Boys regional basketball at a glance:
Comments (...)At Putnam County (2A)
Favorite: Fieldcrest (25-2). Watch out for: St. Bede (21-7), Putnam County (22-7), El-Paso Gridley (17-9), Princeton (14-13).
Pairings: Monday — Game 1: (4) Spring Valley Hall (16-9) vs. (5) Eureka (11-14), 7:30 p.m. Tuesday — Game 2: (2) St. Bede vs. (7) Princeton, 6 p.m. Game 3: (3) Putnam County vs. (6) El Paso-Gridley, 8:10 p.m. Wednesday — Game 4: (1) Fieldcrest vs. Winner 1, 7:30 p.m. Thursday — Game 5: Winners 2-3, 7:30 p.m. Friday — Title: Winners 4-5, 7:30 p.m.
Players to watch: Jacob Fisher (PHS, 6-0 senior/F) - 16.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg; Brian Ehresman (EPG) - 16.2 ppg; Brett Fanning (Hall, 5-9 junior/G) - 18.2 ppg; Brad Groleau (SB 5-10 junior/G) - 12.1 ppg; Brian Kruse (Hall 6-2 senior/F) 9.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg; Trent Hartzler (FC, 5-11 senior/F) - 10.1 ppg; Joe Pszyka (SB, 6-7 junior/C) - 12.1 ppg; Jake Sale (PC, 5-10 senior/G) - 17.0 ppg; Brody Sanders (FC, 6-1 junior/G) - 15.2 ppg; Bodee Schlipf (EPG) - 14.6 ppg, 10.1 rpg.
BCR Insider: Nearly a repeat of last year’s regional at Hall with Fieldcrest and St. Bede bringing in the Top 2 seeds once again. Only Eureka has a sub .500 record, and the top 3 seeds have 22 wins or more ... Four teams are conference champions - Hall, PC, St. Bede and Fieldcrest, and another EPG, finished as runner-up to Fieldcrest in the Heart of Illinois. EPG is a newcomer to the field, replacing Seneca, and should not be taken lightly. They are 17-9 and a defending regional champion. ... After being denied a year ago, Fieldcrest aims to add another regional banner to its collection. The Knights have won four regionals in the past six years, averaging 24.5 wins, and eight under coach Matt Winkler since 1994 ... Putnam County makes the move into 2A after playing 1A since the inception of the four-class system in 2007-08. PC won 1A titles in ‘08 and ‘09. PC coach Josh Nauman says it will be nice to be home, but hopes Tuesday’s stumble vs. Somonauk gets the Panthers refocused ... Princeton, which beat St. Bede 66-58 Friday in its regional preview, has won four regionals since 2006 under coach Jesse Brandt, including the past three ... Hall should be used to close games, having nine decided by four points or less this season ... Should Eureka and EPG meet for the championship, it will be a family affair with Eureka coached by veteran Tim Meiss and EPG by his son, Nathaniel, who played for his dad’s Hornets.
BCR pick: Fieldcrest over St. Bede.
Last year’s regional finals: Princeton 42, Fieldcrest 40; El-Paso Gridley 71, Bloomington Central Catholic 51
Next: Winner advances to the Princeton Sectional vs. the Bureau Valley Regional winner at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 28.
At Bureau Valley (2A)
Favorite: Riverdale (25-3). Watch out for: Bureau Valley (11-13).
Pairings: Monday: Game 1: (4) Kewanee (10-17) vs. (5) Morrison (6-21), 6 p.m. Game 2: (3) Prophetstown (16-13) vs. (6) Fulton (6-20), 8:10 p.m. Wednesday: Game 3: (1) Riverdale vs. Winner 1, 6 p.m. Game 4: (2) Bureau Valley (11-12) vs. Winner 2, 8:10 p.m. Friday. Title: Winners 3-4, 7:30 p.m.
Players to watch: Wes DeClercq (PBR) - 22.0 ppg, 3.0 spg; Dayton Ince (Kewanee junior/G) - 14.0 ppg; Brian Lange (BV, 6-1 junior/F); Parker Neuhalfen (BV, 6-1 freshman/G); Jared Richmond (PBR) - 9.0 ppg, 4.0 apg; T.J. Nitz (PBR) - 7.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg; Bryce Walters (BV, 6-5 senior/C).
BCR Insider: Riverdale proved itself in the Three Rivers Conference champions. Now the Rams will have to do it again in a field of six TRAC rivals. The only other team in the field with a winning record is Prophetstown ... DeClercq, a Riverdale senior, reached 2,002 career points with 18 points in Friday’s 63-38 win over BV as the Rams’ all-time leading scorer. He has recently committed to play for Monmouth College to play basketball ... Storm freshman Parker Neuhalfen promises to become the next rising star in the Three Rivers. He’s already off to a solid frosh campaign.
BCR pick: Riverdale vs. Bureau Valley.
Last year’s regional finals: Chillicothe IVC 65, Kewanee 43.
Next: Winner advances to the Princeton Sectional vs. the Putnam County Regional winner at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 28.
At Sterling Newman (1A)
Favorite: Erie (23-7).
Pairings: Monday — Game 1: (4) Leland vs. (5) Ashton-Franklin Center, 7:30 p.m, 6 p.m. Tuesday — Game 2: (2) Sterling Newman (17-10) vs. (7) LaMoille/Ohio (2-25), 6 p.m. Game 3: (3) Indian Creek vs. (6) Paw Paw, 8:10 p.m. Wednesday — Game 4: (1) Erie (22-7) vs. Winner 1, 7:30 p.m. Thursday — Game 5: Winners 2-3, 7:30 p.m. Friday — Title: Winners 3-4, 7:30 p.m.
BCR insider: Comets could be tough to beat on their homecourt, but Cardinals come in as the team to beat.
BCR pick: Erie over Newman.
Next: Hanover Sectional vs. the Lanark Regional winner at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 28.
At Streator Woodland (1A)
Favorite: Midland (15-11). Watch out for: Henry-Senachwine (15-13).
Pairings: Monday — Game 1: (4) Lowpoint-Washburn (7-18) vs. (5) Streator Woodland, 7 p.m. Tuesday — Game 2: (2) Henry-Senachwine vs. (7) DePue (1-19), 6 p.m. Game 3: (3) Flanagan-Cornell vs. (6) Ottawa Marquette, 8:10 p.m. Thursday — Game 4: (1) Midland (14-11) vs. Winner 1, 6 p.m. Game 5: Winners 2-3, 8:10 p.m. Friday — Title: Winners 3-4, 7:30 p.m.
BCR insider: T-Wolves looking to prevail in a near Tri-County Conference with Flanagan-Cornell the lone outsider.
BCR pick: Midland over Henry.
Next: Winner advances to the Colfax Sectional vs. the LeRoy Regional winner at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 29.
— Kevin Hieronymus
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