Division 1 Sectional 2 Predictions

Over the next ten days, I'll predict what happens in each sectional. Every day, we'll look at two sectionals until we wrap things up, and after that, we'll look at what you all said in the poll I posted and see what you all think will happen this season. We'll start with D1 Sectionals 1 and 2, and tomorrow, we'll look at D5 Sectionals 3 and 4 until we meet in the middle.   Sectional Two has earned the term "Sectional of Death." The depth of quality teams in this sectional could lead to a team losing in the first that could win a Regional Title in any other Sectional. That's stating the obvious. However, let's talk about my picks for Regional Winners, Sectional Runner-up, and Sectional Champions.   Regional Champion: Brookfield East   The Spartans will look different than they have in the past. For the first time in five seasons, Shae Kelley and Annika Pluemer will not wear a Brookfield East uniform, but the cupboard isn't bare.   [player_tooltip player_id='497476' first='Maya' last='Kovacic'] quickly established herself as one of the top players in her class and has proven that she's capable of producing on the most prominent stages deep into a postseason. She's the kid who'll likely have the ball in her hands the most, and we'll find out how good of a creator she is this season.   Adding [player_tooltip player_id='747942' first='Josie' last='Piurkowski'] gives the Spartans an added offensive threat, which I've highlighted in the past few weeks. However, the rest of the roster is a 'we'll see.' What do we know? This team will defend at a high level again.   Regional Champion: Hartford   One of the teams hard done by the performance factor the most is Hartford.   [player_tooltip player_id='338945' first='Makena' last='Christian'] unlocked their offense last year with her multi-faceted offensive kid, who passed the ball as well as anyone last season from the high post. The Minnesota commit played the best basketball I've seen her play, and now that she's even healthier heading into this season, we could see an extraordinary year from her.   The biggest X-factor is still the class of 2027. [player_tooltip player_id='1039263' first='Taressa' last='Hennes'], [player_tooltip player_id='1039222' first='Alexis' last='Shelsta'], and [player_tooltip player_id='751281' first='Rita' last='Kuepper'] will decide how far this team can get. [player_tooltip player_id='533085' first='Bella' last='Klages'] is as steady as they come and will make plays for them as long as she's on the floor. The sophomore class has all the potential in the world and played well in the second half of the season, but in the new sectional format, they'll need to find another gear.   Sectional Runner-Up: Kimberly   Windows for competing for state titles are deceptively short. Anything can happen to alter a season, and last year, it was multiple injuries heading into sectionals. Now Pewaukee gets thrown into the mix, but it's not as bleak as I'm making this sound.   Ava Van Vondern is an uber-talented wing with some experience under her, and pairing her on the perimeter with another scoring threat like [player_tooltip player_id='448243' first='Katelyn' last='McGinnis'] makes the Papermakers a diverse offensive unit that can hurt teams from anywhere.   Kimberly is also an inside presence in [player_tooltip player_id='448245' first='Raegan' last='Krueger'], who gives the Papermakers an edge against anyone in their sectional in the frontcourt if they can find ways to isolate her around the basket.   One aspect they have that I feel flies under the radar is the talent in their point guard department. [player_tooltip player_id='338966' first='Bentley' last='Drout'] is out right now, but she's as explosive an athlete as anyone. [player_tooltip player_id='509695' first='Emily' last='Urban'] emerged as one of the most trustworthy guards in the FVA, and [player_tooltip player_id='764927' first='Kennedy' last='Ebben'] proved to be a defensive ace for the Papermakers.   Sectional Champion: Pewaukee   I feel like I've said everything about this group of kids.   They've gone against another elite program for three years and figured out how to take down one of the most well-oiled machines in the Midwest, and now, for the first time, they're the ones with a target on them heading into 24-25.   Their core of [player_tooltip player_id='374229' first='Amy' last='Terrian'], [player_tooltip player_id='448223' first='Anna' last='Terrian'], [player_tooltip player_id='536013' first='Giselle' last='Janowski'], and [player_tooltip player_id='333100' first='Kennedy' last='Retherford'] have gone through plenty of battles together and know how to win games in every way, shape, and form. Even when they don't play their best game, like down in Illinois last season, they give themselves every opportunity to win that game.   They'll have other kids that have plenty of talent, like [player_tooltip player_id='533084' first='Vanessa' last='Johnson'], [player_tooltip player_id='533087' first='Aubree' last='Spitzner'], and [player_tooltip player_id='766616' first='Maddie' last='Chabot'], who will all have roles to play, not including some of the kids that'll play on JV because the Pirates have a plethora of talent that can't all get varsity minutes.   They could be one of the most dominant groups we've seen.   Other Teams to Watch: Bay Port, Germantown, Homestead, Notre Dame, Sussex-Hamilton

Over the next ten days, I'll predict what happens in each sectional. Every day, we'll look at two sectionals until we wrap things up, and after that, we'll look at what you all said in the poll I posted and see what you all think will happen this season. We'll start with D1 Sectionals 1 and 2, and tomorrow, we'll look at D5 Sectionals 3 and 4 until we meet in the middle.