Sectional Preview – Logansport Regional

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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 with Sectionals 5-8 which feed into the Logansport Regional.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Sectional 5: Caroll (Fort Wayne)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Teams:</strong> Carroll (Fort Wayne), DeKalb, East Noble, Fort Wayne North, Fort Wayne Northrop, Fort Wayne Snider</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Contenders:</strong> Carroll (Fort Wayne) (12-9), Fort Wayne North (13-8)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch:</strong> Cannon Houser (Carroll H.S. 2024), [player_tooltip player_id='1158178' first='Brauntae' last='Johnson'] (Fort Wayne North H.S. 2024), [player_tooltip player_id='1158216' first='Jaxon' last='Pardon'] (Carroll H.S. 2024), [player_tooltip player_id='1749046' first='Dreyln' last='Truesdale'] (Carroll H.S. 2025)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> Aside from Carroll and North the other teams in Sectional 5 have combined for just 15 wins. Unfortunately, the only two teams with a winning record have to play right off of the bat in the opening round. Whoever comes away victorious in that first round matchup will have a pretty clear path, on paper, to cutting down the nets. We all know these tournament games aren't played on paper, but in this instance it is a pretty safe assumption. Carroll won the regular season matchup and has a bit more overall talent. Add in playing at home and they will be the favorite to win this one. <strong>Carroll (Fort Wayne)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Sectional 6: Columbia City</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Teams:</strong> Columbia City, Fort Wayne South, Fort Wayne Wayne, Homestead, Huntington North, New Haven</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Contenders:</strong> Fort Wayne Wayne (16-4), Homestead (17-5)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1297001' first='Chase' last='Barnes'] (Fort Wayne Wayne H.S. 2025), [player_tooltip player_id='1393184' first='Andrew' last='Hedrick'] (Columbia City H.S. 2023 - Bethel), [player_tooltip player_id='1547390' first='Will' last='Jamison'] (Homestead H.S. 2024), [player_tooltip player_id='868270' first='Kyron' last='Kaopuiki'] (Homestead H.S. 2023), [player_tooltip player_id='1578417' first='Jevon' last='Lewis'] (Fort Wayne Wayne H.S. 2024)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> We will most likely get the two best teams in this sectional to play for the championship on Saturday night. Host Columbia City can slow things down and have the benefit of the buy, but Homestead likely has too much talent in that semifinal matchup. Wayne has a good draw up in the top half of the bracket featuring a ton of talent in the sophomore and junior classes plus senior [player_tooltip player_id='1556502' first='Monte' last='Smith']. They can get up and down the floor with anyone in the state. In the end, there is trust in picking Homestead who is very familiar with cutting down the nets in March. Wayne is a really intriguing group, but they might be a year away. <strong>Homestead</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Sectional 7: Kokomo</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Teams:</strong> Harrison (West Lafayette), Kokomo, Lafayette Jefferson, Logansport, Marion, McCutcheon</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Contenders:</strong> Harrison (West Lafayette) (16-6), Kokomo (18-4)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1363488' first='Flory' last='Bidunga'] (Kokomo H.S. 2024), [player_tooltip player_id='1049173' first='Ben' last='Henderson'] (Harrison H.S. - Marian), [player_tooltip player_id='1297057' first='Jaymen' last='Townsend'] (Marion H.S. 2025)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> The host Kokomo Wildkats should handle this Sectional 7 field relatively easily. They already defeated Harrison by 21 points this season and beat Marion by 18. They've rattled off 11 straight wins and finished the season with a perfect record in the historic North Central Conference. 5-star junior center [player_tooltip player_id='1363488' first='Flory' last='Bidunga'] is the most dominant player in the state of Indiana and should helped the Wildkats cruise on their home floor and advance to the regional round for the second straight year. <strong>Kokomo</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Sectional 8: Carmel</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Teams:</strong> Carmel, Fishers, Hamilton Southeastern, Noblesville, Westfield, Zionsville</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Contenders:</strong> Everyone</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1297052' first='Jalen' last='Haralson'] (Fishers H.S. 2025), [player_tooltip player_id='868255' first='Logan' last='Imes'] (Zionsville H.S. 2023 - Penn State), [player_tooltip player_id='1042491' first='Sam' last='Orme'] (Carmel H.S. 2023 - Belmont), [player_tooltip player_id='868244' first='Nick' last='Richart'] (Zionsville H.S. 2023 - Charlotte)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> Sectional 8 is always one of the two hardest sectionals in the state of Indiana. Truly the entire field is capable of not only winning the sectional but making a run. Hamilton Southeastern would be the obvious exception to that sitting at just 7-16 on the season but they just knocked off a Brownsburg team that has spent most of the year ranked in the Top 5. Westfield is the defending champion and likely has overachieved expectations after losing last year's Mr. Basketball winner. Zionsville features two Division I prospects, Fishers has one of the best players in the state, Carmel is the traditional powerhouse, and Noblesville has a ton of balance. Whoever comes out of this one will certainly have earned it. Looking at the draw, Zionsville definitely came out ahead getting the bye in the slightly weaker bottom half of the bracket. When it is truly anybody's game you have to pick based on something and the good draw, plus leaning on two Division I seniors, will allow Zionsville to cut down the nets. <strong>Zionsville</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->