Sectional Preview – Lapel Regional

It is officially almost time for Indiana High School Basketball to enter into the most exciting time of year. We have made it through over three months of regular season action and now culminate with a win-or-go-home state tournament. Here at Prep Hoops Indiana our staff will be previewing all 64 sectionals around the state over the next several days. Let's dive on in beginning with Sectionals 37-40 which feed into the Lapel Regional.   <h2>Sectional 37: South Adams</h2>   The Teams: Adams Central, Bluffton, Fort Wayne Luers, Fort Wayne Blackhawk, Manchester, South Adams, Whitko   The Contenders: Adams Central, Fort Wayne Blackhawk, Manchester   Players to Watch: [player_tooltip player_id='1297028' first='Gavin' last='Betten'] (Manchester 2025), [player_tooltip player_id='1042499' first='Josh' last='Furst'] (FW Blackhawk 2023), [player_tooltip player_id='1578432' first='Kyler' last='Krull'] (Whitko 2024), [player_tooltip player_id='1539666' first='Trace' last='Maller'] (Adams Central 2025), [player_tooltip player_id='1364589' first='Kellen' last='Pickett'] (FW Blackhawk 2025), [player_tooltip player_id='1763448' first='Isaac' last='Schultz'] (Adams Central (2024), [player_tooltip player_id='1042496' first='Gage' last='Sefton'] (FW Blackhawk 2023), [player_tooltip player_id='868235' first='Nick' last='Thompson'] (FW Luers 2023), [player_tooltip player_id='1384438' first='Cadell' last='Wallace'] (FW Luers 2024), [player_tooltip player_id='1158197' first='Isaac' last='Zay'] (FW Luers 2024)   Prediction: Adams Central comes out of the draw on top with games against 5-16 Whitko and 9-14 Fort Wayne Luers on their way to the final. On the other side of the draw, Fort Wayne Blackhawk and Manchester have a battle on tap in the semifinals. Blackhawk comes in at 19-3 with a six-point loss to Adams Central. The battle between Blackhawk and Manchester will be decided in the paint with Betten and Furst going back and forth. I am taking Blackhawk due to their unmatched success and history, but this is the best shot that anyone has had to beat them in Sectional in a while.   <h2>Sectional 38: Delphi</h2>   The Teams: Carroll (Flora), Clinton Prairie, Covington, Delphi, Lafayette Central Catholic, Seeger   The Contenders: Carroll (Flora), Clinton Prairie, Lafayette Central Catholic, Seeger   Players to Watch: [player_tooltip player_id='1295330' first='Chase' last='Almager'] (Delphi 2024), [player_tooltip player_id='1391325' first='Owen' last='Duff'] (Carroll-Flora 2023), [player_tooltip player_id='1556401' first='Tanner' last='Fields'] (Lafayette Central Catholic 2023), [player_tooltip player_id='1158240' first='Chris' last='Huerta'] (Carroll-Flora 2024), Ben Mazer (Lafayette Central Catholic 2023), [player_tooltip player_id='1297051' first='Jake' last='Mcgraw'] (Clinton Prairie 2025), [player_tooltip player_id='1391465' first='Jake' last='Skinner'] (Carroll-Flora 2023), [player_tooltip player_id='868262' first='Owen' last='Snedeker'] (Seeger 2023), [player_tooltip player_id='1296977' first='Austin' last='Stein'] (Covington 2025)   Prediction: Sectional 38 has all six teams with double digit wins, so it is hard to pick a favorite in this one. Lafayette Central Catholic and Carroll (Flora) would probably have the best odds, but realistically, all four teams could win the title. Carroll (Flora) comes in at 18-4, but they fell to Clinton Prairie earlier in the season. Lafayette Central Catholic hasn't played any of the other contenders but played the toughest schedule of any of them. Clinton Prairie beat Carroll (Flora) and fell to Seeger, and Seeger beat Clinton Prairie but fell to Lafayette Central Catholic. I am going to take Carroll (Flora) on the best player strategy with Duff and Skinner, but this one is wide open.   <h2>Sectional 39: Taylor</h2>   The Teams: Blackford, Eastbrook, Eastern (Greentown), Elwood, Madison-Grant, Taylor, Tipton   The Contenders: Madison-Grant, Taylor, Tipton   Player to Watch: [player_tooltip player_id='1297029' first='Grady' last='Carpenter'] (Tipton), [player_tooltip player_id='1149965' first='Jase' last='Howell'] (Madison-Grant), [player_tooltip player_id='1049192' first='Dawson' last='Hundley'] (Blackford), Mekhi McGee (Taylor), [player_tooltip player_id='1561074' first='Baris' last='Moore'] (Taylor), [player_tooltip player_id='1141050' first='Jay' last='Patterson'] (Taylor), [player_tooltip player_id='1158205' first='Nolan' last='Swan'] (Tipton)   Prediction: Sectional 39 is a three-team race with Madison-Grant, Tipton, and Taylor. Taylor fell by 4 at Madison-Grant and by 13 against Tipton, but the Titans are the hosts of the Sectional. The hosts also got the best draw of the tournament with Blackford and Elwood, a pair of 8-win teams, on their way to the final. Tipton and Madison-Grant should both win their opening round games setting up a blockbuster on Friday night with the winner getting the hosts. I am taking Tipton as their duo of Swan and Carpenter averages over 33 points per game and can score at will down the stretch of tight games, but Taylor will give them a game.   <h2>Sectional 40: Monroe Central</h2>   The Teams: Alexandria, Lapel, Monroe Central, Muncie Burris, Wapahani, Wes-Del, Winchester   The Contenders: Wapahani   Players to Watch: [player_tooltip player_id='1158181' first='Isaac' last='Andrews'] (Wapahani), Jamison Beshears (Winchester), [player_tooltip player_id='1150871' first='Aidan' last='Franks'] (Wapahani), [player_tooltip player_id='1534945' first='Bode' last='Judge'] (Lapel), [player_tooltip player_id='1381459' first='Brode' last='Judge'] (Lapel), [player_tooltip player_id='1749329' first='Josiah' last='Love'] (Wes-Del), [player_tooltip player_id='1275901' first='Adam' last='Moore'] (Winchester)   Prediction: Sectional 40 is no doubt 20-1 Wapahani's to lose at this point. Lapel and Winchester would be the only other two teams with double digit wins, and the Raiders won by 33 and 21 against those two teams. Their lone loss this season came in the season opener to Muncie Central. They will more than likely have to play the three teams with the next most wins to reach the title, but I really don't think Monroe Central, Lapel, or Winchester have a real chance to match the skill level of Andrews and Frank.

It is officially almost time for Indiana High School Basketball to enter into the most exciting time of year. We have made it through over three months of regular season action and now culminate with a win-or-go-home state tournament. Here at Prep Hoops Indiana our staff will be previewing all 64 sectionals around the state over the next several days. Let's dive on in beginning with Sectionals 37-40 which feed into the Lapel Regional.