Bazzell has been there before as he guides Hawks into postseason
FAIRBURY — It might be a bit early to look at this, but now is as good a time as any to take a peak at Darin Bazzell and his connection to a couple of Prairie Central boys' basketball teams that entered the postseason as the team to beat in the entire state.
Bazzell was a senior starter for Prairie Central in 1989-90. The Hawks, who placed third at state in Class A the year before, returned this season loaded with talent and experience.
He is now guiding a team that is loaded and is used to winning. Even though things have changed over time, he is also in charge of a group that is ranked No. 1. In 1989-90, he was a player on a Hawks team that entered the postseason as the top-ranked team in Class A. Now there are four classes instead of two and he is the head coach of a the team that is ranked No. 1 in Class 2A.
“We came into the postseason ranked one,” Bazzell said of that '89-'90 team. “I think we were No. 1 throughout the entire season except maybe Week 1 we were No. 2. I've been able to fall back on those experiences with this team.”
Prairie Central's high rankings came on the heels of the hiring of a new coach. Charlie Strasburger took the reins from Jerry Freadhoff. Strasburger's first year was just the fourth year for the recently consolidated school district.
Bazzell was a key player for those Prairie Central teams that made the state finals. The '88-'89 club finished the regular season ranked fourth in Class A.
“We didn't have a lot of summer stuff before Strasburger got here,” Bazzell said. “When he got here, we did a lot of stuff in the summer and we grew as a team. That was the main thing.”
Strasburger and his step-son, Gary Tidwell, were new to the Prairie Central community, but they were versed in competing at the highest level of Class A basketball. Strasburger coached Pana to the 1988 state title with Tidwell, then a sophomore, as a key component. Tidwell was the leading scorer on the team and finished ninth among the top scorers of the final 16 teams at state.
So, with new faces and a group coming off a 12-15 record, it was easy to have high hopes but there had to be tempered expectations. Bazzell said that the '88-'89 team opened the season with juniors Tidwell and Daton Kupferschmid as starters, along with a group of seniors that included Kevin Kafer, Dan Weber, Roby Meier and Doug Miller.
Bazzell said that he became a starter during the season, giving the Hawks three juniors in starting five as they entered the postseason.
That team finished the regular season ranked fourth in Class A and had just one loss. It finished third at 30-2.
Then came the 1989-90 campaign. Like this year's team, it was senior dominated. Returning starters Bazzell, Tidwell and Kupferschmid were joined by Kent Aberle, Justin Cox and Mark Elliott as regulars.
Bazzell said that the rotation was primarily six seniors and a junior.
“The mindset then is kind of what we're doing now,” Bazzell said of that '89-'90 team. “I know it's a cliché, but you're playing every game as if it's your last. You have to be able to stop whatever they are trying to do. The focus was always defense.”
The main scorers were Tidwell, Kupferschmid and Bazzell. These three scored in double figure in each of the four games in the state finals.
But it was an interesting trip to get to Champaign, and it was something that brought a little gleam to Bazzell's eye and a smile as he talked about it.
“That was magical,” Bazzell said. “It was set up similar to this year. The sectional was at Herscher, the supersectional was at Redbird against U-High. That can happen again this year. We played Clifton (Central) in the regional.”
The Hawks defeated Clifton on Wednesday to open the state tournament series.
“Regionals were easy, we walked through that,” Bazzell added. “Sectionals, we ran into Mahomet-Seymour and they played a stall game and we squeaked out of that one 31-29. They held the ball all game long.
“The sectional championship was against Tom Posey's Crescent-Iroquois team. They had a shot at the buzzer that went in and out that would have won it.”
Two years later, Posey would take over the Prairie Central program, bringing another sharpshooter with him in his son T.J.
“I remember at the time thinking we were not playing loose,” Bazzell said. “We were kind of playing those games not to lose. We kind of straightened that out when we played U-High at Redbird Arena.”
As the tournament proceeds this year, should the Hawks win the regional, they will head to Herscher for the sectional tournament. If they win that, it's on to Redbird Arena for the supersectional and quite possibly against Normal (U-High). The final stop would be the place formerly known as the Assembly Hall, where Bazzell played.
“It's good to have those experiences but back then, I was just a dumb kid,” Bazzell said. “I really didn't understand much of anything. I was a hard-working guy. Coach told me to do something and that's what I did. I wish I would have paid a little more attention.”
It's a different experience now for Bazzell. As a coach, preparing his team takes on a different approach. But he at least understands what being a player in this environment is, so as a coach, that can help prepare his team.
“We learned that on any given night, anyone can step up and take over if your main scorer isn't scoring,” Bazzell said of the '89-'90 team. “That's what we have now. We have 7-8 players who can score when we need to. It's hard for defenses to match up with us. I think it's a lot harder for teams to matchup with this team than that '90 team.”
Will the 2022-23 Hawks meet with the same success as those state teams of 1988-89 and '89-'90? Time will tell, but one thing is certain. There is a connection between the two in Darin Bazzell and his experience will help.
This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Darin Bazzell has been there before as he guides Hawks into postseason
