Prep Hoops: A Good Barometer
Jake Stewart could be biased in his opinion when it comes to the Harrisburg Girls Invitational, which starts Monday night at Davenport Gymnasium.
The sixth year Bulldog girls' basketball coach has one of the longest running Thanksgiving girls tournaments in southern Illinois as the annual event turns 31 this season, but he also thinks he has one of the best tournaments in the area.
"What I like about it so much is that we get really big crowds and most of it is family that come in from out of town and whether they are wanting to see a family member or just good basketball, I really think we provide both," Stewart said.
Stewart's sentiments were shared with fellow coaches in the tournament, like West Frankfort's Matt Hampleman and Eldorado's Scott Artman, who are also joined in the tournament with Carmi-White County and Anna-Jonesboro.
Stewart and Hampleman have shared the tournament trophy two of the past three years, while West Frankfort was the outright champion in 2014. Harrisburg was the lone winner in 2012, but before that, Carbondale owned the Harrisburg Invite with a run of seven straight years as champion.
Hampleman said the laid back atmosphere is something he enjoys as being part of the tournament, but also the time he gets to spend with his team.
"It's already a competitive tournament," Hampleman said. "For most of the kids, it's a good opportunity to see kids you wouldn't normally see, but for the kids and the coaches, it's a chance for us to relax and spend quality time together. I think that's important."
Artman said there is no doubt that the Harrisburg Invitational is a good early season opener for his Eagles.
"It really gets my kids off and running," Artman said. "We have our one game prior to that tournament and then we play four games in six nights, so it's a good transition and good test to see if they are ready to go. The level of competition is tough and it has been for years."
It's a lot of games in a short amount of time, but tournament serves as a measuring stick for what Stewart, Hampleman and Artman will use going forward. Something they know is invaluable and couldn't get anywhere else.
"This is essentially the first portion of what I call three portions of our schedule, so this tournament tells me a lot about my team, a lot about me as a coach and where and what we need to do to be better," Stewart said. "In the time I have been here at Harrisburg, this always serves as our barometer for who can do what and what rotations we can play."
Hampleman and West Frankfort used to be part of the Massac County tournament, before moving over to Harrisburg. He calls it a good fit for his club and believes he has found a nice home to start the season.
"This allows me to assess my team and tells me where we need to improve at. No one expects to be perfect going in a four-game tournament, especially with the lack of prep time," Hampleman said. "We can gain some information to be better as the year goes on and continue to use that into January and February. It's all about playing games and getting better no matter where you are at on the spectrum.
Artman goes as far to say that this tournament is more for him than it might be for his players in terms of gauging where everyone needs to be at.
"The thing about the preview tournament is you see how West Frankfort has always been tough (in the tournament) and continue to have a successful season. The same can be said for Harrisburg. I want to build on that for my team, get better and hopefully I can do that."
Michael Dann covers prep and college sports for the Harrisburg Daily Register and Eldorado Daily Journal. Follow him on Twitter: @spydieshooter.
Harrisburg Invitational Schedule
<p><strong>Monday, Nov. 21</strong><br />Eldorado vs. Carmi-White County 6 p.m.<br />West Frankfort vs. Harrisburg 7:30 p.m.<br /><strong>Tuesday, Nov. 22</strong><br />Anna-Jonesboro vs. Eldorado 6 p.m.<br />Carmi-White County vs. West Frankfort 7:30 p.m.<br /><strong>Wednesday, Nov. 23</strong><br />West Frankfort vs. Anna-Jonesboro 6 p.m.<br />Harrisburg vs. Carmi-White County 7:30 p.m.<br /><strong>Friday, Nov. 25</strong><br />West Frankfort vs. Eldorado 6 p.m.<br />Anna-Jonesboro vs. Harrisburg 7:30 p.m.<br /><strong>Saturday, Nov. 26</strong><br />Carmi-White County vs. Anna-Jonesboro 6 p.m.<br />Harrisburg vs. Eldorado 7:30 p.m.<br /><br /><strong>Past winners of the Harrisburg Invitationa</strong>l<br />2015 — Harrisburg, West Frankfort<br />2014 — West Frankfort<br />2013 — Harrisburg, West Frankfort<br />2012 — Harrisburg<br />2011 — Carbondale <br />2010 — Carbondale<br />2009 — Carbondale<br />2008 — Carbondale<br />2007 — Carbondale<br />2006 — Carbondale<br />2005 — Carbondale<br />2004 — Carbondale<br /><br /></p>