Bracket Busters: Class 2A
The lottery ball style of selection process used for the Indiana state tournament is somewhat unique to Hoosier hoops fans, but what isn’t unique is what comes next. Everyone anticipates potential matchups, Sectional winners, and possible upsets. In this article,…
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Continue ReadingThe lottery ball style of selection process used for the Indiana state tournament is somewhat unique to Hoosier hoops fans, but what isn’t unique is what comes next. Everyone anticipates potential matchups, Sectional winners, and possible upsets. In this article, it’s the latter that I’m most concerned with, so I took the top five teams in the Sagarin ratings in Class 2A (as of the morning of 1/31/20), and I found the one team and an individual or two from that team who could create chaos as we know it in regards to Regional advancement. Below is a look at the five top-rated teams in Sagarin’s Class 2A rankings, along with a description of what could disrupt them.
1. Triton Central (22-0)
Triton Central has been virtually unstoppable, and I really don’t see anyone or anything derailing them until they maybe run into a University (see below) or a Shenandoah in the Regional rounds. But for the sake of argument, and the purposes of this article, I wanted to point out Senior guard Jocelyn Duncan of Eastern Hancock High School as someone who could cause them problems. Now, Triton Central already handled Eastern Hancock earlier this season, and Duncan was just 2-8 from the field and had eight points in the meeting. But she’s a 15.0 point per game scorer, plus she has made six 3-pointers in a game on a couple of occasions recently. In fact, she’s averaging 21.0 points per game in five of her last six games. If, and this is a BIG IF, but if she can get hot and put together a shooting performance for the ages, there’s a slim chance she can disrupt Triton Central’s plans for advancement.
2. University (21-1)
University made the jump from Class 1A to Class 2A this season, and things were going extremely well, until the Trailblazers suffered a loss in their last regular season game, 54-47 at Class 3A Tri-West. Not that a 21-1 team necessarily needs a “wake-up call” or anything, but maybe it got their attention and helps them refocus for the Sectional, which is scary for their opponents. However, I feel like Covenant Christian (Indianapolis) is a team that has the firepower to take them out, and Senior guard Ilani Williams-Harris is just the catalyst to get that done. The University of Indianapolis signee is an explosive 5-7 combo guard who can create offense just about anytime she wants for herself or for teammates. If she gets it rolling early, it could be hard to shut her down. On the season she is averaging 16.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 3.0 steals per game. She has scored in the 20s on seven different occasions, and she has the potential to go for 30 points on any given night.
3. Linton-Stockton (18-5)
With all of the reclassifications and teams changing from one Sectional to another, we end up with Linton-Stockton in the same Sectional as Vincennes Rivet (up from Class 1A), and 20-4 South Knox. I want to focus my attention on Rivet, as they possess the tournament pedigree, having advanced to each of the last two Class 1A State Championship games. Yes, they have a bit of a new look this year, but Senior wing Tia Tolbert is back after having started in both state finals games. She is strong, tough-nosed, and she plays with a tremendous motor. She can attack the basket and get a shot, she can knock it down from outside on occasion, and she’s a willing and capable passer. I think the combination of her skill, talent, and leadership can help put the Patriots in position to win Sectional #47 in their first year in Class 2A. Tolbert has recently committed to play at Indiana University-East.
4. Monroe Central (18-4)
Monroe Central has put together quite the run over the past three seasons, and they look as strong as ever this season behind Senior guard Hannah Bolton. But Sectional #40 has several strong teams at the top, and the slightest misstep could cause them to go home way too early. Lapel boasts an impressive frontline with balance and versatility, and two Senior forwards who could cause the Golden Bears problems are Makynlee Taylor and Delany Peoples. The 5-11 Taylor is an inside-out power forward who has great length, bounce, and North/South speed. She can put it on the floor and get somewhere, plus she can knock down the occasional 3-pointer. On the season, she is averaging 12.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. The 5-9 Peoples is an Energizer Bunny who flies around and makes hustle plays. She too is a bouncy athlete, but she’s built more on quickness than speed. She is a defender/rebounder extraordinaire, and though she’s more of a mid-post forward offensively, she can defend guards and wings with the best of them. She’s a 7.6-point, 5.7-rebound, 3.2-assist kid who just does anything necessary to help them win.
5. Eastern (Pekin) (15-8)
Eastern is another program who has been through a great deal of success in the recent past, including a trip to Bankers Life Fieldhouse in 2017 where they won the Class 2A state title. But, like a couple of the teams above, they have more than one team in their Sectional to overcome just to make it to the Regional round. Since this article is more about disruptive individuals rather than teams, I want to turn my attention to Natalie Boesing of Our Lady of Providence High School. The 5-11 forward has put together an outstanding Senior season, and at 24.0 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, she can single-handedly ruin someone’s night. She has scored 30 or more points on five occasions, plus she has grabbed a dozen or more rebounds on eight occasions. Providence is well-coached and has enough capable pieces, that if Boesing posts a 30 & 15 night, they have the opportunity to upset Eastern, and anyone else in Sectional #46 for that matter.