Schuckman: Notes on Rock Island transfers, Nicholson on national list, new coaching hires

QUINCY — Cleaning out the notebook with the curtain closed on the school year …

If a pair of transfers come to fruition, the Rock Island boys basketball team will be expected to be the frontrunner in the Western Big 6 Conference next winter.

Arthur Abbey, the jitterbug-quick guard who started as a sophomore at Moline last season, announced on social media this week he is transferring to Rock Island. The 5-foot-8 Abbey was expected to form one of the WB6’s top backcourts next season, teaming up with the Maroons’ Brady Welch.

Instead, Abbey joins three returning starters for the Rocks, including first-team All-WB6 guard Lawson Zulu and second-team all-conference guard Deven Marshall.

The Rocks also may be getting help in the frontcourt. Ken Jacoby of QCSportsNet reported Aris Morgan, a 6-foot-7 forward who played his junior season at Port Byron Riverdale, changed his bio on the social media platform X to read “Rock Island High School,” suggesting he is transferring to Rocky.

Morgan averaged 11 points and 7.7 rebounds per game last season, earning second-team All-Three Rivers Conference honors.

Nicholson makes ESPN W Top 25 list

Khloe Nicholson, who recently wrapped up her freshman year at Quincy High School, finds herself in the national spotlight after making the ESPN W’s list of the “Terrific 25” girls basketball players for the Class of 2028.

The 6-foot-1 Nicholson is ranked 25th in the nation, according to the rankings which were released Thursday.

Nicholson recently received scholarship offers from TCU and Mississippi State as her list of suitors continues to grow. Among the other NCAA Division I schools to have extended an offer are Missouri, Illinois, Nebraska, Arkansas and Alabama.

She was an honorable mention All-WB6 selection last season while averaging 8.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.4 steals per game as QHS finished with a 20-11 record.

Elbe to guide Macomb girls basketball program

Justin Elbe is taking over as the head coach of the Macomb girls basketball program, replacing Jackson Kane, who resigned at the end of March after four seasons at the helm.

Elbe, who lives in Macomb and runs Ron Elbe Auto Sales, has been a part of the Macomb coaching tree in the past, serving as a junior high boys basketball coach. A 1993 graduate of Southeastern High School, Elbe was a multi-sport standout in high school.

As a senior, he averaged 17 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Suns to earn second-team all-area honors. In baseball, he was a first-team all-area outfielder, hitting .525.

The Bombers went 21-10 last winter.

Parsons takes on new responsibilities at North Shelby

Chris Parsons, who has served as the girls basketball coach at North Shelby the past three seasons, is adding a pair of additional jobs. He has been named the boys basketball coach and will be the head coach of the Raiders’ newly formed girls golf program.

Parsons served as an assistant coach with the boys basketball program last season and returns a solid nucleus, led by the return of sophomore Gannon Bowen. He previously coached golf at Palmyra, leading the boys team to a Class 2 state championship in 2021.

O’Laughlin returns to North Shelby

Three decades after he first roamed the football sidelines at North Shelby, Kent O’Laughlin is headed back to the Shelbyville, Mo., school.

O’Laughlin was recently named the head coach of the Raiders’ 8-man football team. Josh Klusmeyer, who was hired in March to be the head coach after previously serving as North Shelby’s defensive coordinator, resigned last week along with his wife, North Shelby softball coach Amber Klusmeyer, for personal and professional reasons.

O’Laughlin coached at North Shelby in 1994 and ’95, leading the Raiders to Class 1 state quarterfinal appearances both seasons. He went on to coach at South Shelby for 11 seasons, compiling a 73-47 record and leading the Cardinals to the Class 1 state championship in 2006. He also has coached boys and girls basketball and track along the way, with stops at Mexico, Palmyra and Marceline.

For the past three seasons, he served as the boys basketball coach at South Shelby, announcing in March that he was retiring.

O’Laughlin will be joined on the North Shelby football staff by his son, Aaron, who is the high school principal at Marion County, which is co-oping with North Shelby for football.