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Scouting the Class 3-4A postseason in the Fox Valley

Class 4A Rock Valley College sectional

South Elgin regionalPairings: Monday - Game 1) No. 8 Elgin (17-12) vs. No. 9 South Elgin (12-16), 6 p.m.; Game 2) No. 6 Larkin (14-11) vs. No. 12 Huntley (8-21), 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday - Game 3) No. 1 DeKalb (24-4) vs. Winner Game 1, 7 p.m.; Wednesday - Game 4) No. 4 Jacobs (21-6) vs. Winner Game 2, 7 p.m.; Friday - Game 5) Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 for regional title at 7 p.m.

Outlook: This regional holds tantalizing matchup possibilities, not the least of which is a possible semifinal between Larkin and Jacobs, led, respectively, by two of the top junior prospects in Illinois. Larkin 6-6 forward Christian Negron (17.2 ppg, 12 rpg) and Jacobs 6-8 forward Cam Krutwig (17 ppg, 12.6 rpg) boast 17 Division-I college offers between them. Both teams also have shown flashes of brilliance on the perimeter but guard play has been inconsistent for both. The top seed in the region is DeKalb, champion of the Northern Illinois Big 12 East. The Barbs would face Fox Valley Conference Valley Division champion Jacobs for the title if the region plays according to seed. Of course, March Madness rarely plays to seed. "I think there's any of four or five teams that can win it," Jacobs coach Jim Roberts said. "All over the state of Illinois everyone is beating everyone. it's a crapshoot on any given night. We're a good basketball team, DeKalb's a good basketball team, Larkin's a good basketball team, Elgin has beaten some people throughout the course of the year. We feel good about our opportunity just as Larkin and DeKalb are looking forward to their opportunity." The regional opens Monday with a rematch between Elgin and host South Elgin. Elgin defeated the Storm 80-68 on a neutral court on Jan. 16. "They're playing better now," Maroons coach Mike Sitter said of South Elgin. "It'll be a tough matchup, a lot of athleticism out on the floor. It might just come down to who plays better defense that night." South Elgin, led by Central Michigan recruit Matty Smith, has lost 9 of 11 since a 5-game win streak ended in mid-January. "I truly believe that if we really buckle down and do the things that we're supposed to be doing, we can get a good run because we have what it takes to win," first-year South Elgin coach Jim Cook said. "And (the players) see that. It's just a matter of putting it together and being consistent. We're not consistent sometimes on both ends of the court. But they have to understand that you have to play both ends to win."

Crystal Lake South regionalPairings: Monday - Game 1) No. 10 Belvidere North (2-26) vs. No. 11 Crystal Lake Central (2-24), 7 p.m.; Tuesday - Game 2) No. 1 Prairie Ridge (23-3) vs. Winner Game 1, 7 p.m.; Wednesday - Game 3) No. 4 Crystal Lake South (16-11) vs. No. 5 Rockford Jefferson (15-14), 7 p.m.; Friday - Game 4) Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3 for regional title at 7 p.m.

Outlook: This regional could boil down to a battle between Crystal Lake South and crosstown rival Prairie Ridge if seeds hold. The Fox Division champion Wolves enter the playoffs fresh off a 19-point takedown of Valley Division champion Jacobs in a Fox Valley Conference crossover. PR built a lead, weathered a second-half run from Jacobs and pulled away to win 57-38. Such resilience under pressure has been a PR hallmark all season. Said Wolves coach Corky Card: "Our instinctive response when people make runs is they just don't let things bother them. They just keep playing." Winners of 12 straight, Prairie Ridge has beaten both teams it might face in Tuesday's semifinal. The Wolves defeated Belvidere North 56-20 in the season opener on Nov. 23 and they beat Crystal Lake Central twice by an average of 35 points. Crystal Lake South split 2 contests with the Wolves. The Gators, led by senior guard Zach Geske (19.2 ppg), have won 7 of their last 10.

St. Charles East regionalPairings: Monday - Game 1) No. 7 Bartlett (18-10) vs. No. 10 St. Charles North (7-15), 6 p.m.; Game 2) No. 5 St. Charles East (14-12) vs. No. 11 Streamwood (5-23), 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday - Game 3) No. 2 Batavia (19-9) vs. Winner Game 1, 7 p.m.; Wednesday - Game 4) No. 3 Geneva (22-6) vs. Winner Game 2, 7 p.m.; Friday - Game 5) Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 for regional title at 7 p.m.

Outlook: This regional could culminate in a third meeting between rivals Batavia and Geneva, but Bulldogs coach Jim Nazos won't let himself think that far ahead with his outright Upstate Eight River champs slated to face the Bartlett-St. Charles North winner on Tuesday. "We know St. Charles North, how good they are, how capable they are," Nazos said. "And Bartlett, they shoot the ball really well, they play hard and they keep you on your toes with their defense. Whoever wins that game is going to be a very good opponent. I like both of those teams. It should be interesting." Senior 6-3 guard Canaan Coffey leads Batavia with 16.7 points per game. St. Charles North knocked off Larkin 62-58 in the regular-season finale and has won 4 of its last 6. Bartlett is hotter. The Hawks have won 5 straight, beginning with a 57-40 win against St. Charles North on Feb. 3. The Hawks are 11-4 in 2016. "I certainly like the way we've been playing since of the turn of the new year," Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith said. "We've been playing good basketball against teams that are playing good basketball. It's a brutal subsectional with the new IHSA changes. More than a handful of teams could take down the whole sectional. Winning is going to require depth and good defense without a doubt." Bartlett is led by 6-4 senior forward Robby Jimenez (17.5 ppg) and 6-1 senior Tyler Pauletti, who leads area guards with 6.1 assists per game. St. Charles East ended the regular season with an uplifting 50-40 win against Batavia to forge a season split. Led by 6-3 senior guard Evan DiLeonardi (10.5 ppg, 4 apg) and 6-5 sophomore forward Evan Hardy (12.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg), the Saints also split with Geneva and swept 2 games against Streamwood. Geneva and Batavia halved their 2 meetings. Batavia won at home, 48-43, on Dec. 18, though the Vikings played that game without injured leading scorer Bennett Fuzak (17.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg). The 6-8 senior forward was back in the lineup on Feb. 5 when host Geneva prevailed 52-38 behind his team-high 12 points.

At Harlem: No. 2 Auburn (20-6) is the top seed at the Harlem regional, which includes five NIC-10 teams along with Rockford Lutheran (16-10). Auburn would play Hononegah (17-11) for the title if seeds hold.

Advancement: The regional winners from South Elgin and Harlem meet in the March 8 sectional semifinal with the regional winners from Crystal Lake South and St. Charles East facing off on March 9. The sectional title game is Friday, March 11 at 6:30 p.m.

Class 4A Fremd sectional

McHenry regionalPairings: Monday - Game 1) No. 14 McHenry (13-15) vs. No. 20 Cary-Grove (6-20), 6 p.m.; Game 2) No. 11 Hersey (13-13) vs. No. 22 Dundee-Crown (3-22), 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday - Game 3) No. 3 Lake Zurich (21-9) vs. Winner Game 1, 7 p.m.; Wednesday - Game 4) No. 6 Lake Park (16-10) vs. Winner Game 2, 7 p.m.; Friday - Game 5) Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 for regional title at 7 p.m.

Outlook: Fox Valley Conference teams Cary-Grove and Dundee-Crown are underdogs in their opening-round matchups on Monday. McHenry defeated Cary-Grove twice during the regular season, most recently 61-46 on Feb. 12. A 55-percent shooter from the field, Cary-Grove 6-3 senior forward Dan Schmidt leads the Trojans with 15 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Dundee-Crown has won 2 of its last 3, both against Crystal Lake Central. Sophomore guard Jack Orndahl leads the Chargers with 9.9 ppg. Hersey has won 8 of 11 since Jan. 16.

Other regionals: No. 2 Fremd (21-6) is the top seed at the Barrington regional and would face No. 7 Prospect (14-11) for the title if seeds hold. No. 4 St. Viator (17-7) is the top seed at the Schaumburg regional and would play No. 5 Grayslake North (23-3) for the title if seeds hold. No. 1 Conant (19-6) is the top seed at Conant and would play No. 8 Elk Grove Village (18-9) for the regional title if seeds hold.

Advancement: The regional winners from Conant and Schaumburg meet in the March 8 sectional semifinal with the regional winners from Barrington and McHenry facing off on March 9. The sectional title game is Friday, March 11 at 7 p.m.

Class 4A East Aurora sectional

Hinsdale Central regionalPairings: Monday - Game 1) No. 15 Proviso West (10-13) vs. No. 19 West Aurora (8-17), 7 p.m.; Tuesday - Game 2) No. 2 Glenbard West (23-3) vs. Winner Game 1, 7 p.m.; Wednesday - Game 3) No. 7 Wheaton North (18-8) vs. No. 10 Hinsdale Central (16-10), 7 p.m.; Friday - Game 4) Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3 for regional title at 7 p.m.

Outlook: Glenbard West is the favorite to emerge, but West Aurora hopes to give the Hilltoppers a challenge if it gets by Proviso West, which "has won some good games," Blackhawks coach Brian Johnson said. "They beat Glenbard West at one point and they were playing well around Christmastime. They're really athletic. They can shoot the 3, feed the post and their big guys down low have a nice touch from the wing. It's going to be a tough matchup for us, but our goal is to survive. It'll be a fun game to see how we match up against a really athletic team." Sophomore guard Camron Donatlan, who holds an offer from Santa Clara, leads the Blackhawks with 14.6 points and 2.5 steals per game. Junior forward Caleb Siler (6-3) averages 10 points and 4 assists.

Other regionals: No. 1 Benet Academy (25-3) is the top seed at the Benet regional and would face No. 8 Wheaton-Warrenville South (17-11) for the title if seeds hold. No. 3 Naperville North (22-4) is the top seed at Lyons and would face No. 6 York (17-12) for the regional title if seeds hold. No. 4 Hinsdale South (20-9) is the top seed at Glenbard East and would face No. 5 Downers Grove South (20-9) for the regional title if seeds hold.

Advancement: The regional winners from Benet Academy and Glenbard East meet in the March 8 sectional semifinal with the regional winners from Hinsdale Central and Lyons facing off on March 9. The sectional title game is Friday, March 11 at 7 p.m.

Class 3A Woodstock North sectional

Kaneland regionalPairings: Monday - Game 1) No. 9 Hampshire (9-17) vs. No. 11 Illinois Math and Science Academy (1-20), 7 p.m.; Tuesday - Game 2) No. 2 Kaneland (18-8) vs. Winner Game 1, 7 p.m.; Wednesday - Game 3) No. 4 Sycamore (14-12) vs. No. 5 Aurora Central Catholic (15-11), 7 p.m.; Friday - Game 4) Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3 for regional title at 7 p.m.

Outlook: How tough is the Woodstock North sectional? "Whoever comes out of our sectional is going to get downstate," Kaneland coach Joe Conroy said. "There are a lot of really talented teams." For Kaneland, which had won 11 of 12 before dropping back-to back decisions in the season's final week at West Chicago and at Sterling, the quest begins on its home court Tuesday against the winner of Monday's play-in game between Hampshire and IMSA. The Knights are led by 6-4 senior Ryan David (13.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg), 6-2 senior Dylan Vaca (12.5 ppg) and 5-10 guard Ethan Conroy, the latter normally assigned to shut down the opponent's best guard. Hampshire is heating up at the right time. With the entire lineup finally healthy, the Whip-Purs have won 4 straight. "We don't have to be the best team in our regional, we just have to be the best team that night," Hampshire first-year coach Ben Whitehouse said of a possible matchup against top seed Kaneland. "After playing a lot of 4A schools, we feel we're ready to compete and we're looking forward to the challenge." Hampshire defeated Kaneland in a regional final last season. Aurora Central Catholic is led by 6-1 forward Brett Czerak (19.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg). The junior shoots 43 percent from 3-point range and 87 percent from the free throw line. The Chargers enter the postseason on a 3-game winning streak.

Glenbard South regionalPairings: Monday - Game 1) No. 7 Wheaton Academy (11-15) vs. No. 8 St. Francis (10-18), 6 p.m.; Game 2) No. 6 Marmion (12-15) vs. No. 10 Montini (7-21), 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday - Game 3) No. 1 Burlington Central (25-3) vs. Winner Game 1, 7 p.m.; Wednesday - Game 4) No. 3 Glenbard South (17-9) vs. Winner Game 2, 7 p.m.; Friday - Game 4) Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 for regional title at 7 p.m.

Outlook: Burlington Central makes the trip to Glen Ellyn as the top seed in the subsectional. The Big Northern East champion Rockets have won a school-record 25 games and 15 of their last 16, including last Tuesday's 64-38 drubbing of second-place Marengo. They seek the program's first regional title since Cully Payne and Brad Porto led the Rockets in 2007-08. Coach Brett Porto and staff are studying overtime to familiarize themselves with possible opponents Wheaton Academy and St. Francis, teams he says are better than their respective records. "They've all played really good schedules, so we've been doing as much homework as we can the last couple of weeks," Porto said. "I was pleased with how we played Tuesday from an energy and effort standpoint, and I was glad to see our emphasis on defense come through again. Hopefully, on Tuesday we'll be mindful of what our defense can do for us. Defense is going to be very important for us." Marmion opens the postseason Monday with a rematch against old rival Montini. The Cadets defeated the Broncos 67-56 in Lombard on Dec. 11. Coach Joe Currie said the schedule Marmion, Montini and St. Francis played in the Catholic League North against the likes of Fenwick, St. Joe's and De La Salle prepared them for the postseason. "The teams in this regional are more evenly matched than their records will show," Currie said. "I think the games will be very good. Playing a conference opponents isn't something you want to do, but you have to play everybody at some point." Marmion will be without all-conference guard John Young. The 6-1 senior broke his hand on Feb. 16 in an overtime loss at St. Rita and is done for the season, Currie said. The Cadets still have balanced scoring, thanks to 5-10 senior guard Hunter Weber (12.6 ppg) - who shoots 38 percent from 3-point range and 89 percent from the free-throw line - 6-5 senior forward Matt Fletcher (11.3) and 6-8 sophomore center Michael Sullivan (9.1).

Other regionals: No. 1 Rockford Boylan Catholic (27-2) is the top seed at the Freeport regional and would face No. 4 Marian Central (16-9) for the regional title if seeds hold. No. 2 Marengo (21-7) is the top seed at Woodstock and would play No. 3 Woodstock (18-7) for the regional title if seeds hold.

Advancement: The regional winners from Glenbard South and Woodstock meet in the March 8 sectional semifinal with the regional winners from Freeport and Kaneland facing off on March 9. The sectional title game is Friday, March 11 at 7 p.m.

  Geneva's Matt Johnston drives around Bartlett's Alec Turner earlier this season. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
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