Coming to the '09 Shootout: Champaign Central

Read our coverage of Jay SImpson's weekend commitment to Purdue here

Read about the other teams coming to the Shootout here.

Each Monday, we'll introduce a team participating in the IlliniHQ Shootout at the Hall presented by State Farm Insurance, our annual boys' basketball extravaganza which this year takes place Dec. 12 at the Assembly Hall. Today: Champaign Central and recent Purdue recruit Jay Simpson

Here's the scoop:

Champaign Central

City: Champaign

Enrollment: 1338

Nickname: Maroons

Shootout appearances: Third

Three things to know about the Maroons, courtesy staff writer Jeff Huth

1.

Champaign Central is back in the Shootout after a year's absence, during which the Maroons experienced their first losing season – barely – since 2000-01. But don't be fooled by that 13-14 record. A primarily junior-led team eventually hit its stride, winning six of its final eight games and advancing to the Class 3A regional finals. "In November and December, we were taking our lumps," Maroons coach Scott Davis said. "But I kept telling the kids this is going to make us better, and by February we were a very, very respectable team." Central returns three of its top five scorers – seniors Edwind McGhee, Joe Daniels, and Isaiah Clasberry – and its top two rebounders in McGhee and Daniels. "We had a lot of juniors that were involved in the mix," Davis said, "and this year those juniors are seniors."

2.

A Maroon who barely saw the varsity court last season already has his college destination settled. Jay Simpson, a 6-foot-7, 215-pound sophomore forward, orally committed to Purdue on Saturday. He had been receiving attention from an ever-growing list of major college programs. "Everybody and their brother" were looking at Simpson, Davis said. As a freshman, Simpson was called up to the varsity late in the season and saw cup-of-coffee minutes off the bench. Look for a big gulp of Simpson court time this season. "He does have the potential to be one of the best players to ever come out of this area," said Davis, a Champaign native entering his 18th season as Central's head coach. "He's fluid, can handle the ball, has good athleticism, he shoots the ball well. The pieces are there. ... My job now is to push him and to make him become the player he can be." He's versatile, too. Davis can foresee utilizing Simpson at several positions, depending on the game situation and Central's needs. "The nice thing about Jay is he can do a lot of things," Davis said.

3.

Perhaps no area boys' basketball team schedules more aggressively than Champaign Central. Since the 2005-06 season, the Maroons have competed in tournaments or shootouts in Florida, Missouri, Kentucky and Wisconsin, and taken the floor against the likes of current NBA standouts Derrick Rose and Jerryd Bayless. This year is no different, with athletic director John Woods lining up another ambitious nonconference slate in consultation with Davis. Besides the Shootout at the Hall, the Maroons will return for the fourth straight year to the State Farm Tournament of Champions in the Peoria area, "which has always had some incredible players," Davis said. Central also is entered in the MLK Dream Classic in Chicago; in the Belleville East Shootout; and will make its annual trek to the Centralia Holiday Tournament. Said Davis: "Our philosophy has always been, we'll play anybody, anytime, anywhere."

Comments

Add a Comment