2025 BCR boys basketball regional previews

Bureau Valley and Princeton are just 16 miles apart and yet they will both host Class 2A boys basketball regionals. Here’s a look at those two sites plus all the other area regionals. Records may not reflect all Friday’s games.

Class 1A Amboy Regional

Team to beat: (2) Annawan (21-6)

Pairings: Monday, Feb. 24 - Game 1: (16) DePue (2-24) at (2) Annawan, 6 p.m. Game 2: (11) Hiawatha (9-16) at (9) Amboy (12-17), 6 p.m. Game 3: (14) LaMoille (7-24) at (3) Forreston (19-12), 6 p.m. Game 4: (12) Ashton-Franklin Center (7-23) at (7) St. Bede (13-18). Wednesday, Feb. 26 - Game 5: Winners 1-2, 6 p.m. Game 6: Winners 3-4, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28 - Title - Winners 5-6, 7 p.m.

Worthy of note: There will be four quarterfinals on Monday all on the home court of the higher seeds with St. Bede hosting AFC. The Bruins have had an up and down season, losing five of their last seven after winning six of eight. The Raiders had lost nine straight heading into Thursday’s game with Fulton. ... Annawan was leading the Lincoln Trail Conference ranks at 9-0 before dropping its final two games to Bureau Valley and Abingdon/Avon. The Braves then lost again to Abingdon/Avon in the LTC tournament semifinals before beating the Storm on Wednesday. ... Forreston went 6-6 for fifth place in the NUIC with two losses to league champ and state-ranked Pecatonica, including a 102-52 drubbing.

Last year’s regional finals: Fulton 30, Annawan 28.

BCR pick: Annawan over Forreston.

Next: Winner advances to Pecatonica Sectional to face winner of the Galena Regional at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 4.

Class 2A Bureau Valley Regional

Team to beat: (2) Rock Falls (21-8)

Pairings: Monday, Feb. 24 - Game 1: (10) Erie-Prophetstown (8-18) at (8) Oregon (16-14), 7 p.m. Game 2: (11) Morrison (11-20) at (6) Bureau Valley (20-11), 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26 - Game 3: (2) Rock Falls vs. Winner 1, 6 p.m. Game 4: (3) Riverdale (20-9) vs. Winner 2, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28 - Title - Winners 3-4, 7 p.m.

Worthy of note: The Storm get all the comforts of home at the Storm Cellar where they are 9-1, their lone loss at the hands of St. Bede. They have won 14 of their last 19 games, but just two wins were over Class 2A teams, including Oregon. The Storm wrapped up an 11-0 run in its first season in the Lincoln Trail, but fell in the LTC tournament semifinals to Princeville and to Annawan in the third-place game. BV and Morrison will meet for the first time in the regional quarterfinals. ... The Rockets, who beat Three Rivers East champ Mendota twice in a five-day stretch, have lost to Oregon (55-53), which could be their semifinal foe.

Last year’s regional finals: Riverdale 59, Seneca 54; Princeton 57, Morrison 55.

BCR pick: Rock Falls over Riverdale.

Next: Winner advances to Marengo Sectional to face winner of the Rockford Regional at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4.

Class 2A Princeton Regional

Team to beat: (1) Seneca (25-6).

Pairings: Monday, Feb. 24 - Game 1: (9) Hall (11-16) at (7) Sandwich (19-11), 6 p.m. Game 2: (12) Aurora Central Catholic (4-27) at (5) Mendota (21-8), 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26 - Game 3: (1) Seneca vs. Winner 1, 6 p.m. Game 4: (4) Princeton (18-12) vs. Winner 2, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28 - Title - Winners 3-4, 7 p.m.

Worthy of note: The Tigers seek a program-first fourth straight regional championship and will have the luxury of playing on their home court to get it. They have won nine straight heading into Friday’s home game with Sterling and stand 17-7 with senior Noah LaPorte, who became the school’s all-time leading scorer, in the lineup. The Tigers stood 7-3 at Prouty Gym heading into Friday’s game with Sterling. ... The top-seeded Irish have won 11 out of their last 12 games for coach Russ Witte, formerly of Hall, losing only to 3A Streator (54-37) without top gun Paxton Giertz (27 ppg). He, like LaPorte, has become his school’s boys all-time leading scorer. Of its 26 wins, the latest over 3A Morris, 18 have come against Class 1A teams. ... The Red Devils, who have lost eight straight heading into the postseason, will face a Sandwich team on its home court, playing its best basketball of the season, winners of 13 of its last 15 games. ... Mendota won its first ever Three Rivers Conference East Division championship, finishing 9-1. The Trojans are 2-1 against Princeton and are poised to meet for the fourth time. The Trojans seek their first regional title since 2013. Freshman Cole Tillman leads the Trojans with a 16.8 ppg clip.

Last year’s regional finals: Princeton 57, Morrison 55; Riverdale 59, Seneca 54

BCR pick: Princeton over Seneca.

Next: Winner advances to Marengo Sectional to face winner of the Woodstock Regional at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5

Class 3A L-P Regional

Team to beat: (2) Streator (23-8).

Pairings: Wednesday, Feb. 26 - Game 1: (2) Streator vs. (7) Ottawa (9-18), 6 p.m. Game 2: (3) Dixon (22-9) vs. (5) LaSalle-Peru (13-18), 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28 - Game 3: Winners 1-2, 6 p.m.

Worthy of note: Streator has swept L-P while splitting a pair with Ottawa, winning 48-41 last week. Dixon had won 13 of 14 games, including a 61-50 win at Princeton, but has since dropped three of its last four. Senior Darius Harrington has become the Dukes' all-time scoring leader.

Last year’s regional finals: L-P 68, Sterling 54.

BCR pick: Streator over Dixon.

Next: Winner advances to Washington Sectional to face winner of the East Peoria Regional at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5

Other area regionals

At Roanoke-Benson (1A): Team to beat: (1) Peoria Christian (22-9). Other teams: (4) Brimfield (20-9), (7) Peoria Heights (14-15), (8) Roanoke-Benson (11-16), (9) Lowpoint-Washburn (14-13), (12) Midland (10-18), (15) Henry-Senachwine (5-23), (16) Putnam County (1-28).

At Savanna West Carroll (1A): Team to beat: (1) Eastland (27-4). Other teams: (4) Galva (20-7), (5) Sterling Newman (17-14), (6) Fulton (14-14), (8) Polo (12-15), (10) Milledgeville (8-20), (13) Wethersfield (6-22), (15) West Carroll (5-23). Note: Eastland is ranked No. 5 in 1A.

At Ottawa Marquette (1A): Team to beat: (2) Hinckley-Big Rock (23-8). Others: (3) Newark (17-13), (6) Serena (16-15), (7) Marquette (16-15), (8) Dwight (15-15), (9) Earlville (13-17), (14) Gardner-South Wilmington (6-24).

At Aledo Mercer County (2A): Team to beat: (1) Sherrard (27-3). Other teams: (4) Orion (24-7), (5) Mercer County (12-17), (6) Monmouth-Roseville (11-18), (7) Kewanee (14-16), (10) Alleman (4-25).

At Macomb (2A): Team to beat: (2) Rockridge (20-10). Other teams: (3) Macomb (21-4), (8) Canton (11-18), (9) Farmington (9-19), (11) Knoxville (2-27).

At Fieldcrest (2A): Team to beat: (2) Kankakee McNamara (22-7). Other teams: (3) Fieldcrest (22-9), (6) Clifton Central (16-12), (7) Fairbury Prairie Central (7-23), (8) Herscher (12-18).

At Morris (3A): Team to beat: (1) Kankakee (23-5). Other teams: (4) Sterling (15-16), (6) Morris (10-19), (8) Pontiac (11-17).