SW Division 4 Sectional Preview

It's tournament time throughout the state of Ohio, and over the next few days. I'll take a look at some of the brackets, teams and players in Southwest Ohio as the sectional tournament begins next week in the Buckeye State!   The Division 1 and 2 draw will be this Sunday, so today I will look at  Division 4 in Southwest Ohio.   OPENING ROUND MATCHUPS   @ Troy   2/16- Eaton v Meadowdale 6:00   2/18- Alter v Thurgood Marshall  6:00   Ben Logan v Dunbar  7:30   2/19- Bethel v Greenon  6:00   Urbana v Middletown Madison  7:30   2/21- Eaton/Meadowdale v Graham  1:00   Carlisle v Brookville  2:30   Oakwood v Kenton Ridge 4:00   Indian Lake v Northridge  5:30   @ Middletown   2/16- Purcell Marian v SCPA  6:00   2/18- McNicholas v North College Hill  6:00   Gamble Montessori v Bishop Fenwick  7:30   @Edgewood   2/21- Clinton Massie v Schroeder 11:00a   Purcell Marian/SCPA v Taft  12:30   Roger Bacon v Mercy McAuley  2:00   CHCA v Batavia  3:30     POTENTIAL 2nd ROUND MATCHUP TO SEE   Urbana v Bethel   This will be a very intriguing potential second round game. Urbana is continuing the success they had last year, finishing second overall in the CBC in their division, and led by strong CBC POY candidate [player_tooltip player_id='538750' first='Alex' last='Dixon']. Kai Scott has kept the successful tradition going with Olivia MacKendrick also being a major contributor. Dixon is what makes his team go, great perimeter shooter with slick handles.   On the other side of the coin, Bethel is coming off one of their best seasons in school history, and they have two sophomores who have been keep parts in their attack. [player_tooltip player_id='1545521' first='Jocelyn' last='Stegner'] is a very fast improving guard with very good court awareness, great vision and a solid IQ. [player_tooltip player_id='875094' first='Caitlyn' last='Jefferson'] is a very good athlete who can knock down the three, run the floor well and finish around the rim. If they both get this far in round two, this one could be very interesting!     PLAYERS TO WATCH    I would say she's definitely in consideration for player of the year in her half of the league, as she's been one of the most steady players in the SWBL all season. In consecutive games in December she knocked down nine 3s in each game. She's poised, rarely gets flustered, and when she does make a mistake, she learns and moves on.      Alter is a team that doesn't have the big-time scorer, but they play very well as a cohesive unit, they are a good, defensive squad, well coached, and Izzie is their leader as a sophomore. Focused with excellent court vision, she is effective and gets the job done. This is a team you really don't want to play in February or March.     They have been through the gauntlet the last seven games. They started with a win over Badin, then had to play Milford, Alter twice, Carroll, MND and McAuley. If that doesn't prepare them for the postseason, nothing will. Speaking of preparing, Ali has prepared herself to be the leader of the squad, they don't have a ton of offensive weapons, but she's a kid who can shoot the ball decently well from the perimeter and can find her teammates!      What a force this young lady has become! They lost so much talent from their four-time state championship team, and it's “next girl up” as Samaya has taken the reigns as the leader. She is a major D1 recruit, controls the paint, rebounds, and can defend with her length. She can score on you in multiple ways, her time is now!     What can you say about her that has not already been said? At 6 foot, she can score from anywhere, plays the guard spot so fluently, moves well, and can get into position to score. Great three-point range, can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. Defensively she anticipates the game well and is a major factor at both ends of the floor.      3 SLEEPERS TO WATCH    Phenomenal athlete with good speed, length and a good wingspan allows her to be a double-double machine. Can score and rebound with the best of them. Her college choice is still open!     She's an active wing with good hands and does an excellent job anticipating the game. Can read and react, solid defender, and can turn a mistake into a fast break opportunity.     Her length is a major factor in her game. First of all at 6'1, she can disrupt scoring chances around the rim. Good shot blocker, great wingspan, and protects the rim. One thing I love about her is her versatility, she also steps out and can knock down the three with a great perimeter shot.      SLEEPER TEAM WHO COULD SNEAK OUT   A 6th seed or below that COULD sneak out and make it to the district finals.   Northridge #9   First, they have to beat Indian Lake, and their athleticism could cause a problem. But then they would have to beat Oakwood, and while I don't know if that's likely, it is possible. Northridge has some solid athletes led by [player_tooltip player_id='538050' first='Jayah' last='Martin'], who is in consideration for player of the year in the TRC. I think Martin would have to drop a 30 spot which she's done a few times this year, to even have a shot. But if she gets hot, they may shock some people.    Oakwood would definitely be the favorite in that game, they have three very quality scorers. But out of all of team seeded six or higher, Northridge might be the best option.    MY PREDICTIONS   Alter is heating up at the right time and they have some big wins this year, allowing them to grab the number one seed. I think they are headed to a shot at a district championship.   Brookville has a pretty good path to get out of the districts as well. Gudorf, Kummer, Luebke and Hoover and their five losses this year have all been to district championship quality type teams.    McNicholas should come out of the lower bracket as their schedule is brutal, in fact their conference is brutal. A solid defensive club every year!    Purcell Marian will also come out of the lower bracket and are the heavy favorites to repeat as district champions. The four-time consecutive state championship squad is going for number five, and I wouldn't put it past them.

It's tournament time throughout the state of Ohio, and over the next few days. I'll take a look at some of the brackets, teams and players in Southwest Ohio as the sectional tournament begins next week in the Buckeye State!