Dear Tournament Participants:
We would like to take an opportunity to welcome all of the players, coaches, and parents to the 2025 Winter Classic. Our tournament staff will strive to make this a positive tournament experience for each participating team and their families.
This event is the smallest of three events hosted annually by the Wildcats Basketball program. Our second largest event, the Midwest Hoop Fest, held on February 16, will draw 100+ teams.
Our largest event will be played July 25-27, in Chicago. We expect 300+ teams from 20 states and Canada to participate in that event. Over 50 courts are used for the event, which was moved to Chicago 15 years ago, so that more air-conditioned facilities with wood courts could be used and so that more lodging was available for the tournament participants. During optional pre-event competition on July 24, players compete in NBA 2-Ball, Free Throw and Three Point contests, as well as All Star games.
And most of all please remember
These are kids. It’s just a game. The coaches are volunteers. The referees are human. No college scholarships will be handed out today.
Good luck to all teams!
Jason Schwebke Tournament Director
BOOK: 9697
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Participating Teams
3RD GRADE BOYS
IL Attack - Chapman
Immanuel Knights
New Berlin West - 3rd Grade Gold
Belvidere North
4TH GRADE BOYS
IL Attack
Jr Gators 4B
Jr Titans
Patriots 1 shot
815 Dream
Breakaway Basketball 4th Gold
Glen Ellyn Titans White
Jr Gators 4A
PHH Mustangs
Rockford Elite
Slam City Elite
St. Charles Storm
5TH GRADE BOYS
Immanuel Knights
Rockford Elite
Sabercats
Whitman Post Warriors
6TH GRADE BOYS D1
Jr Titans
Midwest Wildcats-McReynolds
PHH Palatine
Rockford Elite
6TH GRADE BOYS D2
IL Attack - Chapman
Lonnie Rays
M14Hoops Boys 6th Black 2
RC Lions
7TH GRADE BOYS D1
Galena Generals
Illinois Valley Rimrockers Blue
Midwest Wildcats-Lindsay
New Berlin West
7TH GRADE BOYS D2
Belvidere North Jr. Thunder 7th
Byron Tigers
Rockford Elite Szoztek
Stillman Valley
Frankfort Warriors
Illinois Valley Rimrockers White
Jr Titans
Lonnie Rays
M14Hoops Boys 7th Black 2
Oswego East Wolfpack Khaleel
Rockford Elite Butenhoff
Team FVV
8TH GRADE BOYS D1
2029 NXT LVL Jr 3SSB
Bolingbrook Magic
Dubuque Rams
IL Attack - McMath
Midwest Tarheels Select BLACK
Oswego East Wolfpack Navy
Rockford Elite
The Academy
8TH GRADE BOYS D2
FVV Elite
Harvard Junior Hornets
Jr Titans
M14Hoops Boys 8th Black 2
Midwest Tarheels Select 8th BLUE
Midwest Wildcats-Davidson
Oswego East Wolfpack
Patriots 1 shot
4TH GRADE GIRLS
IV Elite Ballers
Midwest Wildcats-Wilhelmi
Shooting Stars
Slam City Elite
5TH GRADE GIRLS
Batavia Bulldogs 5G Red
Dubuque Surge
Midwest Wildcats-Lynde
QC Shockers
6TH GRADE GIRLS
BN Gators
Breakaway Basksetball 6th Gold
Chicago’s Finest
M14Hoops Girls 6th Rising 3SSB
Miwest Wildcats-Cooper
QC Shockers
Slam City Elite
Wolverinas 2031
7TH GRADE GIRLS D1
BN Gators Blue
M14Hoops Girls 7th Rising 3SSB
Midwest Wildcats-Blue/Lynde
Over The Edge
7TH GRADE GIRLS D2
BN Gators Blue
Glen Ellyn Titans
M14Hoops Girls 7th Black 1
Midwest Wildcats-Carolina/Lynde
8TH GRADE GIRLS D1
Glen Ellyn Titans
Illinois Rockets 8th - Red
IV Elite Ballers (7th)
M14Hoops Girls 8th Rising 3SSB
Midwest Wildcats-Dill
Over The Edge
QC Shockers
Madison Eagles
8TH GRADE GIRLS D2
Illinois Rockets 8th - White
M14Hoops Girls 8th Black 2
Midwest Wildcats-Johnston
QC Shockers (7th)
Venues
EAST HIGH SCHOOL
(2929 Charles St, Rockford, IL 61108)– You will enter off of 24th Street and park in that lot. The ONLY doors that will be unlocked are on the 24th street side of the building. You CANNOT park or enter the building on the 28th Street side.
UW HEALTH SPORTS FACTORY
(305 S Madison St, Rockford, IL 61104) – Park in front of the building, there is only one main entrance in front.
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Fun Facts
1. Basketball Was Invented by a PE Teacher
In 1891, Dr. James Naismith, a physical education instructor at a YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts, was tasked with creating a new game to keep his students active during the cold winter months. His solution? Basketball. With nothing but a soccer ball and two peach baskets, Naismith invented a game that would soon take the world by storm. His primary objective was to create a non-violent game that focused on skill, not brute strength, which is how basketball was born.
2. Dribbling wasn’t allowed Players never could advance the ball. Instead, each player had to throw it from wherever it was caught. The first team credited with advancing the ball by dribbling played at Yale in 1897, and the official allowance for the dribble, just one per possession at first, was adopted four years later.
3. A soccer ball is the first basketball used back in the day
Originally, basketball was played with a soccer ball. The first ball made specifically for basketball was brown, and this remained standard until the late 1950s. Tony Hinkle, looked for a ball that would be more visible to players and spectators alike, and so the orange-colored version of the ball came to be.
4. The First Official Women’s League Formed in 1978
Over the decades, women’s basketball grew in popularity until, in 1976, women’s basketball became an Olympic sport. This set the stage for it to grow further over the next few years.
In 1978, America started its own league with the Women’s Basketball League. Sadly, that league suffered from financial issues and collapsed in 1981. Although, the women’s sport has had a new lease of life in the form of the WNBA starting in 1996.
5. The Globetrotters Almost Always Win Against the Generals
The Washington Generals are not a standard team. It is rare that they play against any team except the Harlem Globetrotters and exist only to uplift their rival team.
The team moves around the country and usually brings a local celebrity or other invitees to the team. The Globetrotters then use them as a heel or stooge to show off their skill.
Over around 16,000 games against the Harlem Globetrotters, the Washington Generals have only ever won 4 games.
6. The NBA Was Founded in 1946
The National Basketball Association (NBA), now the world’s most prestigious professional basketball league, was founded in New York City in 1946. Initially known as the Basketball Association of America (BAA), it merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1949 to become the NBA. The league started with just 11 teams, and the very first game was played between the New York Knicks and the Toronto Huskies.
7. Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-Point Game Is Still an NBA Record
On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain set an NBA record that still stands today by scoring an incredible 100 points in a single game for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks. This feat remains one of the most legendary performances in basketball history, and no player has come close to matching it since.
8. The Boston Celtics Have the Most Championships
The Boston Celtics are one of the most storied franchises in NBA history. With 17 NBA championships to their name, the Celtics share the title for the most championships in league history with their arch-rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics’ golden era came in the 1960s when they won 11 championships in 13 seasons, led by legendary players like Bill Russell.
9. The Term “Triple-Double” Was Popularized by Magic Johnson
A “triple-double” occurs when a player records double-digit figures in three statistical categories during a single game, usually points, rebounds, and assists. While the achievement existed before, the term “triple-double” gained popularity in the 1980s thanks to the dazzling performances of Magic Johnson, who frequently racked up such stats.
10. Three pointers
The three-pointer now plays such a huge part of modern-day basketball. But it actually wasn’t a thing in the NBA until the 1979-80 season, where they borrowed the idea from the ABA.
10. The First Slam Dunk
There’s no denying that dunking is one of the most exciting parts of the game. The first person to dunk was in 1944, a 7ft tall center who played for Oklahoma, who was pinned by defenders under the ring and accidentally stuffed the ball in the basket. Dunking actually ended up becoming banned in the 1960’s for about 10 years, mostly because Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was dominating with this move. Luckily this ban didn’t last!
