Kiel Duval remembers going to St. Joseph-Ogden High School’s holiday basketball tournament growing up.
The SJO Toyota of Danville Classic, formerly called the Leader Classic, has been held every December for the past 30 years at the high school.
When Duval was younger, his father, Hall of Fame football coach Dick Duval, would announce for the tournament or work at the scorer’s table. Kiel sat with him, taking in the action and soaking up the festive atmosphere of small-school basketball.
“I got to see the great coaches in this tournament close up, which as a kid, was awesome,” he said. “Those are memories I will never forget.”
This year, Kiel will form some new memories. He enters his first year as the head boys’ basketball coach at SJO, taking over for Brian Brooks, who stepped aside after coaching the Spartans the last 15 seasons.
“To me, it is an unbelievable opportunity to be a part of this tournament as a head coach,” Kiel said. “I grew up loving this tournament.”
Kiel graduated from SJO in 2005 and served as an assistant coach under Brooks for nine seasons.
Brooks was hired as coach during Kiel’s junior year of high school, and Kiel said he changed the mindset of the team.
“It was no longer good enough to get second or third in our own tournament,” he said. “We played extremely well both years and finished first.”
Kiel said that coaching under Brooks in the Classic created lasting memories for him of great games and great teams.
“It seems like when you get down to that final night, the games had a postseason feel,” he said. “There were some phenomenal games we were a part of.”
Kiel said he thinks the players like playing in a tournament during the season and the Classic allows them to add a short-term goal — winning their own tournament — to their long-term goals.
“I think they like that,” he said.
Kiel said the setup of the tournament tests players early in the season.
“They have to prepare in different ways. They may have to work on short rest. They have to look at one scouting report for a morning game and a different scouting report for an evening game, which makes it difficult,” Kiel said.
“This is good for the guys in the long run.”
SJO Toyota of Danville Classic Schedule
Thursday, Dec. 13
Game 1: Cissna Park vs. Armstrong-Potomac, 6 p.m.
Game 2: Schlarman vs. Oakwood, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 14
Game 3: St. Joseph-Ogden vs. Chicago CICS Longwood, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 15
Game 4: Armstrong-Potomac vs. Chicago CICS Longwood, 10 a.m.
Game 5: Cissn Park vs. Schlarman, 11:30 a.m.
Game 6: St. Joseph-Ogden vs. Oakwood, 1 p.m.
Game 7: Chicago CICS Longwood vs. Cissna Park, 4 p.m.
Game 8: Oakwood vs. Armstrong-Potomac, 5:30 p.m.
Game 9: Schlarman vs. St. Joseph-Ogden, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 18
Game 10: Cissna Park vs. Oakwood, 5 p.m.
Game 11: Schlarman vs. Chicago CICS Longwood, 6:30 p.m.
Game 12: St. Joseph-Ogden vs. Armstrong-Potomac, 8 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 21
Game 13: Armstrong-Potomac vs. Schlarman, 5 p.m.
Game 14: Chicago CICS Longwood vs. Oakwood, 6:30 p.m.
Game 15: St. Joseph-Ogden vs. Cissna Park, 8 p.m.
