Boys basketball notebook: Princeton keeping up with the basketball Joneses

Of the 34 boys basketball teams to win Class 2A regionals in 2022, only 12 have also won the next two years, including Princeton.

Princeton won its third straight regional championship by defeating Morrison 57-55 at Prophetstown.

In 2022, the Tigers beat Kewanee at the Hall Regional and last year took down Stillman Valley at Bureau Valley.

Others to 3-peat this year are Chicago Phillips, Joliet Catholic Academy, Lombard Montini, Rockridge and Rockford Christian in the north and Alton Marquette, Breese Central, Metropolis Massac County, St. Joseph-Ogden and Teutopolis in the south.

Chicago DePaul College Prep, the reigning Class 2A State champ, was bumped up to 3A this year and has made the Final 4.

Taking it to the next level, Princeton was one of four Class 2A boys teams to return to the sectional finals from last year year. Teutopolis is the only one of the four to win both times.

Rockridge won last year, defeating Princeton, but fell to Macomb 54-38 in this year’s sectional title game. Princeton and Breese Central lost in sectional finals both years.

The Tigers fell to Byron 59-43 at Mendota on Friday while Breese Central, the No. 1 ranked team in Class 2A, fell to the Benton Rangers 34-32 at Benton.

Serena was one of five Class 1A teams to return to the sectional finals. Chicago Hope, Illini Bluffs, Camp Point Central and Mounds Meridian were each repeat winners.

Another team, Aurora Christian, was a 2A sectional finalist last year, and a 1A sectional champ this year, defeating Serena.

Tigers continue to roar

The Princeton boys (17-16) had their fourth straight winning season, going 76-33 in that stretch, their longest winning string since 1990-96. That six-year stretch in the ‘90s was capped by four straight regional titles, including two sectional championships (1992, 1994).

Jason Smith is now 90-48 (.658) in five seasons as Princeton coach, including a 6-4 mark in the 2021 COVID season. He is 117-53 overall (.689) with a 27-5 regional championship run as interim head coach at Bureau Valley in 2017-18.

Byron wins supersectional

After knocking out Princeton at sectional, Byron took the next step by defeating Chicago Latin 85-71 at the Sterling Supersectional on Monday.

In its only other supersectional appearance, Byron lost to Putnam County 47-36 in 2007.

Byron (29-2) advances to state for the first time, facing Benton in the second Class 2A semifinal, the fourth game of the day, at 3:45 p.m. at the State Farm Center in Champaign.

Ottawa hosted a 3A Supersectional Monday, where Peoria Richwoods beat No. 1 ranked Harvey Thornton 58-52. Richwoods has been a giant killer, also knocking out defending 3A champ Metamora 61-55 at the Pontiac Sectional.