It's WAND's "All-Time 5"! Which local high school has the best all-time, all-star lineup of basketball players from any era, together on one court in a tournament of 33 teams?
53 pages. 12,000 words (and counting). Countless conversations, messages, box scores, All-State lists and school records. Now that Gordon Voit's research packet has been compiled, we begin the fun.
NUMBER 23: MAHOMET-SEYMOUR BULLDOGS
(6) Mahomet-Seymour vs. (3) TBA
PG - Cory Noe (Illinois Wesleyan) 6-2, 3rd points 1,615, 21 ppg senior, AP All-State HM, First Team All-Area; Class of 2018
SG - Craig Buchanan (Florida Atlantic) 6-4, All-State 1993; HOF at FAU, 17-3-2-2 senior; 2nd points MSHS 1,653, Area POY 1993; Class of 1993
SG - Brett Melton (Illinois/San Diego) 6-5, 11 ppg senior at USD, 2x Area POY, 1st 1,975 points, First Team All-State, record 42% 3FG; Class of 2000
C – Matt Engstrom (Missouri State) 6-9 role player at MSU; Class of 1999
C - Christian Romine (UTEP/Illinois State/Lincoln (IL)) 6-9; Class of 2015
Bench
F – Grant Coleman (Current, UW-Milwaukee) 6-7, School-record 44 points (vs. Mattoon), 22 ppg senior, 1,000+ for career; Class of 2020
G - Phil Knell (Illinois football) 6-0, 4th points 1,653; All-American football 1966, 2x All-Area in basketball, Once picked off Bob Griese 3x in one game, led Big Ten in interceptions (7) in 1966, Broke MSHS track records; Class of 1963
G - Conner Diedrich (Academic at Florida Southern) 6-1, 5th points 1,255, 3x unanimous 1st Team All-Corn Belt, All-Area 1st Team, AP All-State Honorable Mention; Class of 2015
G/F - Reid Farchmin (Olivet Nazarene) 6-4, 6th points 1,131; 3A/4A IBCA All-Star Game 2012; 7-4 rpg best year ONU; Class of 2012
Steve Rinkel, 7th points 1,046, 43 points in a game was record; Class of 1972
C – Nick Washburn (Hillsdale D2) 6-10, 13-7-2 bpg senior year
F - Ryan Martin (Parkland) 6-3, Hit buzzer-beater to win 1995 sectional; All-Area and All-Conference, 15 ppg; Class of 1997
G - Kyle Kimme (Northern Illinois baseball) 6-0, All-Area and All-Conference. 11 ppg; Class of 1997
G/F – Noah Benedict, 6-4, 3A/4A IBCA All-Star Game 2017
PG - Derrick Eisenmann, 6-1, HM All-State 1996 (Class A, two classes)
(Did we miss a player? Email gordon.voit@wandtv.com so we can update the roster! Thanks for your help in making this special project complete. If you submit a name for consideration, please remember to include height, position, graduation year, college destination as well as a list of accolades. And please remember that this a fun hypothetical basketball team.)
Overview: Grab your popcorn. Even if this Mahomet-Seymour squad has to go up against a bully like Lanphier or Lincoln, the Bulldogs will be able to keep any game close if their net-scorching group of guards like Brett Melton (Illinois/San Diego), Craig Buchanan (Florida Atlantic) and Corey Noe (Illinois Wesleyan) stay hot. Plus you've got guys like UW-Milwaukee-bound Grant Coleman (6-foot-7) coming off the bench. With rim-rattler Christian Romine (UTEP/Illinois State/Lincoln) and fellow 6-foot-9 post Matt Engstrom (Missouri State) the Bulldogs have the size to protect the interior as well.
Upside of roster: Unlimited shooting range and swagger. Melton's shots from the center court logo are well documented. Buchanan is basically the Tommy Amaker of FAU -- the playmaking guard who helped shape the program as it bloomed much like Amaker did for Duke. 17 points a game speaks for itself. These guys won't back down from anyone, especially with twin 6-9 centers to back them up.
Downside of roster: As I've said in other articles, this competition is an arms race. Having two Division-I double-digit scorers is great but most other teams higher than this have more production at the college level, plus Division-I players coming off the bench. The Bulldogs' top six or seven is highly touted but other squads just have more horses.
Highlights of bench: Grant Coleman (UW-Milwaukee) is a versatile 6-foot-7 forward who can step outside and hit the three as well. He broke the school record with 44 points in less than three quarters against Mattoon this season. Phil Knell (Illinois football) would be so much fun to watch just because he's such a strong overall athlete, and a gridiron All-American at that. (Did you see he once picked off Purdue's Bob Griese three times in one game?)
Best season: Coach Roy Johnson's Mahomet High School squad made state during the 1932-33 season and finished 29-4. The 1994-95 team won a sectional under Randy Sallade and Chad Benedict's 2014-15 team did as well.
Enrollment: 938 (2020)
GOAT: Buchanan could go off for 40 one game, Melton another. Buchanan's numbers in college were better, Melton reached a higher level. Flip a coin. They're both ballers.
Music: Jamaican funk pop. Letting the dogs out -- that's what this team is, unleashed shooters who will be appointment television when the ball tips.
Controversial decision: "No Grant Coleman?" you might ask. Coleman has a chance to crack the starting lineup, but as I've said with other current stars, college accolades matter. So if he goes on to have an All-Horizon League career in Milwaukee then he's in this lineup. But as of right now he'll be getting minutes as the first guy off the bench. As for Engstrom and Romine's inclusion over players with more career points ... you need bigs in this tournament.
Bonus: Repeat: Did you see Steve Knell once picked off Purdue's Bob Griese three times in one game? I love that trivia nugget. He was an interception machine for the Illini. Also, this team will have one of the best broadcasts with alumnus Brian Barnhart, the Voice of the Illini, calling their games.
ALL-TIME 5 OVERVIEW
WHAT: A competition to see who has the best all-time all-star squad of any high school basketball program in the 217 area code.
WHEN:Â February 5 - March 18 (Phase 1)
March 18 until the NCAA Final Four in April (Phase 2)
HOW: Gordon Voit will release four more teams every single Wednesday night, two during the 6 p.m. show and two during the 10 p.m. show. This is Phase 1. Phase 2 consists of a bracket challenge pitting the teams against each other in a simulated tournament.
RELEASING THE TEAMS
February 5: The 8 seeds
No. 33: Mt. Pulaski (Play-in game)
No. 32: Okaw Valley (Bethany-Findlay) (Play-in game)
February 12: The 7 seeds
February 19: The 6 seeds
No. 23: Mahomet-Seymour
No. 22: Clinton
No. 21: Unity
