By WJBC Staff
BLOOMINGTON – Coming off the highest attended tournament in its 36 year history, the State Farm Holiday Classic has secured its 64-team field for 2015.
“We attribute this increase in fans to a number of factors,” said Tournament President Dan Highland. “We played on December 26 and 27 when no other local tournaments had started, the weather was very accommodating for travelling fans, and we had both boys and girls varsity teams playing from 21 different high schools which was the largest number we have ever had. That is an ideal situation for fans wanting to see both of their teams play over the holidays.”
This year’s event tips off Dec. 28-31, and marks the 17th year with State Farm as title sponsor. The 37th annual State Farm Holiday Classic will boast two state champions and a total of ten Elite Eight qualifiers, while 27 of the 64 teams won at least a Regional championship this past season.
Returning to the small school boys’ bracket is the defending three-time tournament champ Rockford Lutheran who recently finished the season by taking home the Class 3A fourth place state trophy. Sectional champion Central Catholic highlights a field that also includes Kewanee and all-stater Donovan Oliver, St. Joseph-Ogden, Champaign St. Thomas More, Fieldcrest, Peoria Christian and Tri-Valley.
Two new teams were added to this year’s field and both will compete in the Large School Boys bracket. Wheaton Warrenville South joins their girls’ team in Bloomington-Normal over the holidays, while the Zee-Bees from Zion-Benton feature a young and talented team. Both newcomers highlight a field with Class 4A state runner-up Normal Community, Southern Illinois powerhouse Edwardsville, and perennial powers Rock Island, Chicago North Lawndale, North Chicago, and South Holland Thornwood.
Widely considered as the most competitive girls’ tournament in the state, the two brackets on this side of the event return all 32 teams from 2014. Each bracket will feature a state champion, as Kankakee Bishop McNamara (Class 2A) returns to the Small School bracket, while Morton (Class 3A) highlights the Large School bracket.
Fresh off their Class 2A third place finish, Central Catholic leads a small school field which includes Champaign St. Thomas More and All-American candidate Tori McCoy, Annawan and All-State freshman Jayde VanHyfte (Class 1A Elite Eight), Rockford Lutheran (Class 3A Elite Eight) and Regional champs LeRoy and Peoria Christian. Class 3A state runner-up Rochester slides over to the Large School Girls’ bracket which returns sectional qualifier Normal U-High and All-Stater Chante Stonewall, and Regional winners Springfield, Rock Island, Peoria Richwoods, North Chicago, Chicago North Lawndale and Normal West.
“Since 2009, we have had ten participating teams go on to win a state championship,” said Manager of Tournament Operations Dave Oloffson. “We feel confident the experience teams receive in Bloomington-Normal over the holidays goes a long way in preparing them for the post-season.”
Off the court, the Classic Tournament, Inc. has raised over $90,000 for the Holiday Classic Scholarship fund, and has awarded $40,000 in scholarships to graduating student-athletes who participated in the tournament. The 2015 scholarship award winners will be announced later this month. In addition, the tournament has donated nearly $30,000 the past five years to participating high school basketball programs within Bloomington-Normal.
The State Farm Holiday Classic will again host the 14th Annual Ron Knisley Memorial Shootout in conjunction with the 64-team varsity tournament. The Shootout will feature various Special Olympics teams from across the Midwest, and has expanded to a two-day event, running Dec. 30-31 at the IWU Shirk Center.
