4A East Analysis: Seen On Another Board

I saw this posted on another board and I thought it was a good analysis of the 4A East, so I am going to credit it and post the text.

http://ncpreps.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=1487&tid=111601289&mid=111601289&sid=958&style=2

One person’s thoughts on the 4A Women’s East.

I want to preface this by saying that any team can beat any team on any night. There will be “upsets” and all it takes is an injury, the flu, or an off night to end the season for a team, no matter how good they are. This is just one person’s thoughts based on attending some games and following the newspapers.

CLASS 4-A < EAST
Monday, February 25 < first round at higher seed, 7p.m.

Sectional 1
Fayetteville Pine Forest (8-16) at Durham Hillside (25-0)
Clayton (17-9) at Wilmington Hoggard (18-8)
Lee Senior (12-13) at Fayetteville Westover (24-2)
Raleigh Broughton (17-6) at Southeast Raleigh (20-3)
Semifinals on Wednesday, February 27 at 7p.m. at higher seed.
Finals on Friday, February 29 at 7p.m. at higher seed. Seeding priority: Tri
8, Greater Neuse, Mid-Southeastern, Pac 6, Two River, Cap 7, Mideastern,
Coastal.

Hillside has to be thinking what they did to deserve to be in a bracket this tough. Doesn’t going undefeated count for anything? If they can make it through the first two rounds (which I think is likely), they will probably face either Westover (who they beat by two earlier this year at Westover) or Southeast Raleigh who is on a roll, winning their last twelve in a row including two wins over Garner (a team with only three losses). To top it off, Hillside would have to go to Westover again if that is their opponent.
Prediction: Nobody should be surprised if Hillside, Westover, or Southeast Raleigh makes it to Greenville out of this bracket. Broughton has had a good season, but it would be tough to beat those three teams on consecutive nights.


Sectional 2
East Chapel Hill (12-11) at Hope Mills South View (24-1)
Wilmington New Hanover (14-11) at Apex (19-8)
Fayetteville Jack Britt (12-14) at New Bern (16-8)
Durham Jordan (17-6) at Raleigh Millbrook (23-4)
Semifinals on Wednesday, February 27 at 7 p.m. at higher seed.
Finals on Friday, February 29 at 7p.m. at higher seed. Seeding priority: Tri
8, Greater Neuse, Mid-Southeastern, Pac 6, Two River, Cap 7, Mideastern,
Coastal.

The one-loss, defending state champions has to be the favorite. What an accomplishment for this team to lose one of their best players to injury and still have a stellar season. Apex is a perennial power who has relied on freshmen for key contributions this year and appears to be at the “peak of good living” at just the right time. Their loss to Athens Drive by only two points in their conference final is evidence enough of that. In the other half of the bracket, Millbrook has to be the favorite. They only have four losses this year, three to undefeated Wakefield. Their defense is good enough to give them a chance to win every night and they have three or four players who will play at the next level. If they can get hot from the outside or score in transition on steals they have a chance to go a long way.
Prediciton: Even with players and a coach with state championship game experience, Apex may be another year away from Greenville. This will most likely come down to South View and Millbrook. Can Millbrook put up enough points to win? Can South View score enough to win?


Sectional 3
Durham Riverside (13-14) at Wilmington Laney (19-6)
East Wake (17-8) at Greenville Rose (7-17)
Wake Forest-Rolesville (14-12) at Raleigh Athens Drive (21-5)
Hoke (20-5) at Fayetteville E.E. Smith (16-9)
Semifinals on Wednesday, February 27 at 7 p.m. at higher seed.
Finals on Friday, February 29 at 7p.m. at higher seed. Seeding priority: PAC
6, Mid-Southeastern, Tri 8, Two Rivers, Cap 7, Coastal , Greater Neuse,
Mideastern.


My opinion is that this is Athens Drive’s bracket to lose. They’re a good team that has overcome not having one of their best players at the beginning of the year and they have continued to win. Wake Forest-Rolesville is a talented team that gave Athens Drive some tough games earlier this year, but have lost 7 of their last 10. I will admit that I don’t know much about Hoke or Laney, so they could surprise. As I said earlier, anybody can beat anybody on a given night.
Prediction: Athens Drive



Sectional 4
Fuquay-Varina (9-16) at Garner (24-3)
Lumberton (15-10) at Northern Durham (16-8)
Smithfield-Selma (10-15) at Raleigh Wakefield (26-0)
Apex Middle Creek (14-9) at Fayetteville Seventy-First (21-6)
Semifinals on Wednesday, February 27 at 7p.m. at higher seed.
Finals on Friday, February 29 at 7p.m. at higher seed. Seeding priority: PAC
6, Mid-Southeastern, Tri 8, Two Rivers, Cap 7, Coastal , Greater Neuse,
Mideastern.


The second toughest bracket in the East Sectionals. Wakefield has to be the favorite with their undefeated record. That being said, they would have to face a 21-win 71st in the second round and if they got by them, they would most likely face Garner, at Garner. In the Glaxo tournament Garner’s coach was anxious to play Wakefield and then didn’t feel his team played up to their potential in the championship game. Wakefield had trouble with Broughton and Millbrook later in the year after beating them easily earlier in the year. Could the same happen if they were to meet Garner again? Garner withstood an injury to their top scorer to put up another stellar season. 71st has six losses, all to very high quality teams: Westover twice, Southview twice, Hillside, and Millbrook. Three number one seeds and a number two seed. They definitely have what it takes to end Wakefield’s unbeaten streak and make it to Greenville.

Prediction: I would give Wakefield a 50% chance to get to Greenville and Garner and 71st each a 25% chance.