The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association's Hall of Fame inductees for the class of 2013 will include former Simeon stars Ben Wilson and Nick Anderson, Dusty Bensko of Pleasant Plains, Michelle Hasheider of Okawville, Terri Zemaitis of Downers Grove South, Carver's Ken Maxey and Proviso East's famed Three Amigos--Donnie Boyce, Michael Finley and Sherell Ford.
Although the IBCA's Hall of Fame has been moved to Danville, the organization's annual Hall of Fame induction banquet will continue to be conducted at Braden Auditorium on Illinois State's campus in Normal. The 2013 event will be Saturday, April 27.
As a junior, Wilson led Simeon to the 1984 Class AA state championship. A few months later, he was acclaimed the No. 1 player in the nation after participating in the Nike camp. On the eve of Simeon's first game of the 1984-85 season, he was shot to death by a gang member outside his school.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Chicago sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Anderson was a two-time All-Chicago Area selection at Prosser, then decided to transfer to Simeon as a junior so he could play with Wilson. As a senior, he was named Illinois' Mr. Basketball and went on to outstanding careers at Illinois and the NBA.
Bensko was one of the best all-around athletes in state history. In an unprecedented achievement, he led Pleasant Plains to the Class A state titles in basketball and baseball as a junior in 2000. He was named to USA Today's All-America team. He scored 2,488 points in his basketball career.
Hasheider was Illinois' Ms. Basketball in 1994, was a two-time All-Stater, scored 2,026 points in her career and led Okawville to the Class A championship in 1994 and second place in 1993.
Zemaitis was a two-time All-Stater who led Downers Grove South to a 27-5 record and the Class AA quarterfinals in 1994. She also was one of the nation's leading volleyball players and later starred on Penn State's NCAA championship team.
News
Maxey was the backcourt leader of the Carver team that won the 1963 Class AA championship, beating Centralia in one of the most dramatic finishes in state tournament history. He went on to play with Carver legend Cazzie Russell at Michigan.
Boyce, Finley and Ford led Proviso East to the Class AA title in 1991. Ford was the Chicago area's Player of the Year and was a standout at Illinois-Chicago. Finley went on to outstanding careers at Wisconsin and the NBA. Boyce, who played at Colorado, currently is the head coach at Proviso East.
The annual Buzzy O'Connor Award for contributions to basketball will be presented to Jim Harrington, former coach at Weber and Elgin. Harrington was inducted into the IBCA Hall of Famein 2001. His son, Sean, a 1999 Elgin graduate and the school's all-time leading scorer, was inducted in 2011.
Here are other inductees in the class of 2013:
Players: Wilson; Anderson; Bensko; Hasheider; Zemaitis; Boyce; Finley; Ford; Ashley Berggren, Barrington; Justin Brock, Liberty; Greg Cruse, Goreville; Roland Duke, Dundee; Larry Gorman, Oak Forest; John Guderjan, Mid-County; Gary Jackson, Blue Mound; Sean Knox, North Greene; Kelly Miller, Lake Park; Ron Rigoni, Danville; Reggie Rose, Hubbard; Jordan Roth, Pleasant Plains; Daryl Schaffeld, Fremd; Ed Schumacher, Vocational; Corinne Vossel, Hersey; Shawn Watts, Thornton; Sarah Weiss, Libertyville.
Coaches: Bob Barnett, Hampshire; Jack Blickensderfer, Meridian; Sara Kinney, Chillicothe; Mike Miller, Rockton Hononegah; Scott Olson, Rock Falls.
Career Coaches: Scott Buzard, Glenview Springman; Dennis Cromer, Bensenville Fenton; Gary Harlacher, Geneseo; Mike Kiss, Geneseo; Greg Rigoni, Hickory Creek; Jerry Schmitt, Minonk Fieldcrest; Mike Schnable, Oswego; Ken Wildhaber, Highland; Matt Yarcho, Morton.
Teams: Glenbrook North boys 2005; Seneca boys, 2006; Carrollton girls, 2001; Carrollton girls, 2002; Buffalo Grove girls, 2000.
Officials: Terry Andrews, Bridgeport; Mark Cladis, Chicago Heights; David Collins, Bethalto; Julie Colwell, Lincolnwood; David Hancock, Orion; Dave Hasley, Abingdon; Dave King, St. Charles; Jim McKenna, Chicago.
Media: Scott Busboom, Decatur; Don Hamilton, Jacksonville; Tom Kelly, Encino, Calif.; Randy List, Centralia; Don Werntz, Freeport.
According to Chuck Rolinski, longtime executive directortreasurer of the IBCA and one of its co-founders, the Danville area Convention and Visitors Bureau is in charge of securing a permanent home for the IBCA's Hall of Fame.
Executive director Jeanne Cooke has made a decision to put the IBCA's Hall of Fame plaques and memorabilia in the Convention Center. It will have its own entrance with 4,000 square feet of space. An architect has been hired and remodeling of the space will begin in the near future.