Tough roads: The IHSAA basketball sectional draw was unkind to these teams.

The Indiana high school basketball sectional draw is out. Let’s face it: the teams listed below could have received a better bounce of the ping pong ball than they did on Sunday night. Here are 10 teams with a legitimate chance to advance that I thought received the toughest draws (all records are going into Tuesday’s games):

Sectional play begins Feb. 27.

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Zionsville

I’m not sure there is a tougher route than Zionsville’s to a sectional title. The only benefit is the Eagles will be familiar with all of their potential opponents in Class 4A Sectional 8.

Zionsville (11-11) will first have to get through No. 2 Noblesville (19-2) on the Millers’ home court Tuesday. That would set up a matchup with No. 3 Westfield (18-2) on Friday night in a semifinal and potentially No. 1 Fishers (21-1) in the championship.

Beating No. 1, 2 and 3 would certainly be an historic achievement for coach J.R. Howell’s team. The Eagles do have two of the top juniors in the state in Maguire Mitchell (21.5 ppg, 5.2 rebounds) and Drew Snively (17.8 ppg, 4.0 rebounds) and played close against Noblesville (62-59) and Fishers (63-58).

Zionsville is 1-4 against the Sectional 8 field with a win over Carmel in the season opener.

Fishers

OK, you could probably pick any of the four teams in Sectional 8 not to receive a bye.

I’m guessing No. 1 Fishers (21-1) would have preferred to see any opponent other than the one team to defeat the Tigers this season. Carmel (11-10) handed Fishers its only loss, 54-46, on Jan. 27 and the Greyhounds are one of the hottest teams in the state going into next week after starting the season 5-9.

Even a win over Carmel does not get coach Garrett Winegar’s team out of the woods. Mudsock rival Hamilton Southeastern (15-7) would be Fishers’ opponent in the semifinal and No. 2 Noblesville and No. 3 Westfield are on the other side of the bracket.

I guess on the bright side, Carmel will have the Tigers’ full attention. Fishers has not been able to break through and win a sectional title since the school became sectional eligible in 2007 but this deep group, led by senior Keenan Garner (17.4 ppg, 8.5 rebounds), seems best equipped to make it happen.

Greenfield-Central

The last undefeated team in the state probably would have preferred to see anyone in Class 4A Sectional 9 come up across from it other than Anderson.

No. 6 Greenfield-Central (21-0), which is hosting Sectional 9, lost to Anderson in the first round each of the past two seasons. The Indians (17-5) then lost to Mt. Vernon both years.

The Cougars have one of the top players in the state in junior Braylon Mullins (26.2 ppg, 6.3 rebounds, 3.1 steals, 3.0 assists) and might have the right defense, mostly zone, to play an Anderson team that shoots 32% from the 3-point line.

Even a win there would likely mean a semifinal matchup with Richmond (19-3). And waiting in the championship will be New Palestine (18-4), Mt. Vernon (13-8) or Pendleton Heights (10-12).

Greenfield-Central has not won a sectional title since 1998. It won’t be easy.

Lawrence North

It is tough to beat a team three times in a season. That is the old adage, anyway.

Fourth-ranked Lawrence North (20-3) will find out when it plays North Central (14-7) in the first round of Class 4A Sectional 10 at Lawrence North. The Wildcats rolled through the Panthers by 20 points in the Marion County tournament semifinal but won by just two points in the rematch a week later.

With a win there, Lawrence North would likely have to knock off City tournament champion Crispus Attucks (18-5) in the semifinal (the Tigers knocked off Lawrence North in the same round last season). On the other side of the bracket? Cathedral (15-5), Lawrence Central (11-8) and Warren Central (12-10).

The Wildcats, led by junior Azavier Robinson (20.0 ppg, 4.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists), are capable of winning a state title. As usual in Sectional 10, the path will be tough.

New Palestine

Another one in Class 4A Sectional 9 at Greenfield-Central.

I’m writing this without knowing the result of Tuesday night’s game between New Palestine and Mt. Vernon, which is one of those weird situations where you play the team at the end of the regular season knowing you are going to play them again in the first round of the sectional (the game is scheduled for Tuesday).

The Dragons (18-4) are the defending sectional champion but lost a lot of production from last year’s team to graduation, especially Blaine Nunnally and Ian Stephens. But a strong junior class, especially Julius Gizzi (30.5 ppg, 8.0 rebounds), has stepped up and kept it rolling.

Mt. Vernon (13-8) is also capable of winning this sectional. Disregard the record. The Marauders play the toughest schedule among the teams in this sectional and welcomed back sophomore Luke Ertel (17.7 ppg in three games), who was out due to injury. Julien Smith (14.4 ppg, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists) is another standout sophomore.

The New Palestine-Mt. Vernon winner will play Pendleton Heights in the semifinal. The Arabians are 0-6 against sectional opponents but played New Palestine to a three-point game and Mt. Vernon to a two-point game.

Heritage Hills

The exact same situation here for Heritage Hills as referenced above with New Palestine.

The Patriots (18-4) played Princeton on Tuesday night with a chance to share the Pocket Athletic Conference championship with the Tigers. Then, the teams will play again Wednesday in the first round of Class 3A Sectional 31 at Princeton.

Class 3A fourth-ranked Heritage Hills (18-4) is led by junior Trent Sisley (24.0 ppg, 11.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists). Princeton (15-6) won the sectional in 2019 — its first since winning a state title a decade earlier — but has not won a sectional game since.

This is a tough sectional overall. The winner here will have to play Washington (12-8) or Pike Central (11-11). The Hatchets beat Princeton in overtime two weeks ago. Pike Central has wins over Heritage Hills and Washington.

Southridge (15-6) is on the other side of the bracket and beat Heritage Hills 50-38 last week. A tough road for Sisley and Co.

Warren Central

I liked the Warriors (12-10) as a potential sleeper pick right around the Marion County tournament but Warren Central is just 4-4 in its past eight games. One of those losses came to Lawrence Central, 60-55, and Warren Central will see Lawrence Central (11-8) again Tuesday in Class 4A Sectional 10 at Lawrence North.

The winner of that Warren Central-Lawrence Central game will play Cathedral (15-5) in the Sectional 10 semifinal. Warren Central beat Lawrence Central last year in a wild 61-58 overtime game in the first round before losing to Cathedral by three points.

Warren Central is just 1-5 against sectional opponents in Criss Beyers’ first season back as coach.

Mishawaka Marian

Mishawaka Marian (14-8), ranked No. 10 in Class 3A, made a run to the state finals two years ago but fell by two points to South Bend Washington last year in the sectional semifinal.

The Knights are 5-0 against the rest of the field in Sectional 19 at South Bend Washington but will have to play the Panthers (9-11) on their home floor in the first round. Defending sectional champion Washington is young but talented, led by sophomore Steven Reynolds (21.5 ppg, 8.6 rebounds).

A win there would put Mishawaka Marian into the semifinal against South Bend St. Joseph (14-8). Marian won the first meeting between the teams, 54-51, two weeks ago. Coach Robb Berger’s team is led by senior Zion Rhoades (13.7 ppg, 7.4 rebounds) and junior William Owens (12.7 ppg, 6.0 rebounds).

Lapel

Lapel (16-5) has it rolling after an 0-4 start. The Bulldogs are far from the favorite in Class 2A Sectional 40, however.

Third-ranked Wapahani (19-2) is the defending sectional champion and coach Matt Luce’s team is loaded again, led by senior Isaac Andrews (25.9 ppg, 6.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists). Lapel met Wapahani waaaaaaaay back on Dec. 8 and was doubled up, 70-35.

Unfortunately for Lapel, Wapahani is the Bulldogs’ first-round matchup at Alexandria on Wednesday. Lapel is led by 6-4 junior Brode Judge (17.0 ppg) and 6-6 junior Bode Judge (15.9 ppg, 6.1 rebounds). The Bulldogs are clearly the second-best team in this seven-team field but Wapahani is the clear No. 1.

Loogootee

The Lions (13-7) have the advantage of being able to host Class A Sectional 63.

Beyond that, though, this is not an easy route for a program that won the regional last year and came within one point of knocking off eventual state champion Lutheran in the first game of the semistate.

Loogootee is lined up with Springs Valley (13-8) in the first round and then would see top-ranked Barr-Reeve (18-2) in the semifinal. Third-ranked Orleans (20-2) is waiting on the other side of the bracket. Loogootee lost to Barr-Reeve and Orleans during the season by a combined five points.

Five more …

∎ Plainfield/Brownsburg: The five-team Class 4A Sectional 12 at Terre Haute South has just one weekday game. These two Hendricks County rivals will meet up in Vigo County. The winner between Brownsburg (13-10) and Plainfield (13-7) gets Terre Haute North (20-3) in the semifinal on Friday night.

∎ Benton Central: The Bison (14-8) are attempting to win their first sectional title since 2002 in Class 3A Sectional 22 at Frankfort. But the draw did not help. Benton Central plays West Lafayette (15-6) in the first round. Twin Lakes (16-6) is in the opposite side of a balanced field.

∎ Lutheran: The defending Class A state champion Saints (12-8) will have to get through Tindley (14-8) in the semifinal of Class A Sectional 59 at Lutheran and probably Greenwood Christian (12-7) in the championship.

∎ Paoli: The Rams (15-5) get to host Class 2A Sectional 47 but have to get through Sullivan (17-4) in the first round on Tuesday. The winner of that game would then play defending sectional champion Linton-Stockton (16-4) in the semifinal.

∎ Manchester: The 2A No. 6 Squires (18-2) have not won a sectional title since 1995. Sectional 37 is loaded. Manchester will play Whitko (16-4) in the first round and then would see Bluffton (10-11) or Fort Wayne Bishop Luers (17-4). Defending state champion Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian (16-6) and Adams Central (18-4) are on the other side. Sheesh.

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana high school basketball sectionals: Toughest draws for 2024