High 5: Supersectionals on tap
After a whirlwind of sectional finals across the state, there are 32 high school teams still playing basketball in Illinois.
Survive and advance.
From the likely to the unpredictable, every team left standing is one victory away from playing in the state finals this weekend in Champaign.
Here are five of the best supersectional matchups Monday:
CLASS 4A
Young (24-9) vs. Kenwood (26-8), 7:30 p.m. at UIC
After splitting two regular-season games, which team does the pendulum favor in this showdown?
Kenwood’s backcourt of Trey Pettigrew and Darrin Ames is dynamic. Young has two 6-8 big men — AJ Casey and Xavier Amos — who create mismatches.
Both teams have superior talent, but Young has shown a way of cranking up the defensive intensity a few notches in the last month.
The pick: Young 63, Kenwood 62.
Barrington (27-4) vs. Glenbrook South (33-2), 7 p.m. at Forest View
You have to love the senior combinations these teams lean on so heavily and their will to win.
Glenbrook South’s Nick Martinelli and Cooper Noard are built for big moments and generating crunch-time buckets. Barrington’s unsung duo of Will Grudzinski and Daniel Hong have been clutch and carried the Broncos to their first sectional title in 20 years.
The pick: Glenbrook South 58, Barrington 49.
Glenbard West (34-1) vs. Larkin (31-3), 7:30 p.m. at NIU
Glenbard West, the top team in the state all season, hasn’t been challenged yet in the postseason. And the Hilltoppers weren’t challenged the first time these teams played in January, rolling to a 64-43 victory.
Player of the Year Braden Huff and Co. will be a tall task for Larkin, which already has set a school record for victories in a season.
The pick: Glenbard West 68, Larkin 52.
CLASS 3A
Simeon (27-5) vs. Lemont (27-7), 6 p.m. at UIC
The team with the best postseason story gets a shot at the premier program in the state.
The weighty circumstances of postseason basketball have not been too heavy for a young Lemont team that features the perimeter trio of sophomore Nojus Indrusaitis and junior twins Matas and Rokas Castillo.
Lemont won a tough sectional as a No. 4 seed, beating Marian Catholic, Hillcrest and Thornton to claim its first sectional title since 1975.
Simeon, however, has pesky defensive guards, including disruptive Aviyon Morris, and a big advantage inside with 6-8 brothers Miles and Wesley Rubin.
The pick: Simeon 55, Lemont 50.
CLASS 2A
DePaul Prep (25-5) vs. Leo (25-4), 7 p.m. at Joliet Central
These teams battled for the Chicago Catholic League championship. While Leo won the conference title, DePaul beat the Lions 48-38 a month ago. The stakes are raised in this rematch, with the winner emerging as the Class 2A favorite in Champaign.
Few teams impose their will as consistently as Leo, which is led by Catholic League Player of the Year Jakeem Cole and Cam Cleveland.
DePaul is gritty and defensive-minded, and 6-9 Dylan Arnett is a matchup problem inside.
The pick: DePaul 44, Leo 42.