Henricksen: Class 4A state tournament preview and sectional picks

Here is a complete breakdown and preview of all the Class 4A sectionals across the state.

Class 4A Sectional Preview

◆ PROVISO EAST SECTIONAL

Team to beat: Curie is the top seed and the defending Class 4A state champs. They have size, depth, perimeter shooting and a go-to player in Elijah Joiner. But this is a tough sectional to navigate through, especially with a heavyweight waiting in the sectional final.

Biggest threat: On paper, from top to bottom, Young has the most talent of any team in this sectional field and is the most potent offensively. With senior Lucas Williamson and the junior combination of Javon Freeman and Xavier Castaneda, Young is an intriguing Peoria pick as a No. 2 seed.

Rising: They’ve been a bit forgotten but Oak Park is playing well at the right time, winning eight straight games. The Huskies have an experienced tandem to lean on in 6-5 senior Cam Gross (13 ppg, 7 rpg) and 6-6 senior Jared Scott (15 ppg, 7 rpg). Plus, Isaiah Fuller has had a breakout season as the junior guard is averaging 12.5 points and 4 assists a game.

Sliding: A month ago St. Patrick looked like it could be a thorn in the side of the city powers. Now the Shamrocks are spiraling, losing six of their last seven and athletic difference-maker Alton Thompson is off the team.

Sleeper: It’s really difficult to pinpoint a sleeper in this sectional. You feel like No. 9 seed Proviso East, as wildly inconsistent as the Pirates have been, has enough ammo to pull off one upset. But does anyone actually believe the Pirates are going into Curie and pulling off a regional title upset?

Kenwood is the No. 3 seed but lost to second-seeded Young 80-58 just a couple of weeks ago.

So that leaves St. Joseph, an up-and-down team all season long that is playing its best basketball. The Chargers, the No. 6 seed, were 8-10 at one point but have won eight of their last nine.

Best player: The sectional’s two best players, Young’s Lucas Williamson and Curie’s Elijah Joiner, certainly have something to prove after feeling as if they left something on the table during the city playoffs.

Underrated player:Although he’s a high-volume scorer, Curie’s Allante Pickens, a 5-10 senior, is an unheralded weapon. He makes big shots, has a ton of big-game experience and can turn a game around with his perimeter shooting.

Semifinal picks: (1) Curie over (5) Oak Park and (2) Young over (3) Kenwood

Sectional champ: Young

◆ WAUKEGAN SECTIONAL

Team to beat: Evanston was made and built for March with the experience this team has and the schedule it’s faced this season. The Wildkits defend and have just enough offensive punch. There will be times where star Nojel Eastern will need to be a dominant player, and if he rises to the occasion in the biggest moments this team will be playing in Peoria.

Biggest threat: With some imposing size and length not many teams have, along with a gritty senior guard in Matt Stritzel, Notre Dame is a serious threat as a No. 2 seed. Plus, the Dons have played a strong schedule and have won 10 of its last 11 games.

Rising: Loyola has won 15 of its last 18 games. The fourth-seeded Ramblers have also played an abundance of close games, so coach Tom Livatino’s team is prepared for what awaits in March. Loyola has played seven games that have been decided by either one or two points. They’re tough defensively but lack size, which will be difficult to overcome the deeper this team gets.

Sliding: Zion-Benton went just 3-2 in the final couple weeks of the season, losing to Lake Forest and Stevenson, yet boosted its résumé just prior to seeding time with a road win over Waukegan. It will be a contrast of styles in a potentially great regional final with Loyola.

Sleeper: This sectional doesn’t have one sleeper; it boasts several sleepers capable of upsetting a higher-seeded team.

Whether it’s Warren as a No. 10 seed or dangerous teams like No. 5 seed Zion-Benton or No. 6 Waukegan, the North Suburban Conference is well represented and hopes to make a dent in this sectional one way or another.

Best player: Take your pick from a pair of Big Ten-bound players in Evanston’s Eastern and Stevenson’s Justin Smith. But if Stevenson is going to get deep in this sectional, the uber-athletic Smith will have to carry a big load.

Underrated player: Zion-Benton’s Rod Henry-Hayes has been a Hoops Report favorite all season long. The big 6-4 lead guard is calm and poised, can really pass and is difficult to contain when the ball is in his hands. Henry-Hayes has picked up three Division I offers recently and recorded a triple-double in the regular-season finale over Libertyville.

Semifinal picks: (1) Evanston over (4) Loyola and (2) Notre Dame over (3) Stevenson

Sectional champ: Evanston

◆ ROBERT MORRIS SECTIONAL

Team to beat: Fremd is unbeaten and has been dominant all season en route to its 26-0 record. Plus, the Vikings have taken care of the majority of their biggest sectional challengers, beating No. 2 seed Conant twice, No. 3 seed Prospect and No. 5 seed Grant.

Smart, experienced and disciplined, coach Bob Widlowski has a team that could win the program’s first sectional title since 1993.

Biggest threat: This is going to be a Mid-Suburban League war in the northwest suburbs as Conant and Prospect are both capable of knocking off Fremd.

Conant, led by star guard Jimmy Sotos, lost to Fremd 42-41 in January. The Cougars have size, perimeter shooting and are well coached as the retiring Tom McCormack hopes to win a second straight sectional title.

Prospect, with a dangerous duo in shooting guard Frankie Mack and 6-6 Matt Szuba, fell to Fremd 57-55 last week. But the Knights have beaten Conant and won 13 straight before falling to Fremd last week.

You see how much fun this sectional is going to be?

Rising: Grant was been hot and features an underrated player in big man John Kerr. The Bulldogs may be critiqued a bit because of their schedule, but they won 11 of 12 to close out the season. And that included a two-point loss to top-seeded Fremd.

Sliding: Barrington may have 17 wins and it may be seeded No. 7, but it’s a team that has gone 5-5 down the stretch. In addition, the Broncos have lost to sectional foes Conant, Fremd and Grant all by lopsided margins.

Sleeper: Lake Zurich, led by 6-4 junior Ryan Kutsor, isn’t as dangerous as it was last year when it reached the sectional championship game as a No. 3 seed. But this is a team that’s played arguably the toughest schedule in this sectional and still won 18 games.

Best player: Conant’s Jimmy Sotos plays at Conant, so he’s never going to put up eye-popping numbers. But make no mistake about it, the 6-3 point guard is equally dangerous as a passer and shooter and is a true difference-maker. Most importantly, he’s a player you want with the ball in his hands at crunch time.

Underrated player: The City/Suburban Hoops Report has been singing the praises of Matt Szuba of Prospect all year long. The 6-6 senior does a little of everything –– he averages 8 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists a game –– while bringing a physical presence and toughness.

Semifinal picks: (1) Fremd over (5) Grant and (2) Conant over (3) Prospect

Sectional champ: Conant

◆ ELGIN SECTIONAL

Team to beat: After getting a taste of sectional basketball a year ago, Jacobs is prepared to take one more step and win the program’s first-ever sectional championship.

Cameron Krutwig is a star on the interior offensively and surrounded by capable three-point shooters in Cooper Schwartz, Ryan Phillips and Mason Materna. And defensively, Krutwig is a lane protector of a defense that’s underrated.

Biggest threat: Rockford Boylan is 25-4 and has the type of go-to player you want in the postseason in 6-4 senior Zach Couper. He’s versatile and can score in a lot of ways for a Boylan team that lost the Class 3A super-sectional last season.

Rising: While it doesn’t play the quality schedule other teams in this sectional have faced, Rockford Lutheran closed out the regular season winning 10 of its last 11 games and has a very talented junior in Kenny Strawbridge. Along the way it knocked off Rockford Auburn.

Sliding: After starting the season 13-3, St. Charles North finished off the regular season 5-5. But when you examine everything closely, the North Stars may not be the best fit for this “sliding” description. After all, St. Charles North handed Geneva its first loss of the season and lost to Benet in overtime during that stretch.

Plus, there may not be a team that’s played more down-to-the-wire games than coach Tom Poulin’s team. St. Charles North have played 13 games decided four or less points, including playing six overtimes this season.

Sleeper: Hononegah is dangerous as the Indians are well coached by Mike Miller and have a talented tandem in athletic guard Josh Donaldson (14.5 ppg) and 6-8 big man Max Miller (12.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg). Hononegah has lost to Boylan twice by a combined three points.

Best player: Cameron Krutwig of Jacobs, a big-bodied 6-8 senior headed to Loyola and a legitimate POY candidate, continues to be a matchup nightmare with not only his on-the-block scoring and rebounding but his incredible passing instincts. Krutwig is averaging 15.4 points, 13.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.

Underrated player: He’s not talked about a whole lot but Justin Hardy of St. Charles East just produces. The 6-5 junior is averaging 20.3 points a game, along with 9.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He’s shooting 56 percent from inside the arc and 37 percent from beyond.

Semifinal picks: (1) Rockford Boylan over (2) St. Charles East and (1) Jacobs over (2) Hononegah

Sectional champ: Jacobs

◆ LINCOLN-WAY EAST SECTIONAL

Team to beat: Bolingbrook has enough of everything — size, speed, athleticism, talent and depth — to beat any team in Illinois. When loaded Bolingbrook is playing at its best, with the transition game revved up, they’ve looked the part of a legitimate state title contender.

Nana Akenten is a 6-5 mega-athlete who can shoot with range and is headed to Nebraska. The backcourt of Joseph Yesufu and Kaleb Thornton puts a ton of pressure on opponents with their speed and quickness. And 6-5 Malik Binns is a rugged and physical force around the basket.

Biggest threat: With just three losses on the season and a pair of Division I players in point guard Teyvion Kirk and Wisconsin-Green Bay recruit Trevian Bell, Joliet West is next in line behind Bolingbrook.

The Tigers are seasoned, having won a sectional championship a year ago before falling in the super-sectional. But Joliet West also knows it lost to Bolingbrook earlier this season in a game that wasn’t even as close as the 84-74 final.

Rising:We’ll go ahead and put Bolingbrook here as well. If not for some nagging injuries when facing Lincoln-Way East, including Malik Binns out with an injury in that matchup, we would likely be talking about a Bolingbrook team that is a perfect 25-0.

Sliding: Joliet Central has been one of the pleasant surprises of the season, enjoying its best year since the Joliet schools split in 2011. They are 21-5 on the season and have played both of the top dogs in the sectional tough.

However, the Steelmen lost to Minooka and Bolingbrook in back-to-back early January games and then lost to Joliet West and Romeoville to close out the season. And the only team Joliet Central has beaten with a winning record since holiday tournament time is Oswego East (15-11).

Sleeper: Watch out for a Lincoln-Way East team that has won six of its last seven, including wins over Homewood-Flossmoor and Bolingbrook. The Griffins have an elite shooter in junior Sam Shafer (15.8 ppg), who poured in 30 points in the win over Bolingbrook, and versatile 6-5 Dorian Aluyi (13.9 ppg).

Plus, if the Griffins can find a way to win at Joliet Central in the regional final — a big if –– coach Rich Kolimas’ team will play the sectional on its home floor.

Best player: Bolingbrook’s Nana Akenten doesn’t boast sensational numbers –– the Raiders are extremely balanced –– but he’s a high-flying athlete who can instantly change the momentum of a game with his above-the-rim plays and dunks or his three-point shooting.

Underrated player: Anyone who has played Bolingbrook knows the monster impact Malik Binns has provided the Raiders. But the season the rugged 6-5 senior has put together –– and more importantly the impact Binns has on this 24-1 team –– has been overlooked by many.

Semifinal picks: (1) Bolingbrook over (5) West Aurora and (2) Joliet West over (6) Lincoln-Way East

Sectional champ: Bolingbrook

◆ HINSDALE CENTRAL SECTIONAL

Team to beat: They’re not going to wow you and at this point, but after winning 27 of 28 games this season, Wheaton South doesn’t care. The Tigers just keep winning behind an extremely patient, unselfish and efficient offense while always seeming to show an impressive sense of composure.

Wheaton South has handled teams with size (Naperville North twice) and teams with speed and athleticism (North Lawndale, Zion-Benton and Bloomington). But the margin for error with this team remains small, probably minuscule when it faces any of the state’s elite teams.

Biggest threat: What would Benet’s record be if it faced the schedule any of the top teams in this sectional faced? Where would it be seeded?

The Redwings have once again prepared themselves for March with a brutally tough schedule, which has included a rugged East Suburban Catholic Conference slate and non-conference games with Stevenson, Oak Park, SImeon, Bloomington, Danville, DePaul Prep, Conant, Fenwick, H-F, Loyola and St. Charles North.

It’s not the same team as the one that reached a state championship game a year ago, but seniors Jack Nolan, Liam Lyman and Justin Enochs all played during last year’s march to second place in 4A. That will pay dividends this March.

Rising: There are a few hot, lower-seeded teams in this sectional. Downers Grove South (18-11) is a dangerous No. 8 seed with shooter Denis Alibegovic and Western Michigan recruit T.J. Clifford. Remember, the Mustangs were a team that was ranked when the season began before stumbling during a midseason tailspin. But DGS has won seven of its last nine games.

Downers Grove North (19-7) has rattled off nine wins in its last 10 games, including a regular season finale win over Willowbrook, the No. 5 seed in this sectional.

And No. 6 seed Wheaton North (21-6) closed out the season with seven straight wins and has dangerous perimeter shooters in Luke Anthony and Rowan McGowan that could cause problems for a higher seeded team.

Sliding: Is it fair to put a team that’s 27-2 on the season in the category of “sliding?” Probably not. It’s crazy, really.

Nonetheless, the Vikings did drop both of those games in the final eight days of the regular season, losing to St. Charles North and then to Quincy by 18 points. You do wonder what kind of confidence hit this team took with two losses after winning 26 straight.

But there is still a lot to like with the Vikings. One advantage is not having a single weapon, so teams must account for more offensive balance and possibilities when facing Geneva. There are multiple players who can knock down shots.

Willowbrook, led by junior Ethan Schuemer, is 3-3 in its last six games after starting the season 21-1. Even more troubling is all three losses came to teams in this sectional who were seeded lower than the Warriors.

Sleeper: If Naperville North can get past its regional demons of recent years, look out for the Huskies. This No. 4 seed won 15 games in a row before falling to Wheaton South in the regular-season finale last week.

Mitch Lewis has turned his game up a notch. His playmaking as a versatile 6-6 senior who creates mismatches for opponents is essential for a deep Huskies run.

Naperville North knows it has beaten one of the state’s best, knocking off Evanston in overtime in January, and knows it can play with top-seed Wheaton South, who the Huskies have lost to twice by a combined four points.

Best player: The best player in the sectional is West Chicago’s Tai Bibbs. However, with West Chicago as a No. 15 seed that’s lost eight of its last 10, we’ll look to the next best player who will have a major impact in this sectional. And that player is Benet’s Jack Nolan. The 6-0 guard is an offensive catalyst who disarms defenses with his shooting ability.

Underrated player: Make no mistake about it, Wheaton South is clearly an overachieving team who coach Mike Healy has maxed out to the fullest during the regular season. But this is also true: Dillon Durrett can really play.

The long and lanky 6-4 senior has blossomed this year, averaging 16 points a game and becoming an impact player who, from a personnel standpoint, is the biggest reason for the Tigers success.

Semifinal picks: (4) Naperville North over (1) Wheaton South and (3) Benet over (2) Geneva

Sectional champ: Benet

◆ OTTAWA SECTIONAL

Team to beat: Edwardsville is 26-1 behind star guard Mark Smith (21.7 ppg, 8 apg, 8 rpg), shooter Oliver Stephen (98 three-pointers) and 6-6 big man A.J. Epenesa (15 ppg, 13.9 rpg).

This is a program under Mike Waldo, one of the top coaches in the state, that’s done everything it can over the past three decades except win a state championship.

Biggest threat: Danville (18-8) is a year away from probably being a serious 4A threat. But the Vikings, who knocked off Curie at Pontiac, remain dangerous as a No. 2 seed in their sub-sectional. Dynamic junior guard Kendle Moore, one of the top 15 prospects in the Class of 2018, leads the way. Add offensive weapons in 6-4 junior Caleb Griffin, 6-5 junior Day’len Williams and 6-3 sophomore Sean Houpt and Danville hopes to surprise.

Sleeper: East St. Louis has talent, headed by 6-10 Jeremiah Tilmon, the top-ranked prospect in the state. Although ESL has played top-seeded Edwardsville twice, falling 81-70 and 66-55.

Best player: Illinois recruit Jeremiah Tilmon of East St. Louis may be the highest rated prospect and Belleville East’s Javon Pickett is averaging 26 points a game, but it’s clear Mark Smith of Edwardsville is the best high school player in this sectional. The 6-4 guard has been dominant in big games and fills a stat sheet.

Semifinal picks: (1) Edwardsville over (4) East St. Louis and (2) Danville over (1) East Moline United

Sectional champ: Edwardsville

◆ THORNWOOD SECTIONAL

Team to beat: In what is a very deep, talent-filled sectional, Simeon is a clear favorite and one of the teams to beat in Class 4A.

Evan Gilyard, a 5-9 point guard headed to UTEP, is still the pulse of this team. Gilyard makes things happen at both ends. But the junior trio of 6-5 Messiah Jones, 6-4 Talen Horton-Tucker and 6-2 guard Kezo Brown have all stepped up at different times in leading coach Robert Smith’s team in the second half of the season.

Biggest threat: Take your pick from No. 2 seed Brother Rice, No. 3 Thornton, No. 4 T.F. North, No. 5 Marist and No. 6 Bloom. All have 20-plus wins on the season and come into the sectional with something to prove: That it can knock off Simeon and win this sectional.

Rising: T.F. North hasn’t lost since December and is averaging a whopping 76 points a game over its last 10. The Meteors play hard and with aggression. They also have a confidence-building, double-digit win over Hillcrest during that stretch.

But will a rather soft schedule come back to haunt the Meteors in preparation for this deep and difficult sectional?

Sliding: Homewood-Flossmoor had the look of a bonafide top 25 team heading into January. Then a bizarre rash of injuries hit and a mini-collapse followed. After starting the season 13-3 the Vikings have gone just 4-8 since.

H-F still isn’t at full strength but it has faced as challenging of a schedule as any team in the sectional this side of Simeon. That preparation, along with an athletic group with length, makes this an awfully dangerous No. 7 seed that will the regional on its home floor.

Sleeper: Bloom is one dangerous No. 6 seed. Coach Dante Maddox’s team has won its last six games, including a 65-59 victory over Thornton. The Blazing Trojans also knocked off Joliet West earlier this season, so it knows

The senior group has come together and blended nicely with a group of freshmen who have provided a spark. The scoring of Austin Richie (17 ppg), the all-around play of Tramail McCray (11 ppg, 5 rig, 4 apg, 2 spg) and the defensive prowess of Javonte Slater (8 ppg) has been instrumental, along with sparks from Jalen Lee (7.5 ppg) and Chino Johnson (7 ppg).

Best player: If Alonzo Verge is locked in and raising his game to its highest level, Thornton emerges as the biggest threat in this sectional. The mercurial senior guard is putting up 26 points, 7 assists and 7 rebounds a game for the Wildcats.

Underrated player: We’re going plural here and adding both Brother Rice senior weapons –– Mike Shepski (15.7 ppg) and Josh Niego (18.4 ppg). These two carry an enormous load for coach Bobby Frasor’s Crusaders.

Semifinal picks: (1) Simeon over (5) Marist and (6) Bloom over (2) Brother Rice

Sectional champ: Simeon

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