Poll results: Here’s the high school basketball Team of the Year in southwest Illinois

Garen Vartanian
·3 min read

In the latest Belleville News-Democrat sports poll, we asked readers to cast their vote for the Basketball Team of the Year for 2022-23.

And, when the final tally was counted, the winner emerged as ... the O’Fallon girls team. The Panthers, who secured, 31% of the votes, enjoyed a banner and historic campaign.

O’Fallon went 33-4 and captured the IHSA Class 4A state championship, defeating Lisle Benet Academy 62-57 in double overtime in the title game. Along the way, the Panthers also won the Southwestern Conference title and handed Alton its only two losses of the season, among many other highlights.

Congrats to O’Fallon and all other candidates — along with so many other metro-east teams — on a tremendous season.

Pictured is the O’Fallon basketball team after defeating Lisle Benet Academy 62-57 in the IHSA Class 4A state championship game at CEFCU Arena (formerly Redbird Arena) on the campus of Illinois State University. For their tremendous season, the Panthers were voted as the Belleville News-Democrat Team of the Year.
Pictured is the O’Fallon basketball team after defeating Lisle Benet Academy 62-57 in the IHSA Class 4A state championship game at CEFCU Arena (formerly Redbird Arena) on the campus of Illinois State University. For their tremendous season, the Panthers were voted as the Belleville News-Democrat Team of the Year.

Here were the other Team of the Year candidates:

  • Alton High School girls basketball team. The Redbirds went 31-2, with their only two losses to eventual IHSA Class 4A state champion O’Fallon. Alton advanced to sectional competition where they lost to the Panthers 49-43.

  • East St. Louis High School boys basketball team. The Flyers went 26-9 and advanced to the IHSA Class 3A state tournament where they ultimately defeated St. Ignatius College Prep 50-48 in the 3rd place game.

  • Gibault High School boys basketball team. The Hawks went 32-7 and won the IHSA Class 1A state championship, defeating Scales Mound 65-45 in the title game.

  • Mater Dei High School girls basketball team. The Knights went 27-7 and won the IHSA Class 2A state championship, defeating Byron 62-46 in the title game.

  • Okawville High School girls basketball team. The Rockets went 34-4 and won the IHSA Class 1A state championship, defeating Christopher 56-35 in the title game.

The poll ended at 8 a.m. Friday.

To be clear, this poll is not scientific. In fact, we invite you to vote as many times as you want. It’s all for fun, BND readers.

The next poll will appear on the BND’s website — www.bnd.com — at 5 a.m. Tuesday and will be a vote for the Girls Player of the Year. Please email nominations to gvartanian@bnd.com.

Previous poll winners: Taylor Smith of Belleville East High School; Cole Stuart of Freeburg High School; Dylan Murphy of Columbia High School; Clareece Davis of Althoff Catholic High School; the Freeburg-Columbia Holiday Tournament; Jordan Lewis of Althoff Catholic High School; Karsen Jany of Columbia High School; David Marshall Jr. of Belleville West High School; Marshall Jr.; Addi Dilley of Red Bud High School; Chase Lewis of Breese Central High School; Sophia Loden of Mascoutah High School; Loden; Lane Otten of Freeburg High School; Bennett Briles of Nashville High School; Kaylyn Wiley of Granite City High School; T’Yonna Burris of Dupo High School; Brandon Scott of Belleville West High School; Shakara “Lyve” McCline of East St Louis Senior High School; and Grant Fridley of Wesclin High School; Cody Dickshot of Breese Central High School; Alyssa Koerkenmeier, Mater Dei Catholic High School; and Koerkenmeier.