— East Aurora sectional: If ever there were a case of familiarity breeding something, it will be the Naperville Central-Naperville North first-round regional game at Naperville Central on Wednesday. The teams ended their regular seasons Friday, with Central winning 61-50. Benet Academy (22-4) is the top seed, but the Redwings know winning the regional won`t be easy. Naperville North (19-5) ended Benet`s home-court winning streak at 102 in January, and Naperville Central (20-6) will be at home. Even first-round opponent Glenbard South (13-11) has a winning record. ”I don`t know how we`ll do,” said Benet coach Bill Geist. ”We could lose in the regional, or we could get Downstate. Who knows? . . . It seems like there are a lot of good teams around but no great teams. It will be exciting. Six or eight teams in the supersectional have a chance to make it down.” Forwards Mike Geist and Dan Snyder should lead the Redwings to the sectional final, if they survive the regional. East Aurora (21-4) is the best of the bunch in the West Aurora regional and will have to beat the Downers Grove North regional winner to make the sectional final. The host Tomcats had better scout Downers North (19-5)
and Downers South (18-6). Both have solid teams, and Downers South`s 6-7 Kit Mueller is one of the best players in the area. The home court could give East Aurora a spot in the supersectional final.
— Fremd sectional: Elgin coach Jim Harrington wants to take the tournament the old ”one-at-a-time” way, but if all those ones add up to a sectional title, the Maroons (23-2) might get a third game with East Aurora.
Harrington`s team, led by forward Mark Baugh, should advance past the likes of Fremd (17-8), Schaumburg (19-7), Barrington (14-10) or Dundee-Crown (14-11). The key will be the performance of Elgin guards Tony Matthews and Tim Moritz, who have to get the ball to Baugh. For Elgin to advance to the sectional, it will probably have to defeat Larkin (14-11) and St. Charles (19-7) for the third time this season. After overcoming its main regional obstacles, Elgin probably would play Fremd in the first round of the sectional. That won`t be an easy opener, but the Maroons have the talent to win the sectional. An East Aurora-Elgin supersectional final would be a good one. The teams split during the regular season. ”It would be fun,” Harrington said. ”We`ve each got one apiece. The winner would take all and get a trip to the big house in Champaign.”
ROCKFORD SUPERSECTIONAL
— Boylan sectional: The Crystal Lake South regional should provide some interesting basketball. Crystal Lake Central, with 6-foot-9-inch Bill Heppner, is 21-4, and 6-7 Steve Deering has recovered from a broken toe. Don`t ship the trophy and the invitation to the Tigers just yet, though. The regional is at South (16-7), and the teams split during the regular season. Heppner, who averages 21 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocked shots and 3 assists a game, will be on the spot. Central has defeated Cary-Grove once and Woodstock and McHenry twice. Woodstock (17-8) has won the regional the last three years and has one of the top scorers in the area in Dan Hill. Go figure it out. The Crystal Lake South winner could meet the Grant winner in the sectional finals. Grant (22-3) is the favorite. Rockford East (12-12) should survive the Belvidere regional, and Freeport (20-5) and Rockford Boylan (23-3) are the top contenders at Freeport. Heppner will need help from Deering and the rest of his teammates if Crystal Lake Central is to get to the supersectional, especially if the Tigers must face Boylan. The Titans would be playing on their own court and have made the Elite Eight in two of the last three years.
— Waukegan East sectional: The Highland Park regional could be a momentum builder for somebody. Top-seeded Loyola, New Trier and Lake Forest appear to have the potential to make it to the Boylan supersectional. While Loyola
(17-8) meets a 1-22 Highland Park team it has beaten twice already, New Trier (18-7), led by 6-8 Simon Lincoln, has to play Lake Forest (22-3), led by Billy Douglass, in the first round. ”Once you get into the tournament, it`s a matter of building momentum,” said Loyola coach Jim O`Donnell. ”Every game is sudden death. As you move along, the competition gets better and better. You have to move up to meet the competition.” The move will be a little more difficult for the teams in the other regionals. Carmel (16-9) appears to be the class of its own regional, while Waukegan East (10-11) is the top seed in the North Chicago regional. Glenbrook North, just 8-17, is the top seed in its regional, but Glenbrook South (16-8) owns victories over regional participants Deerfield, Glenbrook North and Stevenson. Stevenson (16-9) lost its first game of the season to Glenbrook South 60-56.
PEORIA SUPERSECTIONAL
— Moline sectional: Rock Island coach Duncan Reid likes to play tough competition during the season, and last year his squad was 2-2 against the Final Four. This year, the Rocks, led by his son, Bill, should use another strong regular season to vault past the Rock Island regional and the Moline sectional to the Peoria supersectional. But it won`t be easy, because nothing seems to come easy for the Rocks (17-6), including a 51-45 loss to No. 1 Peoria Manual during the season. The toughest competition in the sectional could come from Galesburg (11-12), which is led by Mark Junk`s 21-point average and is seeded first in the Canton regional, or from LaSalle-Peru
(15-10), seeded second to Streator (10-14) in the Morris regional despite having the better record. It could be Galesburg vs. LaSalle-Peru, led by all- state guard Mark Anglavar, in the first game at Moline, with Rock Island facing token opposition against the Rock Falls regional champ. Dixon, seeded first in the Rock Falls meet, is just 6-17.
— Peoria Woodruff sectional: The state championship could be at stake when Peoria Manual meets Lincoln in the first game of the Peoria sectional. The matchup, in the Quonset hut facility of Robertson Fieldhouse on the campus of Bradley University, is expected to bring out the largest crowd of the season. The schools have been ranked 1-2 in The Associated Press poll all season. Manual, which finished third in the state last season, is 26-0. Lincoln (24-1) lost only to King (48-45). With Curtis Stuckey and Shun Williams doing much of the scoring, Manual will have few problems winning its own regional. The Railsplitters of Lincoln, powered by Joe Cook, also have little to worry about on their home floor in the regional. Peoria Central (20-5) and Metamora
(22-3), seeded first in the Central and Washington regionals, are expected to tangle in the other sectional contest. Central has already lost to Manual by 17 points. Central`s tallest player then, 6-7 sophomore Tom Wilson, is now at Manual. The last time Lincoln was in such a position was when the Railers lost to top-ranked and unbeaten Quincy in the sectional finals in 1981, after which Quincy rolled to the state championship.
AURORA SUPERSECTIONAL
— Hinsdale Central sectional: Homewood-Flossmoor (22-3) comes into the tournament as one of the strongest, steadiest teams around. The Vikings were supposed to be down after losing Dick Seidel last year, but 16-year-old senior Nate Grant has picked up the inside scoring to shore up the squad. On the surface, it should be a whale of a match against Rich Central in the H-F regional, but the Olympians (22-3) may be without guard Keith Gill (knee injury), and without him coach Ron Brauer`s team will go only as far as point guard Bobby Smith can carry it. ”Right now, Homewood-Flossmoor has to be the most impressive team in the south suburbs,” says Brauer. Oak Forest (23-2)
should come out of the Bremen regional after beating Tinley Park (19-6) for the fourth time this season. But the question is whether the solid, strong Bengals can come together under assistant coach Denny Denman after head coach Ken Connor was dismissed two weeks ago by principal Ed Roberts. It doesn`t seem possible that Homewood-Flossmoor or Oak Forest, which would meet in the sectional semifinals, would lose in the final, where the opposition will most likely be either Bloom Trail (16-9) or up-and-coming Rich East (13-11), the top two seeds in the Bloom regional. Bloom Trail is 0-2 against H-F this year. The fourth entrant in the sectional is the Hinsdale South regional winner. None of the four teams there, including No. 1 seed Lyons (10-15), comes in with a winning record.
— Prospect sectional: One thing seems certain, says Hersey coach George Zigman. ”There are no super teams around here this year.” Tell us about it, Coach! Anywhere you look, parity (for want of a nastier word) has hit the north and northwest suburbs. All 16 teams funneled into the sectional have lost at least eight games. Evanston (12-12) is seeded first in its own regional from force of habit and may not get past Niles West (14-9) in the title game. Take away a four-game skid by Elk Grove (16-9), the top seed at Fenton, and you could almost pick the Grenadiers to get to the East Aurora supersectional. But Hersey (13-10), the No. 3 seed at Buffalo Grove, has lost only twice since Christmas. And Rolling Meadows (14-11) should win its own regional, after beating No. 2 seed Prospect (15-9) twice this season. Again this year, the Prospect sectional winner tangles with the best team in the south suburbs (playing out of Hinsdale Central) in the East Aurora
supersectional. And that`s where the best team here will end its season.
HINSDALE SUPERSECTIONAL
— York sectional: If this sectional isn`t the closest in the state, then the Thornton sectional is. And because both feed into the Hinsdale supersectional, it`s easy to see that the hottest team next week will be the one to win it all. De La Salle is hot, with an 18-game winning streak. The Meteors (22-2)
are ranked first in the Morton regional and should come out of that facing either St. Patrick (19-6) or Leyden (17-7), the top two seeds in the Leyden regional. St. Pat beat Leyden 71-66 in December. Proviso East (23-2) and St. Joseph (21-2) are also hot. Neither has lost since defeats in the Proviso West Christmas tournament. East`s small, talented Pirates have used the run and the gun to post 12 consecutive victories and should breeze past Oak Park (14-11)
in the finals of the latter`s regional. That winner will tangle with the Willowbrook regional champion in the second sectional contest. St. Joseph has received steady guard play recently, and the Chargers have run off 13 consecutive victories. Yet St. Joe may not even get past Proviso West (21-4)
in the regional. The Panthers have the quickness to pressure the Chargers on defense, a fact not lost on St. Joseph coach Gene Pingatore.
— Thornton sectional: Ever since the IHSA gerrymandered 12 of the 13 Class AA teams in the Catholic League into the same supersectional, it is almost impossible to figure a favorite. ”To me, winning a conference playing a 13-game schedule against some of the toughest teams in the state is more important than the state tournament,” says Leo coach Jack Fitzgerald. We believe you, Coach, but the IHSA says you`ll have to show up for the opening game of the Quigley South regional. The finals should be a Leo-St. Rita rematch, and that winner is expected to face surging St. Francis de Sales
(20-4), the favorite at Thornridge, in the first game of the sectional. Thornton (19-6) doesn`t have that much to beat to win the Thornwood regional, and Argo (17-6) has even less of a problem at Shepard. ”Anyway you look at the sectional, it is awesome,” says Argo coach Rick Moss. ”You just can`t predict who is going to come out of it.” De Sales was moderately awesome in its 59-41 trouncing of Leo (23-2) last Tuesday and now must be rated among the top teams going into the sectional. But can the Pioneers win a difficult regional at Thornridge, where they will probably play the host school (18-8)
in the finals? Coach Mike Kaczmarz likes the imbalances his tall trio of 6-9 Eric Anderson, 6-7 Eric Smith and 6-6 Edgar Ward create. None of the other regional favorites seems to have the size to match up with the Pioneers, but can de Sales rely on its guards to get the ball to the big kids?
PUBLIC LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
— King (21-4) is the defending state champion and has 6-8 Marcus Liberty, many people`s choice as the best player in the country, but the Jaguars will be hard-pressed even to get into this year`s Elite Eight. That`s because the league has at least six teams good enough to be considered state championship contenders. Because the West and Central sections are paired this year, expect Simeon (22-2), the Red-South champion, to reach the semifinals in good fashion playing against North Side foes in the early rounds. South Shore (18-8), the only team to beat Simeon during the league season, could also be there. So could Julian (17-6), the Blue-South champion. The West and Central Sections could provide some tremendous third-round and quarterfinal matchups. If the seeds pan out, it would look like this. Crane (20-6), paced by guard Joe Daughrity and center Tremell Murphy, would meet Lindblom (17-7), the best Blue-Central squad. Collins (19-5) would play Dunbar (17-8). Marshall (20-5)
would face Robeson (23-3), and Farragut (17-8) would play King. The winners would meet in the quarterfinals March 14, with the matchups to be determined by draw. Semifinals will be March 15, and the finals March 16. The last three rounds will be in the Illinois-Chicago Pavilion. Marshall is the hottest team around. The Commandos ran through the second half of the Red-West season unbeaten, an almost unheard-of feat. Collins, which beat King en route to the Proviso West tournament title last December, can`t be overlooked if 6-6 Walter Bond is healthy. Bond had the flu when Marshall beat Collins last week. Some college coaches insist Simeon is the best team in the Public League, but the Wolverines could still be a year away from greatness. Robeson, with 6-5 Donnell Thomas in the middle and 6-4 junior Johnny Melvin scoring
consistently, has been the steadiest of the Public League teams. Robeson beat Simeon early and then won the Elgin holiday tournament. Two of its three losses have been to King in emotion-packed games. They won`t meet a third time unless it`s in the finals, and Simeon should prevent that.
CARBONDALE SUPERSECTIONAL
— Benton sectional: Centralia appears to be the pick if it can get past a probable matchup with Mt. Vernon in the Salem regional final. The Orphans
(19-6), led by 6-foot-8-inch senior forward Rick Shipley (averaging 18 points), managed only a split in their two games with Mt. Vernon (20-5) this year. ”The way we`re seeded, we may have to meet them again,” says Centralia coach Bob Bogle. ”We have similar balance and talent. But there are really not any overpowering teams in this sectional.” Marion and Charleston, both No. 1 seeds, may provide the toughest competition for the Orphans if they both make it past their own regionals as expected. Marion (17-10) is led by two juniors, 6-6 forward P.J. Nichols and 6-foot point guard Scott Shreffler. Charleston (15-10) started the season by winning 10 of its first 11 games, but injuries to two starters in a Christmas tournament hurt the Trojans, who don`t have a deep bench. ”We haven`t been the same since,” says coach Steve Simons, whose team is 5-9 since its fast start. Charleston needs continued stellar play from 6-8 center Gary Hrvol, who averages 19 points and 9 rebounds, to get to a possible sectional final game against Centralia.
— Collinsville sectional: Barring disaster, East St. Louis Lincoln should roll through this sectional and be the heavy favorite in the supersectional.
”If I had to make a prediction, I`d say they are the only sure bet,” says Charleston coach Steve Simons. The Tigers (20-1), led by 6-9 junior all-stater Laphonso Ellis, have lost only to highly ranked Lincoln High School. East St. Louis Lincoln`s toughest opponent in the sectional may be crosstown rival East St. Louis Senior (11-14), which the Tigers could face in their own regional final in the gym the schools have shared all year. From there, the Tigers should face Collinsville (16-8), seeded first in its own regional. If either of the two No. 1-seeded teams (Alton and O`Fallon) in the relatively weak regionals at Alton and Belleville East makes it to the sectional final, it should pose few problems for probable opponent East St. Louis Lincoln. ”We`ll need a whole lot of luck,” admits Alton coach Stan McAfoos.
NORMAL SUPERSECTIONAL
— Romeoville sectional: Lockport coach Bob Basarich knows exactly how his 23-3 squad can make it to the Elite Eight this year: ”I think what it will take is for the other teams to play poorly,” he jokes. Although his Porters are favored heavily in their own regional and in the Romeoville sectional, Basarich notes that anything can happen come tournament time. ”I always appreciate hearing we`re the favorite, but since I`m an old goat, I`ve been around and know what teams lurk in the shadows,” says Basarich, whose Porters are led by 6-7 center Dave Mitidiero and forward Maurice Hamilton. The team that worries the coach most is Kankakee (11-14), which is seeded second in its own regional mainly because it had to forfeit eight games for using an ineligible player. ”They`re definitely the most explosive team in the sectional,” Basarich says. ”Sometimes things like that (the forfeits) gives them more of a goal.” Plainfield (19-6), Joliet Catholic (9-16) and Bradley- Bourbonnais (18-7) are the other No. 1 regional seeds.
— Springfield Griffin sectional: Quincy coach Jerry Leggett thinks Lockport is a veritable lock to make the Normal supersectional final, and its opponent could be any of five teams. Leggett`s 20-5 Blue Devils, who have won their own regional 10 straight years, should meet Springfield Lanphier (20-5), also seeded No. 1 in its own regional, in the sectional semifinals. First things first, however, and Lanphier must get by probable regional final opponent Springfield Southeast (16-9), which already beat Lanphier earlier this year. Quincy may have to face Jacksonville (19-5) and all-state scoring whiz Andy Kaufmann in its own regional final, which scares Leggett because his team lost at Jacksonville in overtime this year. ”Every step is a big one when you have a balanced team with no superstar like ours,” Leggett says. Four Blue Devils averaged in double figures this year. If Quincy makes it to the sectional finals, Danville (17-4) should be waiting. Danville features 6-1 senior forward Stacey Robinson (18-point average). Look for a battle of two schools with plenty of basketball tradition, Lockport and Quincy, in the
supersectional.
