MIKE RAMCZYK
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
And for basketball lovers, that means plenty of presents for fans on the nice list in the form of alley oops, buzzer beaters and pulse-pounding basketball action.
Enter the Doctors of Physical Therapy Holiday Hoops Classic.
For the 10th year starting Tuesday afternoon at 3 pm at both UW-Parkside and Carthage colleges, the DPT Holiday Hoops Classic comes to Kenosha with boys and girls high school basketball teams from mostly Racine and Kenosha counties, with five teams from Milwaukee County, Lake Geneva Badger and Zion, Ill.
After nine years of having games exclusively at Carthage College the week after Christmas, this year the four-day basketball extravaganza will be at Parkside for the first time, along with Carthage — a full plate of 32 total games, 16 at each venue.
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Go Sports America founders Jon Palmen and John Lynn are once again running the event, and Palmen said adding Parkside is a pretty big deal this year.
“We have partnered with UW-Parkside to add a second venue to accommodate additional teams,” Palmen said. “Every year we have more teams that want to be included in the DPT Hoops Classic. Also, to celebrate our 10th year, we have an online auction that is currently open and running until December 29 at 9 pm You can bid on over 40 items our sponsors have donated.”
Palmen said that Parkside has invested more than $1 million into renovating its DeSimone Gymnasium to make it a “state-of-the-art” space, and it was a no-brainer to make the Classic, which tends to attract hundreds of hoops fanatics to the area, this much bigger and better.
“This is a great opportunity to showcase the enhanced arena to the Kenosha and Racine communities as well as the surrounding areas,” Palmen said. “It has been an honor working with the UW-Parkside athletic department, and we look forward to providing a great experience for the student-athletes that get to compete in this event.”
As per tradition each year, the event honors local people that have made important contributions to the community and area youth with a Lifetime Achievement award.
Tuesday night at Carthage College, the first honoree will be Mark Olsen, who recently retired from Parkside as the golf coach. Olsen will be introduced at halftime of the 7:45 pm game between the Central and Indian Trail boys.
Then, on Friday night, longtime basketball coach and educator Tom Reigel, who led Wilmot to two state titles in 1984 and 1991, will receive his award during the 6 pm Wilmot-Tremper clash at Carthage.
Reigel is a former assistant coach at Parkside for his son, Luke, and he coached 30 years at the high school level.
According to Palmen and Lynn, it’s the best holiday high school basketball event in the state of Wisconsin, and it’s hard to argue with that considering it will now be held at two large collegiate arenas and will feature even more spectacle, pageantry, pomp and circumstance .
With players of the game announced in front of large crowds immediately after each game, all-tournament teams and more, it’s really a hoops lover’s dream.
“The best Holiday Hoops Classic in the state of Wisconsin just got bigger and better,” Palmen said. “More games, more matchups, and more holiday hoops to watch. We have some great games that you won’t see in the regular season. All of the girls games will be at UW-Parkside with a few boys games that follow their school’s girls teams. The Carthage College games will be dedicated to all boys games.”
The Classic features several state-ranked teams, including the Milwaukee Hamilton, Greenfield, Racine St. Catherine’s and St. Joseph boys, along with thae Racine Prairie and Union Grove girls.
Key Kenosha County matchups include Central vs. Indian Trail boys (7:45 pm, Tuesday, Carthage), St. Joseph vs. Burlington boys (6 pm, Thursday, Carthage) and Racine Case vs. Central boys (7:45 pm, Friday, Carthage).
On the girls side, fans should check out Central vs. St. Joseph to kick things off at 3 pm Tuesday at Parkside, along with Tremper vs. Wilmot (4:30 pm, Tuesday, Parkside), Indian Trail vs. Central (4 :30 pm, Wednesday, Parkside), Union Grove vs Bradford (6 pm, Thursday, Parkside) and Prairie vs Bradford (6 pm, Friday, Parkside).
Visit www.gosportsamerica.org to see schedules and participate in the auction.
DPT Holiday Hoops Classic Schedule
Tuesday
(games at Carthage College)
Boys basketball
Brown Deer vs. Racine Horlick, 3 p.m
Racine Prairie vs Reuther, 4:30pm
Bradford vs. Lake Geneva Badger, 6 p.m
Central vs. Indian Trail, 7:45 pm (Mark Olsen honored at halftime)
(games at UW Parkside)
Central girls vs. St. Joseph, 3 pm
Tremper girls vs. Wilmot, 4:30 p.m
Racine Case girls vs Burlington, 6 p.m
Burlington boys vs. Racine Lutheran, 7:45 p.m
Wednesday
Carthage College
Boys
Racine Lutheran vs. Racine Park, 3 p.m
Reuther vs. Shoreland Lutheran, 4:30 p.m
Milwaukee Hamilton vs. Racine Case, 6 p.m
Racine St. Catherine’s vs. Brown Deer, 7:45 pm
UW Parkside
Racine Horlick girls vs. Racine Lutheran, 3 pm
Indian Trail girls vs. Central, 4:30 p.m
Tremper girls vs St Joseph, 6 pm
Tremper boys vs St Joseph, 7:45 pm
Thursday
Carthage College
Boys
Racine Horlick vs Destiny, 3pm
Indian Trail vs Waterford, 4:30pm
St Joseph vs Burlington, 6 p.m
Reuther vs Racine St Catherine’s, 7:45 pm
UW Parkside
Burlington girls vs Racine Horlick, 4 p.m
Union Grove girls vs Bradford, 6pm
Bradford Boys vs Union Grove, 7:45pm
friday
Carthage College
Boys
Union Grove vs. Racine Park, 3 p.m
Milwaukee Academy of Science vs. Zion-Benton, Ill., 4:30 p.m
Wilmot vs. Tremper, 6 pm (Tom Reigel honored at halftime)
Racine Case vs. Central, 7:45 p.m
UW Parkside
Wilmot girls vs. Racine Case, 3 pm
Indian Trail girls vs. Racine Lutheran, 4:30 pm
Racine Prairie girls vs Bradford, 6pm
Greenfield boys vs. Destiny, 7:45 p.m
– Visit gosportsamerica.com for the online auction
Tickets: UW-Parkside has online pre-sale tickets available, and you can also purchase tickets at the door. Carthage tickets are available only at the door.
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