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Previewing the Class 2A postseason in DuPage County

Per usual coaches' consensus, the Class 2A Aurora Christian boys basketball regional is anyone's ballgame.

The whole Clifton Central sectional, for that matter.

"In my opinion there are eight, nine teams that can win that sectional," said Aurora Christian coach Pat McNamara, whose Eagles (21-5) just swept the Northeastern Athletic Conference at 10-0.

"There is no team that jumps out at you that is clearly heads and shoulders above the rest. I am looking forward to it," he said.

Sure he is. It's playoff basketball.

Action at Aurora Christian tips off with a Monday doubleheader of No. 6 St. Edward (14-14) playing No. 7 Timothy Christian (10-16) followed by No. 5 Lisle (16-12) facing No. 10 Westmont (8-20).

On Wednesday No. 1 Aurora Christian plays the winner of Monday's first game, and No. 4 IC Catholic Prep (12-14) takes on the Game 2 winner. McNamara's Eagles own regular-season wins over IC, Lisle and St. Edward.

The regional final is 7 p.m. Friday at Aurora Christian; the winner advances to a March 2 sectional semifinal against the Fieldcrest regional champion, possibly the No. 2 seed from the complex's other subsectional, Bishop McNamara.

"I think our regional is open for the taking," said IC's T.J. Tyrrell, who last season lost the Class 2A Lisle regional final by a point to St. Edward, which advanced to a supersectional.

"Aurora Christian had an outstanding year and is a quality team, but I don't think any team is head and shoulders above the pack," said Tyrrell, seconding McNamara. "Lisle is having a great year and their kids play really hard. St. Edward is playing extremely well of late led by (Kelvin) Cortez-Harvey, who is very difficult to guard and gives teams challenges.

"Timothy is a team that plays really hard and if they shoot the ball well could upset some teams. I think it is a tough regional, but anything could happen."

There are several subplots.

Timothy Christian, which beat the sectional complex's other No. 2 seed (regional host Illiana Christian) and lost to a No. 3 (Chicago Christian) has been in the Class 3A playoffs the last three seasons.

"At that end it'll be nice to be playing schools our size," said Timothy coach Jack LeGrand.

St. Edward had beaten Class 3A teams Glenbard South and Aurora Central Catholic but on Thursday lost to Westmont - a team the Green Wave had beaten by 19 points in December. St. Edward also is 1-2 against IC Catholic.

Lisle, which finished second in the Interstate Eight Conference behind the sectional's other No. 1 seed, Reed-Custer (24-3), beat higher seeded IC Catholic, lost to lower-seeded Timothy Christian and is 2-0 against Westmont.

"A lot of people would look at (the seeds) on paper and tell you that's not going to be a good game," LaScala said of Monday's rematch with the Sentinels. "I'm telling you right now it's going to be a good game."

There will be a bunch of them at Aurora Christian ... and beyond.

"Every year I think our regional is one of the tougher ones in the state," said Westmont coach Craig Etheridge. "There are always good, quality teams and I wouldn't be surprised if whoever wins our regional plays well in the sectional and can give anyone in the next round a run for the money."

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