Butler 1 and 2 Division III preview

Photo Credit: Deron Newman The Butler brackets in Division III are the home to two of the top three teams in Dayton, and will have a few opportunities for upsets throughout. There are several big questions as well. Will Madison finally make a deep postseason run? Can National Trail advance to the District title game? Can anybody challenge Stivers? Take a look at the brackets below to see game-by-game previews, and our answers to these questions. Butler 1 Madison over Dayton Christian- The Warriors were without Anton Webb (2019) for about a month during the season. As a result, Dayton Christian fell to the #19 spot. They drew a very talented Madison team that has been a defensive nightmare for teams all season. In this game, Webb will definitely give the Mohawks headaches, but I predict Levi McMonigle (2019) will be able to contain him enough for Madison to advance. Madison over Milton-Union- Madison has already defeated the Bulldogs twice this season and I expect the third win to happen. Madison has talent across the board while Milton-Union has yet to have a true scorer during the season. National Trail over Arcanum- The Blazers have been such a fun team to follow this season as they have competed near the top of the CCC all year. They lost early in the season to the Arcanum Trojans 47-41. The key in this game with be if the Blazers can defend Carter Gray (2020). If they can do that, I have no doubt National Trail will advance and get their revenge. Sectional Final: National Trail over Madison- I’m calling an upset in this predicted sectional final. As good as Madison has been this season, one cannot ignore their past postseason struggles. Madison defeated National Trail last week 75-72 in OT but the Blazers led for 3 quarters before Madison ultimately was victorious. The Blazers, led by Cameron Harrison (2021) will not let another game slip away and will get their revenge in their biggest game by far. Butler 2 Troy Christian over Miami East- This game will serve as a rematch from earlier in the season, where the Eagles were victorious 46-30. Troy Christian has depended on their defense this season and used it to their advantage in the win against the Vikings. I expect a repeat of the win for the Eagles. Stivers over Houston- Stivers will win this game with their athleticism and defensive pressure that Houston will not have seen this season. Waynesville over Troy Christian- This is a tough game to predict. On one hand, Troy Christian has been known to be one of the more disciplined teams in Dayton and this season they have been a tough team yet again. On the other hand, Waynesville comes in having some success in the SWBL this year. The Eagles have struggled on the glass this season and face a Spartans team that has the league leader in rebounds in Anthony Carmichael (2019). In a back-and-forth game, I predict Waynesville to win this one. Stivers over Dixie- A winless Greyhounds team will struggle immensely to defend this Tigers team loaded with offensive firepower. Sectional Final: Stivers over Waynesville- In a great matchup, the backcourt of Stivers will face a challenge as Waynesville has been a great team at creating turnovers throughout the season. Trevon Ellis (2020) and company get plenty of their points on the perimeter, but are also capable of attacking the paint when they want. If they can consistently score, this should be a victory for them. For Waynesville, they will need to focus their efforts on dominating the glass and limiting Stivers second chance opportunities. In the end, I predict Stivers to be too much for the Spartans.