A tough year all around for girls hoops

It has felt all season like a down year for area girls basketball, and the IHSA playoffs have supported that feeling.
So far in the playoffs, of the 22 area schools we follow, 8 of them were eliminated in a game playing another area school so they don't count.
Of the 14 playoff games involving an area team against a non-area team, our schools are 4-10.
That could improve with a Grayslake win over Ridgewood tonight at North Chicago, but Johnsburg is waiting in the next round.
Over at Barrington in Class 4A, the winner of tonight's Lake Zurich/Mundelein game has pretty much an uphill battle when it faces state powerhouse Wheeling.