3A State Preview: Bottom Half of Bracket

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Hoops Illinois has you covered with everything you need to know heading into the state playoffs!&nbsp; We breakdown the tournament sectional by sectional!&nbsp; Our next one is <strong>3A Preview: St. Viator, Kaneland, Thornton, and Pontiac Sectionals</strong>!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>St. Viator Sectional</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Team to Beat</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Unequivocally the answer is DePaul Prep.&nbsp; They are by far and away the best team in this sectional based on resume and talent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Contenders</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lake Forest and Deerfield</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sleepers</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carmel, Wauconda, Niles Notre Dame</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Prospects</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1157352' first='Jaylan' last='McElroy'] (DePaul Prep)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1978593' first='PJ' last='Chambers'] (DePaul Prep)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1845360' first='Rashaun' last='Porter'] (DePaul Prep)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1552404' first='Jake' last='Pollack'] (Deerfield)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1183048' first='Kaleb' last='Jackson'] (Carmel)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1541246' first='Braeden' last='Carlsen'] (Wauconda – Mercer)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1434463' first='Brady' last='Sehlhorst'] (Niles Notre Dame)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Under the Radar Players Who Could Impact Sectional</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1545133' first='Makai' last='Kvamme'] (DePaul Prep)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1385311' first='Robert' last='Walls'] (DePaul Prep)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1385297' first='Jonas' last='Johnson'] (DePaul Prep)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2217962' first='Evan' last='Nagler'] (Deerfield)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2104988' first='Bryce' last='Smith'] (Carmel)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2105215' first='Ryder' last='Raya'] (Niles Notre Dame)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Potential Regional Finals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DePaul Prep vs Wauconda.&nbsp; The Rams could get a D1 player in round 2 against Wauconda's [player_tooltip player_id='1541246' first='Braeden' last='Carlsen'] (Mercer)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Potential Sectional Finals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DePaul Prep vs Lake Forest</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Toughest Path for Top Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DePaul Prep's path at the top half of the bracket is definitely tougher than the bottom half.&nbsp; Like we mentioned they could get a D1 player in round 2 or play on Carmel's home floor against a well coached squad.&nbsp; Niles Notre Dame has shooters that if they are on can shoot to a win.&nbsp; Then either Lake Forest or Deerfield in final.&nbsp; They should navigate, but it isn't a walk.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Kaneland Sectional</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Team to Beat</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Crystal Lake South.&nbsp; They come in with an outstanding record and are really one of the only teams that has made major noise this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Contenders</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kaneland and Belvidere North</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sleepers</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Marmion Academy</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Potential Regional Finals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kaneland vs Marmion Academy</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Potential Sectional Finals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Crystal Lake South vs Kaneland.&nbsp; The favorite vs Kaneland on their home floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Toughest Path for Top Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>None</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Thornton Sectional</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Team to Beat</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thornton.&nbsp; They have the best player in the state in [player_tooltip player_id='1157230' first='Morez' last='Johnson'] and it is on their home floor!&nbsp; Enough said.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Contenders</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brother Rice and Marian Catholic</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sleepers</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lemont, Evergreen Park, Hillcrest, Crete Monee</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Prospects</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1157230' first='Morez' last='Johnson'] (Thornton – Illinois)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2083269' first='Chase' last='Abraham'] (Thornton)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1285479' first='Isaiah' last='Green'] (Thornton)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1158757' first='Meyoh' last='Swansey'] (Thornton)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1545120' first='Marcos' last='Gonzales'] (Brother Rice)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1373444' first='Zavier' last='Fitch'] (Brother Rice)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1436161' first='Cale' last='Cosme'] (Brother Rice – Lewis)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1157221' first='James' last='Bullock'] (Marian Catholic)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1500289' first='Klaidas' last='Paskauskas'] (Lemont)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1385309' first='Keshaun' last='Vaval'] (Evergreen Park)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1541235' first='Jaylen' last='Ingram'] (Hillcrest)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2323269' first='Max' last='Carmicle'] (Hillcrest)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1766466' first='Adam' last='Page'] (Hillcrest)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2104970' first='Tay'Shun' last='Russell'] (Crete Monee)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Under the Radar Players Who Could Impact Sectional</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2104840' first='Tyler' last='Wooten'] (Brother Rice)<br>Zach Sharkey (Marian Catholic)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1428948' first='Ryan' last='Runaas'] (Lemont)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2105174' first='Matas' last='Gaidukevicius'] (Lemont)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1295547' first='Nolan' last='Sexton'] (Evergreen Park)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2323262' first='Zyheir' last='Gardner'] (Crete Monee)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Potential Regional Finals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Evergreen Park vs Hillcrest is definitely a coin flip game with ranked prospects on both side.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Potential Sectional Finals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thornton vs Brother Rice.&nbsp; Could be the best team from the south suburbs and the best team from the Chicago Catholic League to just advance to a super.&nbsp; Either team that wins has a chance to make a run at a state title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Toughest Path for Top Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I would say Brother Rice.&nbsp; Having to go through Marian Catholic and Thornton in the south suburbs is quite a task!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Pontiac Sectional</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Team to Beat</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Metamora comes in as the defending state champs with a stellar starting five led by Iowa commit [player_tooltip player_id='1157231' first='Cooper' last='Koch'].&nbsp; They are the favorites, but they could get tested in a sectional final from whoever comes out of the bottom half of the bracket.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Contenders</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Richwoods, Morton, Kankakee</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sleepers</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pontiac, Peoria</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Prospects</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1157231' first='Cooper' last='Koch'] (Metamora - Iowa)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1750712' first='Tyler' last='Mason'] (Metamora – Winona State)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1545146' first='Matthew' last='Zobrist'] (Metamora)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1157232' first='Lathan' last='Sommerville'] (Richwoods)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1978599' first='Tavie' last='Smith'] (Richwoods)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1232827' first='Wes' last='Gudeman'] (Morton)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1464072' first='Larenz' last='Walters'] (Kankakee)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2105360' first='Lincoln' last='Williams'] (Kankakee)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1766506' first='Leshawn' last='Stowers'] (Peoria)<br><br><strong>Under the Radar Players Who Could Impact Sectional</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1750597' first='Luke' last='Hopp'] (Metamora)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2104980' first='Jared' last='Jackson'] (Richwoods)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1750614' first='Gus' last='Rugaard'] (Morton)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2318242' first='Damontae' last='May'] (Kankakee)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2318128' first='Riley' last='Weber'] (Pontiac)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Potential Regional Finals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Richwoods vs Morton.&nbsp; Two really good central Illinois teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Potential Sectional Finals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Metamora vs Richwoods.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='1157231' first='Cooper' last='Koch'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='1157232' first='Lathan' last='Sommerville'].&nbsp; Two best players in central Illinois.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Toughest Path for Top Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Richwoods has a tricky one for sure.&nbsp; Morton in a regional final is insanely tough.&nbsp; Then Kankakee or if there are some upsets even Pontiac on their home floor in the sectional semis.&nbsp; Then Metamora in the sectional final.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->