It’s old school and new school taking the floor at Decatur MacArthur tonight. Springfield Southeast will be led by a coach who has seen his team play in the state championship, while Charleston’s Cody Drone will get his first taste of postseason basketball as a varsity head coach. Either way, both squads will be firing on all cylinders as each team has their eyes on making the Regional Championship. 

Here is the preview of tonight’s game. 

Team Records: Charleston (18-10) vs. Springfield Southeast (20-8)

Where: Decatur MacArthur High School

Tickets: Tickets can be purchased at MacArthur High School

School Size: Charleston (796), Springfield Southeast (1,208)

Varsity Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m.

Opponent’s History: Springfield Southeast is coached by one of the best coaches in the state, Lawrence Thomas. This will be the seventh season that his team has accumulated 20 wins or more since 2008-2009. During his tenure, the team has won six IHSA Regional Championships, two Sectional Championships, and qualified for the state tournament once, where the team was runner-up in 2018 with a 29-4 record. Before Thomas took over, the team had won just two regional championships between 1993-2008. 

Springfield Southeast’s Season Review:  The team finished third in the highly competitive Central State 8 Conference. The team had no common opponents with Charleston. You can find their full schedule right here. 

Springfield Southeast’s Team Stats: The team is averaging 58.1 points per game and allowing 52.4 points per game. The team is led by 6-foot-3 senior guard/forward Kam Banks, who is averaging 14.5 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Banks was considered a player to watch in the Springfield area by local media. Junior Seth Doss leads the team with 15.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. In a 71-68 overtime win over Chatham Glenwood, he scored 31 points. 

Charleston’s Past Results: Charleston is coming off a 59-44 win on Senior Night against Mattoon on Friday. Charleston is riding a three-game winning streak that includes winning four of its past five games. 

Charleston’s Team Stats: Charleston is averaging 55.8 points per game and allowing 52.5 points per game. 

What Springfield Southeast Said: The coach did not respond to comment. 

What Charleston Said: “Southeast is very quick and athletic,” said Drone. “They pressure you defensively and play at a fast pace offensively. They make you play offense and challenge you 94 feet away from the basket. Right now, our focus is handling pressure and handling traps. We are finding ways to attack their press and get great looks for us on offense and limit turnovers. Defensively, we are committed to one and done for them on each of their possessions and not giving them extra opportunities to score.”