Joe Henricksen makes his picks in the Class 4A and Class 3A state tournament brackets
Before anyone can dream of playing in Champaign — or even a supersectional — teams must take care of business in sectional play. That comes this week as sectional semifinal games and sectional titles will be played throughout the state.
With regional action in the rear view mirror and just 64 teams remaining in Class 3A and 4A, it’s time to get serious.
Here are one observer’s picks for all the Class 3A and 4A brackets going forward.
Class 4A
Sectional Predictions
Proviso West: Young over Riverside-Brookfield; Lyons over Curie
Sectional Champ: Young
Thornwood: Kenwood over Bloom; St. Rita over Homewood-Flossmoor
Sectional Champ: Kenwood
Barrington: Barrington over Fremd; Libertyville over Stevenson
Sectional Champ: Barrington
Glenbrook South: Glenbrook South over Evanston; New Trier over Rolling Meadows
Sectional Champ: New Trier
Collinsville: Collinsville over Quincy; Normal over Moline
Sectional Champ: Normal
Oswego: Oswego East over Neuqua Valley; Bolingbrook over Andrew
Sectional Champ: Oswego East
Bartlett: Glenbard West over Naperville North; Benet over Wheaton South
Sectional Champ: Glenbard West
Huntley: Larkin over Rockford East; DeKalb over Rockford Auburn
Sectional Champ: Larkin
Supersectional Predictions
UIC: Young over Kenwood
Forest View: New Trier over Barrington
ISU: Normal over Oswego East
NIU: Glenbard West over Larkin
State Semifinals: New Trier over Young; Glenbard West over Normal
A final four matchup of Glenbard West and Normal would feature two teams with identical records of 35-1. New Trier surprises and makes its first State Finals trip in 20 years, while Young’s run at its fifth state championship in program history falls just short.
State Championship Game: Glenbard West over New Trier
The favorite and top-ranked team gets it done over the surprise state finalist. The Hilltoppers wrap up a magical season with a 37-1 record, the most wins for an Illinois state champ since the 1946-47 Paris team finished 40-2.
Class 3A
Sectional Predictions
Danville: Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin over Champaign Centennial; Decatur MacArthur over Mahomet-Seymour
Sectional Champ: Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin
Highland: Centralia over Chatham-Glenwood; East St. Louis over Marion
Sectional Champ: East St. Louis
King: St. Ignatius over Fenwick; De La Salle over Westinghouse
Sectional Champ: St. Ignatius
North Chicago: Lake Forest over Grayslake Central; St. Patrick over Carmel
Sectional Champ: Lake Forest
Marian Catholic: Hillcrest over Lemont; Thornton over Kankakee
Sectional Champ: Thornton
Hinsdale South: Simeon over Nazareth; Mt. Carmel over Hyde Park
Sectional Champ: Simeon
Crystal Lake South: Burlington Central over Rockford Boylan; St. Francis over Wauconda
Sectional Champ: Burlington Central
Peoria: Metamora over Rochelle; Rock Island over Peoria Manual
Sectional Champ: Rock Island
Supersectional Predictions
Springfield: East St. Louis over Sacred Heart-Griffin
Hoffman Estates: Lake Forest over St. Ignatius
UIC: Simeon over Thornton
Ottawa: Rock Island over Burlington Central
State Semifinals: East St. Louis over Lake Forest; Simeon over Rock Island
A beautiful blend of geographical representation from the city, suburbs, Quad Cities and southern Illinois converge in Champaign. The best prospects will be juniors: ESL’s Macaleab Rich, Lake Forest’s Asa Thomas and Simeon’s Miles and Wesley Rubin. But a couple of familiar teams advance.
State Championship: Simeon over East St. Louis
Simeon claims a state record eighth state championship. Coach Robert Smith wins his seventh — and a second title without a Derrick Rose or a Jabari Parker –– with a team no one dreamed could win a state title nine months ago.