Sports Shorts: Is Althoff basketball Illinois’ best in any class?
Althoff forward Jordan Goodwin might have come off a little brash to some with comments he made leading up to the state basketball tournament.
But Goodwin is still just a junior and already has been part of two state championship game losses, one in basketball and then another in football. He’s a competitive 17-year-old athlete willing himself through the sting of those disappointments.
Goodwin is confident and focused, not brash.
I had to cringe a little, though, when in the aftermath of the Crusaders’ 3A title win over Lincoln-Way West Saturday Goodwin told a room full of Illinois sports writers that Althoff could win the Class 4A title, too.
“Easily,” he said.
Of course, that raised eyebrows all around the room. Even coach Greg Leib’s eyes widened and his jaw fell slack.
“Well, he’s honest,” Leib said, breaking into a chuckle. “Say what you want about Jordan, but he’ll tell you exactly what he thinks.”
To be clear, though, it’s not that anyone believed Goodwin was wrong.
I was among those journalists who hung around the Peoria Civic Center into the evening sessions to watch the 4A games. That admittedly limited exposure to a field that included the likes of Benet Academy and eventual champion Chicago Curie tells me Althoff would have made compelling competition.
It’s not just the five guys who score in double figures. It’s Althoff’s depth of skill, speed and physical strength. Each of those on the so-called starting five are legitimate Division I college prospects either in basketball, football or both. Juniors Marvin Bateman and Edwyn Brown will see a rise in their stock next season as they assume more visible roles.
Their athleticism is uncommon, they work hard on defense and they are unselfish in sharing the ball.
Could the Crusaders have won the 4A tournament? Absolutely.
Leib agrees. Once the chuckles spurred by Goodwin’s swagger settled down, the Althoff coach was asked if he, in fact, had the best team in the state, regardless of classification. He paused, but only briefly.
“Yes,” he said. “”I don’t want to be arrogant, but if they guard like they did tonight, they just present so many obstacles for people to score. Fill in with their ability to catch, pass, shoot, dribble, and it makes them a really special group.”
The Crusaders certainly have proven themselves against 4A competition this season with wins over Belleville East, Belleville West, Edwardsville and Chicago Kenwood. The regular season is one thing, though, and the playoffs are another.
We’ll find out how Althoff’s success against the big boys translates in the post-season next season — IHSA “success factor” rules will bump the Crusaders up to Class 4A and the Normal Super-Sectional complex.
“It’s fine,” says Goodwin. “We can play with anybody.”
Forever Young
I asked several of Althoff’s seniors what the championship meant to them specifically since this was their last shot at one.
Here’s what four-year starter Keenen Young, who will be playing football next year at Jackson State, had to say about finally reaching the top.
“I’m going to miss my boys,” said the soft-spoken senior. “We spend the weekends together and free time together even when we’re not playing or practicing. We’ve grown up together, it’s like we’re brothers. I’m going to miss all of this, but I’m going to miss them more.”
Who’s on First
Brandon Moss, who is due $8.25 million this year, will be the St. Louis Cardinals’ regular first baseman, but Matt Holliday’s success at learning the position would set up some interesting platoon possibilities.
Neither Moss or Matt Adams hit left-handed pitchers particularly well. But Moss crushed right handers during his best season in 2013, slugging 26 home runs with 71 RBI against them in 417 at-bats. The Cardinals believe Moss can be closer to that kind of player than the one who’s been hampered by a hip injury the last two seasons.
If that’s the case, Holliday could play first base against left handers and Tommy Pham could play left. Both hit left-handed pitching very well.
That leaves Adams as the odd-man out ... unless the Cardinals have further plans to deal for a shortstop.
Speaking of which ...
Picking up Ruben Tejada off the Mets’ waiver list is hardly earth-shattering. But with Jhonny Peralta probably to the All-Star break, the Cardinals were just too thin at shortstop.
It’s not Jedd Gyorko’s best position, plus the team needs the depth he provides at three other positions. Meanwhile, Greg Garcia hasn’t done anything to win the job and Aledmys Diaz, though an exciting prospect, has yet to play an inning in the major leagues.
At $1.5 million for one season, bringing in Tejada was a no-brainer.
Baseball Birthdays
▪ Monday would be the 132nd birthday of former pitcher Frederick “Mysterious” Walker. There’s nothing special about his five-year career, which spanned five different teams, but his name is so good I felt compelled to include him here. They called him “Mysterious” because he pitched under a fictitious name during a season with the San Francisco Seals in 1910.
▪ You all remember Garry Templeton, the Cardinals’ shortstop who famously and indecently gestured to a booing ladies day crowd at Busch Stadium after he failed to run out a ground ball. The incident got him forcibly dragged into the dugout by manager Whitey Herzog and shipped off to San Diego in exchange for Ozzie Smith. After his playing career, Templeton became a minor league manager and coach and actually managed Herzog’s grandson, John Urick, for a season in the unaffiliated North America League. He’ll be 60 on Thursday.
▪ Thursday also is the birthday of Hall of Famer George Sisler (b. 1893). He’s a forgotten hero in St. Louis because he played for the old Browns and in the shadows of the Cardinals’ Rogers Hornsby. But Sisler twice hit over .400, reaching an incredible .420 in 1922. That’s the fourth highest average in baseball history, and the third highest of the 20th century, just four points behind (who else?) Hornsby’s .424 in 1924. Sisler hit .340 for his career and was elected in the Hall of Fame in 1956.
▪ Friday is former pitcher Tom Glavine’s 50th birthday. He was primarily an Atlanta Brave and is the last pitcher to reach 300 career wins. He was a 10-time All-Star, two time Cy Young Award winner and five times led the National League in wins. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2014.
▪ Miller Huggins is best known for his years as manager of the New York Yankees’ “Murderer’s Row” and his clashes with his star, Babe Ruth. But Huggins also had a very good big league career, with even of his 13 seasons spent in St. Louis with the Cardinals. He hit .265 lifetime but having led the National League in bases on balls four times, he had a career on-base percentage of .382. The Veteran’s Committee elected him to the Hall of Fame in 1964. He’d be 138 Sunday.
▪ And finally, a very special Sports Shorts baseball birthday to Highland’s own Jake Odorizzi, who turns 26 Sunday. Odorizzi led the Bulldogs to the 2008 state baseball championship with an incredible set of statistics. He belted 15 home runs and had 40 RBI, but earned his place among the nation’s top prospects with a 13-0 record on the mound, 120 strikeouts and just five walks in 82 innings, and a ridiculous .09 ERA. He was taken in the first round (32nd overall) of the 2008 draft by the Milwaukee Brewers, then traded with others to Kansas City for last season’s Cy Young runner-up, Zack Greinke. Odorizzi appeared in two games for the Royals before being sent to Tampa Bay in a deal that involved James Shields. He’s been a part of the Rays’ starting rotation the last two years, building a record of 20-23 with a 3.77 ERA. He also has 350 strikeouts in 374 innings pitched. They expect only better things from him this season.
Ask a stupid question ...
After the No. 12 seeded Yale Bulldogs upset No. 5 Baylor Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Bears’ forward Taurean Prince was pressed about his team’s performance. “How does Yale out-rebound Baylor?” one reporter asked.
I don’t know about his basketball skill, but Prince’s answer to that question was worthy of a Yale man. See it here.
Don’t forget
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This story was originally published March 20, 2016 at 9:48 PM with the headline "Sports Shorts: Is Althoff basketball Illinois’ best in any class?."