Expect one fast-paced battle at Boylan

Similar up-tempo styles could translate to an exhilarating brand of basketball when Bartlett squares off with Rockford Jefferson in a Class 4A sectional semifinal at Boylan High School in Rockford today at 7:30 p.m.

Both Bartlett (16-11) and Jefferson (22-7) like to use turnovers and missed shots to ignite their transition games for easy baskets, an aspect that could dominate segments of the semifinal.

"Given our personnel, we would prefer an up-and-down game," Jefferson coach Todd Brannan said. "I think we've been able to adapt as the season has gone on and have some success in a slower-paced game as well. I think we're very similar to Bartlett. I know they want to run and we want to run. It should be a great matchup. We both like to run and we both like to pressure defensively. It should be an exciting game."

Bartlett can win tight, defensive ballgames, as the Hawks proved in tense regional victories over St. Charles North (40-36) and South Elgin (61-66).

However, the Hawks have also beaten a team with a prolific running game. Bartlett downed Mundelein and Iowa-bound Ben Brust, 92-84, at the Jacobs Holiday Tournament on Dec. 22. They lost three other games to fast-breaking squads Waukegan, North Chicago and East Aurora.

Though today's game has the potential to become an up-and-down contest, Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith isn't convinced such a game will develop.

"Realistically, postseason basketball is more like the games we've seen at Bartlett (in the regional) and elsewhere, where it's more of a defensive, grind-it-out, half-court affair with not a lot of runouts or breakouts and it's not a track meet.

"Given my leanings, I'd prefer it be a track meet. But I think it's going to end up being another game where you end up seeing more defense than you originally thought going into the game."

How much running the J-Hawks do against Bartlett could depend on how healthy they are at tipoff. Leading scorer Mershon Wilkes (12.1 ppg.) did not dress in either game of the Crystal Lake South regional, which Jefferson won by beating Huntley 47-43 in a semifinal before it ousted the zone-playing Gators in the title game, 57-44.

Wilkes, a senior guard, suffered a sprained MCL in a 57-40 loss at Hononegah on Feb. 26, when a player fell awkwardly on his knee. He returned to practice on Monday and will dress against Bartlett, though Brannan said how much Wilkes will play remains to be seen after warmups.

Senior forward Mario Manns (6-1) averaged 10.8 points and 7 rebounds for the J-Hawks during the regular season, but he was slowed by a high ankle sprain throughout the CL South regional. He played only four minutes in the semifinal against Huntley and toughed it out in the title game, in which he scored 6 points. Brannan said Manns will likely to start.

The J-Hawks have other weapons like true point guard Jemarkus Lovett (9.5 ppg., 4.2 apg.), senior guard Marcus Marshall (9.8 ppg.) and sophomore Latterion Davis, the latter of whom is a postseason call-up who shot 4-of-5 from 3-point range en route to 20 points against CL South.

"They are very, very athletic," Wolfsmith said. "They've got a plethora of guys who can handle the ball and drive to the basket. They love to drive and kick. They love to shoot the 3 if it's open, and they have some guys who can hit that. (Brannan's) got himself a real nice balanced team. They are very quick and aggressive defensively."

Bartlett enters the game at full strength, led by senior guard Luke Labedzki (16.9 ppg.), senior forward Larry Whitaker (10.7 ppg., 7.3 rpg.) and senior guard Mike Banks (9 ppg.).

"We don't want (Labedzki) to get heated up because anybody that puts up the points he has you certainly can't let get started," Brannan said. "But they have a number of kids that can hurt us if we don't play smart or if we're not in position. They've got the Whitaker kid inside, who is a huge concern for us. And Banks. I think it'll be a really good matchup because they've got some strong perimeter players and some nice quickness, and I think we do too.

"Like we've preached the whole year, we've got to stop dribble penetration and we've got to box out. Those are two things we really need to make sure we do."

The winner will face sectional host Boylan (25-4) in the title game on Friday at 7:30 p.m.