Any Cinderella's looking for a slipper?
Three months of basketball have provided a fascinating prologue to the dramatic conclusion: boys Class 4A March Madness in the state of Illinois, the place where it all began in 1908.
Don't think your favorite Fox Valley high school team has a chance in the tournament after a so-so regular season? Look only to last week's Class 2A regional results for inspiration.
St. Edward entered the postseason with a record of 9-18 but gained confidence in a comfortable play-in game victory, shocked the bracket by upsetting a top seed on its home court, then won the school's first regional title in six years by beating a senior-heavy opponent that had won regional titles two years running.
If you picked St. Edward to win a regional, you're a winner. And probably a liar.
Anything can happen when a team's very existence is at stake. Players play differently in the state tournament. All the little issues that plague teams throughout the grind of a long season - missed assignments, a lack of focus on a given night, minor bickering - that all melts away like graying snow mounds on a 56-degree March day once a team puts aside what doesn't matter and concentrates on what does.
Teamwork wins postseason games, specifically team defense. Hot shooters don't hurt either.
Which teams might surface as Class 3A/4A successors to St. Edward's surprise run?
Maybe late-emerging Streamwood or last year's playoff Cinderella, Elgin, will pull a shocker and spoil a possible third meeting between top seeds Dundee-Crown and Jacobs in the D-C regional final. If not, Game-of-the-Year, Part III will take place on Friday between the Chargers and Golden Eagles. The shuttles might have to run from Spring Hill Mall.
Can South Elgin - which has beaten every team in its regional at DeKalb - build on its third-place (tie) finish in the talented Upstate Eight Conference?
Bartlett has caught fire at the right time for the second year in a row, winners of 9 straight entering the playoffs. Guards Marc Little and Luke Labedzki were money in the postseason last year, when they led the Hawks to a sectional final. Can they do it again?
It's only $5 a ticket, folks - the best $5 you'll spend all year.
Here's a look at how this week's regionals shape up for the local teams in Class 4A.
Elgin sectional
Dundee-Crown regional: An intriguing grouping of three Fox Valley Conference teams and two from District U-46 should provide drama regardless of the outcome.
No. 1 Dundee-Crown (19-7), the undefeated champion of the FVC Valley Division, has home-court advantage. If seeds play out, the Chargers would face No. 2 Jacobs (23-3) in the regional final on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The teams have played twice in front of packed houses with Dundee-Crown winning a pair of narrow decisions.
Huntley (14-12), Streamwood (13-13) and Elgin (10-16) hope to derail D-C vs. Jacobs III.
The action begins Monday, when the Sabres and Maroons meet for the second time in three days. Streamwood beat Elgin 60-51 on Friday. The winner gets Dundee-Crown on Tuesday in what should be a competitive semifinal. Three weeks ago the Chargers were beaten soundly on their home floor by a mid-level Upstate Eight team, Waubonsie Valley, a result that gives the winner of the Elgin-Streamwood game reason to believe it can compete.
"I think any of the five teams can win the regional, and I don't think that can be said at a lot of regionals," said second-year Elgin coach Mike Sitter, who led the Maroons to a Class 4A supersectional appearance last year. "All five are pretty evenly matched up. I think (the UEC teams) have just as good a chance as (the FVC teams) have. I know their records are a little better, but I also know we play a tougher schedule. Anything can happen."
Jacobs plays No. 4 Huntley in a semifinal on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. The Golden Eagles handled the Red Raiders 56-33 in Algonquin on Dec. 12, but the higher seed remains wary.
"The first game of the tournament is always a real tough night for everyone, I don't care who it is," Jacobs coach Jim Hinkle said. "That's when nerves are the greatest, more so than the championship nights, really."
Huntley and Dundee-Crown split 2 close games early in the season. The Red Raiders beat the Chargers 44-41 in Carpentersville on Dec. 5. Huntley has lost 3 in a row entering the playoffs.
DeKalb regional: No. 2 South Elgin (18-8) and No. 5 Larkin (7-19) have played every team in this five-team regional, so familiarity won't be an issue.
"DeKalb used to be in our conference (Upstate Eight), so it's like a mini-conference tournament," South Elgin coach Chaz Taft said.
Larkin will try to advance against No. 4 St. Charles East (9-17) in Monday's play-in game at 7:30 p.m. The Saints have gone 9-6 since their 0-11 start, including a 63-50 victory at Larkin on Jan. 30.
The winner advances to Tuesday's semifinal against No. 1 St. Charles North (19-6) at 7:30 p.m. The North Stars have lost 3 of their last 5 on the heels of a 10-game winning streak.
South Elgin opens the playoffs on Wednesday against DeKalb. The Storm beat DeKalb 66-61 on Feb. 10, though 6-foot-11 Barbs center Jordan Threloff scored 27 points.
South Elgin 6-9 center Dani Lopez will attempt to limit Threloff. Lopez was sidelined last week with a strained foot ligament but is expected to play Wednesday, Taft said.
If seeds hold, the Storm would face a rematch with the North Stars. South Elgin knocked North out of first place in the UEC with a 70-64 victory on Feb. 20.
South Elgin has already enjoyed a breakout season in its third year as a varsity program, finishing tied for third place in the treacherous Upstate Eight.
"Finishing third, 7-3 in conference and 18-8 overall, I think the kids have played really hard this year," Taft said. "It has been a total team effort."
The DeKalb regional champion will play the winner of the Rockford Guilford regional at Elgin's Chesbrough Field House on Tuesday, March 10 at 7:30 p.m.
McHenry regional: The class of the Fox Division of the Fox Valley Conference - Prairie Ridge - and four Valley Division rivals will vie for a berth in the Elgin sectional.
Crystal Lake South (13-14) was named the top seed a month ago, but the Gators have stumbled since. CL South snapped a 5-game skid on Friday with a 64-61 win at Woodstock.
The Gators and Blue Streaks could rematch in Tuesday's 6 p.m. semifinal if No. 5 Woodstock (5-12) gets past No. 4 McHenry (13-12) in the play-in game on Monday at 7:30 p.m. McHenry swept CL South by margins of 12 and 14 points. The Gators split with Woodstock.
The second semifinal of Tuesday's doubleheader pits No. 2 Prairie Ridge (17-9) against No. 3 Cary-Grove (14-13). The Trojans rallied to beat PR 45-42 on Jan. 9.
"We probably had no business winning that game," Cary-Grove coach Ralph Schuetzle said. "Defensively, we know what we'll see from Prairie Ridge: half-court denial. We have to be able to reverse the ball and make shots."
CL South beat the Wolves 51-50 in overtime on Jan. 17. The Trojans and Gators have met three times. Cary-Grove won twice, most recently 64-53 on Feb. 19.
The McHenry regional champion will face the Dundee-Crown regional champ at Elgin's Chesbrough Field House on Wednesday, March 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Oswego East sectional
Glenbard West regional: Bartlett will attempt to repeat its postseason success of a year ago, when the Hawks reached the final of the East Aurora sectional.
Seeded No. 11 in a the 22-team Oswego East sectional, Bartlett (19-7) enters the playoffs on a 9-game win streak. The Hawks will take on UEC foe Lake Park in the play-in game on Monday at 8 p.m. Bartlett beat the Lancers 53-38 on Feb. 7.
A victory would advance the Hawks to Tuesday's semifinal against No. 6 Glenbard East (19-6) at 7:30 p.m. Looming as a possible regional final opponent is No. 3 Bolingbrook (18-6).
"Right now we're playing really good basketball and our focus, like it was last year, is one game at a time," second-year Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith said. "Lake Park is playing better basketball and their games this year have been very close. They've had trouble getting over the hump, but that doesn't mean they're not dangerous in a playoff game where they've got nothing to lose and we're supposed to beat them.
"Glenbard East is an exceptionally talented basketball team. Their losses have all been quality losses. They're very similar to us in their makeup and style and they're very well coached. We don't anticipate a team that will fall apart in a pressure situation.
"Bolingbrook is definitely one of the top teams out there and they're a No. 3 seed for a reason. But right now it's about playing Bartlett basketball - really good defense and sharing the basketball."
Bolingbrook will play the winner of Monday's play-in between No. 15 Glenbard West (11-14) and No. 19 Glenbard North (7-18).
The winner of the Glenbard West regional advances to the Oswego East sectional against the winner of the Naperville Central regional on Wednesday, March 11 at 7:30 p.m.