The Loogootee Class A Regional features teams which are familiar to each other this year.
Barr-Reeve and Northeast Dubois are both members of the Blue Chip, while Tecumseh and Barr-Reeve also have an early season showdown every year.
Lanesville and Barr-Reeve are not regular opponents, but faced off in the 2007 semistate, while Lanesville also played Tecumseh this season.
The Vikings come into the Regional as the state’s Class A No. 2 team.
In the sectional, the 21-3 Vikings downed Loogootee, 44-37 and Rivet, 68-49, but needed a last-second shot from senior Willie Helms to outbattle North Daviess, 30-28 in the final. The win gave Barr-Reeve its third sectional title in the last four years.
It was also the school’s 10th title in the last 30 years.
The Vikings face dTecumseh early in the season, and beat the Braves 67-31. The loss was the fifth straight time the Braves have fallen to Barr-Reeve.
The Vikings go into regional with a 10-game winning streak on the floor of regional host Jack Butcher Arena.
This year’s edition of the black and white feature a strong senior-laden team for coach Bryan Hughes. Guard Trey Hughes has been a hybrid point-shooting guard through much of the season, He is averaging 18 points a game, but his assists are often as impressive as his scoring.
“I think earlier in the season we looked to Trey for the bulk of the scoring, but as the season has progressed, we have started to find some other scoring opportunities,” said Hughes. “Trey is generally the one guarding the other team’s best player, so that has changed things a little for him.”
Senior center Christian Duncheon is listed at 6-3, but he has the ability to play much bigger than that in the paint. He not only is tough to handle off the block because of his speed and athleticism, but defensively, Duncheon is one of the area’s best shot blockers.
“Christian has had a really good year. His athleticism and quickness allow him to get to the rim,” said coach Hughes.
Helms handled the point throughout much of the season, but has also picked up his scoring as the year went on, including the season’s biggest basket with two seconds left to win the sectional. He is also one of the team’s leading rebounders.
Senior Brandon Graber has handled much of the dirty work down low for the Vikes, while senior Jordan Sinnott has come off the bench and provided a spark both with his defense and offense. Sophomore Ashton Wagler is also a serious threat from the 3-point line and provides size and skill at 6-2.
Wagler had a big game in the sectional semis with 18 points against Rivet.
Other Vikings who have seen significant time throughout the year have been senior guard Josh Swartzentruber and sophomore Jon Gingerich.
This season, the only Viking losses have come from 3A powerhouse Washington in an overtime thriller, Forest Park (a loss they avenged later in the season) and a road loss to Shakamak.
Tecumseh comes into the regional with a 10-12 record.
The Braves have now won 12 straight sectionals, but have not advanced out of regional since 2000. Their sectional streak is currently the longest in the state.
The 10-12 record is the first losing season the Braves have had since the 1995-1996 season.
“We have a lot of seniors on this team, but really only one is returning from last year’s team,” said Tecumseh coach Kevin Oxley. “These guys have been through the regional schedule and the practices, but it is a different team from last year.”
In fact, their biggest nemesis have been either Barr-Reeve or Loogootee, with the two schools going 5-1 against the Braves in regional play since 2001.
In the earlier meeting this season, B-R won 67-31, with Trey Hughes outscoring the Braves, 33-31.
During that game, Hughes, who was playing with a ruptured knuckle, knocked down eight 3-pointers, while Wagler added three.
“I don’t think they are going to let Trey knock down eight of nine like they did that night,” added Hughes. “We will see a very different basketball team than we saw early in the season. At that time, they had a lot of guys who were just getting used to playing varsity basketball.”
Kyle Fischer (6-2) is currently leading the Braves with 14 ppg, but he averaged 21 in his two sectional games.
Adam Westamore is the only returning starter from last season. Although he will play at regional, he will require shoulder surgery after the season. Chase Hunt is a 6-5 senior center getting about three points a game, while senior Ryan Robertson will also start.
“We are just really glad to be here,” said Oxley. “We know Barr-Reeve is an explosive team who can beat you a lot of ways. Sometimes with them it is just pick your poison.”
In the second game Dubois and Lanesville will meet. Lanesville comes in to the game with a 15-9 record. One of their losses came at the hands of Tecumseh, 58-51 on Feb. 6.
Coach Mikel Miller has been at Lanesville for 10 years, with his best season being the 2007 campaign, where Barr-Reeve ended his year at 23-4 with a 46-43 overtime loss at the Seymour Semistate.
Lanesville had to win three to win the sectional, as it beat Christian Academy, South Central and Henryville.
Oxley, who played Lanesville early this year said the Eagles are a very good team.
“They have an outstanding win in Bryant Conder. In fact I just saw where he scored his 1,000th career point,” said Oxley.
Dubois also comes into the regional with a losing record at 10-13.
The Jeeps started the year just 3-11, with losses that included Barr-Reeve, 55-36, Washington Catholic in overtime, Rivet and Loogootee. Since then they have posted a 7-1 record.
In the Vikings’ win over the Jeeps, B-R showed balanced scoring with Hughes getting 19, Gingerich adding 11, Wagler with nine and Duncheon with seven.
Their sectional title included wins over Springs Valley and Orleans, along with Blue Chip wins over North Knox, Wood Memorial and Shoals.
