Players

Greg Lauritzen

Year Inducted: 2002

Category: Players

Schools / Organizations:
Martinsville High School
Lake Land College

Biography:

Greg Lauritzen and his brother Jeff, along with coach Steve Bennett, put tiny Martinsville on the Illinois basketball map. Greg graduated in 1981 as the Blue Streaks’ leading scorer with 1,646 points in three years. He set the single-game school scoring record of 54 points.

As a senior, Lauritzen averaged 28 points a game. He was named the Decatur Herald & Review Player of the Year and was accorded all-state honors by the Associated Press and IBCA. He also played in the IBCA All-Star Game. Lauritzen was the first to accomplish these feats at Martinsville and was the first Blue Streak to have his jersey number retired.

The three teams Lauritzen played on won 65 games and two IHSA Regional titles. His senior year, the Blue Streaks were 28-1, losing to Lawrenceville in the IHSA Sectional championship game. He went on to Lake Land College, where he was a two-year starter and all-conference player as a sophomore.

Lauritzen went into high school coaching at Shiloh, where he was 24-5 with a regional title in 1997, Clifton Central, Pittsfield and Hustonville. Greg Laurtizen died tragically after a car accident on Oct. 22, 2006 at age 43.