Dunbar earns top seed in D-II

Beavercreek edges Springboro for top spot in Division I sectional.

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By Greg Billing, Staff Writer 10:15 PM Sunday, February 12, 2012

After earning the top seed in the Division II sectional tournament at Miamisburg, Dunbar coach Pete Pullen immediately selected his team’s spot in the lower bracket.

The next four seeds — Franklin, Meadowdale, Thurgood Marshall and Chaminade Julienne — also knew where they wanted to go: As far away from Dunbar as possible.

While the upper bracket looks to be a slugfest in the boys high school basketball tournament, the next highest seed in the lower bracket is No. 6 Carroll.

“I kind of expected that, but I hope it doesn’t hurt us in the long run,” Pullen said of the Wolverines, undefeated at 19-0 and ranked No. 1 in the D-II state poll. “I’m not knocking any of these teams, but we’ll need a good competitive game down the line.”

The upper bracket is loaded with them. No. 2 Franklin (18-0) plays the winner of No. 3 Meadowdale (16-3) and No. 5 CJ (13-5). No. 4 Marshall (9-9) also awaits.

“I’m not going to say I’m surprised,” Franklin coach Brian Bales said of playing a tough opening-round game. “These are the kind of games that you expect in our sectional because of the high caliber of teams. If there is a better sectional in the state, I’d like to see it.”

Bales said he prepared his Wildcats for the sectional tournament in the preseason by scrimmaging teams like Middletown and playing in the highest division they could at a Michigan team camp and facing teams like Toledo Scott and Toledo St. John.

As for Dunbar, its main goal was met when it avoided a possible matchup with Cincinnati Taft until the regional final.

“What’s going to be hard for us is we haven’t lost. That gets you back focused,” said Pullen, whose team closes out the regular season Tuesday against Meadowdale. “If we get past Meadowdale, we’ll be a little disappointed if we don’t go undefeated. That’s how we see it. ... We have to give Meadowdale everything we’ve got because we might see them again the tournament.”

Elsewhere, Beavercreek (14-4) topped the Dayton D-I sectional with the No. 1 seed and was followed by No. 2 Springboro, No. 3 Northmont and No. 4 Centerville. The Beavers are 4-1 against that trio.

In D-II, Urbana was voted No. 1 in the Springfield sectional. Trotwood was No. 2 and went into the same bracket as the Hillclimbers.

Versailles was No. 1 in the D-III sectional.

Jefferson and Jackson Center earned No. 1 seeds in D-IV in the Troy and Piqua sectionals, respectively.

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