BCR boys state basketball preview

All games at State Farm Center, Champaign

Class 1A state tournament

Game 1 - Chicago Hope Academy (29-7) vs. Mounds Meridian (25-8), 9:30 a.m., Thursday. Note worthy: No. 7 Hope beat unranked Heyworth 69-54 at the Normal Supersectional. TyJuan Hunter scored 18 of his game-high 30 points in the second half. Hope is coached by former All-American Ronnie Fields of Chicago Farragut, who was known as a human highlight reel. .... Meridian, which was 11th in the final AP poll, beat Centralia Christ our Rock Lutheran 60-53 at the Charleston Supersectional behind Javionne Ranson (23 points). It makes its third state appearance, the first since 2015.

Game 2 - Aurora Christian (25-8) vs. Winchester-West Central (34-3), 11:15 a.m., Thursday. Note worthy: No. 10 Aurora Christian rallied from an early 9-point deficit to edge Pecatonica 68-66 at the DeKalb Supersectional. Aurora Christian is coached by former Hall assistant Dan Beebe. No. 4 Winchester beat No. 2 Illini Bluffs 46-42 at the Jacksonville Supersectional. Winchester last made state in 2011 when it placed second behind Newark. It’s W-WC’s first trip as co-op. The Cougars have won 13 straight.

Third place - losers 1-2, 6:30 p.m., Thursday.

First place - winners 1-2, 11 a.m., Saturday.

BCR pick: Hope over Aurora Christian.

Class 2A state tournament

Game 1 - Williamsville (26-9) vs. Chicago Phillips (23-9), 2 p.m., Thursday. Note worthy: Unranked Williamsville outlasted Macomb 36-32 at the Springfield Supersectional. The Bullets make their first state appearance since placing fourth in Class A in 1991. No. 8 Phillips handed No. 2 Beecher its first loss (73-56) at the Joliet Supersectional. The Wildcats last made state in the mid-70s, crowned as Class A champs in 1975 in the second of three appearances.

Game 2 - Byron (30-2) vs. Benton (31-3), 3:45 p.m., Thursday. Note worthy: Byron defeated Chicago Latin at the Sterling Supersectional after knocking out Princeton 59-43 in the Mendota Sectional finals. The No. 7-ranked Tigers make their first state appearance, having fallen to Putnam County in the Class A supersectionls in 2007. No. 5 Benton knocked off No. 1 ranked Breese Central 34-32 at the sectional and Teutopolis 43-36 at the Carbondale Supersectional. The Rangers have won 17 straight and have lost just once to an Illinois team, with two of its three losses to Kentucky schools. This will be the Rangers’ 15th state appearance, but their first since 2003. Benton is the hometown of hoops great Doug Colllins.

Third place - losers 1-2, 7:45 p.m., Thursday.

First place - winners 1-2, 1 p.m., Saturday.

BCR pick: Benton over Phillips.

Class 3A state tournament

Game 1 - Chicago Mt. Carmel (31-5) vs. Mt. Zion (35-1), 9:30 a.m., Friday. Note worthy: Mt. Zion is ranked No. 5, Mt. Carmel is No. 6. JC Anderson had 20 points to lead Mt. Zion to a 47-46 win over Centralia at the Springfield Supersectional. The Braves have lost only to 2023 state champion Metamora on Jan. 19. Mt. Carmel went into overtime to beat St. Patrick 56-46 at the Chicago UIC Supersectional. The Caravan won the AA state title in 1985 in its only other state appearance.

Game 2 - Chicago DePaul College Prep (33-2) vs. Peoria Richwoods (29-4), 11:15 a.m., Friday. Note worthy: No. 8 Richwoods has been a giant killer, knocking off No. 1 ranked Harvey Thornton 58-52 at a packed house in the Ottawa Supersectional and defending state champ and No. 2 Metamora at the Pontiac Sectional. The Knights make their 10th state appearance, their first since placing second in 3A in 2010. DePaul College Prep, which won the Class 2A state title last year, is the top remaining ranked team at No. 3. Their two losses came to 4A finalists Normal and Homewood-Flossmoor. This is the Rams’ fourth state appearance in five years with third place finishes in 2019 (3A) and 2022 (2A) and first place last year (2A).

Third place - losers 1-2, 6:30 p.m., Friday.

First place - winners 1-2, 5:30 p.m., Saturday.

BCR pick: Richwoods over Mt. Zion.

Class 4A state tournament

Game 1 - Palatine (28-8) vs. Normal Community (31-5), 2 p.m., Friday. Note worthy: No. 6 Normal routed No. 4 Downers Grove North 53-29 at the Normal Supersectional after a last-second victory over Quincy in the sectional finals. Dave Witzig is in his 25th season as the Ironmen’s coach, making his third state trip with a fourth-place finish in 2011 and second in 2015. Unranked Palatine beat No. 8 Gurnee Warren 55-53 at the DeKalb Supersectional. The Pirates have won 16 of their last 19 games. Palatine makes its first state appearance since back-to-back appearances in 1981 and 1982.

Game 2 - Homewood Flossmoor (31-4) vs. Winnetka New Trier (27-7), 3:45 p.m., Friday. Note worthy: No. 2 H-F knocked off No. 1 Chicago Currie 60-58 at the Chicago UIC Supersectional. The Vikings’ best showing in eight previous state appearances was a third-place finish in AA in 1985. After two close games at sectional, New Trier won comfortably by 24 over Glenbard North at the Hoffman Estates Supersectional. The Trevians placed third in 4A a year ago.

Third place - losers 1-2, 7:45 p.m., Friday.

First place - winners 1-2, 7:30 p.m., Saturday.

BCR pick: Homewood-Flossmoor over Normal.