TriCounty Brandon Hughes became the latest in a long line of standout Manual High School basketball players in 1994 when he led the Rams to their first state championship since 1930.
Averaging 20.3 points and shooting .498, Hughes was Manualís "go-to" guy in vital situations and it was his two free throws with 4.2 seconds remaining that put down Carbondale 6 1-60 in the title game of the Class AA tournament in Champaign.
He was named to the Mid-State 6 all-conference team, was the Journal Star's Metro Player of the Year and selected to all-state teams by the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Champaign News Gazette and the Associated Press.
He was also named Male Athlete of the Year by the IHSA Sports Report and honored by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association.
He is now attending Barton County Junior College in Kansas.
PAUL HERZOG A 1974 Bradley University graduate and longtime financial consultant for MassMutual Financial Group, Paul Herzog has served as the public address "Voice of the Braves" for nearly 600 Bradley men's basketball games for the past 39 seasons, including every game the Braves have played at Carver Arena and Renaissance Coliseum. In addition to his volunteer service for Bradley, Herzog has served as the volunteer public address announcer for every game the Peoria Civic Center has hosted in the IHSA Boys Basketball State Tournament during its 20-year run in the River City. While "PA" Paul is well-known for his role with Bradley Basketball and the IHSA, his community service extends far beyond Carver Arena. A Braves Club Board of Directors member for 20 years and a past president (1992-94) of the organization, Herzog also served as president of the Central Illinois Bradley Alumni Chapter (1983-85) and the Bradley University National Alumni Association (1990-91). He also has began emceeing the IHSA State Cross Country Championships awards ceremony in 1996. Closer to his home in Germantown Hills, Herzog has coached in youth baseball and basketball house leagues and from 2006-13 he was a member of the Germantown Hills Athletic Association Board of Directors. He served as a committe co-chair in the effort to acquire land for the expansion of youth sports in Germantown Hills, which led to the addition of 20 acres to school district property. Herzog also brought a little of the Bradley Basketball experience to the Germantown Hills Grade School Boys Basketball program by serving as the public address announcer from 2008-12. Herzog is the recipient of numerous service awards, including the Bradley Varsity Club Billy Stone Service Award, the Bradley University Lydia Moss Bradley Award, the IHSA March Madness Volunteer of the Year and the IHSA Distinguished Service Award. He was inducted into the Bradley Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011. | ![]() |