R- B Shootout is officially Reingruber’s
The boys high school basketball season technically starts Thanksgiving week — but for the coaches, players, reporters and hoops junkies, the annual RiversideBrookfield Summer Shootout is the real tip- off event.
Forty teams will participate next Saturday and Sunday. This is the 15 th year that RiversideBrook field’ s Mike Reingruber will run the event, but things will be a bit different this season: Reingruber, an assistant coach the last 17 years, was named head coach last month.
“I’m really excited to guide our program and carry on the tradition that has been created here,” he said. “I grew up in the community, played here and coached here. I bleed blue and white, and I’m looking forward to trying to lead our program to even greater heights.”
Reingruber takes over for Tom McCloskey, who was 437- 236 and won 15 conference titles in his 16 years at the helm.
“I have learned so much working with Coach McCloskey during his tenure at R-B, and he has given me the guidance and freedom to continue to grow as a coach,” Reingruber said. “He is truly a class act and a great friend.
“Tom’s years at R-B have been super- important to our program, our school and our community. The amount of lives in our community he has influenced by teaching and coaching, and the culture he has helped create at R-B, is truly re- markable. He definitely left the basketball program in a very healthy place and is going to be missed on many different levels.”
This season’s shootout is stacked with talented programs, including Simeon, Young, Curie and Bogan. Uplift, St. Ignatius and St. Louis Vashon are new additions.
The shot- clock question
It’s the debate that just won’t go away. Should high school basketball have a shot clock?
The National Federation of High School Associations is still against the idea, and therefore it’s unlikely the Illinois High School Association would make a change.
However, things are slowly changing around the country. Maryland officially added a 35- second shot clock this month. Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island, Washington, New York, California, North Dakota and South Dakota already use shot clocks.
The expense would be consider- able. According to a study done by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, it would cost $ 5,000 to $ 25,000 per school to install and operate shot clocks.
Coaching carousel
Kevin Clancy, a 1998 Notre Dame grad, is taking over for Tom Les as head coach of the Dons. Clancy has been an assistant coach at the school for 11 years. He was captain of the Loyola University basketball team in 2002.
“The transition to the Kevin Clancy era will be smooth,” Les said. “Kevin has been an integral part of the basketball success throughout my 10 years. His knowledge and experience enabled me to delegate many of the head coaching responsibilities. The ND hoops program is in good hands.”
Townsend Orr, a legend at Thornridge, is taking over at TF South for coach John O’Rourke, who resigned after eight seasons. Orr graduated in 1990 and went on to star at Minnesota.
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