Scouting East Aurora vs. Benet

Class 4A Neuqua Valley sectional semifinal

No. 7 East Aurora (19-9) vs. No. 3 Benet (24-3)

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Probable starters

EAST AURORA BENET

Player Ht. Yr. Pos. Player Ht. Yr. Pos.

Ryan Boatright 5-10 Jr. G Dave Sobolewski 6-1 Jr. G

Snoop Viser 6-1 Jr. G Matt Parisi 6-0 Jr. G

Gio Padilla 5-9 Sr. G Dylan Flood 6-3 Sr. F

Tramell Weathersby 6-4 Sr. F Mike Runger 6-3 Sr. F

Andrew Fischer 6-5 Sr. C Frank Kaminsky 6-10 Jr. C

Outlook: Boatright, Boatright, Boatright. After what the amazing junior guard accomplished in last week's regional, he's the definite buzz of the sectional. Boatright scored 45 points in a 76-68 overtime regional final win over Neuqua Valley, pouring in 35 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. That performance came on the heels of a 40-point outing in the semifinals against Naperville Central. Viser's outside shooting and Weathersby's slashing ability also pose concerns for Benet, but it's Boatright's incredible quickness and speed that make him so dangerous - especially in transition. While Benet doesn't want to simply slow the game down, they also don't want the track meet the Tomcats would prefer. The Redwings are strong in transition, evidenced by their 80-70 win over Glenbard North in the regional semifinals, but the team is at its peak in a half-court game. Defensively, a half-court game would be ideal against the Tomcats. Offensively, Benet turned some heads in the regional with their own individual performances. Six-foot-10 Kaminsky dominated Glenbard North with 39 points in the semifinals and then Sobolewski matched a career-high with 41 points in the 63-61 final win over Downers South. Sobolewski has the ability to match his effort to whatever the team needs. Against Glenbard North he recognized the advantage inside and got the ball to Kaminsky. Against Downers South's bulkier lineup, the heady guard saw the chance to take over himself. He scored all his points after the first quarter, including the Redwings' final 10 points. This one? It'll depend on how the game develops, but East Aurora's strength lies in the backcourt. Parisi, a talented 3-point shooter, is an X-factor for Benet.

Advancement: The winner advances to the 7:30 p.m. Friday final to play tonight's winner between No. 1 Glenbard East (26-1) and No. 5 Oswego East (23-4).