Memories of high school hoops glory days are kept alive in the Basketball Museum of Illinois at Bedford Park.

The museum is located inside the Wintrust Sports Complex, a 125,000-square-foot facility just south of Chicago Midway International Airport with nine basketball courts, two conference rooms, a gaming room, laser tag and other features. 

The museum, coordinated through the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, is the product of more than 50 years of work to preserve the rich history of the sport in this state and showcase the schools, coaches, players and others who made it so.

The IBCA formed in 1971, with its first Hall of Fame Class inducted in 1973.

A banquet celebrating each year’s newest class of inductees is held every spring at Redbird Arena on the campus of Illinois State University, regularly drawing more than 1,000 attendees.

Of the 3,800 total Hall of Fame inductees over the years, it is estimated that 40 percent of them are deceased.

There are several locals in the IBCA Hall of Fame. In fact, longtime Columbia High School basketball statistician Howie Knapp will be inducted as a “Friend of Basketball” this spring as part of the 2024 class.

Up until its closure about 15 years ago, the Hall of Fame plaques were displayed inside the Holiday Inn in Normal.

Following decades of plans and proposals to finally find a place to serve as an official museum for Illinois hoops, the Village of Bedford Park gave the IBCA an offer it simply could not refuse a few years ago.

In its first year of operation, Basketball Museum of Illinois Chairman Bruce Firchau said the museum drew about 240,000 visitors.

“That’s a lot of foot traffic, and that’s good for us,” Firchau said.

The museum’s first physical exhibit was unveiled Sept. 28, 2022, with a Title IX 50th anniversary celebration. 

Since then, five other 16-foot-by-10-foot wall displays have been unveiled. 

With southern Illinois being such a crucial piece of basketball history – Centralia and Collinsville are among the winningest high school boys hoops programs in the country – Firchau said the IBCA makes a concerted effort to showcase all areas of Illinois at the museum.

“Since the museum is up north, we make sure that the rest of the state is not forgotten about,” Firchau said.

To that end, one local piece of hoops memorabilia now sits on display up in Bedford Park.

Inducted with the inaugural IBCA Hall of Fame Class in 1973, Vernie Moffitt was a sportswriter for the Waterloo Times from 1953 until his death due to heart failure in 1969 at the young age of 38.

His “Vernie’s Varsity Notes” column was well-known, as was his extensive annual basketball calendar that included schedules for 70 high schools from Springfield on down south. 

Following Moffitt’s death, the Waterloo Times continued his tradition with “Vernie’s Memorial Basketball Calendar” for several years.

Legendary longtime Waterloo High School basketball coach Larry Henson – himself an IBCA Hall of Famer – recently dug up one of these calendars and submitted it for display at the museum. 

“We get memorabilia from people all of the time,” Firchau said. “Illinois just has an incredible basketball story.”

Firchau said that among the oldest items on display at the museum is a program from the 1920 state basketball tournament, which includes train schedules to Champaign.

So, if you are ever traveling to Chicago – by train, plane or automobile – be sure to visit the Basketball Museum of Illinois and marvel at this state’s legendary hoops past. 

For more information, visit basketballmuseumofillinois.com.