4A State Preview: Top Half of Bracket
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Prep Hoops Illinois has you covered with everything you need to know heading into the state playoffs! We breakdown the tournament sectional by sectional! Our next one is 4A Preview: Elgin, Guilford, Aurora East, and Pekin Sectionals! Elgin SectionalTeam to…
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Continue ReadingPrep Hoops Illinois has you covered with everything you need to know heading into the state playoffs! We breakdown the tournament sectional by sectional! Our next one is 4A Preview: Elgin, Guilford, Aurora East, and Pekin Sectionals!
Elgin Sectional
Team to Beat
Barrington and Palatine I would say are pretty much co-favorites heading into this sectional.
Contenders
Stevenson, Lake Zurich, Rolling Meadows
Sleepers
Prospect, Conant
Top Prospects
Oliver Gray
Oliver
Gray
6'3" | SF
Barrington | 2026
State
IL
(Barrington)
Connor May
Connor
May
6'5" | SF
Palatine | 2024
State
IL
(Palatine)
Jack Dabbs
Jack
Dabbs
6'5" | SF
Stevenson | 2024
State
IL
(Stevenson)
Anton Strelnikov (Lake Zurich)
Ian Miletic
Ian
Miletic
6'5" | SF
Rolling Meadows | 2025
State
IL
(Rolling Meadows)
Under the Radar Players Who Could Impact Sectional
Alec Schmidts
Alec
Schmidts
6'4" | SF
Barrington | 2024
State
IL
(Barrington)
Aidan Bardic
Aidan
Bardic
6'3" | PG
Stevenson | 2025
State
IL
(Stevenson)
Atticus Richmond
Atticus
Richmond
6'7" | PF
Stevenson | 2025
State
IL
(Stevenson)
Nick Popovic
Nick
Popovic
6'1" | SG
Lake Zurich | 2024
State
IL
(Lake Zurich)
Jack Duffer
Jack
Duffer
6'1" | PG
Rolling Meadows | 2025
State
IL
(Rolling Meadows)
Best Potential Regional Finals
Rolling Meadows vs Lake Zurich. Great matchup here of two quality squads that are well coached and have talent.
Best Potential Sectional Finals
Barrington vs Palatine. Oliver Gray Oliver Gray 6'3" | SF Barrington | 2026 State IL vs Connor May Connor May 6'5" | SF Palatine | 2024 State IL ! Sign me up!
Toughest Path for Top Team
Lake Zurich gets a tough draw with a Rolling Meadows team that has the best prospect in the sectional in Ian Miletic Ian Miletic 6'5" | SF Rolling Meadows | 2025 State IL . If they get past to advance then it is most likely Palatine followed by Barrington.
Rockford Guilford Sectional
Team to Beat
Warren comes in as the top seed and deservingly so. They have had a stellar season led by their star freshman Jaxson Davis Jaxson Davis 6'1" | PG Warren | 2027 IL .
Contenders
DeKalb, Auburn, Guilford
Sleepers
McHenry, Mundelein
Top Prospects
Jaxson Davis
Jaxson
Davis
6'1" | PG
Warren | 2027
IL
(Warren)
Alex Daniels
Alex
Daniels
6'5" | SF
Warren | 2024
State
IL
(Warren)
Sean Reynolds
Sean
Reynolds
6'1" | SG
Dekalb | 2025
State
IL
(Dekalb)
Davon Grant
Davon
Grant
6'5" | SF
Dekalb | 2026
State
IL
(Dekalb)
Amir Danforth
Amir
Danforth
6'1" | SG
Rockford Auburn | 2026
State
IL
(Auburn)
Champ Parker
Champ
Parker
6'0" | PG
Rockford Auburn | 2026
State
IL
(Auburn)
Malachi Johnson
Malachi
Johnson
6'2" | SG
Rockford Guilford | 2024
State
IL
(Guilford)
Adam Anwar
Adam
Anwar
6'7" | PF
McHenry | 2026
State
IL
(McHenry)
Derek Bishop
Derek
Bishop
6'2" | PG
Mundelein | 2025
State
IL
(Mundelein)
Under the Radar Players Who Could Impact Sectional
Immanuel Brown
Immanuel
Brown
6'4" | SG
Warren | 2025
State
IL
(Warren)
Javerion Banks
Javerion
Banks
6'1" | SG
Warren Township | 2025
State
IL
(Warren)
Jackson Kees
Jackson
Kees
6'3" | SG
Dekalb | 2025
State
IL
(Dekalb)
Brian Harper
Brian
Harper
5'10" | PG
Rockford Auburn | 2026
State
IL
(Auburn)
Best Potential Regional Finals
Dekalb vs Rockford Auburn
Best Potential Sectional Finals
Warren vs Rockford Guilford
Toughest Path for Top Team
Dekalb gets their first two at home, but a path of Rockford Auburn/Warren/Guilford is super tough.
Aurora East Sectional
Team to Beat
This is a great sectional field! I would put Bolingbrook and Downers Grove North as the co-favorites in this one.
Contenders
Yorkville, Benet, Waubonsie Valley
Sleepers
Oswego East, West Aurora, Neuqua Valley, Metea Valley
Top Prospects
Davion Thompson
Davion
Thompson
6'2" | SG
Bolingbrook | 2027
IL
(Bolingbrook)
JT Pettigrew
JT
Pettigrew
6'8" | C
Bolingbrook | 2025
State
IL
(Bolingbrook)
Jack Stanton
Jack
Stanton
6'2" | SG
Downers Grove North | 2024
State
#222
Nation
IL
(Downers Grove North)
Alex Miller
Alex
Miller
6'5" | SF
Downers Grove North | 2024
State
IL
(Downers Grove North)
Jason Jakstys
Jason
Jakstys
6'10" | C
Yorkville | 2024
State
#141
Nation
IL
(Yorkville)
Gabriel Sularski
Gabriel
Sularski
6'6" | SF
Lemont | 2026
State
IL
(Benet)
Daniel Pauliukonis
Daniel
Pauliukonis
6'8" | SF
Benet | 2025
State
IL
(Benet)
Colin Stack
Colin
Stack
6'9" | C
Benet | 2026
State
IL
(Benet)
Tyreek Coleman
Tyreek
Coleman
6'2" | PG
Waubonsie Valley | 2025
State
IL
(Waubonsie Valley)
Jehvion Starwood
Jehvion
Starwood
6'3" | SG
Oswego East | 2024
State
#269
Nation
IL
(Oswego East)
Mason Lockett (Oswego East)
Terrence Smith
Terrence
Smith
6'5" | SF
West Aurora | 2025
State
#299
Nation
IL
(West Aurora)
Luke Kinkade
Luke
Kinkade
6'3" | PG
Neuqua Valley | 2024
State
IL
(Neuqua Valley)
Will Ashford
Will
Ashford
6'5" | SF
Metea Valley | 2024
State
IL
(Metea Valley)
Jake Nosek
Jake
Nosek
6'8" | C
Metea Valley | 2025
State
#377
Nation
IL
(Metea Valley)
James Parker (Metea Valley)
Under the Radar Players Who Could Impact Sectional
DJ Strong
DJ
Strong
5'9" | PG
Bolingbrook | 2024
State
IL
(Bolingbrook – North Park)
Josh Aniceto
Josh
Aniceto
5'9" | PG
Bolingbrook | 2024
State
IL
(Bolingbrook – Augustana)
Owen Thulin
Owen
Thulin
6'0" | PG
Downers Grove North | 2024
State
IL
(Downers Grove North)
Jake Reimer (Downers Grove North)
Bryce Salek
Bryce
Salek
6'5" | SF
Yorkville | 2024
State
IL
(Yorkville)
Jayden Wright
Jayden
Wright
5'11" | PG
Benet | 2026
State
IL
(Benet)
Blake Fagbemi
Blake
Fagbemi
5'10" | PG
Benet | 2025
State
IL
(Benet – Injured?)
Moses Wilson
Moses
Wilson
6'5" | SF
Waubonsie Valley | 2025
State
IL
(Waubonsie Valley)
CJ Savage
CJ
Savage
5'10" | PG
West Aurora | 2024
State
IL
(West Aurora)
Jordan Brooks
Jordan
Brooks
6'2" | SG
West Aurora | 2024
State
IL
(West Aurora)
Best Potential Regional Finals
Honestly you could pick any of the four. I will go with Bolingbrook either playing Yorkville at Yorkville featuring Illini commit Jason Jakstys Jason Jakstys 6'10" | C Yorkville | 2024 State #141 Nation IL or West Aurora with their three stars!
Best Potential Sectional Finals
Bolingbrook vs Downers Grove North would be a thriller!
Toughest Path for Top Team
For a top seed Bolingbrook they have a heck of a road to go to reach the supers. Yorkville at home or high powered West Aurora in the regional final. Then Benet or Oswego East in sectional semis. In the bottom half of the bracket Downers Grove North or possibly Waubonsie Valley could be waiting for them.
Pekin Sectional
Team to Beat
Normal Community and Quincy come into this as co-favorites both with hopes to win the state championship.
Contenders
O’Fallon, Moline, Bradley Bourbonnais
Sleepers
Belleville East, Belleville West, Edwardsville, Pekin
Top Prospects
Jaheem Webber
Jaheem
Webber
6'9" | C
Normal Community | 2024
State
#300
Nation
IL
(Normal Community – Wright State)
Braylon Roman
Braylon
Roman
6'3" | SG
Normal Community | 2024
State
IL
(Normal Community)
Niko Newsome
Niko
Newsome
6'6" | SG
Normal Community | 2024
State
IL
(Normal Community – Saginaw Valley State)
Noah Cleveland
Noah
Cleveland
6'8" | C
Normal Community | 2024
State
IL
(Normal Community)
Bradley Longcor
Bradley
Longcor
6'3" | PG
Quincy | 2025
State
#337
Nation
IL
(Quincy)
Dom Clay (Quincy)
Camden Brown
Camden
Brown
6'5" | SF
Quincy | 2024
State
IL
(Quincy)
Keshaun Thomas
Keshaun
Thomas
6'5" | PF
Quincy | 2025
State
IL
(Quincy)
Rini Harris
Rini
Harris
6'3" | SG
O'Fallon | 2024
State
IL
(O’Fallon – McKendree)
Jaeden Rush
Jaeden
Rush
6'0" | PG
O'Fallon | 2024
State
IL
(O’Fallon)
Treyvon Taylor
Treyvon
Taylor
6'4" | PF
Moline | 2025
State
IL
(Moline)
Braeden Freeman (Moline)
Nick Allen
Nick
Allen
6'9" | C
Bradley Bourbonnais | 2025
State
IL
(Bradley Bourbonnais)
Savion Mitchell
Savion
Mitchell
6'6" | PF
Belleville East | 2025
State
IL
(Belleville East)
Under the Radar Players Who Could Impact Sectional
Ralph Wires
Ralph
Wires
5'9" | PG
Quincy | 2024
State
IL
(Quincy)
Tyler Sprick
Tyler
Sprick
6'3" | SF
Quincy | 2024
State
IL
(Quincy)
Will Brown
Will
Brown
6'3" | SG
O'Fallon | 2024
State
IL
(O’Fallon)
Vinablo Adjahoungbeta
Vinablo
Adjahoungbeta
6'4" | SF
Moline | 2024
State
IL
(Moline)
Wood Cary
Wood
Cary
6'1" | PG
Moline | 2026
State
IL
(Moline)
Tallis Lowery
Tallis
Lowery
6'2" | PG
Belleville East | 2024
State
IL
(Belleville East)
Christian Jenkins
Christian
Jenkins
6'0" | PG
Belleville East | 2024
State
IL
(Belleville East)
Myles Liddell
Myles
Liddell
6'2" | SG
Belleville West | 2024
State
IL
(Belleville West)
Matthew Jurgens
Matthew
Jurgens
6'3" | SG
Pekin | 2024
State
IL
(Pekin)
Best Potential Regional Finals
Quincy vs O’Fallon. Rematch of semis from Collinsville Tournament.
Best Potential Sectional Finals
Quincy vs Normal Community. Ton of highly ranked central Illinois prospects on both sides.
Toughest Path for Top Team
What a route for Quincy. They have to travel to the metro east to play their first three games which could be Alton, O’Fallon, and Collinsville all in their back yards. If they complete that trek of the 618 then it is the beast that is Normal Community most likely.