Althoff’s quotable coach will get win No. 400 in midst of another magical Crusader season
In any conversation with longtime Althoff boys basketball coach Greg Leib, it doesn’t take long for the homespun humor of the self-proclaimed “Hillbilly from Clay County” to kick into high gear.
“Everybody hates talkin’ about defense,” Leib said. “Defense never makes SportsCenter unless it’s a blocked shot or somethin’. But if you want to be playin’ late in March, you better be able to guard.”
On his senior swingman Dierre Hill Jr., who has signed to play running back at powerhouse Oregon next fall, Leib said: “He’s a basketball player who plays football, let’s not kid ourselves.”
Leib, as the comedic saying goes, will be here all week. He’s been the head coach of the Crusaders, in fact, for the last 26 years. On his resume at Althoff Catholic High School is a Class 3A state title, in 2016, and this year’s edition of the Crusaders, now Class 2A, seems to have a good shot at playing for another this spring in Champaign.
Leib’s team suffered an upset at the hands of Metro-East Lutheran Friday that ended a 12-game winning streak and drop its record to 25-5 overall, 8-1 in the Gateway Metro Conference. For Leib, the loss delayed career victory No. 400th career for another day.
But the 57-year-old said that no matter what happens this spring, this team he’ll remember with great fondness.
“They’ve got to write their own story. All the great teams have a long postseason run. That’s what separated them from other teams, and these guys have the potential to do that,” said Leib, whose teams have not been to the state tournament since winning it all in 2016.
If the boys hoops team can win a title, it would be the Belleville school’s second of the season. The football team, led by Hill, won its first state championship since 1990 in November. That has given the other sports teams at Althoff a little extra bounce in their step, Leib said.
Seniors lead Althoff
What kind of team are the Crusaders? While there’s not a lot of size, they are fast, can shoot pretty well and, as Leib alluded to earlier, they can guard. The Crusaders are holding opponents to 50.3 points per game, while scoring an average of 63.4. The starting five are all seniors.
While the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Hill might be the Crusaders’ best two-way player, the team is led in scoring by 6-foot senior guard Bryden Gryzmala, at around 15 points a game. Senior guard Zach Winkeler is another of Leib’s better shooters.
“Sometimes we’re difficult to guard, because we will spread you and if you overcommit, we’re going to make you pay from the outside,” said Leib, a native of Flora, Ill. “And, if you close out poorly, we’re going to take you to the rim.”
Leib’s biggest player is his son, Patton, who stands 6-4 and weighs 240.
“He handles the middle for us. His best sport is football, but he loves basketball,” Leib said.
The Crusaders’ other starter is 6-2 point guard Luke Smith, who Leib described as “crafty.”
“The nice thing about these guys is they all have high basketball IQs. They make the cuts when they need to make a cut, they help on defense when they need to help,” Leib said. “That’s why they’ve had the success they’ve had this year. I think a lot of them wish the playoffs started three weeks ago, but we still have some other games left.”
Leib, who also serves the school as its vice principal, said he has no plans to slow down as a coach. It’s what keeps him young at heart, he says, and he remains endlessly fascinated at how young athletes learn and grow, as people and players.
He said he can’t wait to see how this senior-led team will handle the pressure of just getting to the state tourney, never mind winning it all.
“Class 2A, jeez Louise, it’s rough. We have the best sub-sectional in the country. Not the state – in the country,” said Leib, whose brother, Phil, coaches boys basketball back in Flora. “We understand who we are and what we want to get done. We control our own destiny. But talk is cheap. They know that if they want to get where they want to be, they’ve got to get to work.”
This story was originally published February 23, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
