Thursday’s Top 4A Regional Final Matchups To Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Nazareth vs. Whitney Young</strong> - <em>Both programs have a strong history of winning state titles, with Nazareth more recently than Whitney Young, but the competitive level of both programs is not that far apart. Whitney Young is more team-built this year than in previous years, when they usually have multiple high-level stars on the court. They have been getting their wins by committee, and the key players in the rotation ([player_tooltip player_id='885956' first='Jordyn' last='Ellis'], [player_tooltip player_id='879727' first='Yanni' last='Smith'], [player_tooltip player_id='895171' first='Harmony' last='Cooper']) have done a strong job of pulling their weight in their roles. Nazareth, on the other side, has won by committee as well, but they do have a momentum swinger in [player_tooltip player_id='513525' first='Stella' last='Sakalas'], who is a tough guard. This game could go down to the wire, but I am leaning toward the Roadrunners to take this one.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lyons Township vs. St. Ignatius Prep</strong> - <em>LT has been competitive all season, and even after losing one of their key scorers and distributors, the level of their play has not dropped off majorly. Other players have stepped up, and one of the main players, [player_tooltip player_id='773817' first='Gwen' last='Smith'], deserves a ton of credit for that. They have multiple pieces around her to help, and that could be the deciding factor in this game. St Ignatius comes into this matchup with a deep roster and players who play a ton of ball movement. Kaylee Clark will most likely be a major key in this game, due to her being a tough matchup in the post. Guards like Gabby Hinton will also be able to use her passing ability to create, if her teammate consistently draws the double. I have St Ignatius winning this game. </em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>St Charles North vs York (Elmhurst)</strong> - <em>North has definitely made some noise this year as one of the more competitive programs in their area, and with players like [player_tooltip player_id='852972' first='Bronwyn' last='How'], [player_tooltip player_id='625002' first='Sydney' last='Johnson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='743612' first='Lelanie' last='Posada'], they'll be a hard stop for anyone. On the other side, York has a lineup of players who won't go down easily, and though they'll be without their standout freshman Lily Burninson, players like Ella Kehoe will for sure provide impact.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DePaul College Prep vs Lane Tech </strong>- <em>This might be one of my favorite matchups today. Simply veteran players from DCP vs the young talent from Lane Tech. Both sides are talented, with Lane Tech being more guard heavy, and DCP having the post dominance. If the game plan on one side is to play fast, then Lane Tech could come out with the win. If DCP plans to play inside out, then Lane Tech will be in for a long night. I'm leaning towards DePaul College Prep for this game. </em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hinsdale Central vs Kenwood</strong> - <em>Kenwood is entering this game coming off a strong win last week, and even though the roster looks much different than last year's state final team, they have found a way to be more competitive in the second half of the season, which has carried into the postseason. Hinsdale is having their best season in a long time, and they have done this by playing as a unit. This game truly can go either way. But I am leaning towards Kenwood. </em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->