Scouting Class 4A NIU, Hinsdale Central supersectionals

By Dave Oberhelman

doberhelman@dailyherald.com

Class 4A Northern Illinois University

supersectional

Lake Park (25-6) vs. Geneva (29-3)

When: 8 p.m. Tuesday at NIU Convocation Center, DeKalb.

Road to the sectional: Lake Park beat Hoffman Estates 50-33, Grayslake North 54-50, Palatine 38-32 and St. Viator 58-39. Geneva beat DeKalb 66-52, St. Charles East 73-70, Rockford Jefferson 63-54 and Rockford Auburn 65-62.

Probable starters

Lake Park Geneva

Name Ht. Yr. PPG. Pos. Name Ht. Yr. PPG.

Stefan Meccia 5-10 Sr. 6.5 PG Pace Temple 6-2 Sr. 8.0

Danny Hynes 5-9 Jr. 2.5 G Daniel Santacaterina 6-1 Sr. 1.1

Marcus McDaniel 5-10 Sr. 12.4 G-F Nate Navigato 6-7 Sr. 20.3

Cameron VanAswegen6-3 Sr. 5.4 F Bennett Fuzak 6-7 Jr. 6.4

Connor Vance 6-3 Sr. 8.0 C Loudon Vollbrecht 6-8 Jr. 10.7

Outlook: Look at the heights listed above and you'll find Lake Park's biggest challenge. Matching up with Buffalo-bound Nate Navigato, Bennett Fuzak and Loudon Vollbrecht will be a handful, although there are post options with 6-2 Michael Karas, 6-4 Chris Filip and 6-5 Mitch Jarosinski. St. Viator became the 21st team held under 45 points by the Lancers. Hynes and VanAswegen combined for six 3-pointers as Lake Park won its first sectional title. That kind of perimeter effort again will be critical. Better not fall asleep on Vance in the post. He scored 25 points on Friday. Commenting on Auburn holding the ball late in the third-quarter with a 4-point lead, Geneva coach Phil Ralston said no one is better at shortening games than the Vikings. Monday night he amended that: "Lake Park might be." As Geneva aims to match the 1962-63 squad's 30 wins and downstate qualification, the Vikings must deal with a team that patiently uses ball screens to get inside the lane and works to find the open shot, no matter how long it takes. "Possibly the most disciplined team we have seen all season," Ralston said. Offensively, Lake Park will attempt to trap or direct point guard Pace Temple, guards Daniel Santacaterina and Sean Chambers and relief-valve forwards Navigato, Fuzak and Mike Landi away from the basket. Yet Geneva's emphasis remains the same - get the ball inside. Before Geneva had this much talent, depth and height - eight rotation players from 6-3 to 6-10 - the Vikings relied on tempo. Now they've got Navigato and Co. Geneva's all-time leading scorer came out against Auburn with three straight 3s, his fourth 3 triggered a 19-2 fourth-quarter run, and Navigato capped his 24-point night with the game-winning three-point play with 10 seconds left off a 40-foot pass from center Vollbrecht, helping break the press. Auburn bounced off the 6-8, 305-pound Vollbrecht, and he'll be key against Lake Park as well. Not so much against Rockford Jefferson, but against Auburn and even against St. Charles East the Vikings might have been seen as underdogs. It'll be just the opposite Tuesday, but that's a nonfactor, Ralston said. "I don't go in there at this point thinking you're an underdog or you're supposed to win," he said. "You're matched up against quality teams and if you want to advance you've got to play your best basketball."

Advancement: The winner advances to the Class 4A semifinal against the Illinois State supersectional winner between Simeon and Normal, 8:15 p.m. Friday at the Peoria Civic Center.

Class 4A Hinsdale Central supersectional

West Aurora (22-8) vs. Bolingbrook (23-6)

When: 7 p.m. Tuesday at Hinsdale Central High School.

Road to the sectional: West Aurora beat Naperville North 49-42 in overtime, Wheaton North 65-50, York 66-48 and Hinsdale Central 60-55. Bolingbrook beat Romeoville 53-39, Joliet Central 48-42 in overtime, Plainfield East 63-52 and Neuqua Valley 59-56.

Probable starters

West Aurora Bolingbrook

Name Ht. Yr. PPG. Pos. Name Ht. Yr. PPG.

Reggie Jordan 5-8 Sr. 5.4 PG Prentiss Nixon 6-1 Sr. 18

Marquis Howard 5-8 Sr. 13.1 G Brodric Thomas 6-2 Sr. 12

Camron Donatlan 6-1 Fr. 8.0 G Devon Sams 6-0 Jr. 6

Tommy Koth 6-3 Sr. 10.2 F Dimitri Akenten 6-4 Sr. 10

Roland Griffin 6-6 Sr. 17.3 F/C Julian Torres 6-9 Sr. 11

Outlook: Coach Rob Brost's Bolingbrook Raiders claimed their first sectional title since 1985, then they advanced downstate into the Elite Eight. Colorado State commit Prentiss Nixon hit Neuqua Valley with eight 3-pointers and a game-high 32 points, and will be a challenge for West Aurora to handle. If West attempts to take Nixon out of the game the Raiders can also go to another Division I-caliber guard, Brodric Thomas, or try to use their size inside. Julian Torres, 6-9 and 260-pounds, and 6-4 Dimitri Akenten each grabbed 9 rebounds against Neuqua, with 6-5, 240-pound Zach Grady coming off Bolingbrook's bench. Getting the ball inside and rebounding are Brost's top priorities against West Aurora. He'll start with Akenten against the Blackhawks' 6-6 Roland Griffin, who exploded at the East Aurora sectional with 31 and 24 points to head West's 21st sectional title. Griffin is the tallest line of defense against Bolingbrook's size, where particularly Torres is a concern to coach Gordie Kerkman. The coach didn't betray any secrets as to how he was planning on guarding Nixon, but a team approach has done well for West Aurora. "I've been pretty pleased with our defense for sometime now, and actually for the whole year," said Kerkman, aiming for a first downstate bid since a 2006 Elite Eight berth. "It's been very good recently, and hopefully it holds up (Tuesday) night." Tommy Koth, sixth-man Drake Spears and fabulous freshman Camron Donatlan will help Griffin inside, and do a good job of screening out and applying defensive leverage despite a relative lack of height. West Aurora can take heart that, in defeat, Neuqua Valley's Joe Sieger made six 3-point baskets against Bolingbrook. West Aurora could threaten to spread the Raiders defense thin with Griffin inside and Koth, Donatlan and particularly Marquis Howard - now with 81 3-pointers, the Blackhawks' new season record - on the arc. West Aurora was stymied at the supersectional by Proviso East in both 2012 and 2013, but this is a new group of players and a new opponent. "I don't think there's any retribution," Kerkman said.

Advancement: The winner advances to the Class 4A semifinals against the Illinois State supersectional winner between Riverside-Brookfield and Stevenson, 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Peoria Civic Center.

- Dave Oberhelman