{"product_id":"playgrounds-to-the-pros-legends-of-peoria-basketball-paperback","title":"Playgrounds to the Pros: Legends of Peoria Basketball - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJeff Karzen\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHoward Nathan. A. J. Guyton. Sergio McClain. Marcus Griffin. Frank Williams. Shaun Livingston.\u003c\/b\u003e This dazzling constellation of talent helped make Peoria a prep basketball hotbed from the 1980s to the 2000s. Jeff Karzen takes readers inside the lives of the players, coaches, and others who defined an era that produced six state titles and four Illinois Mr. Basketball winners. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Drawing on dozens of in-depth interviews, Karzen tells the stories behind the on-court triumphs while providing a panorama of the entire Peoria scene--the rivalries and relationships, the families and friendships, the hopes and hard work. Karzen also follows the players into their Division 1 and NBA careers and pays special attention to the pipeline that, by connecting Peoria to Champaign-Urbana, powered one of the most successful periods in Fighting Illini basketball history. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Intense and intimate, \u003ci\u003ePlaygrounds to the Pros\u003c\/i\u003e chronicles a basketball golden age in America's quintessential blue collar town. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eJeff Karzen\u003c\/b\u003e is a sportswriter who has covered basketball recruiting for twenty years. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eHomer: The Small-Town Baseball Odyssey.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 224\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.6 x 9 x 6.1 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e February 07, 2023\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51765889597728,"sku":"9780252086939","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/1e29b7288582eddfadc9b21f5b00235d.webp?v=1780282353","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/playgrounds-to-the-pros-legends-of-peoria-basketball-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}