Illinois Preps Insider’s girls basketball top-20: Sectionals

There’s really no shame in bowing out in sectionals. By most measures, winning a regional is the sign of a pretty successful season.

Though that doesn’t make losing any easier, when you get to the final 32 or 16 teams don’t normally take as much of a rankings hit as they would if they lost during the regular season.

I’ve gotten a few questions recently of why there have been hardly any 2A or 3A schools ranked in the top-20, you can listen to this weeks podcast for my explanation on it.

1. Montini (32-2) 1

Go from a near loss to Kenwood to dominating Benet

2. Maine West (30-1) 2

Back to back sectional champions

3. Nazareth (29-2) 3

Two much tougher games in sectionals

4. Geneva (28-3) 4

Showing why they’re the defending state champions

5. Bolingbrook (25-4) 8

Playing their best basketball down the stretch

6. Mother McAuley (26-7) 11

Rolled through their home sectional

7. Benet (28-5) 5

Survived Whitney Young, Montini too much

8. Loyola (25-6) 7

Not enough athleticism to hang with Maine West

9. Wheaton-Warrenville South (27-4) 6

Zone doesn’t work against Geneva

10. Lincoln-Way East (28-5) 9

Winning at McAuley was always a tall task

11. Naperville Central (28-6) 12

Couldn’t slow down Bolingbrook

12. Proviso East (27-5) 13

No games

13. Marist (22-7) 10

Couldn’t get past McAuley at McAuley

14. Kenwood (28-6) 14

Almost had Montini

15. Whitney Young (19-6) 16

Going to be very good next season

16. New Trier (24-6) 15

Didn’t quite have enough offensive firepower

17. Marshall (22-7) 20

2A state champions

 

18. Lake Zurich (20-10) NR

Surprising sectional champion

19. Warren (25-6) 18

Potential game tying three pointers came just a bit late

20. Glenbard South (28-3) NR

Giving the Raiders one last shot in the rankings