Congratulations to the 2007 Sectional Champions: Hoggard, New Hanover, Wakefield, and Riverside. All of these teams will be traveling to Greenville on Thursday to try and earn their spot in the Eastern Regional Final on Saturday. We have two great match ups on our hands, and they will lead to a classic Eastern Regional final.

Game 1: Thursday 7:00 PM - Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum, East Carolina University
Game 2: Thursday 8:30 PM - Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum, East Carolina University
Reg. Final: Saturday 5:00 PM - Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum, East Carolina University

Hoggard vs. Riverside
Riverside has flow under the radar for quite sometime now, but you can bet Hoggard will be ready for them. I saw Riverside play in the GlaxoSmithKline Holiday Invitational in December, and I can only imagine how much better they are now. I have seen Hoggard twice this season, most recently on Friday Night against Green Hope. Hoggard is a very athletic team, like Riverside, but if you put them at the foul line, don't sweat it. The Vikings could be one of the worst foul shooting teams I have seen all season. If they had made half of the free throws they missed on Friday, they would have blown Green Hope out of Wilmington. I expect Riverside to use their athletic ability, just like Hoggard. I believe Hoggard may be from a tougher conference than Riverside, and that is why I'm picking the Vikings.
Nick's Pick: Hoggard

New Hanover vs. Wakefield
You want to talk about a team flying under the radar? Let's talk about Wakefield. The Wolverines were sitting firmly on the bubble in the latter part of the season, and with a 19-10 record, no one expected Wakefield to be contending for yet another State Championship. They are in Greenville once again though, and they will have the opportunity to win their third State Championship in four years, including two straight. Do I think they'll do it? No. Could they? Absolutely. Darius Johnson-Odom has proven himself as one of the best players in the state, and he will have to have a huge game against New Hanover if the Wolverines are going to win. New Hanover came into the season ranked No. 1 in the state by Sports Illustrated, and they are holders of a No. 1 seed after winning the Mideastern Conference Championship. I think Wakefield's Cinderella run will come to an end on Thursday Night, but if it doesn't, don't be surprised.
Nick's Pick: New Hanover

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