Experience, execution and the x-factor: What Metamora basketball must do to win at state

This isn’t a "happy we’re here" type of thing for Metamora.

The Redbirds have made it their mission to get back to the Illinois High School Association Class 3A boys basketball state finals since last year’s devastating title game loss.

“Now, you’re in it,” Metamora coach Danny Grieves said, acknowledging his team’s hard work in the process. “We’re not happy about going down (to Champaign). We’re not ‘in it to win it’ like last year. Our kids believe they can.”

Top-ranked Metamora (32-3) rides its 30-game win streak into the 11:45 a.m. Friday state semifinals against East St. Louis (25-8) at the State Farm Center in Champaign. A new 3A champion will be crowned with the Flyers’ upset of reigning state title holder Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin.

Predicting the Illinois state champions:IHSA boys basketball state finals 2023

Here are three things Metamora must do to get back in the state championship game:

Play Metamora basketball

East St. Louis finished the season ranked No. 8 in the final poll by The Associated Press. The Flyers boast a tall and long lineup led by 6-foot-6 Kansas State-bound all-state senior Macaleab Rich. He’s one of three starters over 6-6, teaming with 6-9 Cameron Boone and 6-8 Damarion Brown.

“They’re really good,” Grieves said. “They’re just huge. … We’re just going to have to do the best we can play to work Metamora gameplan A, which is try to control the tempo a little bit.”

Luke Hopp will be a big factor in the outcome of this game. The 6-foot-8 will have his stiffest test against one of the biggest frontcourts he’s faced all season. But his role isn’t lost on him one bit.

“Just kind of coming in,” he said, “doing the dirty work, being the big guy, doing everything.”

Hopp won’t be only body banging in the post. Look for South Alabama recruit Ethan Kizer to do the same along with Drew Tucker holding his own as well.

Metamora also will utilize its boisterous sixth man — a big and raucous crowd.

“I love how loud it is,” junior Tyler Mason said, “and how loud our fans are. It’s just amazing to see them all come out and support us.”

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Get Tyson Swanson involved

Often times it's surprising how teams just overlook Tyson Swanson. The 6-foot-2 senior guard has made opponents pay whenever that happens. Take Monday’s 60-48 supersectional victory over Aurora Marmion as the prime example.

He scored 11 of his team-high 19 points in helping Metamora turn a one-point game into a double-digit win.

“He's an amazing player,” Mason said. “... It's amazing how he can just take over games and he can get buckets whenever he wants in the post, around the arc. He's just an amazing player. I love playing with him.”

Swanson has proven that he doesn’t need a lot of shots to be effective, going 8-for-11 in the Elite Eight clincher. Or scoring 12 on six shots in the sectional title game. Or putting up 24 points on 13 shots in the sectional semifinal.

Whatever the circumstances, he has been a steady presence in the lineup every step of its postseason run.

“You don't know which kid it's going to be,” Grieves said. “... what I love is they're so unselfish that they'll find the guy (that's hot) and the right matchup and just keep feeding them.”

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Use big-game experience

No team, arguably, has played in more pressure-packed games over the last 24 months than Metamora. From the double-overtime 2022 state championship game to the title rematch with Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin in mid-January to their current postseason run, the Redbirds are tested.

So, in any of the last three postseason games when things got tight against Sterling, Richwoods or Marmion, Metamora never blinked.

“It's nothing new,” Mason said. “We'll be down and we won't panic. All of our guys, we've been in this situation many times before, and it's just amazing how we're able to pull through like that and not panic and do what we need to do in crunch time and get clutch buckets like we’re supposed to do.”

It’s really no wonder this group has won 62 games over the last two seasons but is hungry for that state championship, regardless of the score being close or a blowout.

“We have so much experience in those (tight game) situations,” Swanson said. “That's big. We just have a really good team. We got a bunch of guys that can make plays, so that helps us out in those situations.”

Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA state final preview: What Metamora must do to vs. East St. Louis