4A State Tournament Preview
In this article:
The state tournament is almost here! The 3A and 4A playoffs will be getting underway this week. Here is our preview of the 4A Illinois State Tournament and our picks! Tournament Favorite Well you have to start off with…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe state tournament is almost here! The 3A and 4A playoffs will be getting underway this week. Here is our preview of the 4A Illinois State Tournament and our picks!
Tournament Favorite
Well you have to start off with the two teams that met for the championship last season. That would be Whitney Young and Belleville West. Both teams return the majority of their squads that met a year ago. This year they would meet in the semis if they make it that far. Curie and Bloom are both serious contenders as well. They have been consistently dominant throughout the season. Others worth monitoring include Evanston, Bolingbrook, Geneva, Rockford East, and Marian Catholic.
Best Potential Defining Games in Tournament Prior to Supers
Evanston vs New Trier in Niles North Sectional Final
Waukegan vs Fremd in Waukegan Sectional Semi
Naperville North vs Glenbard West in Glenbard West Regional Semi
Benet vs DeKalb in DeKalb Regional Final
Downers Grove North vs Downers Grove South in Downers Grove South Regional Final
Bolingbrook vs Oswego East in Aurora East Sectional Final
Collinsville vs Alton in Collinsville Regional Final
Belleville West vs Collinsville/Alton in Moline Sectional Semi
Belleville West vs Danville/Normal/Rock Island/Moline in Moline Sectional Final
Simeon vs Brother Rice in Brother Rice Regional Final
Simeon/Marian Catholic & Homewood Flossmoor/Bloom in Eisenhower Sectional Semis
Simeon/Marian Catholic vs Homewood Flossmoor/Bloom in Eisenhower Sectional Final
Curie vs Fenwick in Fenwick Regional Final
York vs OPRF in York Regional Final
Whitney Young vs Curie in Proviso West Sectional Final
5 Questions
What Stars Will Step Up?
The majority of the superstar players in the state are in 4A. It all begins with the reigning Mr. Basketball EJ Liddell (Belleville West). The most dominant force in high school basketball will try to lead his team to back to back state titles. Whitney Young has a trio of big time guards in senior Myles Baker along with the stud juniors DJ Steward and Tyler Beard. Curie’s Dajuan Gordon can put his team on his back in March. Bloom is so balanced that any of their 2020 D1 prospects could step up. Others on title contenders to watch are Lance Jones (Evanston), Tyler Cochran (Bolibgbrook), Jack McDonald (Geneva), Chris Burnell (Rockford East), and Ahron Ulis (Marian Catholic). Players that could go off early in the tournament and cause an upset are Marquise Kennedy (Brother Rice), Tom Welch (Naperville North), Donovan Clay (Alton), Ray’Sean Taylor (Collinsville), and Bryce Hopkins (Fenwick).
Who are the Best Unsigned Seniors?
There are a lot of uncommitted 2019s that can elevate their stock. Here are the prospects that are still on the board in the top 50. Myles Baker (Whitney Young), Antonio Reeves (Simeon), Martin Macenis (Stagg), Bryant Brown (Waukegan), Kejuan Clements (Simeon), Deng Reng (Wheaton North), Kendrick Tchoua (Benet), Mitch Mascari (Geneva), Deonte Billups (Moline), Sean Houpt (Danville), Christopher Burnell (Rockford East), Chris White (Marian Catholic), Trey Boston (Downers Grove North), and Artese Stapleton (Kenwood).
What is Easiest Sectional?
This is a tight race between the Waukegan Sectional and Rockford Sectional. We will give the slight edge to Waukegan Sectional. The Chicago northern suburbs just didn’t have many great teams this season. Overall the bracket is weak, but a final between Stevenson and Waukegan could be fun.
What is the Hardest Sectional?
This is a close race between the Eisenhower, Moline, and Proviso West Sectionals. The top two teams are better in the Proviso West Sectional, but overall I will go with the depth seen in the Eisenhower Sectional. You have powerhouse programs Bloom, Homewood Flossmoor, Simeon, St. Rita, Marian Catholic, and Brother Rice. Only one of them will make it to the supers.
Toughest Road for Top Teams?
Out of the premier title contenders of Belleville West, Whitney Young, Curie, and Bloom who has the toughest road? Here are their potential paths to a title game from the regional final on. None of them got easy draws with many potential stumbling blocks along the way!
Curie:
Fenwick (@ Fenwick), Lincoln Park/Riverside Brookfield, Whitney Young, Bloom/Marian/Simeon, Belleville West, Championship Game
Whitney Young:
Lane, York/OPRF, Curie, Bloom/Marian/Simeon, Belleville West, Championship Game
Bloom:
Richards/Thornwood, Homewood Flossmoor/St. Rita, Marian Catholic/Simeon, Whitney Young/Curie, Belleville West, Championship Game
Belleville West:
Chatham Glenwood, Collinsville/Alton, Danville/Normal/Moline (In Quad Cities), Bolingbrook/Oswego East, Curie/Whitney Young/Bloom/Simeon/Marian Catholic, Championship
Predictions
Regional Finals
Evanston over Niles Notre Dame
Glenbrook South over Niles North
New Trier over Glenbrook North
Maine South over Rolling Meadows
Stevenson over Hersey
Mundelein over Deerfield
Fremd over Barrington
Waukegan over Prospect
Geneva over Wheaton Warrenville South
Lyons over Naperville North
Benet over DeKalb
Downers Grove South over Downers Grove North
Rockford East over Rockford Boylan
St. Charles East over St. Charles North
Cary Grove over South Elgin
Harlem over Crystal Lake South
Bolingbrook over Plainfield East
Oswego over West Aurora
Lockport over Waubonsie Valley
Oswego East over Romeoville
Belleville West over Chatham Glenwood
Collinsville over Alton
Danville over Moline
Normal Community over Rock Island
Bloom over Richards
Homewood Flossmoor over St. Rita
Marian Catholic over Thornton
Simeon over Brother Rice
Curie over Fenwick
Riverside Brookfield over Lincoln Park
Whitney Young over Lane
York over OPRF
Sectional Semis
Evanston over Glenbrook South
New Trier over Maine South
Stevenson over Mundelien
Waukegan over Fremd
Geneva over Lyons
Benet over Downers Grove South
Rockford East over St. Charles East
Cary Grove over Harlem
Bolingbrook over Oswego
Oswego East over Lockport
Belleville West over Collinsville
Danville over Normal Community
Bloom over Homewood Flossmoor
Marian Catholic over Simeon
Curie over Riverside Brookfield
Whitney Young over York
Sectional Finals
Evanston over Maine South
Waukegan over Stevenson
Geneva over Benet
Rockford East over Cary Grove
Bolingbrook over Oswego East
Belleville West over Danville
Bloom over Marian Catholic
Whitney Young over Curie
Super Sectional
Evanston over Waukegan
Rockford East over Geneva
Belleville West over Bolingbrook
Whitney Young over Bloom
Final Four
Evanston over Rockford East
Whitney Young over Belleville West
Championship
Whitney Young over Evanston