Central Illinois: Sectional Notebook

There has been a fury of great matchups throughout Central Illinois to begin the postseason. Here are the takeaways from three big games over the past 2 nights, including Macomb vs Manual, Richwoods vs Kankakee, and Normal Community vs Moline!   Macomb Storms Back Late to Upset Manual   What a game this was! Manual- who many projected to win the 2A title, led for the entire game until Macomb took the lead in the final seconds. The Bombers, who trailed by 17 points at one point, won 41-40 to pull off the upset. Macomb was led by unsigned senior [player_tooltip player_id='2374515' first='Dion' last='Doyle'], who posted 15 points and several rebounds. Doyle is a versatile wing forward at 6'6 that can affect the game in many ways. Super active on the boards, runs the floor well and has a good feel for finishing around the rim with his length and athleticism. He also went a perfect 7-7 from the charity stripe, where he hit 4 straight clutch free throws in the final 22 seconds. Junior guard Braden Holthaus added 11 points for Macomb featuring a nifty up and under finish and catch and shoot three. Unsigned senior big man [player_tooltip player_id='1587306' first='Ian' last='Case'] also gave a presence down low and showed soft touch on a turnaround jumper. It was largely a team effort for the Bombers in the biggest upset of Wednesday night.   For the Rams, junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1576114' first='Dietrich' last='Richardson'] finished with 10 points, 4 rebounds and a pair of blocks and assists. While he didn't have the biggest scoring output, he definitely showed flashes of his upside. Richardson threw down a loud one hand putback dunk on one end followed by a high flying block at the rim on the other. He also showcased his ability as a passer, flipping a fancy underhand dime in transition. Unsigned senior guards [player_tooltip player_id='1571918' first='Gerrell' last='Trapps'] and London Tolliver each contributed 7 points for Manual. Trapps showed he is more than a floor general, scoring on a catch and shoot 3 and finding angles to the rim. Tolliver also hit a catch and shoot 3 and while he is a smaller guard he plays with an edge and is a pest on defense. Junior guard DJ Finley also finished with 7 points. Finley is a strong physical guard who can finish through contact and crashes the boards hard.   Richwoods Survives Kankakee Surge   It was a red hot start for Richwoods, who began the game up 15-0 over Kankakee but the Kays found their way back to make this a great matchup down to the finish. Rutgers signee [player_tooltip player_id='1157232' first='Lathan' last='Sommerville'] continued his dominance for the Knights with a 32 point performance proving once again to be too big and too strong for opponents to match him. He lived at the line all night and sealed the game late with two big free throws. Lathan also showed great vision as well finding open teammates when the double and triple team came crashing in. Unsigned senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2104980' first='Jared' last='Jackson'] had a very impactful night finishing with 12 points. Jackson has a relentless motor, always puts himself in great position to make plays around the rim and is also a capable spot up shooter. While Jackson is only listed at 6'3, he plays much bigger and is a major presence in the paint next to Sommerville.   For the Kays, unsigned senior [player_tooltip player_id='1464072' first='Larenz' last='Walters'] had another impressive performance finishing with 23 points. The 6'2 guard is tough as nails and a fearless finisher at the rim. Walters did everything he could to keep Kankakee in this game and hit big shot after another including a huge contested corner three late in the game. Walters recently took a visit to Western Michigan, and definitely looks the part of a scholarship player. Another unsigned senior guard DaMontae May was another key facet for Kankakee, posting 20 points and 5 rebounds. May is a smaller guard with a strong frame he utilizes to get paint touches on demand. He also showed reliability as a shooter with a catch and shoot 3 to put the Kays within 1 with 1:20 remaining. Star sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2105360' first='Lincoln' last='Williams'] also hit a big time three late in this one and finished with 17 points. Williams is a fluid athlete who can score at all levels and showed why he has jumped onto high major radars with his combination of size and skill at the shooting guard position.   Normal Community Too Much For Moline   After trailing Moline 13-12 to end the first quarter, Normal Community grabbed a 30-19 lead at half and never looked back Tuesday night. Saginaw Valley State commit [player_tooltip player_id='1285483' first='Niko' last='Newsome'] led all scorers with 20 points for the Ironmen, converting on strong and acrobatic takes to the rim including a high flying baseline oop. He is an electric athlete who is also one of the better defenders in the area. [player_tooltip player_id='1172774' first='Braylon' last='Roman'] did a little bit of everything, showcasing his shooting range and ability to finish in the paint with his length. Low majors and D1 Jucos should be all over Roman as one of the top unsigned players in the state. He finished with 14 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists. There is a lot to like about unsigned big man [player_tooltip player_id='1285481' first='Noah' last='Cleveland']'s game. He has a well rounded game and is active on both ends. He posted 6 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals. At 6'8, Cleveland moves very well and has great instincts. While not the most explosive athlete, he has a strong base and sound footwork that allow him to get his shots up around the rim. Scholarship level player with a high floor as a prospect. Wright State signee [player_tooltip player_id='1157233' first='Jaheem' last='Webber'] also added 6 points and 4 rebounds for Normal, providing a physical presence down low and capitalizing on opportunities around the rim.   Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1545138' first='Braden' last='Freeman'] led Moline in scoring with 17 points and 4 rebounds. He is great at finding angles to the rim and using his length at 6'6 to elevate over defenders with a high release point. He is also active on the glass and followed a few of his own shots for put backs. Fellow 6'6 junior [player_tooltip player_id='1545132' first='Treyvon' last='Taylor'] is another intriguing prospect for Moline and a great complement to Freeman. Taylor has a strong frame and plays a physical game down low absorbing contact. He was a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line and finished with 11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals. Freeman and Taylor will be one of the toughest duos in the state next year, each with big summers ahead.

There has been a fury of great matchups throughout Central Illinois to begin the postseason. Here are the takeaways from three big games over the past 2 nights, including Macomb vs Manual, Richwoods vs Kankakee, and Normal Community vs Moline!