Sectional time!!!!! We are officially deep into the State playoffs. Most of the top seeds advanced with exception of Class 1A #1 St Anthony (Effingham) who was eliminated in Regional Final. Only one undefeated team left!!!! Here we go:
NOTES:
All four defending state champs are still alive:
Moline (4A)
Metamora (3A)
DePaul College Prep (Chicago) (2A) playing in (3A)
Gibault Catholic (Waterloo) (1A)
Evergreen Park won it's first regional title in 50 years. They've earned the right to face top seed Thornton Township (Harvey) on their home court.
#14 Beecher is still undefeated. Had a tough Class 2A Regional final with Catholic Academy (Joliet) that went down to the last minute. Senior point guard Adyn McGinley made sure they won only their second regional title in history. Can they win their first sectional title in history? Could be on a collision course with Wendell Phillips Academy (Chicago) in tough Central (Joliet) Supersectional that has produced 5 of the last 6 Class 2A State Champs.
#13 Kenwood Academy (Chicago) wins their Class 4A regional after five players are ruled ineligible for residency issues, and three of their coaches cannot coach in the state playoffs. Senior Calvin Robins Jr and freshman Devin Cleveland have carried them so far. Can they surprise and win an All-Chicago Public League Sectional?
#18 South (Crystal Lake) is trying to win a Sectional for the first time in decades. They almost lost in the first round of regionals, but are the 1 seed in the Class 3A Kaneland (Maple Park) Sectional and a heavy favorite.
Will the Metamora vs Richwoods (Peoria) Sectional Final at Pontiac materialize? These two teams have been circling each other all year. Metamora knocked them out of the playoffs last year. Metamora is the defending Class 3A state champ. Can't look ahead because they have LaSalle Peru (LaSalle) to play. Richwoods has a gigantic game with #11 Kankakee to get to that dream matchup.
#1 Curie (Chicago) beat Lyons Township (LaGrange) who had knocked them out of the playoffs the last two years. Now there is big fish to fry in the All-Public League Class 4A Riverside Brookfield Sectional. They play Whitney Young (Chicago) whom they beat by 10 in Chicago Public League Playoffs. Trying the tough City/State Title double.
#8 Mount Carmel (Chicago) plays their neighborhood rival around the corner in Hyde Park Academy (Chicago) in Class 3A Hinsdale South (Darien) Sectional.
Will the Recliner Boys aka Brother Rice (Chicago) have to play host Thornton Township (Harvey) in a Class 3A Sectional Final. Had a heated fall league game at the Vikings United Fall League Final at Homewood Flossmoor which Brother Rice won. First they have to avenge a Hinsdale Central Holiday Tournament double overtime loss to Marian Catholic (Chicago Heights).
Class 4A East Aurora is the toughest sectional in the state. All four teams are ranked that are left. #6 Bolingbrook will play #15 Benet Academy (Lisle) then #7 North (Downers Grove) plays #10 Waubonsie Valley (Aurora) who was undefeated for most of the season. One of their losses was to Bolingbrook. North (Downers Grove) is trying to make a return trip to Champaign. This will be a tough one. The winner will have really earned it only to possibly have to play.....
Normal Community is the biggest team left in the state going 6'4", 6'6" 6'9", 6'11" then have a 6'9" coming off the bench. Went 3-3 in three consecutive weekend trips to the Chicago Area. I think it toughened them up but may have to deal with Quincy to get to that Supersectional game which is in their hometown.
Can Warren (Gurnee) win a Class 4A Sectional with a freshman point guard leading them? His name is Jaxson Davis and he's the undisputed leader of his team. They will have to deal with a couple of round trips in 3 days to Rockford to win the sectional. They did tell me they'd meet me in Champaign. They're getting closer to that goal.
Another freshman point guard is trying to get his team to Champaign. His name is Michael Woods of St Francis De Sales (Chicago). He was injured but just came back for the playoffs. The team's record is 13-19 but they played their season in the Chicago Catholic League White but they are playing in Class 1A. They got to the Supersectional last year with a losing record but lost at that point. Can he lead them one game further?
Can DePaul College Prep (Chicago) go back to back in state titles? They won Class 2A but was moved up to Class 3A in success formula. They have a comfortable road to Champaign (I know Coach TK would disagree). They once again are back and healthy at the right time just like last year. Their defense just squeezes the life out of your team like a boa constrictor.
Top games Tuesday all times Central time:
***denotes defending champ***
Class 4A:
#21 Glenbrook North (Northbrook) vs #22 Glenbrook South (Glenview) 7:45pm (can North beat South for a third time?)
#20 Barrington vs Stevenson (Lincolnshire) at Elgin 7pm
Normal Community vs Moline at Pekin 7pm
#16 Lake Park (Roselle) vs Glenbard North (Carol Stream) at Addison Trail (Addison) 7pm (Can Lake Park beat Glenbard North for a third time?)
Wednesday:
#12 Marist (Chicago) vs Bloom Township (Chicago Heights) at Rich Township (Richton Park) 6pm
#13 Kenwood Academy (Chicago) vs Simeon Career Academy (Chicago) at Riverside Brookfield 7pm
Class 3A:
Tuesday:
#8 Mount Carmel (Chicago) vs Hyde Park Academy (Chicago) at Hinsdale South (Darien) 7pm
Wednesday:
#5 Brother Rice (Chicago) vs Marian Catholic (Chicago Heights) at Thornton Township (Harvey) 7pm
St Patrick (Chicago) at Fenwick (Oak Park) 7pm
#11 Kankakee vs Richwoods (Peoria) at Pontiac 7pm
DeLaSalle Institute (Chicago) vs Lindblom Math and Science Academy (Chicago) 7pm
Class 2A:
Wednesday:
Noble/Hansberry College Prep (Chicago) vs Dyett (Chicago) at Corliss (Chicago) 7pm
Christ The King College Prep (Chicago) vs Montini (Lombard) at Timothy Christian (Elmhurst) 7pm
Manual (Peoria) vs Macomb at Canton 6pm
Beecher vs B Henning-Rossville-Alvin (Bismarck) at Central (Clinton) 7pm
Class 1A:
Tuesday:
Heights (Peoria) vs Central (Camp Point) at A-Avon (Abdington) 7pm
Richards (Chicago) vs Marshall (Chicago) at Orr (Chicago) 6pm
Rochelle Zell (Deerfield) vs Christian (Aurora) at Harvest Christian Academy (Elgin) 7 pm
Wednesday:
Illini Bluffs (Glasford) vs Christian (Peoria) at A-Avon (Abdington) 7pm
Hope Academy (Chicago) vs St Francis De Sales (Chicago) at Orr (Chicago) 6pm
Goreville vs Gibault Catholic (Waterloo) *** at NC-Omaha-Enfield (Norris City) 7pm