Sectional Preview: Logansport Regional
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The high school season is almost over and we are getting locked in for the State Playoffs. It is that time of year where we start looking ahead and previewing each and every Sectional. Time to take a look at…
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Continue ReadingThe high school season is almost over and we are getting locked in for the State Playoffs. It is that time of year where we start looking ahead and previewing each and every Sectional. Time to take a look at the pairings that make up Regional 2.
Sectional 5: DeKalb
The Teams: Fort Wayne Snider, Fort Wayne North, Fort Wayne Northrop, DeKalb, East Noble, Carroll (Fort Wayne)
Our Contenders: Fort Wayne Snider, Fort Wayne North, Fort Wayne Northrop
Player To Watch: Jalen Jackson Jalen Jackson 6'2" | PG Fort Wayne Northrop | 2022 State IN (2022) – Fort Wayne Northrop
Prediction: At first glance at the bracket the first thing that stands out to me is the three favorites all have to compete in the opening round with Snider and North facing off along with Northrop getting the better draw with facing East Noble. Dekalb and Carroll got the first round byes but a bye for Carroll is really not going to do much to help them. Dekalb on the other hand could benefit with the bye as they will face either a Snider or North team that went to war in the first round. Full expecting Northrop to have an easy path to the finals and they will most likely meet the winner of the Snider/North game, which I am predicting the winner to be Snider there. In the finals, you will have two very talented teams going at it with guys like Karson Jenkins Karson Jenkins 6'1" | PG Fort Wayne Snider | 2022 State IN , Aidan Lambert Aidan Lambert 6'3" | SG Snider | 2022 State IN , Grant Brown Grant Brown 6'4" | SF Snider | 2022 State IN facing Jackson, Dalman Alexander Dalman Alexander 6'6" | PF Fort Wayne Northrop | 2023 State IN , James Mallroy. The more talented team here is Snider and that is who I am going with to make it out of Sectional 5.
Sectional 6: Huntington North
The Teams: Homestead, Columbia City, Fort Wayne South, Huntington North, New Haven, Fort Wayne Wayne
Our Contenders: Homestead, Columbia City, Fort Wayne South, Huntington North,
Player To Watch: Fletcher Loyer Fletcher Loyer 6'4" | SG Homestead | 2022 State #108 Nation IN (2022) – Homestead
Prediction: Kind of like what you just read with Sectional 5, the opening round will feature all four of our favorites competing with one another. On the top half of the bracket, Darrion Brooks Darrion Brooks 6'5" | SF New Haven | 2023 State IN and New Haven got the bye and will play the winner of Homestead/Huntington North and on the bottom half you have a 2-17 Fort Wayne Wayne team with the bye and will face the winner of the Columbia City/Fort Wayne South battle. It will be a challenge but I think Homestead will have more than enough to make it to finals and meetup with Mason Baker Mason Baker 6'3" | SF Columbia City | 2022 IN and Columbia City after barely getting by South before having a very easy semifinals game. As far as a winner goes, it is very hard to predict anybody else to come out of Sectional 6 besides Homestead. I think they will come in with something to prove and with a potential Mr. Basketball finalist on their roster with Loyer, it will be tough to stop them.
Sectional 7: Logansport
The Teams: Harrison (West Lafayette), Lafayette Jeff, Kokomo, Marion, McCutcheon, Logansport
Our Contenders: Harrison (West Lafayette), Lafayette Jeff, Kokomo
Player To Watch: Flory Bidunga Flory Bidunga 6'9" | C Kokomo | 2024 State #7 Nation IN (2024) – Kokomo
Prediction: The best regular season team out of Sectional 7 got the best draw here with Lafayette Jeff having to go through McCutcheon (6-13) and host Logansport (3-17) to easily get to the finals. The bottom half provides a little bit more of a competitive challenge, however. I am expecting Harrison to easily get by Marion before meeting a very sneaky Kokomo team, who actually was beaten by Harrison 62-57 back in January. That should be another great game and actually going to predict Bidunga and the Wildcats so get the somewhat upset here and meetup with Jeff in the championship game. When that happens, Kokomo will give Jeff the best game they will have in Sectional 7 but I think Jeff is going to find a way to get it done. That Bronchos team is just too talented with experienced guys like Javan Buchanan Javan Buchanan 6'6" | PF Lafayette Jefferson | 2022 State IN , E.J. Reese E.J. Reese 6'6" | PF Lafayette Jeff | 2022 State IN , and Owen Linder Owen Linder 6'1" | SG Lafayette Jeff | 2022 IN and they should be looking to make a deep run this post-season.
Sectional 8: Noblesville
The Teams: Fishers, Carmel, Zionsville, Westfield, Hamilton Southeastern, Noblesville
Our Contenders: Fishers, Carmel, Zionsville, Westfield
Player To Watch: Jalen Haralson Jalen Haralson 6'7" | PG La Lumiere | 2025 #8 Nation IN (2025) – Fishers
Prediction: Sectional 8 is always loaded and this year is no different at all. Looking at the bracket, I guess by default you can say Hamilton Southeastern (9-12) got the best draw simply because they got a guaranteed spot in the semis. The opening night however, is just a massive night of hoops with Zionsville vs the host Noblesville followed by Braden Smith Braden Smith 6'2" | PG Woodlan | 2024 State IN and Westfield vs the Harlason and Fishers. Even though Noblesville no question has the talent with Preston Roberts Preston Roberts 6'5" | SF Noblesville | 2023 State IN and Luke Almodovar Luke Almodovar 6'2" | SG Noblesville | 2023 State IN to get an upset, they have struggled to put together much consistency this year and when you play a stacked team like Zionsville, it makes it tough to really trust them. Therefore, Zionsville should be the one to meetup with Carmel in the semis for a star-studded matchup. With the Westfield/Fishers game, it is going to be a fantastic game but it simply comes down if a returning Smith and his sidekick Cameron Haffner Cameron Haffner 6'3" | SG Westfield | 2022 State IN will be able to carry the Shamrocks past a Tigers team that has arguably been the best all season. It is tough to call, but I think Fishers just barely squeaks by and then beats a Hamilton Southeastern that took them to them to double OT earlier this season. With the likely Zionsville/Carmel matchup in the semis, it be big 3 vs big 3 with Logan Imes Logan Imes 6'4" | PG Zionsville | 2023 State #202 Nation IN , Isaiah Davis Isaiah Davis 6'9" | PF Zionsville | 2022 State IN , and Nick Richart Nick Richart 6'9" | PF Zionsville | 2023 State IN vs Peter Suder Peter Suder 6'5" | SG Carmel | 2022 State #227 Nation IN , Charlie Williams Charlie Williams 6'10" | PF Carmel | 2022 State #220 Nation IN , and Sam Orme Sam Orme 6'9" | SF Carmel | 2023 State #196 Nation IN and could very well be the best game of the entire post-season. Both the Eagles and Greyhounds are capable of getting the win here and even though my heart thinks a healthy Zionsville team can get it done, my gut won’t let me pick against the defending state champs as I feel they not only beat Zionsville in the semis, but they go onto beat Fishers to walk out of Sectional 8 as the champions.