Bloomington-area Teams, Players to Watch as Sectionals Open March 3

1. Bloomington South sectional (host: 13. Bloomington South (5) | Bracket | Tickets)

Bloomington South will host Sectional 13, which lists Bloomington North, Bloomington South, Martinsville, Terre Haute North Vigo and Terre Haute South Vigo as participants. The draw sets up local interest with Bloomington North vs. Floyd Central moved to a 4 p.m. varsity tip and cross-county matchups that matter for seeding and local bragging rights.

2. Bloomington North — Tevin Bridgwaters, starter/playmaker

Bloomington North leaned into a personnel shift for the tournament, naming 6-3 junior Tevin Bridgwaters a starter after limited minutes last season (4 ppg, 3 rpg). Coach Holmes said, “We started starting him again, thinking about the tournament,” and credited Bridgwaters’ energy in the second and third quarters as they adjust to teams with two bigs; the North schedule also moved its home game against Floyd Central to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

3. Northview — No. 4, balanced attack (Quinn Lewis, Brayden Goff)

No. 4 Northview arrives as the favorite after sweeping the WIC, riding sophomore Quinn Lewis (16 ppg, 6 rpg) and senior Marian commit Brayden Goff (14 ppg, 5 rpg, 7 apg). Northview “bounced back nicely from a bad loss to Terre Haute North to top 4A Martinsville by 25 and Bloomington South by 12,” signaling the kind of momentum that makes them dangerous in a short tournament.

4. Martinsville — sectional foe with recent heavy loss to Northview

Martinsville will be back in the Bloomington South sectional after being toppled by Northview by 25, a margin that underscores Northview’s standing and Martinsville’s uphill task to advance against local favorites. Expect Martinsville to try to tighten on the boards and limit transition chances after that lopsided result.

5. New Albany — high-octane offense, depth questions, Noah Washington’s late surge

New Albany averages 74 ppg and showed it in big wins — 83-45 over Scottsburg and a 95-61 rout of BNL on Feb. 20 — but the Herald-Times outlook notes a list of teams that “have found a way to outscore 10th-ranked New Albany” including Plainfield, Lawrence North, Fishers, Silver Creek and Jeffersontown (in overtime). The Bulldogs won at Bloomington North behind 34 points from Noah Washington to end the season while missing five varsity players (three to illness); starters Karson Stoudemire and TJ Washington are expected back, which could restore full firepower.

6. Floyd Central — the one team that stayed within 20 of New Albany

Floyd Central was the only team to keep New Albany within 20, a 55-45 game that suggests Floyd Central’s defense can at least slow the Dogs’ usual scoring outbursts. That closeness also helps explain why Bloomington North moved its Floyd Central game to a 4 p.m. varsity tip — a matchup with implications for local seeding and physicality.

7. Indianapolis Washington — Roosevelt Franklin’s return shifts outlook

“Indianapolis Washington should welcome back its top player, guard Roosevelt Franklin (22 ppg, 6 rpg) to a quick and physical lineup,” the Herald-Times observed, a return that changes the Continentals’ ceiling immediately. Franklin’s scoring and rebounding will be priority matchup items for opponents and could be the difference in a sectional loaded with uptempo lineups.

8. Speedway — Drew Matelic, 6-6 senior and primary matchup threat

Speedway presents a test for anyone who draws them, led by 6-6 senior Drew Matelic — a Trine commit averaging 25 ppg, 7 rpg and 2.5 apg. The Herald-Times specifically flagged Matelic as the player Indianapolis Washington will have to contain; his size and scoring load make him the single biggest X-factor among the smaller city programs mentioned.

9. Cascade — multi-sport star Brady Trebley and recent form

Cascade brings athletes from championship football into basketball, including QB Brady Trebley (14 ppg, 7 rpg) and “a few stars off the state champion football team.” The Cadets “have won 10 of 12, with each loss a one-possession game before ending the season 1-3,” and posted wins over Edgewood (57-51) and Owen Valley (67-51), illustrating both scoring balance and some inconsistent late-season form that bears watching.

10. Edgewood — midseason tweaks, Karson Gladhill’s impact

Edgewood’s late-season picture was reshaped by roster moves and scheduling quirks: coach Matt Wadsworth inserted 6-6 sophomore Karson Gladhill into the varsity rotation to improve rebounding, and Gladhill “has shown flashes in the second half of the season in his first varsity minutes.” Edgewood lost to Cascade 57-51 and also had a loss to Orleans in a dispute over a makeup date; its finishing schedule includes a home tilt with Indianapolis Washington and trips to Bloomfield and Eastern Greene.

12. Eastern Greene — 19-0 Rams, 3-point marksmen and Paoli looming

Eastern Greene stands out as an unblemished 19-0 team and recent 45-41 winner over Orleans; the Rams were described as having “3-point snipers” and could draw Class 2A’s No. 1 Paoli if brackets align. Eastern Greene also had a home game vs. Patoka Lake Conference opponent Perry Central (7-13) before the potential Paoli matchup, making their run-up to sectionals a mix of tune-ups and true tests.

13. Paoli — Class 2A No. 1 and one of the last undefeateds

Paoli is identified as Class 2A’s No. 1 and one of the few remaining undefeated teams in the state; a potential meeting with Eastern Greene would be a marquee local clash with statewide implications. Paoli’s undefeated tag makes them a team that forces others to change preparation and scouting emphases.

14. Perry Central — Patoka Lake Conference opponent, 7-13 record

Perry Central (7-13) was scheduled to visit Eastern Greene as a tune-up before tougher tests; that record contextualizes Eastern Greene’s home schedule and the level of opposition the Rams will beat to stay sharp. For Perry Central, the sectional draw represents a chance to flip the narrative and give a higher-seeded team a rugged game.

15. Bloomfield — White River Valley bracket entry and scheduling role

Bloomfield appears in the Class 3A White River Valley sectional bracket and figures into Edgewood’s late schedule; the pairing matters for sectional geography and travel considerations. As part of the White River Valley grouping, Bloomfield will be central to that 3A regional picture.

16. Lighthouse Christian and Timothy Lautenbach — size to watch

Lighthouse Christian’s 6-7 Timothy Lautenbach was cited among the bigger local interior presences, alongside Bloomington South’s 6-8 senior Matt Tierney and Edgewood’s 6-6 Karson Gladhill. These length mismatches—Tierney (South), Lautenbach (Lighthouse Christian) and Gladhill (Edgewood)—are likely determiners of rebounding battles and late-possession outcomes in sectional games.

17. Bloomington South — home host and photo-cited personnel

Bloomington South, hosting Sectional 13, was referenced in a Sports Yahoo photo caption highlighting Matt Tierney (33) shooting during a Bloomington South vs. Martinsville sectional game, underlining South’s role as both host and competitive participant. The photo context and the team’s inclusion in the host listing put South at the center of local bracket drama.

19. Logistics and viewing — tournament start, host assignment and broadcasts

The IHSAA boys tournament opens March 3, with sectional host sites determined by school administrators within each grouping and a color-coded sectional map available to help fans plan. The IHSAA also lists approved broadcasts and daily scores, an important resource as local games tip and bracket outcomes start to ripple through regional seeding.

20. The framing takeaway — matchups, returns and what will decide sectionals

Sectional outcomes will pivot on a few clear things: whether New Albany’s expected returnees (Karson Stoudemire, TJ Washington) restore the Bulldogs’ full attack, how Northview’s backcourt duo controls tempo, whether Speedway’s Drew Matelic can be contained by teams like Indianapolis Washington, and if Eastern Greene’s 19-0 string survives a potential clash with Paoli. These are the matchups and narratives most likely to determine which Bloomington-area programs advance.