Simeon earns nod in Class 3A field
Here’s a look at the Class 3A state tournament:
Team to beat: Simeon
Defending champ Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin and 2022 runner-up Metamora are legitimate title contenders again. But with its recent run to a city championship, in which it beat Curie and Kenwood along the way, Simeon is the favorite.
The schedule the Wolverines have played and the tough-to-match inside tandem of 6-10 Miles Rubin and 6-9 Wesley Rubin have them primed and ready for a run at a record eighth state championship.
Toughest sectional: Hillcrest
There isn’t exactly a sectional you can categorize as ‘‘loaded,’’ but Hillcrest is the toughest among those in Class 3A.
Hillcrest is at the top, ranked in the top 10 and sporting a 25-3 record. Lemont, led by Matas and Rokas Castillo, is a 25-game winner and the No. 2 seed.
Marian Catholic is a tough No. 3 seed with 24 victories and playing perhaps its best basketball of the season. The Spartans, who lost to Hillcrest in November, are fresh off victories against Marist and De La Salle to close the regular season.
The Nos. 4 and 5 seeds, Kankakee (20-10) and T.F. North (19-5), likely will tangle in the regional final for a shot at Hillcrest in the sectional. Even though it seems like more of an aberration than a warning sign, T.F. North beat Hillcrest 84-64 in the regular-season finale last week.
Best tournament road: Lake Forest
The Scouts, who have played arguably the toughest schedule in the sectional, will host their own regional. Then it’s off to the Grayslake Central Sectional.
Lake Forest, led by Clemson recruit Asa Thomas, has beaten the No. 2 seed, Grayslake Central, and also took care of No. 3 seed Deerfield in January. No. 4 seed St. Patrick started the season 9-2 but is 9-8 since.
When you break it all down — the Scouts playing their best basketball and the field of teams in the sectional — Lake Forest is in position to win its first sectional title.
Most dangerous lower-seeded teams: Lakes, Marmion and Kaneland
Lakes is a No. 6 seed with 20 victories. The Eagles will play the regional on their home floor and could get another shot at No. 2 seed Grayslake Central, a team they split with
during the regular season.
Keep an eye on Marmion and Kaneland, two teams that should meet in a regional final. The two played in December, with Marmion coming away with a 72-69 victory.
Best anticipated matchup: Simeon vs. Sacred Heart-Griffin
Maybe this is disrespecting Metamora.
After all, Metamora beat Simeon in the Class 3A semifinals last season and handed Sacred Heart-Griffin a loss in January. But almost everyone still thinks Simeon and Sacred Heart-Griffin are the best of the Class 3A title contenders. If they were to meet, it would happen in the title game.
Sacred Heart-Griffin is led by one of the underrated stars in the state in uncommitted Zack Hawkinson, a 6-5 forward who combines ruggedness with athleticism. Several players were part of the Class 4A championship football team in the fall and the Class 3A championship basketball team last season.
Biggest storyline: Robert Smith’s farewell tour
The legendary Simeon coach is stepping down.
The only question is, when will a remarkable career that includes six state championships and
10 trips to the state finals come to an end? As one of the teams to beat, it’s conceivable Simeon — and Smith — will be playing on the final night of the season.