An overflow crowd of 3,500 is expected to jam into Olivet Nazarene University’s gym Tuesday night, and not a single fan is coming to see Andre Brown.
That’s because Brown, the 6-foot-9-inch DePaul recruit and the best Class A player in the state, was unable to lead Leo to the Kankakee supersectional.
Instead, it’s Westmont against Bishop McNamara in a battle for a little respect. Meanwhile, Aurora Christian meets Bureau Valley in the DeKalb supersectional.
“Everybody in the state thought it would be Leo,” McNamara coach Kurt Weigt said. “There weren’t too many people picking Westmont.”
When Westmont (28-1) upset top-ranked Leo last Friday in the Westmont sectional final, the Sentinels justified their No. 4 ranking in the Associated Press Class A state poll.
“If we come out like we did against Leo, it shouldn’t be a problem Tuesday night,” said Westmont’s 6-3 junior Pierre Pierce, who is averaging 28 points, six rebounds and six assists. “Leo was the team to beat. Now we have to stay focused against Bishop McNamara.”
Focusing on Pierce will be Bishop Mac’s 6-0 guard David Thompson, the Fightin’ Irish’s defensive stopper. “David will be a little undersized in that matchup, but he has quick feet and a heart the size of a Winnebago,” Weigt said.
If McNamara (19-9) decides to overplay Pierce, it could provide scoring opportunities for 6-6 Eric Van Der Stuyf, 6-4 Brandon Steadman and 6-5 Jody Urbas.
Westmont is looking for its first trip Downstate since 1986, while Bishop Mac, led by 6-6 Gabe Kirstein (16 points a game) and Brett Meyer (14 points), has never advanced beyond the supersectionals.
“Nobody has given us much recognition,” Weigt said. “People don’t realize we’ve won 14 of our last 17 games and were 14-1 against Class A competition, with our only loss coming to Leo.”
