Scouting Glenbard East vs. East Aurora
By Kevin Schmit
Class 4A East Aurora sectional final
No. 3 Glenbard East (25-3) vs. No. 4 East Aurora (24-5)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday at East Aurora High School.
Road to the sectional final: Glenbard East beat No. 19 Naperville Central, 69-64, No. 21 Glenbard West, 72-47, and No. 2 Downers Grove South, 67-62. East Aurora beat No. 13 Plainfield North, 67-54, No. 5 Neuqua Valley, 62-59 in overtime, and No. 1 Benet, 60-52.
Outlook: Glenbard East seeks its first sectional championship since 1964 while East Aurora vies for its first title since 1999. The Tomcats have the immediate advantage of playing on their home court, an edge they rode to Tuesday’s upset win over Benet. Glenbard East is not a newcomer to East Aurora’s gym, having played sectional games there in 2006 and 2007. After playing one of their best games of the season in the regional final, the Rams may have played even better in Wednesday’s win over Downers South. Northern Illinois-bound point guard Zach Miller knocked down four 3-pointers en route to a game-high 22 points, while Illinois State-bound forward Johnny Hill added 21 points. The balance continued with junior Dante Bailey scoring 15 points. Miller did an excellent job running the show against Downers South, and he’ll be put to the test against the Tomcats’ pressure. Miller, though, is one of the state’s top passers. He’s at his best finding open teammates — especially Hill — slashing to the basket. East Aurora has no problem giving up points. Connecticut recruit Ryan Boatright, perhaps the state’s best player, is completely willing to trade shots with opponents. Rams guard Tyree York did a nice job on Downers South’s Jerron Wilbut and, depending on the fouls and the situation, he’ll take his turn on Boatright, who has scored 74 points in three playoff games. Glenbard East is fine with the 5-foot-11 guard scoring 30 as long as they contain the other scoring threats, something Benet struggled with on Tuesday. Even with Tomcats guard Snoop Viser playing sparingly, John Williams stepped up with 16 points, including three 3-pointers in the second quarter. The Tomcats shot a blistering 56 percent in the first half against Benet, including five 3-pointers to build an early lead. Seventy-point games are familiar to both teams, so don’t be surprised if this one turns into a track meet.
Advancement: Winner faces Friday’s Jacobs sectional final winner between Huntley (25-4) and Rockford Auburn (25-4) in Tuesday’s DeKalb supersectional at Northern Illinois University.