The "Pit" at Central is a fun (and loud) place to watch a basketball game.

The “Pit” is always a fun place to watch a high school basketball game, with a cozy atmosphere that was lost by many schools in the area. It’s a true pit with a wall that separates the front row of the crowd from the court by about seven feet – vertically. Even if the crowds are smaller, it feels like the place is packed because any yelling reflects off every wall a couple times before fading away. When it’s packed? Well, it’s a whole lot of fun. Entering the gym takes a climb of a couple flights of stairs, which means concessions and restrooms are well-removed from your seats. Just outside the gymnasium (at the top of the stairs) is a modest trophy case displaying some of the Bulldogs finest accomplishments.

Grade Card
Overall: B+

Parking: B+
The large lot behind Central is deep and narrow, so you’ll be able to find a spot, but the first few rows fill up quick.

Seating: C
Three-panel wood bleachers surround the “pit”. The aisles are wide and it’s not overly comfortable, but the view off the floor is great until you get toward the top, where parts of the action can get cut off.

Sound: C-
The acoustics make everything loud. There is plenty of sound, but not much coming through the speakers. It’s hit or miss whether there will be pre-game music or scoring announcements. According to the scoreboard operator, it all depends on a third staffer at the table.

Court paint: B
Sure the Bulldog at center court is a bit dated, but the simple red and black paint job, combined with boxy lettered text keeps that mid-20th Century feel. It reads “Welcome to The Pit” near the sideline in front of the scorer’s table and either baseline reads “Central” or “Bulldogs”. The boundaries are marked in black and the lanes are natural.

Star Spangled Banner: A
A Central student performed a poppy, breathy rendition of the National Anthem, which received a large ovation from the crowd.

While the chips are really crisp, I always enjoy the little splash of cheese that reaches a handful of chips.

Concessions: B
It’s a pretty standard selection at the concessions, plus cotton candy, at costs under $2. Unless you get extra cheese or jalapenos on your nachos or hot dog, you’ll stay at (or below) a couple bucks. The nachos are a little bit unorthodox, with the chips coming separate in their own bag. I ordered extra cheese (25 cents) and jalapenos (50 cents) as the last few gyms I’ve attended didn’t have nachos at all. The chips are incredibly crispy, near perfect, while the cheese has great consistency, but has a very buttery taste. It took a moment to decipher the flavor, but it was still an enjoyable nacho experience.

Cheerleading: A
There’s a squad at every home game, and they are loud. The acoustics of the gym don’t hurt. Many nights include a half-time performance from the Central Kilties Drum & Bugle Corp, a tradition which never lets you down.

(This review has been updated since initial post – cheerleaders are in full force at boys games.)

The banners on the wall sure try to make up for that shade of brown on the floor.

There’s no way to sugar coat this. The gym at Kickapoo High School is uncomfortable and ugly. Thank goodness the Chiefs have delivered on the court. All of the renovation dough (rightfully) went to other areas of the school, something’s got to give. The halls are filled with trophy cases and memorabilia and restrooms are close. From either side of the floor only one scoreboard is visible, the other is hiding behind the backboard. The student section is always full and a little rowdy – expect to hear a herd of Wookies while the opposing team shoots free throws. The only thing that doesn’t need sprucing is the mass of banners hanging from the walls. Otherwise, it’s pretty disappointing that one of the city’s finest basketball traditions has such a crappy place to watch a game.

Grade Card

Overall: D+

Parking: A
It’s maybe the best parking situation for a high school game. There’s a lot of it and it’s plenty close.

Seating: D
All wood bleachers, all the time. Despite their age, they have no give whatsoever. There’s not a comfy spot in the house. The benches are directly in front of the first row, Unless you find a seat on the back wall where the view isn’t too great, there isn’t a backed seat off the floor.

Sound: B-
There’s not a whole lot of bump to the tunes, but it’s adequate for the space and the PA is nice and clear.

Court paint: D+
Yes, the Kickapoo colors are brown and gold, but the entire floor is covered in a shade of doo-doo offset by a dull yellow. The lanes and boundaries are all filled with brown. “KHS” is printed at the free throw lines with “KICKAPOO CHIEFS” at each baseline. At center court is a far outdated logo of the Chief in full head dress.

Star Spangled Banner: B+
A Kickapoo senior duet performed a straightforward (mostly unison) rendition of the national anthem. Not particularly moving, but thrilled that it wasn’t a recording.

Concessions: C+
They try to trick you. They offer snacks and goodies you can’t find at a concessions stand anywhere else in the city. Hot Pockets, corn dogs, Orange Fanta, Chex Mix and White Castle cheeseburgers couldn’t distract me from the glaring hole on the menu. The most important item of any basketball snack stand is far and away the nachos. The great pricing (nothing is more than $2) and creativity keeps the grade reasonable.

Cheerleading: D
This grade was adjusted from an F after there was a large squad for a boys game – good enough to pass, but they missed enough classes for it to reflect. The KHS cheerleading sponsor told us they don’t have enough numbers for both boys and girls games. It’s almost even more discouraging to me that a school the size of Kickapoo, with as many spirited fans as they have who attend every game, can’t get enough bodies to form a squad for the girls games.

HSC, thanks for everything, but we're happy to meet your new brother. No offense.

The former home of the Missouri State men’s and women’s basketball teams – Hammons Student Center – is nearing the end, but still plays a fine host for a few rounds of high school basketball and a little bit of D-I volleyball. It’s a nice, wide-open layout with a view of the floor from anywhere you go. The floor has is encompassed by the lower bowl which separates the court from four corners of concessions, exits and restrooms. It’s not the most attractive venue, but provides a nice spot to display the quality local talent, especially for a tournament such as the Blue and Gold. All of the banners have moved to JQH Arena, so the fanfare of Bears’ past glories has all but left. It’s nice enough and pulls on our memory, but JQH was a welcome breath of fresh air.

Grade Card
Overall: B-

Parking: D+
Parking at Missouri State, especially during events is always tough. Arrive early or prepare for a long (cold during basketball season) walk

Seating: B-
The bleachers, on two sides of the floor stretch from the lower bowl to the ceiling, are rarely opened for seating, so you shouldn’t have to worry about butt cramps. The rest of the seating is chair back and the action is easy to see until you get near the top.

Sound: B
The PA is a bit muffled, but the music gets loud enough to reach all four corners.

WHOOOOA! This is a four-dollar serving of nachos?? I know you're state funded HSC, but DAMN!

Court paint: B+
Maroon and trimmed with white highlights the bulk of the floor, with a massive Bear logo at center court. The paint is filled with the deep red, “Missouri State” sits underneath the buckets in white.

Star Spangled Banner: A
In almost three decades of watching games at Hammons, I have never once heard a recording.

Concessions: C-
The lower grade is not for quality or selection, but for the unavoidable college refreshments prices. Nachos for $4??? Are you crazy? Parkview offers a larger portion at less than half the price. A bottle of water runs $3 (there are fountains five feet away, which are free and just as refreshing).

Weiser Gym at Drury has always been a great place for a game.

It’s the twilight of Weiser Gym’s career as collegiate basketball host, but the former airplane hanger remains among the best places to catch a game for the last 61 years. A large trophy case greets you with the Panthers’ successful history which extends through a Wall of Fame and into the gym where four retired jerseys hang near the ceiling. Amanda Newton’s No. 42 will join them in the rafters next month. The arena feels circular and close to the action. Restrooms are nearby, but the wrong hallway could lead you out of the way. There was a time when the bleachers would have been packed for a men’s game on a Saturday afternoon, but, at least for today, students are elsewhere, a sad theme recently in Springfield. Weiser is pretty well organized for a small college arena, and has aged gracefully. The 2010 season will usher in the shiny O’Reilly Family Events Center, but before it’s too late make sure to catch at least one more game in this distinguished arena.

Grade Card
Overall: A-

Parking: D-
This is the only aspect that would keep you from going to a game at Drury. There is minimal parking along Drury Lane and unless you are a season ticket holder, parking close to the stadium is not going to happen. The fact that we have to walk a little more than three blocks is compacted by sleet and the fact that there is a lot immediately across the street from the gym but reserved for off-campus students (who apparently don’t go to the computer labs – or the game – on Saturday afternoons. There are three cars in the reserved lot.

Seating: B+
The court is engulfed by a 50-50 (chair back-bleacher) split. You can see the whole floor from every area of the arena. Seating would have received an ‘A’ but they had a sample chair from the future home of Drury hoops, and it had butt and back padding.

Sound: A-
The PA is loud and clear and there’s plenty of excitement behind the mic. The Drury Jazz Band takes the place of recorded music playing a range from old jazz standards to modern pop songs.

Court paint: A
This might be my favorite floor, and not just in Springfield. It all starts with the parque floor which hosts an always favorable color scheme of (scarlet) red and black. The lanes are filled red which plays well with the black striping and boundaries. After some scuffles with Puma, DU has settled into some pretty sleek logos and stylized lettering.

Star Spangled Banner: A-
Another bonus to having the jazz band in house is that Drury crowds always get top notch anthem performance – whether from the band or other members of DU’s music program.

Concessions: INC
I accept 100% of half the blame for not getting there in time to visit the concessions stand, but half of the rest of the fault goes to Drury’s up-tempo, fun-to-watch style and the rest of the blame is that the concessions stand closed pretty early in the second half. I handed my simple stat sheet off with a little more than 10 minutes to play in the second half and headed toward the land of chips and cheese, but the curtain had dropped on my dream of nachos.

Cheerleading: B-
Not many theatrics – no holds or tosses, there’s not even any tumbling. They don’t cheer too loud collectively, but there are A LOT of them, and a dance squad, and they’re very excited. They probably wouldn’t normally get a ‘B’ but Drury games have an emcee. Yeah, almost like those old AND 1 videos. Dave is a big guy with big hair and is pretty damn funny. He’s a little stumbly and a lot eccentric, at one point break dancing to the crowd’s rendition of Jingle Bells. It’s a little unorthodox, and is something that rarely works, but if you find the right person it’s got a chance.

There's not a bad view from any seat of Hillcrest's Gym

The Home of the Hornets is pseudo-contemporary with the feel of a lower bowl as a gated standing room section creates a break in seating during packed games, though the additional bleachers make most appearances only during the weekends. It’s a well-lit area as you can see the court below from the glass entry doors. It has that sort of ‘pit’ feel about it. The trophy case is small and overshadowed by a well-lit Gatorade vending machine, but there are some plaques, photos and jerseys hung near the entrance. Restrooms and concessions are in the same space as the court, so it’s very self-contained. As the JV game finishes, the video screens drop from the rafters, displaying team photos as Jay-Z starts cranking from the bass-heavy stereo system. We’re ready for some ball.

Grade Card
Overall: B

Parking: A-
You won’t have trouble finding a place to park, but might get lost if you enter in the wrong place. We’ll blame that on user error, and give Hillcrest the benefit of the doubt.

The only bad seat in the house, unless you're David the Gnome.

Seating: B+
Yes, they are bleachers, but they are curved for your backend, and perfect for a little recline, and not one section is a bad spot to watch a game. No matter where you seat, you have a clean view and feel on top of the action. There’s also plenty of additional standing room, should the joint sell out.

Sound: A-
The PA is clear, and there’s enough sound to catch your foot inadvertently tapping to some old-timey disco and Coolio. It is a little muddled in bass, but you know … if it’s too loud.

Court paint: B+
The Hillcrest floor is somewhere in between classic and contemporary. All stripes are marked orange and filled with blue, including solid lanes and boundaries. The Georgia Tech-esque Hornet sits on each sideline near half court next to “HOME OF THE HORNETS” is in blue and bordered in white. ”HILLCREST” lines the baselines in white.

Star Spangled Banner: A
Nice work. One of the boys coaches sang the anthem and invited the crowd to join, creating a gym-wide chorus. It’s rare to find moments in the public which create such a great sense of community.

Concessions: C
If you’re looking to save some cash, Hillcrest hosts quite a value stand. But the old notion of ‘you get what you pay for’ holds true. No items break the two-dollar plateau, except for the kettle corn. You can get a chili dog, though JV in stature, for just two-bucks. I like that price. And there is a nice fourth-quarter special which include $1 hot dogs and pretzels and small bags of popcorn for 50 cents

I had a couple before taking the photo, a disappointing nacho experience.

The nachos leave a lot to be desired. Though, just $2, they have the hard, round, saltless chips with a thin salty cheese. It leaves behind a film, which leaves the chips-to-cheese ratio out of wack. Runny cheese disables the ability to scoop.

Cheerleading: D
No cheerleaders for the girls game, but they came out for the guys, so they get a grade which is good enough to pass, but they missed too many classes.

Can't get too close to the action, but Parkview has that classic gym feel

Parkview has the feel of a classic high school basketball gym with wall-climbing bleachers on both sides of the court. The floor has a clean, simple paint job, with blank lanes. The room comes complete with a stage 20 feet from the baseline on the opposite the entrance. The restrooms are nearby in the entry adjacent to the gym. You might catch larger crowds on the weekends, but attendance for week night games can be pretty thin. A fairly impressive concessions stand sits in the shadows of a trophy case which stands about eight feet tall, opposite the Scott Bailes shrine – a left-handed pitcher who played for the California (that’s right) Angels.

Grade Card
Overall: C+

Parking: B+
There’s plenty of parking, but the main lot is a long walk on brisk winter nights.

Seating: C
As with parking, there’s plenty of room to find a seat, just don’t plan on being too comfortable. Unless you’re at the scorer’s table, you won’t feel too close to the action.

Sound: C+
The PA is adequate for calling scoring plays, but not much bump for the tunes. If music is playing, the PA announcer doesn’t have a chance. If I hadn’t heard the Ozark Conference Creed enough to nearly know it by heart, I wouldn’t have known what she was talking about at all.

Court paint: B+
A simple and classy design which isn’t very distracting. All stripes are green and yellow, except for a black three-point line. The Viking logo sits at mid-court, while a pair of Indiana Pacers-styled “P” logos sit near the sidelines at half court. “PARKVIEW VIKINGS” is painted in yellow on top of the solid green baselines.

Star Spangled Banner: F
Recordings will NEVER receive a passing grade. There’s got to be a choir kid at Parkview who would love to “flex the golden pipes” or a trumpet or a kazoo … ANYTHING! You never know when you’ll get TAGged so always be ready.

The nachos at Parkview were delightful and boasted an ideal chip:cheese ratio

Concessions: B
A standard menu (candy, chips, hamburger, pretzel, nachos, pop corn, soda, hot chocolate) is boosted with grilled chicken and even single pickles. Prices are pretty much in the middle of the road, with proceeds going to different school organizations. On Dec. 7, the wrestling team was holding it down. The hot dogs are massive and well worth the $3 price tag. At most gyms, two-bucks will get you a little weenie. The nachos are incredible.

Parkview’s concessions would get an A-, but the bagged potato chips were apparently a couple years out of date. The staff and wrestlers went into a momentary tizzy while trying to locate new chips (to no avail) after the guy in front of me claimed the chips “tasted bad”. I never knew chips had the ability to sour, but I also don’t know how many years they had been aged.

The nachos, however, were incredible. While I was a bit early and the line was a touch slow, I wonder if they could be quite as perfect during a halftime rush.

Cheerleading: C
I forgot the 11-girl squad was even around, as they didn’t make much noise early, even with a small crowd. They performed just one basket toss and gave the crowd a single two-story pyramid – the JV squad performed a sturdy three-level pyramid in the early game. They got excited late, but didn’t show much effort with the sideline running in place cheers.