Class 4A Lafayette Sectional Breakdown
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It is finally that time of the year – post-season high school basketball here in Indiana. Today I will be breaking down and making predictions for the Class 4A Lafayette Sectional which is loaded with talented teams. The teams consist…
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Continue ReadingIt is finally that time of the year – post-season high school basketball here in Indiana. Today I will be breaking down and making predictions for the Class 4A Lafayette Sectional which is loaded with talented teams. The teams consist of Marion, Jeff, Harrison, Kokomo, Logansport, and McCutcheon. The bracket was posted on Sunday the 21st and is as follows: Marion vs. Jeff with Harrison receiving a bye and will be playing the winner. Then, on the other side of the bracket, we have Kokomo vs. Logansport with McCutcheon getting the bye and playing the winner. Next, of course, there will be four teams left and the winner of those two games will face off in the championship. Last year, the championship consisted of Harrison and Marion with Marion taking home the hardware.
Favorite: Lafayette Jeff
I believe Jeff to be the easy favorite here to win the sectional title.
Brooks Barnhizer
Brooks
Barnhizer
6'5" | SF
Lafayette Jeff | 2021
State
#203
Nation
IN
is playing like he is the best player in the state and according to his stats this season, he very well maybe. Jeff also has talented players surrounding Barnhizer making it very difficult to stop their offensive scoring including sharpshooter
Ashton Beaver
Ashton
Beaver
6'1" | SG
Lafayette Jeff | 2021
State
IN
. However, they do have a tough schedule playing Marion first (which will be a great matchup between two of the top players in the state with Marion’s
Jalen Blackmon
Jalen
Blackmon
6'2" | PG
Marion | 2021
State
#244
Nation
IN
) then going against a solid Harrison team, and finally, we may see a rematch of Jeff and McCutcheon in the championship. Jeff will be looking for revenge if they face McCutcheon in the final game as they previously played a few weeks ago.
Sleeper: Harrison
Harrison has been battling injuries the past month or so and they are finally becoming healthy right when it matters most. Seniors, Bryant Smith and
Max Jacobsen
Max
Jacobsen
6'1" | SG
Harrison (WL) | 2021
State
IN
have shown their leadership by leading the team through adversity during a tough stretch when injuries took out some key starters for the team. When healthy, they are a very balanced team who plays extremely hard on both ends. Pair the two seniors with underclassman
Ben Henderson
Ben
Henderson
6'3" | SG
Harrison | 2023
State
IN
and junior
Jonah Lucas
Jonah
Lucas
6'0" | PG
Lafayette Harrison | 2022
State
IN
and that is a team some may overlook. They received a first-round bye which will be a great opportunity to game plan for stopping either Barnhizer or Blackmon. They are very familiar with Jeff and McCutcheon – the two top teams in the sectional – being that all three schools are in the same area. If Harrison can get a win against either Jeff or Marion, I can see them staying hot and taking home the title.
Other players to watch throughout the tournament:
McCutcheon – Joe Phinisee and Leyton McGovern – perhaps the best duo in the entire sectional.
Logansport –
Malachi Pearson
Malachi
Pearson
6'4" | SF
Logansport | 2021
State
IN
– a guard with great length and ability to get the cup and finish or get to the line. He leads the team in nearly every statistical category.
Kokomo – Jackson Richards Jackson Richards 6'3" | SG Kokomo | 2021 State IN and Bobby Wonnell Bobby Wonnell 6'2" | SG Taylor | 2022 State IN – while Wonnell is more of the sharpshooter on the perimeter and Richards is more a well-rounded scorer, both players can rack up the points in a hurry.
Here is my prediction game by game:
Marion vs. Jeff —> Jeff
Jeff vs. Harrison —> Jeff
Logansport vs. Kokomo —> Logansport
Logansport vs. McCutcheon —> McCutcheon
Championship: Jeff vs. McCutcheon —> Jeff