Big schools are ready for Friday night lights at state

CHAMPAIGN — Gene Heidkamp and Mike Ellis know what it’s like to coach in an IHSA boys’ basketball state championship game.

Same for Lou Adams.

Zack Ryan will try to coach in his first one on Saturday night.

All four coaches who have their teams in the Class 4A state semifinals — Heidkamp with Benet, Ellis with Evanston, Adams with Rich Township and Ryan with Warren — will experience the glare of Friday night basketball at State Farm Center for the first time in their coaching careers.

Because, after the state tournament returned to Champaign in 2022 following a 26-year absence, Friday night won’t feature third-place games for the first time. The IHSA switched the format for this season, giving the 4A schools the prime-time spotlight on Friday after three third-place games in 1A, 2A and 3A fill up most of the day on Friday at State Farm Center. The first three years the state tournament returned to Champaign featured 3A and 4A third-place games on Friday night.

Not this year.

Evanston (30-5) tips off the night session on Friday against Benet (31-5) at 6 p.m., with Heidkamp and his Redwings the only 4A program to have played in Champaign this decade when Benet placed second in 2023. But the Redwings won their semifinal game that season against New Trier on a Friday afternoon two years ago.

Benet is trying for its first state title after three runner-up finishes under Heidkamp in the last decade. The Redwings boast a Southern Illinois signee in 6-foot-9, 195-pound forward Daniel Pauliukonis, who averages 12.5 points and has drained 64 three-pointers. He’ll play for Centennial graduate and Champaign native Scott Nagy next season with the Salukis, but is intent on getting Benet past Evanston on Friday night.

“I don’t feel I’m overstepping in saying he’s one of the most improved players in the state,” Heidkamp said. “He’s really been dependable for us the whole season, but particularly in the state tournament. He’s really made big shots and is playing with a lot of confidence. He’s a tough cover because he’s got that length and that height. His ability to shoot the three and get to the rim in multiple ways really makes him an effective player.”

Evanston is the only 4A school in this year’s state tournament to have won a state title, but that happened for the Wildkits in 1968 in Champaign when a one-class system was still in place. Ellis has guided Evanston to a second-place finish in 2019 and a third-place finish in 2018 when the tournament was held in Peoria and held during two weekends instead of one weekend like it has been since it returned to Champaign.

“What I’ve learned about this team is we’re very, very versatile, and that’s the way we like to play,” Ellis said. “We love to get up and down the floor. At the same time, if you want to slow the game down, our guys are tough enough to handle a slow-down, physical type of game. I just feel like the versatility of our team has allowed us to be able to handle a variety of styles. You have to in the postseason.”

Evanston doesn’t boast a D-I talent like Benet does, but the Wildkits do own a 59-55 win against the Redwings when the two teams met on Feb. 1.

“We’ve got our hands full,” Ellis said. “We know how good they are. Their greatest player might be their coach. Gene is a special coach and one of the best in the state. I’m expecting to see Benet’s best game of the season on Friday night.”

Jaxson Davis headlines the cast of players who will suit up on Friday night. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound sophomore guard for Warren holds offers from Illinois, Arizona State, DePaul, Indiana and Northwestern, among others, and is averaging 19.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists this season for the Blue Devils (26-10) going into Friday’s 7:45 p.m. semifinal game against Rich Township (25-8).

“He’s really done a good job this year being a leader,” Ryan said. “His communication has really ramped up. One of the things I’ve asked him to do this year is be more vocal, and I named him a captain halfway through his freshman year because I thought we needed him to give us that little extra boost.

“He’s done a great job being steady for us all year. I’m really lucky I get to coach a guy like that. I try to remember that every day because he sees and does things on the court not many kids can do.”

Adams and Rich Township boast a dynamic senior post player in Al Books Jr., a 6-6 center who averages 17.5 points and 9.4 rebounds in his first season with the Raptors after playing earlier at Hansberry Prep in Chicago.

“In my opinion, Brooks is the best player in the state,” Adams said. “He scores in all kinds of ways. He’s quick off his feet. He’s got good bounce. His best basketball days are ahead of him.”

They’ll try to get Rich its first state championship, but Adams knows the feeling of hoisting IHSA state trophies after he led Orr to three straight 2A state titles from 2017-19. But to do so on the sport’s biggest stage on Saturday night, with the 4A state title game set for an 8 p.m. tip at State Farm Center, is even more incentive.

“We are going to enjoy it,” Adams said. “I’m excited.”