Best Sports By State
BASKETBALL
High School: Illinois (the original "March Madness")
College: North Carolina (Duke, UNC, Wake, NC State, Charlotte, Wilmington, Asheville)
Best College Conference: ACC
FOOTBALL
High School: Texas ("Friday Night Lights")
College: Florida (Miami, Florida State, Florida, UCF, USF)
Best College Conference: SEC
BASEBALL
High School: California (the greatest place to recruit outside of Latin America)
College: California (too many to name)
Best College Conference: Pac-10 (the Big West Conference, not a BCS conference by any stretch of the imagination is a powerhouse baseball conference, with 5 national championships in the past 30 years; but, they play second fiddle to the mighty Pac-10 which has won 19 in the past 50 years, including the reigning Oregon State Beavers.)
What do you think? Disagree with any of my choices? Present your case.
posted by Brett @ 1:37 PM
16 comments
16 Comments:
Yeah, this was a tough one. But, I think that Illinois puts out better players and I would without hesitation put the Illinois state champ against the Indiana state champ every year.
I only disagree with one. For high school basketball you have to go with Indiana. That is what they are known for. Illinois isn't.
The rest of your picks I really couldn't argue with.
I'm gonna have to jump on the bandwagon with the other guys about Illinois not being the best basketball state.
And I think a case could be made for the ACC in baseball. FSU, Miami, North Carolina and Georgia Tech are perennial powerhouses in baseball.
Other than that, these are pretty astute selections.
Good feedback. But I'm sticking with Illinois. Give me some more valid reasons than their reputation or nostalgia.
Switzerland is known for making watches, but odds are that the one on your wrist is from Asia.
Illinois puts out better players, and I think, has better teams.
Also, Indiana, well known for it's massive high school gyms, are now mostly empty gyms.
Consider this quote from a recent Indystar.com article on the popularity of high school football in the "Hoosier" state:
"The debate is on as to whether the IHSAA should modify the current football playoff format. The issue rages from Evansville to South Bend and Terre Haute to Fort Wayne, but one thing we agree on, and that is that high school football is grabbing the attention of fans in communities that used to see gyms filled to the rafters that now resemble empty warehouses."
Illinois isn't known for HS Basketball?
Are you nuts?!?!
No. Illinois is not known as a top basketball state throughout the country. Now maybe if you are from Illinois you would like to think that the rest of the country views you as a basketball state. I live in Illinois and love high school basketball, but I know we aren't a powerhouse.
Brett - I did a little research just for the 2006 - 2007 season and out of the top 50 highschool teams:
IL - 4 (3,17,25,33)
IN - 3 (19,39,49)
Out of the top 150 players:
IL - 7 (3,26,45,57,95,108,148)
IN - 9 (2,37,53,55,62,63,71,82,123)
Something to note.
IL population is 12,750,000
IN population is 6,300,000
I think it is close, but I would give the edge to Indiana.
Now that's what I'm talking about...some hard statistics. Pretty convincing stuff, Chuck. I'm very close to being swayed. Let's see if the Zoner can deliver some counter-evidence.
Zoner - I didn't finish what I wanted to say earlier. I will agree that Chicago is a hotbed of basketball talent, but generally people don't think of the state of Illinois when they think of high school basketball. The city of Chicago may come to their minds, but not the state of Illinois. I would bet you that most people if they were playing the name recognition game would say either Indiana or Kentucky if you said "Basketball".
This is "BEST Sports" emphasis on best. This isn't "most recognizable" or "most popular" or "state most associated with..."
I was responding to Zoners comment:
Illinois isn't known for HS Basketball?
I wasn't saying that they don't produce good players.
Fair enough guys. I will say that Chicago is more renown as a whole than Illinois. And I don't think either is as productive as it used to be.
I think Illinois tried to recruit the best high school senior in the country and almost got him, too. Where is he from again?
And where is the best college freshman in the country from, one Mr. Oden playing for Ohio State?
Hmm, I need some help here fellas.
I guess, Tom, that the best recruits head east. Oden to OSU. Illinois prep star Eric Gordon is going to Indiana.
Alas, I must admit....Indiana may actually trump Illinois after all.
Oden suits up for OS. He and Gordon are from Indiana. Even if Gordon played for the Illini, he came out of the Hoosier state.
Thanks for the debate, Brett. Illinois is a fine state for many sports and always tough competition.
Oops. Sorry, Tom for the slip. I was thinking about that Rose kid from Simeon High in Chicago, who I believe is going to Memphis.
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