been a phenomenal success, providing entertainment at the perfect time with high schools and colleges on winter break.
“Every year seems to surpass the last one,” Fears said. “The quality of play this year, from team play to the individual players; you know, we had several Division I players this year.”
South coach Mike Saylor, who has two future Division I players on his team, was very impressed with the turnout of fans wanting to see all the quality basketball this year. Rockville, Marshall and Terre Haute South all came in undefeated, and the Lions beat the other two on the way to the title.
“It’s a great testimony to this region. There’s so many good fans. [Athletic Director] Mr. [Tony] Brewer, [principal] Mr. Mauk, everybody on the South end put up a great tournament,” he said. “There was talk of doing it in Hulman Center, but what’s the chance you’re going to have all these undefeated teams coming in again?”
Well, with some of the freshmen and sophomores fans were treated to the past five days, there’s definitely that chance.
Marshall will lose the Eitel twins, who have been starters for four years. Brannan also coached two of the Eitels’ older brothers.
“They’re like family. They’re family. It feels great. I’m so happy for these guys,” said Brannan, who is fortunate that he’ll have the Duncan brothers around for a while still. Freshman Jacob Duncan hit 5 3-pointers against Rockville.
There’s plenty more young players that will make fans arrive at the Terre Haute North or Terre Haute South gym in coming years.
Terre Haute North’s Justin Gant, a 6-foot-8 sophomore, is going to become a more dominant force as he moves into his final two years of high school.
West Vigo has a couple freshman in Jordan Houser and Cody Thornton and a sophomore in Scott West that will make them a force. And Sullivan will be a team that could contend for a title as 6-6 freshman Rhett Smith matures.
“The goal is to please the students and fans of the Wabash Valley,” Fears said.
Mission accomplished.
Craig Pearson can be reached by e-mail at craig.pearson@tribstar.com or by phone at (812) 231-4357.
Given to Fly
December 30, 2008
Given to Fly: A classic in every sense of the word
- Given to Fly
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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.
- Given to Fly: Sycamores embracing underdog role at MVC Tournament The frustration of not living up to expectations can cause problems within any sports team, from the coach down to the players at the end of the bench.
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