With regional play completed, we are now into March and neck-deep into the IHSA state tournament brackets.
Here are five storylines to keep an eye on in this week’s sectional action.
Can underdogs continue to surprise?
As the No. 13 seed with upsets over No. 4 Naperville North and No. 5 Downers Grove South, Yorkville is the lowest seeded team to advance to sectional play in several years.
Simeon, the No. 11 seed in the Mount Carmel Sectional, took down No. 6 Riverside-Brookfield and No. 3 Young to keep its regional championship streak intact.
But what are the chances either of these underdogs can pull off another upset and play for a sectional championship on Friday night?
For Yorkville? Not so good. The surging Foxes will enter Tuesday’s game with No. 1 ranked Benet as a massive underdog.
Simeon will face a tall task as well but more manageable in facing St. Ignatius.
Sophomore stars collide again
The annual When Sides Collide in January provided a glimpse at the top two sophomore prospects in the state. Neuqua Valley’s Cole Kelly and Bolingbrook’s Brady Pettigrew squared off in a marquee matchup and didn’t disappoint.
Kelly, who scored 29 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, led Neuqua to a 75-69 win. Pettigrew finished with 26 points in the loss.
A little over a month later the two have led their respective teams to the sectional semifinals where they will meet again in a star-studded night at Bolingbrook on Wednesday.
High school basketball rarity: 2,000-point scorers meet
A rare occurrence will take place Tuesday night in the Rockton-Hononegah Sectional.
A pair of players, both with over 2,000 points in their careers, will meet in the postseason. Warren junior star Jaxson Davis and Rockford Auburn senior Amir Danforth have both surpassed the impressive point total.
The last time it occurred — and possibly the only time? — was in 2015 when Lake Forest’s Evan Boudreaux and Stevenson’s Jalen Brunson met in the sectional championship.
Stars showcased in 3A sectional
Folks in Ottawa probably have no rooting interest in Wednesday’s sectional semifinal matchup between Kankakee and East Peoria. Neither school is within 60 miles of the sectional host school. But area basketball fans attending will be rewarded as two of the state’s top talents take the floor.
Kankakee’s Lincoln Williams is the No. 2 ranked prospect in the Class of 2026 and the best uncommitted senior in the state. The versatile 6-6 Williams has averaged 26 points and six rebounds a game while leading the Kays to a 28-1 record.
East Peoria’s Quinton Kitt is the No. 2 ranked prospect in the Class of 2027 and committed to Illinois. With 37 points in the regional final, Kitt led East Peoria to its first regional championship since 1997.
Can Kaneland get to 34-0?
The last time an unbeaten made it to the IHSA State Finals in either of the two largest classes was Fremd’s 2017 team. The Vikings rolled into Peoria with a 30-0 record before losing to Young in the state semifinals.
Unbeaten Kaneland is three wins away.
The Knights, now 32-0 after two convincing regional wins, will be considerable favorites in the sectional semifinals against Rockford East (16-17). If Sycamore gets by Crystal Lake South, it would set up a third matchup of the season between Sycamore and Kaneland.
The state hasn’t had an undefeated state champion since Seneca’s 35-0 season in 2006 ended with a Class A state title.