HR0319 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0319 LRB101 12135 MST 59835 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Fourteen young men represented the Kaskaskia College men's basketball team, the Blue Devils, at the 2019 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national tournament in what some would call a "Cinderella season" that ended in Hutchinson, Kansas; and

WHEREAS, The 20-10 regular season record earned the Blue Devils a #5 seed in the Region 24 tournament and matched them in the first game against #4 seed Olney Central College, a team that had defeated Kaskaskia College only once during the regular season; the game ultimately ended in a 94-91 Kaskaskia College victory; and

WHEREAS, The second opponent the Blue Devils faced was the #1 seed Vincennes University, the Trailblazers, and with one second left, a missed lay-up was tipped in to give the Blue Devils a 78-76 victory over the Trailblazers; and

WHEREAS, The Blue Devils met Wabash Valley College in the championship game, and there were ten lead changes and nine ties before the game ended with a 68-66 Kaskaskia College victory; this was the third victory in a row over a nationally ranked team in which all three games were won by a total of just seven points; and

WHEREAS, The Blue Devils secured an automatic bid for the NJCAA national tournament by being District 16 and Region 24 champions; and

WHEREAS, In preparation for the national tournament, the Blue Devils practiced two days at SIU Carbondale and stopped on the drive to Hutchinson to practice at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas; and

WHEREAS, Kaskaskia College opened the tournament as the #20 seed and faced #13 Sheridan College from Wyoming; Sheridan finished the regular season as the #11 nationally-ranked team with a 31-3 record; the two teams faced off on Monday, March 13th at 6:30 pm, the game started fast and finished strong, ending with a 92-80 Blue Devils victory; and

WHEREAS, Kaskaskia College's next game was played on Wednesday, March 20th at noon against Coffeyville Community College, Kansas, which finished the season as the #3 nationally-ranked team; the Blue Devils trailed 76-73 with 4.4 seconds left and executed a play with an open look at the top of the key; the attempted shot was half way down and spun out as time expired; that buzzer brought an end to a well fought season, and Kaskaskia College finished the season at 24-11 with a Sweet 16 showing at the national tournament; and

WHEREAS, Notable games throughout the season include the December 9th overtime against Vincennes University; although it ended in a 98-92 loss, this game played a key role in preparing the Blue Devils for what lay ahead of them in the remainder of the season; the team learned more about themselves and what it would take to become champions as they moved through the remainder of the schedule; and

WHEREAS, Their resolve showed as they handily defeated Shawnee Community College by a score of 91-71, and they finished the regular season with a 20-10 record; this was a critical win as the Blue Devils earned the #5 seed in the regional playoff and got a bye on Monday, March 4th; and

WHEREAS, Highlights of this season include, defeating three nationally ranked teams in the regional tournament to secure an NJCAA bid, defeating the 11th ranked team at the national tournament, being ranked first in the NJCAA Tournament in assists per game at 22, having a 11-7 record in the Great Rivers Athletic Conference, and ranking 5th in the Region 24 Tournament; and

WHEREAS, The Blue Devils scored over 100 or more points in five games, December 1 against Lake Land College with a 104-94 victory, December 6 against Lincoln College with a 102-77 victory, January 5 against Olney Central College with a 103-98 victory, January 26 against Southeastern Illinois College with a 112-64 victory, and February 16 against Lincoln Trail College with a 101-86 victory; and

WHEREAS, The 14 member team demonstrated poise and maturity on the national stage, as they kept coming back time after time and did not quit; the team members represent 11 home towns in Illinois, including Champaign, Chicago, Grayslake, Joliet, Salem, Patoka, East St. Louis, Centralia, Okawville, Milford, and Cahokia, with four members being from the Kaskaskia College District; other players came from Missouri, Florida, and New Jersey; and

WHEREAS, All players on the team played exceptionally well; Thomas Bell was recognized for his performance and chosen to be an All-Region and All-Conference player; Parker Dortch was recognized for his performance and chosen to be an All-Conference and All-Region player and the MVP in the Regional Tournament; Quin Nottingham was recognized for his performance and chosen to be an All-Conference player; and

WHEREAS, Coach Brian Hancock was recognized as Coach of the Year in the Region 24 Tournament and the District 16 Tournament; he was recognized by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Men's Collegiate as the Co-Coach of the Year; and

WHEREAS, The Blue Devils were supported by the Odin Pee Wee basketball players, which consisted of a group of 3rd and 4th grade basketball players; the Odin Pee Wee basketball players parents and families began following the Blue Devils after the team volunteered to coach and referee the 3rd and 4th All-Star basketball tournament on February 24, 2019; the Odin team and their families cheered the Blue Devils on to their regional tournament victory and were in the front row of the gym cheering the team on in the national tournament; a mother of an Odin Pee Wee basketball player stated "For Parker Dortch to invest his time to make my children and many children feel special is a phenomenal feeling as a mother. Parker is a true inspiration for our youth. He is a wonderful role model. Kaskaskia College truly has an extraordinary athlete and student who is truly a special person"; and

WHEREAS, The Blue Devils are Parker Dortch, Quin Nottingham, Stone Parker, Jamal Thomas, Ryan Saunders, Dawson Linder, Garrett Belcher, Jordan Maines, Jalen Williams, Shane Ganz, Ifeoluwa Shoyoye, Jacob Thompson, La-Quiem Walker, and Thomas Bell; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the men who composed the Kaskaskia College men's basketball team, the Blue Devils, and Coach Hancock and Assistant Coach Sparks on an outstanding season, as the Blue Devils won the hearts of many fans who cheered them on until the very end; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to Coach Brian Hancock, Assistant Coach Dan Sparks, and all 14 members of the Kaskaskia College basketball team.