3A 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 3A Preview: Hinsdale South, Fenwick, Lincoln, Triad Sectionals! Hinsdale South Sectional Team…
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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 3A Preview: Hinsdale South, Fenwick, Lincoln, Triad Sectionals!
Hinsdale South Sectional
Team to Beat
Mt. Carmel is stacked. Their depth will be tested with
Lee Marks
Lee
Marks
6'6" | SF
Mt. Carmel | 2024
State
IL
injured, but Northwestern commit
Angelo Ciaravino
Angelo
Ciaravino
6'6" | SF
Mt. Carmel | 2024
State
#160
Nation
IL
is one of the top prospects in the state and can carry his team when needed.
Contenders
De La Salle, St. Laurence
Sleepers
Lindblom, Hyde Park, Wheaton St. Francis
Top Prospects
Angelo Ciaravino
Angelo
Ciaravino
6'6" | SF
Mt. Carmel | 2024
State
#160
Nation
IL
(Mt. Carmel – Northwestern)
Tavariyaun Williams (De La Salle)
Richard Lindsey
Richard
Lindsey
6'5" | SF
De La Salle | 2024
State
IL
(De La Salle)
Charles Barnes (De La Salle)
Josh Pickett
Josh
Pickett
6'5" | SG
St. Laurence | 2024
State
#277
Nation
IL
(St. Laurence – Denver)
Zerrick Johnson
Zerrick
Johnson
6'2" | PG
St. Laurence | 2025
State
IL
(St. Laurence)
Je’Shawn Stevenson
Je’Shawn
Stevenson
6'3" | SG
Lindblom | 2024
State
IL
(Lindblom – Cleveland State)
Jurrell Baldwin
Jurrell
Baldwin
6'6" | SF
Hyde Park | 2024
State
IL
(Hyde Park)
Kelton McEwen
Kelton
McEwen
6'2" | PG
Wheaton St. Francis | 2024
State
IL
(Wheaton St. Francis)
Under the Radar Players Who Could Impact Sectional
Germaine Benson
Germaine
Benson
6'0" | PG
Hyde Park | 2024
State
IL
(Hyde Park)
Gavin Mueller
Gavin
Mueller
6'6" | PF
Wheaton St. Francis | 2026
State
IL
(Wheaton St. Francis)
Bryant Hedrick
Bryant
Hedrick
6'1" | PG
De La Salle | 2024
State
IL
(De La Salle)
Talen Pearson
Talen
Pearson
6'5" | SF
Nazareth | 2024
State
IL
(Nazareth)
Caleb Lindsey
Caleb
Lindsey
6'5" | SF
St. Laurence | 2025
State
IL
(St. Laurence)
Best Potential Regional Finals
St. Laurence vs Lindblom. This would be a fun one with two of the top guards in the senior class going at it in Josh Pickett Josh Pickett 6'5" | SG St. Laurence | 2024 State #277 Nation IL (Denver) and Je’Shawn Stevenson Je’Shawn Stevenson 6'3" | SG Lindblom | 2024 State IL (Cleveland State) battling to advance. Game would be at St. Laurence.
Best Potential Sectional Finals
Mt. Carmel vs Hyde Park. These two schools are literally right by each other, but didn’t play during the regular season. How about for a sectional title at a neutral site?
Toughest Path for Top Team
St. Laurence does get the advantage of playing at home to start, but a path of Lindblom/De La Salle/Mt. Carmel is a grind!
Fenwick Sectional
Team to Beat
Coin toss between Westinghouse, St. Patrick, and Fenwick. Westinghouse has the veterans. St. Pat’s is probably the most talented. Fenwick has the home court in the sectional games.
Contenders
Westinghouse, St. Patrick, Fenwick
Sleepers
Payton. They have the only D1 senior in field with Jakob Blakley Jakob Blakley 6'1" | PG Walter Payton | 2024 State IL .
Top Prospects
EJ Breland
EJ
Breland
6'0" | PG
St. Patrick | 2025
State
IL
(St. Patrick)
Jakob Blakley
Jakob
Blakley
6'1" | PG
Walter Payton | 2024
State
IL
(Payton – Le Moyne)
DJ Bolden
DJ
Bolden
6'2" | SG
Westinghouse | 2024
State
IL
(Westinghouse)
Askia Bullie
Askia
Bullie
6'0" | PG
Westinghouse | 2024
State
IL
(Westinghouse)
Ty Macariola
Ty
Macariola
6'1" | SG
Fenwick | 2025
State
IL
(Fenwick)
Under the Radar Players Who Could Impact Sectional
AJ Thomas
AJ
Thomas
6'3" | SG
St. Patrick | 2024
State
IL
(St. Patrick)
Neveah Hawkins (St. Patrick)
Treyvon Ali
Treyvon
Ali
6'3" | SG
Westinghouse | 2024
State
IL
(Westinghouse)
Deonte Meeks
Deonte
Meeks
5'6" | PG
Fenwick | 2025
State
IL
(Fenwick)
Best Potential Regional Finals
None. Top four should all advance without much issue.
Best Potential Sectional Finals
Westinghouse vs Fenwick. CPS vs Chicago Catholic League. On Fenwick’s home floor.
Toughest Path for Top Team
St. Pat’s would have to beat Fenwick on their home floor and then most likely top seeded Westinghouse.
Lincoln Sectional
Team to Beat
Mt. Zion comes in with one of the loftiest records in the state and their loss against Metamora only raised their profile heading into the playoffs giving them a test they needed before this run.
Contenders
Decatur MacArthur and Lincoln
Sleepers
Springfield Lanphier, Chatham Glenwood, Champaign Centennial
Top Prospects
Lyncoln Koester
Lyncoln
Koester
6'3" | SG
Mt. Zion | 2025
State
IL
(Mt. Zion)
Sean Lee
Sean
Lee
6'3" | SF
Decatur MacArthur | 2026
State
IL
(MacArhur)
Shaunassey Hatchett
Shaunassey
Hatchett
6'4" | SF
Springfield Lanphier | 2025
State
IL
(Lanphier)
JaiQuan Holman
JaiQuan
Holman
5'10" | PG
Springfield Lanphier | 2025
State
IL
(Lanphier)
Jaden Schilb (Centennial)
Under the Radar Players Who Could Impact Sectional
JC Anderson
JC
Anderson
6'7" | C
Mt. Zion | 2026
State
IL
(Mt. Zion)
MJ Murphy
MJ
Murphy
5'10" | PG
Decatur MacArthur | 2024
State
IL
(MacArthur)
Kion Carson (Lincoln)
Karson Komnick
Karson
Komnick
6'3" | SG
Lincoln | 2026
State
IL
(Lincoln)
Chris Bush
Chris
Bush
6'5" | PF
Champaign Central | 2025
State
IL
(Champaign Central)
Best Potential Regional Finals
There will be an upset in the regional final here! Lanphier against Lincoln on their home floor could be one. Champaign Centennial over Decatur MacArthur could be another.
Best Potential Sectional Finals
Mt. Zion vs Decatur MacArthur is probably the best, but Mt. Zion vs whoever comes out of the top half of the bracket will be a battle tested team.
Toughest Path for Top Team
Lincoln. As the top seed in their own sectional you would think it should be a good ride, but not so. Will have a Springfield HS (SHG or Springfield) in their city in first game followed by another game against a Springfield squad potentially Lanphier on their home floor with two of the best prospects in the sectional. That is just to survive regional. Then a Decatur MacArthur or Champaign Centennial awaits just to have the chance to play Mt. Zion for the sectional title.
Triad Sectional
Team to Beat
Probably co-favorites here as Centralia and East St. Louis come into this with cases. Centralia has a better record. ESL has the SIT Championship win in January head to head.
Contenders
Mascoutah
Sleepers
Herrin, Waterloo, Mt. Vernon, Carbondale
Top Prospects
Davis Bynum
Davis
Bynum
6'7" | PF
East St. Louis | 2024
State
IL
(East St. Louis – Cal State Fullerton)
Taylor Powell
Taylor
Powell
6'6" | SF
East St. Louis | 2024
State
IL
(East St. Louis – Northern Illinois football)
Arlandis Brown
Arlandis
Brown
6'4" | SF
East St. Louis | 2025
State
IL
(East St. Louis)
Dustyn Collins
Dustyn
Collins
6'5" | PF
Centralia | 2025
State
IL
(Centralia)
Jayden McCoo
Jayden
McCoo
6'1" | PG
Mascoutah | 2025
State
IL
(Mascoutah)
Kyrese Lukens
Kyrese
Lukens
5'11" | PG
Herrin | 2025
State
IL
(Herrin)
Alex Stell
Alex
Stell
6'9" | C
Waterloo | 2025
State
IL
(Waterloo)
Navontae Nesbit
Navontae
Nesbit
5'11" | PG
Mt. Vernon | 2024
State
IL
(Mt. Vernon)
Decarl Payne
Decarl
Payne
6'2" | SG
Carbondale | 2024
State
IL
(Carbondale)
Under the Radar Players Who Could Impact Sectional
Robert McCline
Robert
McCline
6'2" | SG
East St. Louis | 2024
State
IL
(East St. Louis)
Cruz Harlan
Cruz
Harlan
5'9" | PG
Centralia | 2024
State
IL
(Centralia)
Miles Ntekop
Miles
Ntekop
6'5" | C
Mascoutah | 2024
State
IL
(Mascoutah)
Jonathan Harrison
Jonathan
Harrison
6'6" | PF
Herrin | 2024
State
IL
(Herrin)
Cale Maurer
Cale
Maurer
6'5" | SF
Mt. Vernon | 2026
State
IL
(Mt. Vernon)
Best Potential Regional Finals
Mascoutah vs Waterloo would be a good one at Freeburg.
Best Potential Sectional Finals
East St. Louis vs Centralia. The two favorites coming in.
Toughest Path for Top Team
Centralia could have some tricky games from the jump. Top 100 senior Decarl Payne Decarl Payne 6'2" | SG Carbondale | 2024 State IL and Carbondale could be waiting in round one close to home in Marion. Then either Marion on their home floor or a talented Herrin squad with small college talent. Mascoutah or Waterloo could cause some issues in a sectional semi. All this just to get the rematch with the Flyers in the sectional final.