Is East Aurora the state's toughest sectional?
The diamonds are being assembled for the crown jewel.
The IHSA has doubled the class format to four, only fueling the unknown versus the known: unpredictability underscored by a commonality for the ultimate business trip to Peoria.
East Aurora is once again a preliminary destination for the inaugural Class 4A tournament.
"The sectional at East Aurora is magical," East Aurora coach and 1982 alum Wendell Jeffries said. "There is nowhere else that matches its atmosphere. When you have over 4,000 fans in here, it is an electric feeling."
"(The East Aurora sectional) has always been very competitive, and I think it is going to very competitive again this year," West Aurora coach Gordie Kerkman said. "There are a lot of teams in the middle of the pack who are capable of beating some of the higher seeds."
"Out of the 21 schools, we have 15 teams with winning records," Jeffries said. "That is probably unprecedented."
How deep is the field?
"I have never seen a (No.) 13-seed like Glenbard West," Wheaton North coach Jim Nazos said. "They may have the best player (Northwestern-bound center John Shurna) in the area, and they are the defending champion. I think it's the toughest sectional in the state."
"There were probably 10, 12 coaches walking out of (the seeding meeting) thinking, 'Hey, we've got as good a chance of winning this as anyone else,' " Batavia coach Jim Roberts said.
The potent mix of thoroughbreds has even caught the attention of coaches competing in other sectional complexes.
"I don't envy those teams down there," St. Charles North coach Tom Poulin said. "Batavia, Waubonsie Valley, Neuqua Valley, East Aurora, West Aurora -- and Wheaton North is there, too. That's nuts. If you get through that, you deserve to go downstate."
Regional action kicks off Monday night at the four feed-in sites to the sectional: Waubonsie Valley, Naperville North, Bartlett and Willowbrook.
Batavia earned the top seed, and the Bulldogs are concentrating on an extended run as a symbolic tribute to four-year varsity standout Nick Fruendt.
The Bulldogs were upset last year against East Aurora on their home court in the regional final after consecutive sectional-finals appearances the previous two years.
"The No. 1 seed is a nice compliment, but we have to put that on the shelf and play each game as if it's our last," Roberts said. "We've talked all along about trying to get better (for the playoffs)."
Batavia (20-5) opens play Tuesday night in Bartlett against either Benet or Lake Park.
The Bulldogs could very well have a regional-final rematch if East Aurora prevails against league foe Bartlett Wednesday night.
Upstate Eight Conference runner-up Waubonsie Valley (20-6), which features four of its five starters in double figures, is the No. 2 seed.
The sectional includes the entire eight-team contingent of the DuPage Valley Conference, and league rivals West Aurora and Wheaton North, coming off a scintillating three-overtime game last week that the Falcons won at the buzzer, are the third and fourth seeds.
West Aurora (17-7) lost five of its last seven conference games to finish behind co-champions Wheaton North (20-6) and Naperville Central (19-7), the fifth seed.
"We lost some of our focus," Kerkman said. "I just don't think we were playing at the same level the second half of the season as, say, we were at Thanksgiving time."
The Blackhawks face either Wheaton Warrenville South or Addison Trail on Tuesday at Willowbrook, and their unrivaled downstate history retains its mystique despite the recent losing trend.
If the Blackhawks win their first game, they likely would play red-hot Upstate Eight Conference champ Neuqua Valley (21-7), the No. 6 seed.
"Never count out the Blackhawks," Geneva coach Tim Pease said. "Any team that is coached by Gordie this time of the year (is dangerous)."
Geneva (16-11) and its high-octane offense tangle with West Chicago Monday night in the play-in game at Naperville North, with the winner drawing Naperville Central in semifinal action.
"I don't care what seed you are, you have to come ready to play," Pease said of his No. 12 Vikings. "I really think (the sectional) is up for grabs."
The East Aurora sectional champion advances to meet the victor from Richards at the Chicago State supersectional for a berth in the Final Four at Peoria.
The prospect for unmatched action at East Aurora has one coach ambivalent about his obligations.
"If we're still alive, I'm probably going to be battling myself to watch some of those games or scouting opponents on my off-night," Poulin said.