Paideia Boys Basketball Team Compete in First National Tournament
Paideia was one of 25 teams from across the United States invited to play in the Kevin Brown Memorial Tournament of Champions in Peoria, Illinois.
While most of our students took a well-deserved break from school and enjoyed time with family during Paideia’s Thanksgiving vacation, the boys varsity basketball team traveled to Peoria, Illinois to compete in Paideia’s first-ever national basketball tournament. Paideia was invited to participate in the tournament by the tournament’s director who had heard about junior CJ Harper. From Tuesday, November 26 to Saturday, November 30, Paideia played some of the best high school basketball teams from across the nation.
While the tournament started out rough with losses on Wednesday and Thursday to the Dekalb Barbs (Dekalb, IL) and the St. John Bosco Braves (Bellflower, CA), the team stepped up to the challenge, winning games on Friday and Saturday against the Metamora Redbirds (Metamora, IL) and the Washington Panthers (Washington, IL). “We were humbled in the first two games,” said head coach Eddie Johnson. “We ended up playing a team that was ranked in the top 5 in the country in our second game. I honestly believe that we learned and grew a lot from both of those losses which allowed us to turn it around to win our last two games in the tournament.” Paideia ultimately went 2-2, placing 7th out of 25 teams.
The tournament not only challenged the team to be better players, but also brought them closer together and showed them the strength of the Paideia community. “The boys grew closer together from the game experience, but more so from our team outings and time together off the court,” shared Eddie. Paideia alum Joey Metzloff ’98 who lives in the Peoria area hosted the team and their parents for dinner and lunch during their time in town. “[Metzloff and his family] baked a cake for sophomore Tristan Smith's 16th birthday and helped us celebrate with him. Their son, Jack, ended up being our ball boy for the entire week,” recounted Eddie. “The boys saw a real life example of the bond and love that Paideia alums have for the Paideia community. It was a great experience for the program, as well as myself.”
Congratulations to the boys basketball team and coach Eddie on a great tournament!
