IHSAA basketball: These are the top 10 sectional first-round games to watch around Indiana
Hey, hey, it’s sectional week.
The 114th IHSAA boys basketball tournament begins Tuesday and runs through Saturday. Some say (me) it is the best week of the season. And while is impossible to see everything, we can help you prepare here.
This week will start with 403 teams. Only 256 will make it to the weekend. And then just 64 still alive by Saturday night. And while some are lucky enough through the sectional draw to already have advanced into the sectional semifinal round, there are several great first-round matchups on Tuesday and Wednesday. The best of the best from around the state, from No. 10 to No. 1:
All smiles: These teams got the most favorable sectional draws
Tough roads: The sectional draw was unkind to these teams.
No. 10: Portage (15-8) vs. Chesterton (14-9)
Class 4A Sectional 2, at Chesterton (Tuesday, 7 p.m.)
Portage has not won a sectional championship since 2001 and is probably not the favorite here with Crown Point (16-5) owning a 4-0 record against the sectional field. But the Indians are a strong contender, led by juniors Michael Wellman (13.7 ppg, 4.7 rebounds) and Omari Evans (12.1 ppg, 2.3 assists), senior Jaelyn Johnson (11.4 ppg, 7.2 rebounds) and junior Garrett Clark (9.7 ppg, 4.3 assists). Chesterton is the two-time defending sectional champion and has two of the best seniors in the state in Tyler Parrish (22.3 ppg, 4.5 assists, 39.2% 3-pointers) and Justin Sims (14.6 ppg, 7.5 rebounds). The winner here has a good line to the championship with Lowell (5-17) waiting with the bye. Crown Point and Valparaiso (18-6) are on the opposite side.
No. 9: Plainfield (15-7) vs. Brownsburg (13-11)
Class 4A Sectional 12 at Terre Haute South (Tuesday, 7 p.m.)
These Hendricks County programs will make the trek to Vigo County for the single game on Tuesday in the five-team field. Brownsburg has won four of its past six games with the losses coming in close games against Noblesville and Center Grove, the latter on a last-second 3-pointer in a 57-56 loss. Seniors Grant Porath (14.1 ppg, 3.3 rebounds) and Jordan Lomax (13.0 ppg, 4.6 rebounds) lead the Bulldogs. Plainfield finished strong by putting up 83 points on Franklin and 93 points on Danville the final two regular season wins. Seniors Collin Schmidt (15.2 ppg, 5.8 rebounds, 49% 3-pointers) and Eli Ellis (14.3 ppg, 3.4 assists, 41% 3-pointers), sophomore Noah Smith (13.0 ppg, 7.3 rebounds) and freshman Harper Baker-Lands (8.6 ppg, 3.8 assists) lead the Quakers. These programs did not meet during the regular season.
No. 8: Heritage Hills (19-4) vs. Princeton (16-7)
Class 3A Sectional 31 at Princeton (Wednesday, 5:30 p.m.)
This is one of those weird situations where the teams met just a week earlier. Fourth-ranked Heritage Hills defeated Princeton 67-52 to get a share of the Pocket Athletic Conference championship with the Tigers. The Patriots are led by one of the top juniors in the state in 6-8 forward Trent Sisley (24.0 ppg, 11.5 rebounds). Junior Jace Jenkins (15.3 ppg, 34% 3-pointers) and 6-5 sophomore Edwin Holmes (12.7 ppg, 5.9 rebounds) lead Princeton, which has won just one sectional title (2019) since the program’s only state title in 2009. The winner here is certainly not in the clear with several quality teams in the seven-team field.
No. 7: Zionsville (11-12) vs. Noblesville (20-2)
Class 4A Sectional 8 at Noblesville (Tuesday, 6 p.m.)
Zionsville has lost four of five coming into this game but consider the competition: Ben Davis, Center Grove, Fishers and Cathedral. Second-ranked Noblesville barely beat Zionsville, 62-59, in the regular season game on Jan. 12. The Millers, riding an eight-game winning streak into the sectional, are led by seniors Aaron Fine (18.1 ppg, 3.6 assists) and Hunter Walston (12.4 ppg, 5.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists) and sophomores Justin Curry III (9.6 ppg, 4.2 rebounds) and Baron Walker (6.8 ppg, 57% 3-pointers). Zionsville is dangerous with two of the best juniors in the state in Maguire Mitchell (21.3 ppg, 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists) and Drew Snively (17.8 ppg, 3.9 rebounds).
No. 6: Lawrence Central (12-9) vs. Warren Central (13-10)
Class 4A Sectional 10 at Lawrence North (Tuesday, 6 p.m.)
This single Tuesday night game should be a good one and the winner here figures to give eighth-ranked Cathedral (17-5) all it can handle in the semifinal round. Lawrence Central won the regular-season meeting 60-55 on Jan. 19. Coach Phil Washington’s team is led by Albert Gooden III (10.5 ppg, 4.1 rebounds, 42% 3-pointers), Greg Martin (9.8 ppg, 3.4 rebounds), Bryson Luter (9.1 ppg, 2.8 assists, 40% 3-pointers) and Doron Harris (8.7 ppg, 2.5 assists). Junior Jevon Guess (13.8 ppg, 8.1 rebounds) and senior Robert Walker (11.1 ppg, 3.6 rebounds) are the top threats for the Warriors, who are 1-5 against other teams in Sectional 10. These teams played a classic in last year’s sectional with Warren Central winning in overtime, 61-58. This will be the fifth sectional meeting between these programs since 2018.
No. 5: North Central (15-8) vs. Lawrence North (21-3)
Class 4A Sectional 10 at Lawrence North (Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.)
This is one of those “Can you beat a team three times in a season?” games. Lawrence North won the first meeting by 20 points in the Marion County tournament semifinals. A week later, North Central came up just short of handing the Wildcats their first loss in a 62-60 tussle. The Panthers have been a hard team to figure all season, but have wins over programs like Crispus Attucks, Carmel, Warren Central and Hamilton Southeastern. It is a guard-heavy team led by juniors Papi Rivera (12.7 ppg, 3.2 assists) and Nijah Jewell (9.2 ppg, 3.5 assists) and seniors Jaxson Bell (12.4 ppg, 4.9 rebounds) and Tim Williams (9.8 ppg, 2.6 rebounds). Fifth-ranked Lawrence North is still arguably the best team in the state with players like junior Azavier Robinson (19.5 ppg, 3.3 assists, 2.4 steals), senior Kobi Bowles (11.6 ppg, 2.9 assists) and sophomores Kai McGrew (10.5 ppg, 6.8 rebounds) and Brennan Miller (9.6 ppg, 9.2 rebounds). Lawrence North beat North Central 91-75 last year in the first round.
No. 4: Wapahani (20-2) vs. Lapel (18-5)
Class 2A Sectional 40 at Alexandria (Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.)
This game just got a whole lot more interesting, didn’t it? Lapel lost to third-ranked Wapahani by 35 points back on Dec. 8. But the Bulldogs, under second-year coach Kevin Cherry, are riding a 13-game winning streak going into the sectional, most notably (and recently) a 67-56 victory over 2A top-ranked Tipton on Thursday. Juniors Brode Judge (17.0 ppg) and Bode Judge (15.9 ppg, 6.1 rebounds) lead Lapel. Wapahani, coming off its first regional title a year ago, has a team that could make an even deeper run with senior Isaac Andrews (25.9 ppg, 6.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists), sophomore Camden Bell (13.0 ppg, 3.6 rebounds) and junior Nate Luce (8.5 ppg, 3.3 assists) leading the team. Wapahani is 4-0 against Lapel in the sectional since 2019.
No. 3: New Palestine (19-5) vs. Mt. Vernon (15-8)
Class 4A Sectional 9 at Greenfield-Central (Tuesday, 7 p.m.)
This is a rematch of a game played on Tuesday — a 22-point Mt. Vernon win. I don’t expect it will be so lopsided this time, but the Marauders are clearly a different team with the return of sophomore guard Luke Ertel from injury (16.0 ppg in four games) to go with sophomore Julien Smith (14.4 ppg, 5.3 rebounds) and a strong team overall. Mt. Vernon might be the favorite now in a balanced Sectional 9. But New Palestine also played that game without 6-4 junior Ben Slagley (9.5 ppg, 7.2 rebounds), an important piece of the puzzle with juniors Julius Gizzi (30.4 ppg, 8.2 rebounds) and Moses Haynes (10.8 ppg, 7.0 assists). These rivals have met five times in the sectional since 2018 with New Palestine winning three, including last season.
No. 2: Anderson (18-5) vs. Greenfield-Central (22-0)
Class 4A Sectional 9 at Greenfield-Central (Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.)
All sixth-ranked Greenfield-Central gets for its undefeated regular season is a matchup with the program that knocked it out of the sectional each of the past two years in the first round. Ouch. This Cougars’ team might have some mojo working in its favor, though, and it gets to play on its home floor. Junior Braylon Mullins (26.1 ppg, 6.3 rebounds, 3.3 steals) is a tough matchup for any team, including Anderson. Greenfield-Central has been a zone defensive team, which might play in its favor against the Indians, who have not shot it great from the 3-point line. But juniors Damien King (23.2 ppg, 8.4 rebounds) and Javon Warfield (13.4 ppg, 5.0 rebounds) are tough to guard, too. Both teams can win the sectional, but one will be out before the calendar turns to March.
No. 1: Carmel (12-10) vs. Fishers (22-1)
Class 4A Sectional 8 at Noblesville (Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.)
The records (Carmel’s record, anyway) might not indicate this would be the No. 1 game of the early part of the week. And, of course, there is potential it won’t be. But top-ranked Fishers lost one game this season — at Carmel, 54-46, on Jan. 27. It was the lowest-scoring game of the season for the Tigers, who are 13th in the state at 69.1 points per game. Carmel was plus-3 in turnovers in the first meeting and junior guard Alex Couto scored 26 points (11-for-14 from the free-throw line). Leading scorer Keenan Garner (17.2 ppg, 8.5 rebounds) had 17 points and 10 rebounds but outside of Millen McCartney (12 points on 4-for-6 shooting from the 3-point line), the Tigers did not have much offensive punch. Coach Ryan Osborn’s Carmel team has won eight of its past nine games going into the sectional, led by Couto (13.6 ppg) and sophomore Evan Harrell (10.8 ppg, 5.8 rebounds). Fishers is 0-6 in sectional play vs. Carmel since coming back as a tournament-eligible program in 2006-07, though the teams have not met in the tournament since 2019.
Five more to watch
∎ Sullivan (18-5) vs. Paoli (18-5), Class 2A Sectional 47 at Paoli, 7 p.m. Tuesday: The winner here gets Linton-Stockton (18-4) in the semifinal round.
∎ Jeffersonville (15-7) vs. Seymour (18-4), Class 4A Sectional 15 at Seymour, 6 p.m. Tuesday: Sherron Wilkerson’s Jeffersonville team can make a tourney run. But the Red Devils lost to Seymour 40-39 on Dec. 8.
∎ Penn (16-6) vs. Northridge (18-5), Class 4A Sectional 4 at Elkhart, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday: The most-Markus Burton era is still going OK for Penn under first-year coach Barak Coolman. Northridge had won eight games in a row until losing to DeKalb in the final game of the season.
∎ Merrillville (16-7) vs. East Chicago Central (19-4), Class 4A Sectional 1 at East Chicago Central, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday: East Chicago Central has won 17 games in a row over Indiana competition, including an 80-73 win over Merrillville back in December.
∎ Manchester (18-4) vs. Whitko (18-4), Class 2A Sectional 37 at Bluffton, 6 p.m. Wednesday: Manchester junior Gavin Betten (21.9 ppg, 11.1 rebounds) leads Manchester, which lost to Whitko 56-51 last week. This is a tough sectional. The winner will likely play Bishop Luers.
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana boys basketball: Counting down top sectional first round games
