Sycamore looks for fourth regional title in five years

The No. 4 Spartans are hosting a Class 3A Regional, opening against No. 6 Freeport on Tuesday, then with a win likely facing No. 2 Burlington Central on Thursday for the title.

Coach Adam Wickness said he feels like his team has improved dramatically from the start of the season. They played the Rockets on Nov. 18, losing 55-51.

But the Spartans (21-9) head into the postseason red hot, winners of eight straight and 12 of 13. They closed the regular season with a 43-41 win at Morris - the same soon-to-be Warriors team that picked up wins against DeKalb and Kaneland this year.

Sycamore beat DeKalb on Jan. 30 to regain the traveling trophy between the two teams, and the Spartans’ win on Feb. 4 against Kaneland snapped a four-game skid to the Knights. Two days later the Spartans wrapped up the Interstate 8 title with a win over Ottawa, taking the crown back from the Knights.

It remains to be seen whether the bounce-back tour for the Spartans, who won eight games last year, includes a regional title.

Kaneland looking to regain early-season form

For as much as the Spartans are surging heading into the regional tournament, the Knights (18-12) are slumping heading into theirs. They are the No. 3 seed in the same Crystal Lake Sectional as Sycamore and are in the Dixon Regional.

They open with No. 5 Geneva then with a win will likely face the top-seeded Duchesses. Dixon already beat Kaneland in December, 35-16.

That was only one of five losses in the 2025 portion of the season for Kaneland, which also won its first six games of 2026. But injuries have rocked the Knights, with Kyra Lilly (foot), Kalie Brown (concussion) and Dani Ridolfi (sick) all missing time in the last couple of weeks.

The result is a team that has lost seven of eight games and was already facing a tough road to its third straight regional title.

Paul Muchmore’s quest for 400 wins

The Indian Creek coach, in his 33rd year with the program and 30th as head coach, will be retiring at the end of the year and is sitting at 395 career wins before a Tuesday game against Somonauk. The Bobcats already beat the Timberwolves this year.

But reaching 400 wins seems improbable for the coach. The Timberwolves would have to reach the Class 1A State Tournament for the second time in school history to do so.

The Timberwolves are the No. 3 seed in the Class 1A Indian Creek Sectional and open the South Beloit Regional against either No. 11 Rockford Christian or No. 6 South Beloit. With a win they’ll face No. 2 Aurora Christian, to whom they lost 49-39 in Aurora to begin the year.

Then they’d have potential tough home games against No. 1 seeds Rockford Christian and Midland in their sectional to get through before the Dundee-Crown Supersectional, in which a win would be No. 400 for Muchmore.

A win against Somonauk on Tuesday and Muchmore would achieve win No. 400 at home by winning the sectional.

Slumping Hinckley-Big Rock hoping home regional can help turn around

Before their Wednesday finale against Serena, the Royals (10-16) have lost eight straight and 12 of 13 after they started the year 7-2. They are 2-7 in games decided by seven points or less this year.

But they did earn a No. 5 seed in the Indian Creek sectional and host a regional, starting with a quarterfinal on Saturday against No. 12 Mooseheart. With a win, they’ll face No. 4 Marian Central (6-25) in a semi before likely facing Rockford Christian in the final.

Despite being held to 25 points or less three times on the current losing streak, the Royals have some offensive weapons. Anna Herrmann is averaging 13.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Mia Cotton averages 11.4 points, 3.7 assists and 2.8 steals per game.

Even-keel for Genoa-Kingston this season

The Cogs (16-15) have won three straight heading into the Class 2A Marengo Regional. They haven’t won more than four in a row at any point this year and haven’t lost more than three in a row.

Their last three-game losing streak came in late January, failing to score more than 32 points in Big Northern losses to Winnebago, Dixon and Oregon.

In fact, the BNC was most unkind to the Cogs this year, as they were 2-7 in league play. The good news is they won’t have to face any BNC teams in their sectional, in which they earned the No. 5 seed and will open against Marengo.

The bad news is they lost 48-43 on Jan. 8 to the Indians. Ari Rich had a big night for the Cogs with 23 points, but the Indians shut down leading scorer Presley Meyer, holding her to 12. Meyer is averaging 16.8 and 7.3 rebounds per game while Rich is averaging 10.9 points and 7.7 rebounds.

The winner between G-K and Marengo will likely face No. 2 St. Edward for the title on Thursday.