IndyStar Picks Regional Winners as IHSAA Boys Basketball Tournament Rolls On

The 116th IHSAA boys basketball tournament doesn't slow down for anyone, and neither does IndyStar's Kyle Neddenriep. Fresh off correctly predicting 44 of 64 sectional winners, one better than his total from the previous year, Neddenriep has turned his attention to Saturday's regional round and issued statewide predictions on which teams punch their tickets to semistate. Eight of those games feature Central Indiana teams, making this a must-read slate for anyone following the bracket closely.

Class 4A: Silver Creek Looks Unstoppable

The most lopsided call in the 4A field belongs to Silver Creek, which Neddenriep has winning by 18 over Batesville (20-4) at Charlestown at 4 p.m. That kind of margin is a statement about more than matchup disadvantage. Silver Creek enters at 27-1, a record that speaks for itself at this stage of the tournament, and Batesville's four losses look far less concerning than the gap between these two programs right now.

In the other 4A matchups, Neddenriep sees Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian (20-7) handling Delta (15-10) by 8 at 1 p.m., a comfortable margin that reflects the experience and record advantage Blackhawk Christian brings into the contest. Princeton (22-3) gets the nod over Evansville Bosse (17-8) at Southridge at 1 p.m., but only by 1, making it the tightest predicted margin in the entire 4A field. Princeton's 22 wins carry weight, but Bosse is capable of making that a fight.

The headliner matchup in 4A pits Fort Wayne Snider (19-7) against Carmel (18-5) at New Castle at 4 p.m. The supplied source did not include a predicted winner for this game, suggesting there may be additional context or a pick that wasn't captured in the available material. What's clear is that both teams arrive with similar records and enough talent to make it one of the more compelling regional contests on the board.

Class 2A: Paoli's Perfect Record and a Big Upset Call

Unbeaten Paoli (26-0) is the marquee story in Class 2A. Neddenriep picks the Rams to advance past Linton-Stockton (23-4) at Seymour at 4 p.m., but only by 4. Given that Linton-Stockton enters with 23 wins, this is a game where Paoli's undefeated record gets its stiffest test yet. A four-point margin of victory suggests Neddenriep respects what Linton-Stockton brings even if he doesn't think it's enough to end the perfect run.

The most contrarian pick in the 2A field is Gary 21st Century (17-6) over Westview (24-1) at North Judson at 8 p.m. Westview has one loss all season and enters with 24 wins, yet Neddenriep is backing Gary 21st Century by 4. That's the kind of call that either looks prescient or regrettable by Saturday night, and it stands out as the boldest prediction on the entire card.

Fort Wayne Luers (14-11) pulls off its own upset in Neddenriep's view, beating Bremen (22-4) by 3 at Huntington North at 7 p.m. Luers is the only team in the 2A predictions with a sub-.500-adjacent record, sitting at 14-11, making this another pick that cuts against the grain. Oak Hill (24-1) gets the most decisive projected win in 2A, beating Benton Central (11-14) by 18 at Frankfort at 4 p.m. Benton Central has more losses than wins on the season, and Oak Hill's near-perfect record makes this one of the easier calls on the sheet.

Parke Heritage (23-4) is picked over Centerville (24-2) by just 1 at Martinsville at 4 p.m., another razor-thin margin that could go either way. Centerville's two losses hardly suggest vulnerability, and this matchup looks like the most evenly contested game in the 2A bracket. Austin (16-8) rounds out the 2A predictions with a 2-point win over Forest Park (13-13) at Charlestown at 1 p.m., a narrow call in a game where both teams have question marks.

Class A: Hauser and Barr-Reeve Dominate Their Draws

Class A features some of the most decisive predicted margins on the card. Hauser (24-2) is favored by 13 over South Decatur (18-6) at Seymour at 1 p.m., and Barr-Reeve (24-1) is picked to handle West Washington (20-6) by 10 at Washington at 1 p.m. Both Hauser and Barr-Reeve arrive with one loss on the season and records that suggest they're the class of the field. A combined 23 margin of victory across those two predictions signals that Neddenriep sees a clear path for both programs into semistate.

Rossville (20-5) is another team Neddenriep likes heavily, projecting a 12-point win over North Vermillion (15-11) at Frankfort at 1 p.m. North Vermillion's 15 wins don't quite match the rest of the competition in this bracket, and Rossville's record makes the margin feel well-supported.

Monroe Central (20-4) gets a 5-point edge over Southwood (22-3) at Lapel at 1 p.m., a pick that goes against Southwood's slightly better record. Triton (22-3) is picked to beat Marquette Catholic (19-7) by 5 at North Judson at 5 p.m., a straightforward call given Triton's record advantage.

The most unusual entry in the Class A section involves the 4 p.m. game at Huntington North between Fort Wayne Canterbury (14-11) and Tri-County (15-10). The source lists the predicted winner as "Triton County by 3," which appears to be a reference to Tri-County. With a separate "Triton" matchup also on the Class A card, the naming distinction is worth keeping straight as the bracket plays out.

Bloomfield (18-8) is picked to beat Northeast Dubois (17-8) by 4 at Washington at 4 p.m. in the other Class A game listed. Both teams carry similar records, and Neddenriep sees Bloomfield with a small but decisive edge.

The full picture Neddenriep draws across all three classes is one where record-setting teams like Silver Creek, Paoli, Oak Hill, Barr-Reeve, and Hauser mostly justify their rankings, while a handful of picks, notably Gary 21st Century over Westview and Luers over Bremen, inject real intrigue into a Saturday slate that was already worth watching closely. His sectional accuracy of 44 out of 64 gives these predictions real teeth; this isn't a casual guess at the bracket but a methodical read from someone who tracks these programs all season long.