(Carmel vs. New Albany from 2019)

The Logansport regional is grabbing most of the attention this week, but each site is up for grabs. On paper, it does not look like any 4A team is a lock to win its regional this year. Here is a breakdown of each regional morning game.

Michigan City

Valparaiso vs. South Bend Riley

Valpo had close calls against Chesterton and Portage, but the Vikings won Sectional 2 for the second straight year. Valparaiso is a balanced team that can be led in scoring by one of six players in any game – Mason Jones, Cooper Jones, Colten Jones, Grant Comstock, Breece Walls, or Clayton MacLagan. The Vikings will want to control the pace. Valpo only allows 44 points per game.

Riley continues to grow a team Of course, the Wildcats are led by Notre Dame signee Blake Wesley. He averaged 28 points and six rebounds per game. Riley’s improvement is connected to the increased production of Phillip Robles and Jackson Copley. If Wesley gets hot, he can carry Riley to a win, but they are better when Robles and Copley are chipping in.

This will be a game of contrasting styles. Valpo wants to control the ball, and Riley pushes it whenever possible. If Riley can pressure the Valpo guard, the Wildcats have an excellent chance. That is why Hammond dominated Valpo late in the season. If the Vikings handle pressure, they will be in a great position to advance.

Gary West Side vs. Elkhart

West Side stumbled against Andrean late in the without Quimari Peterson, but the Cougars look poised for a deep run. Peterson, Mason Nicholson, and Chrishawn Christmas battled late-season injuries but are back in the lineup. The depth of West Side is impressive with Jalen Washington (6’8”, power forward) leading the way. He is a mismatch waiting to happen with his inside-outside game. Add Parion Roberson to the mix and the Cougars have plenty of options.

Elkhart relied on its defense to win the sectional on its home court. In the title game, the Lions held Penn to 34 points. Offensively, Elkhart is balanced with Donovan Johnson, Damarion Anderson, and Malachi Emmons averaging double figures. This will be a major test for the first-year school.

Logansport

Homestead vs. Carmel

The game of the day – No. 1 Homestead vs. No. 2 Carmel. Homestead is a high-scoring team with plenty of size. Fletcher Loyer (2022 Purdue commitment) and Luke Goode (Illinois signee) lead the way. Loyer led the way in a relatively easy sectional for Homestead. Grant Simmons, Andrew Leeper, and Kaleb Kolpien provide a great supporting cast.

This is a classic Carmel team that controls the ball, makes shots, and defends at a high level. Senior wing Brian Waddell had a great senior year. Pete Suder does a bit of everything. Connor Gioia is the leader and primary ball-handler. Charlie Williams converted around the rim to push Carmel to a blowout win over Westfield. Every Carmel player executes their role perfectly.

Much like a couple of Sectional 10 games, this one could pass for the state championship. Both teams are state title quality and playing at a high level. This should be a classic game.

Carroll vs. Lafayette Jeff

The second game at Logansport features two styles, but each team relies heavily on its star – Lafayette Jeff’s Brooks Barnhizer and Carroll’s Jalen Jackson. Each player posted fantastic numbers this year. Barnhizer, a Northwestern signee, averaged a near triple-double this season while carrying the scoring load. Jackson’s biggest impact came as a scorer for Carroll, but despite his size, he also hits the glass. Will Jeff ever put Barnhizer on Jackson to kept him out of the lane? That is the biggest thing to watch in this one. Jeff’s top priority must be to stop Jackson. If Carroll gives Barnhizer too much attention, Ashton Beaver is a capable second scorer for Jeff. He averaged 18 points per game this season. The individual match-ups are intriguing.

Southport 

Lawrence North vs. Ben Davis

Lawrence North made it through Sectional 10, but there is no time for rest. The Wildcats were able to get through Cathedral, Warren Central, and North Central last week. CJ Gunn, Shamar Avance, and DJ Hughes led the way but Kaden Beatty and Donoven McCulley had major contributions as well. On paper, this looks like an easy win for LN, but Ben Davis is a different team with Jayden Brewer. He was granted eligibility from the courts in January and pushed the Giants to a sectional championship team. The athletic wing is averaging 20.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. Sophomore Clay Butler had a breakout season as well.

Mt. Vernon vs. Plainfield

During the sectional, Plainfield, with Ian Scott leading the way, showed it can win in a variety of ways. The Quakers beat Brownsburg 29-28 in a grinding game to win the sectional title. It was Plainfield’s first sectional since 1999. That year, the Quakers played Mt. Vernon in the regional as well. Plainfield’s overall size and scoring balance will give Mt. Vernon problems. Along with Scott (17 PPG), Aidan Booher, Aiden Moyers, and Cael Vanderbush provide size and skill at each position. That size makes it tough on opponents to score inside the arc.

Mt. Vernon is led by junior twins Armon and Amhad Jarrard. Each average 13 points per game. Armon is the outside shooting ball-handler, and Amhad is a slashing wing with excellent athleticism. Razhaun Wells, Cooper Galli, Eli Bridenthal, and Drew Walker give the Marauders balance as well.

Plainfield is expected to win this one, but one of the Jarrards could string together a performance to push Mt. Vernon to the upset.

Seymour

Bloomington South vs. Jeffersonville

Two programs have won a lot throughout the years, but these are not the loaded teams that they have featured in the past. Bloomington South improved throughout the year as they learned to play without Connor Hickman. The senior guard heading to Bradley missed the season due to shoulder surgery. Joey Bomba and Trevor Taylor have developed into a steady one-two punch for JR Holmes. Bomba is a fantastic spot-up shooter with size that averaged 18.5 points per game. Taylor transferred to South from Edgewood for his senior year and has made the most of it. He averages 13.4.

Jeffersonville has its own duo in Will Lovings-Watts and Brandon Rayzer-Moore. Lovings-Watts and Rayzer-Moore were instrumental in the Red Devils winning the sectional. WLW made the game-winner in triple overtime to beat Floyd Central. With their driving ability, they are going to put pressure on South’s defense.

Both teams are hitting their stride at the right time. Jeffersonville is riding a nine-game winning streak, and South has won 16 straight games.

Evansville Reitz vs. Center Grove

Before hitting a late-season slide, Reitz won its first 11 games. The Panthers regained their footing to win the Evansville North sectional. In the title game, Owen Dease led the way with 20 points. Dease’s scoring led Reitz most of the year, but Gavin Schippert, Ethan Higgs, and Jordan Jarvis provide a strong supporting cast.

Like every MIC team, Center Grove played a tough schedule. Zach Hahn’s group seemed to turn a corner midway through the season and have been playing at a high level ever since. Junior guard Tayven Jackson leads the way. The athletic playmaker can cause problems off the dribble or spotting-up from three. Landin Hacker is a consistent threat for CG as well.

Center Grove is not afraid to play a low-possession game. The pace will be interesting to see in this one. Reitz is not the hyper-drive team of 2015, but the Panthers do prefer a bit more pace than the Trojans.