There is way too big of a gap between the top teams and the second-tier teams in high school girls basketball. Actually, it’s the exact same way in college, but we aren’t talking college here.
On Tuesday night, in the regional semifinals, there was nary an upset in area Class 4A action.
Not only that, but the matchups for Thursday’s regional finals don’t exactly have you thinkin’ “barn-burner” either.
Buffalo Grove will be a huge favorite against Round Lake.
Warren will be a big favorite to KO Waukegan.
Wheeling will a big favorite to knock off either Lake Zurich or Lake Forest.
The only intriguing matchup has the Nos. 4-5 seeds playing, with Mundelein facing Grant at Stevenson.
Incidentally, those four survivors will converge on Mundelein High next week for the Class 4A sectional.
Buffalo Grove is the team to beat.
And it says here that Warren will beat them.
Take a look at the sectional you are talking about. Three of the top teams in the state will be duking it out for a chance to go downstate. Had the IHSA not watered things down by going with 4 classes, you would see a lot more competitive games because not all of these schools would be in the same sectional. These prime match-ups wouldn't occur until the supersectional championship or downstate. It's a shame. BG, Warren, or Wheeling will not make it to the state finals this season when two of them likely would have last season.
Yes, there is a considerable drop-off among the elite teams in this area and the next tier, but you could say that for any year. Things will change next year when the great Class of 2008 graduates. Everything occurs in cycles. This is just another one of them.