4A South Preview
With the release of the draws for the 2015-16 IHSAA State Tournament, we take a look at every Sectional in the state. Here we take a look at the southern half of 4A. Sectional 9 – New Castle This draw…
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Continue ReadingWith the release of the draws for the 2015-16 IHSAA State Tournament, we take a look at every Sectional in the state. Here we take a look at the southern half of 4A.
Sectional 9 – New Castle
This draw worked out about as evenly as possible. Mount Vernon and Connersville are the two favored teams and both drew byes on opposite sides of the draw. New Castle is the only sectional team to have beaten Mount Vernon, but it must get by Pendleton Heights in the opening round, which just beat it soundly last week. Greenfield has a gaudy record but went 1-3 against sectional opponents. Realistically, this is going to be Mount Vernon playing Connersville in the finals, unless Pendleton or New Castle can spring the upset.
Sectional 10 – Indianapolis Tech
This sectional was predicted to be the overall toughest at the beginning of the season and it has lived up to the billing. Four teams are ranked in the top 16 of the state and Cathedral could win it as well. The weakest team in the sectional in Warren Central isn’t bad either and did draw a bye. North Central is probably the happiest with the draw seeing the other three state ranked teams in Lawrence Central, Lawrence North and Indianapolis Tech in the opposite half, but still has a tough game against Cathedral to open the sectional. The top half is anyone’s guess. Lawrence North with the bye may get the slight edge, but don’t be surprised to see any of those three teams in the final.
Sectional 11 – Southport
Can Southport finally get over the Pike hurdle? Southport has lost to Pike 17 straight times, with the last win coming in 2000. The two favorites in this sectional drew each other in the first game and the winner of it is likely to take the whole thing. Ben Davis could play spoiler in the opposite half with a solid core of juniors and seniors, but this sectional and the buildup for that opening game between Pike and Southport is what everyone is focused on.
Sectional 12 – Terra Haute North
Terra Haute North and Terra Haute South are in opposite half of the sectionals and are the two favorites to meet in the finals. Brownsburg did only lose to Terra Haute South by three a month ago and the two meet in the first round, and Mooresville could become a spoiler with some talent. Avon also has four of its five wins against sectional opponents, but this likely comes down to the third meeting between TH North and TH South. TH North won the first meeting in OT and the second by two points, so can it win for a third time in one season against its rivals?
Sectional 13 – Martinsville
Franklin Central got the bye and is the favorite, but Martinsville isn’t far behind and beat the other four teams in the sectional. Look for those two teams to meet in the bottom semifinal and the winner of that to be favored in the finals. Whiteland and Franklin also have solid chances and should play each other in the top half’s semifinal to take on the Martinsville-Franklin Central winner.
Sectional 14 – East Central
Bloomington South is the best team in the sectional, is the only team with a winning record in the sectional and drew the bye. That is why it is considered the largest favorite of any 4A sectional in the state by the Sagarin ratings. This one is pretty simple to look at because if this team loses it would be a big upset. Perhaps Columbus East or Columbus North could pull an upset in the finals or Bloomington North could in the semi-finals, but it isn’t likely.
Sectional 15 – Seymour
Another sectional with a heavy favorite in the No. 1 team in the state in New Albany, which drew a bye on the top half. Floyd Central is likely to meet New Albany in the semifinals and did only lose by three to them earlier in the season, but that was back in December. Look for the Bedford North Lawrence-Jeffersonville winner to meet New Albany in the finals, where they’ll have to make a drastic change from their regular season meetings where they lost by 40 and 29 to the Bulldogs.
Sectional 16 – Evansville North
Evansville Reitz beat all four of the other teams in the sectional by double digits and is the favorite in this one. It will play Evansville Harrison in the semifinal game on the top half, a team it beat by 24 earlier this month. The bottom half looks like Castle as the favorite to make it to the finals. Castle’s only losses to sectional opponents both came to Evansville Reitz. Those two games happened in December around the holidays and were five days apart, so Castle will need to show improvement and that winter break just wasn’t its best basketball.