Sectional Preview: North Judson 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 when we start looking ahead and previewing each and every Sectional. We will start with Michigan City…
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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 when we start looking ahead and previewing each and every Sectional. We will start with Michigan City Regional and have two previews per day until the start of the Sectional tournament on Tuesday, March 2. Today, let’s look at the North Judson Regional.
Sectional 33: Whiting
The Teams: Andrean, Bowman Academy, Hammond Noll, Illiana Christian, Lake Station, Whiting
Our Contenders: Illiana Christian, Lake Station
Players To Watch: Willie Miller Willie Miller 6'2" | PG Lake Station | 2023 State IN (2023) – Lake Station
Prediction: Sectional 33 is one of the rare cases in which the lone ranked team, #11 Lake Station, does not come in as the favorite despite their 18-3 record. This is because Illiana Christian and Luke Van Essen Luke Van Essen 6'3" | SG Illiana Christian | 2023 IN come in at 20-2 on the year, riding a 19 game winning streak after two 4A losses at Crown Point and vs Munster at the beginning of December. These two teams also played last Friday night when Illiana Christian went to Lake Station and came away with the 3 point win. Lake Station should cruise past Bowman Academy and Whiting who have a combined 1 win on the year. On the top of the bracket, Illiana Christian has a tough opening-round game against the always competitive Andrean ball club. Then, they will take on Ahmad Artis and Hammond Noll who they beat by 12 earlier in the year. I am taking Lake Station to come back and avenge their three-point loss from last week to take home their first Sectional title since 1941. A Sectional title for Lake Station would also double their total number of wins in Sectional in the past 20 years as they are just 3-20 in this span.
Sectional 34: North Judson
The Teams: Boone Grove, Hebron, LaVille, North Judson, South Bend Career Academy, South Central (Union Mills), Westville
Our Contenders: Boone Grove, Hebron, North Judson, Westville
Player To Watch: Trey Steinhilber Trey Steinhilber 6'0" | PG Boone Grove | 2022 State IN (2022) – Boone Grove
Prediction: Four teams come into this Sectional with winning records, and it could really be any of these schools taking home the title on Saturday night. Boone Grove and Trey Steinhilber Trey Steinhilber 6'0" | PG Boone Grove | 2022 State IN come in with a 6-1 record against Sectional opponents, but they were beaten by Westville back in December. North Judson is the host and has the best record of any Sectional team, but they struggled against Sectional opponents losing to Boone Grove and Hebron. Westville comes in with a season split with Boone Grove and a win over Hebron, but they did suffer a loss to South Bend Career. The hosts, North Judson, definitely got the best of the draw, and they should cruise through the bottom of the bracket. However, on the top, Boone Grove and Westville will have their rubber match in the opener before a semifinal meeting with Hebron and Reece Marrs Reece Marrs 5'11" | PG Hebron | 2022 IN . I am taking Boone Grove to get through behind a big effort from Trey Steinhilber Trey Steinhilber 6'0" | PG Boone Grove | 2022 State IN , but it could really be any of these teams.
Sectional 35: Westview
The Teams: Bremen, Central Noble, Churubusco, Eastside, Fairfield, Prairie Heights, Westview
Our Contenders: Central Noble, Eastside, Fairfield
Player To Watch: Connor Essegian Connor Essegian 6'4" | SG Central Noble | 2022 State #170 Nation IN (2022) – Central Noble
Prediction: This Sectional is dominated by a pair of 20-win teams with #2 Central Noble and #3 Eastside leading the way. These two teams split during the season, and we should see a rubber match next week. However, we cannot count out Fairfield who played Eastside to just four points back in January. Connor Essegian Connor Essegian 6'4" | SG Central Noble | 2022 State #170 Nation IN and Central Noble play a 3-18 Churubusco team before taking on Chase Bachelor and Prairie Heights in the semis. Central Noble won by 26 earlier, so they should make the Sectional finals. Fairfield faces a tough matchup with Carson Miller and Bremen in the opener while Eastside and Gabe Trevino Gabe Trevino 5'10" | PG Eastside | 2022 IN should get past an always scrappy Westview squad. This should set up a meeting between Eastside and Central Noble in the finals. I am going to take Central Noble thanks to the Connor Essegian Connor Essegian 6'4" | SG Central Noble | 2022 State #170 Nation IN effect, but look forward to a thriller at Westview on Saturday night.
Sectional 36: Bluffton
The Teams: Adams Central, Bluffton, Fort Wayne Blackhawk, Fort Wayne Canterbury, Manchester, South Adams, Wabash, Whitko
Our Contenders: Fort Wayne Blackhawk
Player To Watch: Gage Sefton Gage Sefton 6'4" | SG Blackhawk Christian | 2023 State IN (2023) – Fort Wayne Blackhawk
Prediction: #5 Fort Wayne Blackhawk comes in as the clear frontrunner as they have won the Sectional in seven of their last eight years. Blackhawk only plays one Sectional opponent during the year, but this was a 38 point win over Fort Wayne Canterbury. Blackhawk is led by their duo of Josh Furst Josh Furst 6'6" | C Blackhawk Christian | 2023 State IN and Gage Sefton Gage Sefton 6'4" | SG Blackhawk Christian | 2023 State IN , and they are 11-4 against 3A and 4A opponents this year. On the other side of the draw, Wabash and Trevor Daughtry Trevor Daughtry 5'9" | PG Wabash | 2024 State IN take on Adams Central in a battle of the other two teams in the Sectional with winning records. Wabash beat Adams Central by 8 at home back at the beginning of the season. The winner of this game should play Fort Wayne Canterbury on Friday to make the Sectional finals and give themselves a chance on Saturday night. This is no doubt Blackhawk’s Sectional to lose though.