Breaking down the Class 3A high school basketball sectionals

It’s sectional seeding time.

Yesterday we broke down how the Class 4A sectionals should be seeded. Today we analyze the Class 3A sectionals across the Chicago area. Here we go with how the City/Suburban Hoops Report would seed each sectional.

Hinsdale South Sectional

1. Bogan (23-3)

2. Benet (20-8)

3. Hinsdale South (26-3)

4. Riverside-Brookfield (19-8)

5. Hyde Park (15-9)

6. De La Salle (14-11)

7. Glenbard South (21-4)

8. St. Laurence (12-15)

Sectional seed breakdown: You’ve got a little of everything in this 3A sectional with Public League, Catholic League and ranked suburban teams.

Bogan is No. 1. The Bengals have played a very strong schedule and their only losses of the year have come to Notre Dame (by two points), Curie (by three points) and Morgan Park. More importantly, Bogan has wins over Morgan Park and Simeon.

There will be debate over the No. 2 seed. And here is the City/Suburban Hoops Report’s argument for Benet getting the edge over Hinsdale South in what could be viewed as a toss-up.

While Hinsdale South may not have a single win over a ranked team and has only played one ranked team all season, losing in overtime to Bolingbrook, the Hornets have done their job. Hinsdale South has put together a 26-win season and is deserving of a top three seed.

However, that loss Saturday to a pretty average Proviso East team, while Benet beat the No. 1 ranked team in Class 3A, Notre Dame, was an eye-opener on the eve of seeding week. Hinsdale South simply doesn’t have a signature win. The biggest? Wins over Morton and Naperville Central. They haven’t beaten a ranked team or one with 20 wins.

Benet has played another ridiculously strong schedule, arguably the best schedule in the sectional and has still won 20 games on the year. As long as sectional coaches are paying attention, Benet should get the No. 2 seed with the recent win over Notre Dame, along with a victory over 22-win Fenwick, 19-win St. Charles East and 18-win Brother Rice.

With eight consecutive wins and winning 12 of its last 13, Riverside-Brookfield has played well down the stretch. The Bulldogs have beaten De La Salle and earn the fourth seed.

Hyde Park has 15 wins and has played a very strong schedule, including nine games in the state’s toughest conference.

Yes, Glenbard South has 21 wins on the year. But you really have to dive into the schedule before figuring out where to seed the Raiders.

Glenbard South has feasted so far on 15 conference games in a historically bad Upstate Eight Conference. The wins over teams outside the UEC have a paltry combined record of 46-120. And Glenbard South lost to sectional foe De La Salle by double digits. That sends this 21-win team to a lower seed.

Thornridge Sectional

1. Morgan Park (19-9)

2. Oak Forest (24-1)

3. Kankakee (22-4)

4. Hillcrest (18-8)

5. Richards (17-8)

6. Tinley Park (16-10)

7. Rich East (14-12)

8. Lemont (13-10)

Sectional seed breakdown: There are three teams in the hunt for the top seed, including Morgan Park, Kankakee and Oak Forest. And there will be some who will simply look at Oak Forest’s record and automatically award them the No. 1 seed.

Morgan Park has the most losses. But the Mustangs have the most talent and have played, by far, the best schedule in the sectional. With that schedule and the recent run to the city championship, coach Nick Irvin’s team should get the top seed.

Oak Forest is a near-perfect 24-1. The Bengals have beaten a whole bunch of teams in this sectional but have not played the strongest schedule. Nonetheless, this talented team has taken care of business within the sectional and edges Kankakee for the No. 2 seed.

The 4-5 seeds will go to Hillcrest and Richards, and it can be debated and flipped around. Although Richards beat Hillcrest back in December, Hillcrest is another team that’s played a killer schedule, including a recent win over highly-ranked Homewood-Flossmoor. These two should face each other in a regional final at Hillcrest.

Lemont beat T.F. North to slip into the No. 8 seed.

St. Ignatius Sectional

1. Fenwick (22-6)

2. DePaul Prep (21-4)

3. St. Ignatius (21-6)

4. North Lawndale (14-9)

5. Farragut (13-8)

6. Westinghouse (12-13)

7. Clemente (16-10)

8. Elmwood Park (14-9)

Sectional seed breakdown: The toughest Class 3A sectional has a lot of Chicago Catholic League and Chicago Public League flavor.

DePaul Prep was poised to secure the No. 1 seed until Fenwick jumped up and knocked off the Rams last week on the road. As a result, the Friars move up to the top line and DePaul Prep settles for the No. 2 seed.

Red-hot St. Ignatius, winners of eight straight and 12 of its last 13, are the No. 3 seed.

Then there are three Public League teams that fill in the next three seeds. North Lawndale beat Farragut in the regular season, so we’ll put the Phoenix at No. 4 and Farragut at No. 5. That would set up a rematch in a regional championship game.

Grayslake North Sectional

1. Notre Dame (25-4)

2. St. Patrick (18-6)

3. St. Viator (18-8)

4. Carmel (17-11)

5. Deerfield (17-10)

6. Grayslake Central (15-11)

7. Fenton (17-11)

8. Vernon Hills (12-15)

Sectional seed breakdown:This one isn’t too difficult –– at least in seeding the top five.

Notre Dame is a unanimous No. 1 seed.

Following Notre Dame there four teams with similar win totals all clearly fall in line. St. Patrick beat both St. Viator and Carmel by double digits. St. Viator beat Carmel. And Carmel beat Deerfield last week.