Bloom, L- Way E. two No. 6 seeds towatch
No. 1
If you’re a No. 6 sectional seed, there is some good news.
In the last six years, only 12 teams seeded sixth or lower in Classes 3A and 4A have reached a sectional championship game and only two — West Aurora in 2015 and GlenbardNorth in 2014 — have won a sectional title. Of those 12 teams, however, seven have been No. 6 seeds.
Bloom and Lincoln- Way East are No. 6 seeds to keep an eye on this week in regional play.
Bloom is a 20- game winner, has played a tough schedule and closed the regular season with six consecutive victories, including one against No. 3 sectional seed Thornton. The Blazing Trojans are a balanced, seniordominated team led by the trio of Austin Richie ( 17 points per game), Tramail McCray ( 11 ppg) and Javonte Slater ( eight ppg).
Lincoln- Way East ( 19- 10) played No. 1 sectional seed Bolingbrook tough in defeat in January and handed the Raiders their only loss of the season in February. The Griffins have an emerging go- to player in 6- 5 junior Sam Shafer ( 15.8 ppg), who shoots 43 percent from three- point range, a veteran point guard in Zach Parduhn ( 7.9 ppg) and a versatile threat in 6- 5 Dorian Aluyi ( 13.9 ppg).
No. 2
Everyone looks to the No. 4vs.- No. 5 sectional seeds to find the best regional championship games.
That’s true again this year. But there is a stark contrast among the teams in some of those potential games.
No. 4 seed Oak Park and No. 5 seed St. Patrick couldn’t be going in more opposite directions. Oak Park has won eight games in a row, including aWest Suburban Conference championship, while St. Pat’s has dropped six of its last seven.
A potential No. 4 Loyola Academy vs. No. 5 Zion- Benton regional final would feature opposing styles and approaches. Zion- Benton is averaging 73 points in its last seven games and has scored 60 or more points 17 times. Loyola has allowed an average of 40 points in its last 11 games and has held 18 opponents to 45 points or fewer.
The same could be said for No. 4 T. F. North and No. 5 Marist, two teams that would have the most victories between them — a combined 49 — of any two opponents in a regional final. T. F. North has averaged a whopping 76 points during its 10- game winning streak. Marist has held 23 of its 28 opponents to 50 points or fewer.
No. 3
How about some state- tournament picks?
Cass 4A sectional champs: Young, Evanston, Conant, Jacobs, Bolingbrook, Benet, Edwardsville and Simeon.
Class 4A semifinals: Evanston over Conant, Edwardsville over Bolingbrook.
Class 4A state champion: Edwardsville.
Class 3A sectional champs: North Chicago, Fenwick, RichmondBurton, Bloomington, Morgan Park, Hillcrest, Carbondale and Springfield Lanphier.
Class 3A semifinals: Fenwick over Bloomington, Morgan Park over Springfield Lanphier.
Class 3A state champion: Morgan Park.