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SECTIONAL 35 @ Westview
Projected Winner: Westview
This one will likely be decided in the first semifinal on Friday. If Lakeland can knock off Churubusco on Tuesday, it will see Westview in the semis, a team that it knocked off by four way back in December.
But the Warriors have been rolling since that defeat. In the four losses suffered by Westview after the Lakeland loss, one was to 3A East Noble and the other three to Class 4A teams.
While Lakeland has confidence because of the earlier Westview victory, the Warriors have proven to be a tough team to knock off in sectional play, with two straight titles and six straight victories in sectional action.
Player You Can’t Miss: Austin Schlabach
Despite being just a sophomore, Schlabach is the second-leading scorer in the entire Northeast Corner Conference this season, behind just Isaiah King of Garrett.
A talented backcourt player who can play the 1 or the 2, Schlabach can fill the bucket (15.7 points per game) and is a solid facilitator as well. When breaking down Westview’s chances to win a third-straight sectional, a lot of it has to do with Schlabach’s skill set.
Don’t Be Surprised If: Lakeland knocks off Westview again
Above we told you why Westview was going to triumph, but Lakeland has the potential to make it 2-for-2 this year against their league foes.
While Westview does get the bye, sometimes getting that early-week game under your belt can give you momentum. If the Lakers can get a feel-good dub on Tuesday and take that into Friday against a squad it has already taken down once, anything can happen.
SECTIONAL 35 @ South Adams
Projected Winner: Bishop Luers
A casual view at the Knights could make you think this team may be struggling a bit own the stretch, with half of its six losses coming in the month of February.
But Coach Seth Coffing’s team has been through a gauntlet of a schedule laden with Class 3A and 4A programs. In fact, the only 2A opponent that Bishop Luers faced this year was Churubusco, an 87-33 victory.
While a trio of ACAC teams in this sectional have 13 or more victories on the season, no one has the firepower in this field to keep up with the Knights.
Player You Can’t Miss: Trey Yoder
While Woodlan may not have enough to hold down Bishop Luers in this sectional, it does have one of the best players that not many people know about. The senior Yoder, all 6-foot-6 of him, enters the playoffs averaging close to 18 points and 10 rebounds per game. One of four seniors that lead the way for the Warriors, Yoder can score at all three levels and plays a relentless throwback style that you can’t help but appreciate. He has scored 26 or more points in seven games this season, and he may be the catalyst that helps propel Woodlan in Saturday’s sectional title game.
Don’t Be Surprised If: Bluffton makes things difficult on Bishop Luers
With 467 victories in his career, Bluffton coach Craig Teagle has seen it all. He knows what it takes to limit a team with the talent of Bishop Luers. That’s not to say that the Tigers can knock off the sectional favorite on Tuesday night, but Bluffton, which is holding teams to 41 points per game, could keep it close.
Last year, these two teams met to open the postseason and the Knights earned a 31-point victory. Consider that a prelude to the rematch. This is a better Bluffton team in Year 2 under Teagle. His teams know how to be disciplined offensively to limit an opponents opportunities on the other end of the floor. If Bluffton can play its game and Bishop Luers is caught looking ahead, the Tigers may be able to keep this one close for longer than anticipated.
SECTIONAL 38 @ Wabash
Projected Winner: Manchester
What a year it has been for the Squires, who have experienced their best season in 30 years, when Coach Moe Smedley led Manchester to 23-straight wins to begin the season before losing to Plymouth in regionals in a one-class system.
The Squires won all four of their regular-season games against sectional foes, none of which were decided by less than 25 points.
Player You Can’t Miss: Gavin Betten
If the Indiana Senior All-Star Team was announced today and Betten wasn’t on it, it would be a terrible omission. The 6-7 forward can do it all – score, rebound, facilitate and play exceptional defense. He enters the playoffs averaging 26 points and 11.7 rebounds per game, to go with 4.2 assists, 3.6 steals and 2.7 blocks per contest.
Manchester is as advertised, and Betten is the centerpiece.
Don’t Be Surprised if: This sectional is not competitive
Manchester is primed to roll through this field. All due respect to 16-win teams Rochester and Oak Hill, the duo lost to the Squires by a combined 65 points in the regular season.
The last time Manchester won a sectional title was the aforementioned run under Coach Smedley, meaning the program has never captured a postseason trophy of any kind since Indiana adopted class basketball. That changes this week, and it may go down in dominant fashion.
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