Metamora basketball is one victory from IHSA state. Here are 3 things it must do to get back

Metamora has been here before.

The Redbirds found themselves at this exact spot in the Illinois High School Association boys basketball postseason a year ago — one step to the Class 3A Final Four.

This time, No. 1-ranked Metamora (31-2) has the experience, a 29-game win streak and is no underdog in the 7 p.m. Monday supersectional in Ottawa against unranked Aurora Marmion Academy (23-11).

Here are three things Metamora must do to get back to Champaign:

'Electrifying': Top-ranked Metamora beats Richwoods in sold-out sectional showdown

Handle the immense expectations

A lot of pressure has been put on Metamora this season. Following a state runner-up campaign in 2022, Metamora has played in big games during the entirety of its schedule.

The Redbirds have passed with flying colors nearly every single test thrown at them.

“We have experience,” Metamora senior Drew Tucker said. “We know what it’s like to play with a big crowd … we’re looking to use that experience moving forward, going against teams that may not have that same experience as us.”

Metamora's opponents have all posed problems. The Redbirds’ slate of games included four marquee matchups at the Kevin Brown Memorial Tournament of Champions, three tough outings in Mississippi over Christmas, a rematch with reigning state champion Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin and a round-robin in mid-January.

Metamora swept Peoria — beating Manual, Peoria High, Peoria Notre Dame and Richwoods.

“Our schedule has been one for the ages, as far as a school around Peoria,” Metamora coach Danny Grieves said. “We took on all comers.”

Plus, sellout gyms have also followed the Redbirds, resulting in Grieves and his coaching staff having to get creative. In Friday’s sectional final, for example, the players were unable to hear the plays due to the noise level.

So, the coaches wrote plays on a dry eraser board and held them up.

“We prepared for that type of game,” senior Tyson Swanson said of packed gyms and loud fans. “We did have a lot of games like that last year as well.”

Utilize big man Luke Hopp

Hopp is often overlooked because of the sheer amount of talent Metamora possesses in Tucker, Swanson, Tyler Mason and Ethan Kizer. He has been a constant in the Metamora starting lineup all season.

But at 6-foot-8, he provides something Metamora was missing during its 2022 run.

“It’s the guy inside that we didn’t have last year that can bang a little,” Grieves said, “or the guy that can jump with anybody and knock (the ball) around a little bit or keep it in a play.

“… He’s a force for us inside and showed that (against Richwoods).”

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In that sectional title victory, Hopp made all four of his buckets for eight points, while adding five rebounds. He blocked two shots and altered many more.

“Just to have a big body like that in the paint for defense and rebounding,” Swanson said, “… he’s been huge for us this year.”

Added Tucker, “We need the guys that can do the dirty work and that’s what he does.”

Make those 3-pointers

Metamora has proved to be a pretty darn good 3-point shooting team.

The Redbirds hit five in their sectional semifinal win over Sterling, then went 5-for-7 in the first half of the title game. Mason had an opening-quarter triple, while Kizer and Swanson both hit second-quarter treys.

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Tucker then hit two third-quarter 3s and Kizer added one more in the fourth as Metamora finished 8-for-12 (67 percent) from behind the arc.

“It’s awesome to see the first one drop down, because then it gives you way more confidence,” Kizer said. "We got a bunch of guys that can shoot it from outside and pretty far deep.

“It’s just awesome when we get going.”

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: Metamora is one victory from IHSA state. 3 things it must do to get back