[mikesears]

Originally posted by M&M Guy

I live only 5 miles from the Assembly Hall, home of the #1 basketball team in the country, in Champaign.

I'm familiar with the Scotties as well, because I refereed one of my first games in that gym. There was no room along any of the sidelines. The benches were up on the stage, along with the table; the kids had to jump up and down off the stage to go in and out of the game. The stands were permanent and raised on the other side, complete with railings in front. (If anyone has ever been to the Corn Palace in South Dakota - it's set up the same way except 10 times smaller...) The endlines were only about a foot from the brick walls, so they set up "restraining" lines about a foot in from the actual endlines for the throw-ins. And finally, the floor was so small they had the three lines across the center of the court - one center line, and two other lines on either side of the circle. They would use the center line as the 10-second line, then the furthest of the three lines away from that team's basket as an "over and back" line, because the center line was only about 10 feet from the top of the key. Imagine being a new official trying to learn all the "real" rules, and trying to keep straight all the lines as well. Geesh.

I believe they recently built a new grade school and tore this one down. But the Scotties still remain. [/B]

Go Illini!!!!!

I am in Bloomington. When I still worked basketball games, I worked my first ever game at Fisher Jr High. Are the fans there still as rowdy as they used to be? That court was so small! Glad to hear they built a new school (hopefully with a larger gym).