Insider: 10 takeways from IHSAA boys basketball draw

The route to Bankers Life Fieldhouse is set. The Indiana High School Athletic Association unveiled the boys basketball sectional pairings on Sunday.

Sectional play begins Feb. 28 and runs through March 4 with the tournament culminating with the state finals March 25 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Here are 10 takeaways from the sectional draw:

>> Early-week 4A drama: There are so many juicy matchups early in sectional play. Locally in Class 4A, the best first-round matchup is probably Ben Davis (15-5) vs. Marion County tournament champion Pike (16-6) in Sectional 11 at Decatur Central. But there is also top-ranked Warren Central (19-2) vs. Lawrence North (14-8) in Sectional 10 at North Central, Mt. Vernon (12-8) vs. Connersville (22-1) in Sectional 9 at New Castle and Hamilton Southeastern (18-5) vs. rival Fishers (10-11) in Sectional 8 at Carmel. There will be plenty to see on Tuesday night of sectional week.

>> Same for 3A: Sectional 27 at Brebeuf Jesuit is a brutal field with at least one side where there are three legitimate state championship contenders. Two of them will meet in a first-round game March 1 when the host Braves (12-8) play Manual (14-6). The winner will likely have to go through Crispus Attucks (16-4) in a sectional semifinal two nights later. The Tigers open with Herron (0-19). The beneficiary of Sectional 27 draw is New Palestine (5-16), which has an advantageous route to the sectional title game.

Also in Class 3A, Sectional 28 at Danville has a big-time opener when the host Warriors (15-7) face Park Tudor (15-6). A loss would knock Park Tudor back down to Class 2A. The Panthers are playing in 3A due to the tournament success factor.

>> North Central’s route: For much of the season, North Central (19-4) appeared to be the class of Class 4A. The Panthers, led by IndyStar Mr. Basketball candidate Kris Wilkes, stumbled a bit in January with three losses in four games and were defeated 79-76 by Fort Wayne Carroll on Saturday. But with wins over several of the top 4A contenders, North Central is clearly capable of making a deep tournament run. The Panthers will open with tougher-than-its record Lawrence Central (9-10), with Cathedral (14-8) awaiting the winner in a semifinal game. Considering the talent in the field, Sectional 10 at North Central is at least reasonably balanced.

>> The defending champs: Can Romeo Langford and New Albany repeat in Class 4A? The Bulldogs (20-3) begin in Sectional 15 at Seymour with Jennings County (13-9). The real showdown may come in the championship, where Floyd Central (18-3) will likely be waiting. The Highlanders lost by 23 to New Albany early in the season but have won 14 consecutive games. Class 3A defending champion Marion (10-11) opens in Sectional 24 at home against Tipton (12-7). Lapel won state in Class 2A last year and hosts a strong and wide-open Sectional 40. Lapel (14-8) plays Wapahani (15-4) in the first round. The toughest challenger to Lapel in Sectional 40 could be Frankton (15-6). The teams would meet in the sectional championship. Class A defending champion Liberty Christian (9-13) opens with Southern Wells (10-10) in Sectional 55 at Wes-Del.

>> Smaller class fun: After winning a sectional championship each of the past two years, this could be the year for Tindley (15-5) to break through in Class A. The Tigers, led by juniors Eric Hunter and Hunter White, may have their toughest matchup right away in the first round. Tindley will play University (11-10) in the opener, a team it defeated by three points in last year’s sectional. University could be as tough as any team Tindley would see in the regional.

>> Star power: Looking for a star player who could carry a team deep in the tournament? How about Cloverdale’s Cooper Neese. The Butler recruit and senior guard is up to No. 9 on the state’s all-time scoring list with 2,406 points and can rise higher if the Clovers can put together a few wins. Cloverdale (18-6) has a winnable Class 2A Sectional 44 at South Putnam, opening with Southmont (10-10). The toughest could be Cascade (13-8) in a potential sectional championship matchup.

Butler recruit Cooper Neese was born to be a Bulldog

>> The 4A title contenders: There are probably 10-12 teams in Class 4A that have a legitimate chance to win a state title this year. Second-ranked Fort Wayne North Side (21-1) is in that mix. The Legends, led by senior DePaul recruit Jaylen Butz and super sophomore Keion Brooks, open with DeKalb (8-12) in Sectional 5 at Fort Wayne Carroll. Looming on the other side of the bracket is Malik Williams and Fort Wayne Snider (15-6), the only team to defeat North Side.

Other potential sectional championship games along the way for 4A title contenders: Logansport (22-1) vs. McCutcheon (20-2) in Sectional 7 at Lafayette Jeff; Hamilton Southeastern (18-5) vs. Carmel (17-4) in Sectional 8 at Carmel; and Warren Central (19-2) vs. North Central (19-4) in Sectional 10 at North Central.

>> Other contenders in Class 4A: Don’t forget about these teams – Crown Point (18-3) in Sectional 2 at Michigan City, Warsaw (14-8) in Sectional 4 at Elkhart Central, Homestead (18-3) in Sectional 6 at Fort Wayne Wayne, Zionsville (15-6) in Sectional 7 at Lafayette Jeff, Brownsburg (15-5) in Sectional 12 at Plainfield, Center Grove (13-7) in Sectional 13 at Franklin Central, Bloomington South (18-4) in Sectional 14 at Bloomington North and Castle (19-3) in Sectional 16 at Evansville North.

>> Active streaks: Lafayette Central Catholic (16-5) will be going for its 16th consecutive sectional title in Class A Sectional 54 at Tri-Central. Greensburg (five), Liberty Christian (five) and Linton-Stockton (four) have the next-longest active sectional streaks.

>> The picks: I reserve the right to change these later, but I’ll go with New Albany over Fort Wayne North Side in 4A, Evansville Bosse over Culver Academies in 3A, Howe over Oak Hill in 2A and Tindley over Lafayette Central Catholic in Class A.

Call IndyStar reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.

IHSAA boys basketball state tournament pairings

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