The IHSA touts itself as being home to the original �March Madness� for high school basketball. It weathered the expansion from a one-class system to a two-class system in 1972. Former Toluca coach Chuck Rolinski, now the president of the Illinois High School Basketball Coaches Association, is called the father of the two-class system for splitting the state into two, which was a much-needed idea at the time. Rolinski doesn�t think four classes will be good for Illinois.
�March Madness is now March sadness," says Rolinski.
Other coaches are angry on that fact as well.
"I have been head coach at three schools for the last 26 years. I am truly disgusted by this. Illinois had the greatest set up with two classes,� said Rochelle boys basketball coach Russ Zick. �There will always be a coach looking for the easy way out. They think that four classes are the answer. The only answer is this: we have turned the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow to a pot of silver. It will still be somewhat rewarding to make it down state but I assure you it won't be the same.�
Illinois is the only state that has a two-class system. Forty-six of the 50 states have a four-class system. Five others have different systems. Indiana�s eight classes are the only one of it�s kind. Storm knows that, having started his coaching career in Indiana.
"My resistance to the expansion change comes in what it does to possibly the greatest high school tournament series in the country,� Storm said. �Illinois was the envy of many states, as was Indiana before they changed. The tradition, history, prestige, and all the lore all rolled up in the state series were almost it's own being. It was magical.
"Yes, the tournament will still be a big challenge because Illinois H.S. basketball is so strong. Yes, it will still be exciting for the four teams in each class who advance. It might even overcome the created problems of larger travel distances for many teams and fans for regional and sectional games. But, it can never be the same as it was. I think the "jewel" that the IHSA had is gone."
Only California, Florida, New York and Texas are larger in population than Illinois according to the 2004 United States Census. The fifth biggest state in the Union only has a two-class system. It makes for a bigger goal to reach to define a true state champion. But some people would like to see Illinois go with the flow with other states.
"I am from Michigan and we have had the four class system forever and I feel that it meets the needs of all of the students and schools,� Machesney Park Harlem Athletics Director Jay Lauscher said. �Currently 44 out of 50 states have more than two classes. With the population of Illinois being as big as it is I don't feel that the state series will be watered down in any way.�
Zick has seen Michigan�s state basketball tournament before and wasn�t pleased by it.
�I have been at Michigan's high school championship and seen the lack of interest due to too many classes. It won't take long for that to happen here,� Zick said. �My biggest concern in 1971 was that two classes would mean four or more soon otherwise I was happy with two. I am sure we don't have the real reasons for this to happen. Wisconsin actually reduced their number of classes in the 90s. It has worked out great for their tournament."
According to Henning, he thinks other states have flourished with the four-class system and it works fine.
�Personally, the two-class system for basketball in Illinois worked really well and created a lot of interest,� said Henning. �Other states use multiple classifications (Iowa, Wisconsin) and it seems to work for them, but the way we conduct our tournaments here will change considerably.� |
