With a few notable exceptions, it hasn't been a great season for girls high school basketball on the Indiana side of the Wabash Valley.

And the Indiana High School Athletic Association, bless its heart, made sure those exceptions were teams in really tough sectionals.

Tournaments start Tuesday. A few sites will have Wednesday games, but all the semifinals are Friday and all the championship games are Feb. 7.

Northview's decisive win at Terre Haute South in early December was a de facto championship for the Indiana Valley teams, and to win the sectional the Knights would almost surely have to beat both the other teams that shared the Western Indiana Conference championship with them. And on the homecourt of the one of those that beat them.

Still probably our best shot for a game for the Tribune-Star to cover next weekend.

South? The Braves need only to beat a team for the second time to get to the championship game, but one of the best teams in the state will be waiting for them.

Mention has to be made of Linton and Sullivan, both of whom had good seasons. The Golden Arrows, in fact, beat both South and Northview at the Timberland Holiday Classic.

Both of them, and West Vigo too, play in a tournament that also includes both South Knox and North Knox, the two teams that have ruled Class 2A for several years now.

And isn't it about time somebody figures out how to develop young girls basketball players the way Knox County has been doing?

• Class 4A, at Terre Haute North — The two North teams in this field meet in Tuesday's opener, their second game against each other in six games on the same court (the Cougars won 49-30 on Thursday).

Whoever wins the rematch gets the privilege of playing tournament favorite Bloomington South on Friday, after Terre Haute South plays Martinsville. The Braves have beaten the Artesians by 10 but have lost to both Bloomington teams.

The Panthers are the clear favorites, even though they've lost two of their last four.

• Class 3A, at Edgewood — Northview should win its opener but figures to have a tough weekend.

Owen Valley is dangerous, even though the Knights beat them handily in the regular season, and Edgewood is not only the host but the only team to beat Northview (also at Edgewood) in Western Indiana Conference play.

Speaking of which, those three teams also tied for the WIC championship, so let's make the sectional champion the conference champion.

• Class 2A, at South Putnam — This championship might very well be decided on Tuesday night, when Parke Heritage plays Southmont.

The Wolves won the regular-season meeting 53-47 and have the strength-of-schedule advantage. They're not very old, but their juniors and seniors have played in big games before. The Mounties have the better record.

• Class 2A, at Eastern Greene — Arguably the toughest Class 2A sectional in the state is led by defending state champion South Knox, ranked No. 1 in one small-school girls poll this season.

The Spartans open with a pesky Sullivan team, with North Knox waiting for the winner of that game. Linton sneaked out with a sectional title two years ago, and the Miners await the winner of a toss-up game between West Vigo and the host team.

• Class A, at North Vermillion — The best team got the best draw, so Sam Karr's Fountain Central Mustangs are definitely the favorites.

North Vermillion has been playing well lately, and Riverton Parke gave the Falcons a good game in the regular season.

Lafayette Central Catholic, for once, may not be a factor.

• Class A, at Clay City — There may not be a favorite here, although White River Valley tied for second in the SouthWestern Indiana Athletic Conference.

Shakamak lost its SWIAC game to the Wolverines but beat them later at the Greene County Tournament, so maybe the Lakers are the favorites (even though they were snowed out of their tuneup game against Brownsburg — the Brownsburg team that beat Bloomington South by 35 recently).

Regardless of the outcomes, this might be the sectional in the Valley with the most competitive games.

CLASS 4A

At Terre Haute North

Tuesday

6 p.m. – Bloomington North (11-11) vs. Terre Haute North (7-16)

Friday

6 p.m. – Martinsville (6-14, 1 more game) vs. Terre Haute South (15-7)

7:30 p.m. – Bloomington South (17-5) vs. Bloomington North-Terre Haute North winner

CLASS 3A

At Edgewood

Tuesday

6 p.m. – Cascade (12-9, 1) vs. Speedway (10-8, 1)

7:30 p.m. – Indianapolis Washington (4-7, 2) vs. Northview (15-5, 2)

Friday

6 p.m. – Edgewood (15-5) vs. Cascade-Speedway winner

7:30 p.m. – Owen Valley (13-6, 1) vs. Indianapolis Washington-Northview winner

CLASS 2A

At South Putnam

Tuesday

6 p.m. – Greencastle (10-11, 2) vs. North Putnam (13-7, 1)

7:30 p.m. – Parke Heritage (15-7) vs. Southmont (16-3, 1)

Friday

6 p.m. – South Putnam (11-11) vs. Greencastle-North Putnam winner

7:30 p.m. – South Vermillion (0-19, 2) vs. Parke Heritage-Southmont winner

At Eastern Greene

Tuesday

6 p.m. – West Vigo (5-15) vs. Eastern Greene (6-12, 2)

7:30 p.m. – No. 3 South Knox (17-3, 1) vs. Sullivan (11-11)

Friday

6 p.m. – Linton (13-7, 1) vs. West Vigo-Eastern Greene winner

7:30 p.m. – No. 4 North Knox (15-5, 1) vs. South Knox-Sullivan winner

CLASS A

At North Vermillion

Tuesday

7 p.m. – Covington (4-19) vs. Attica (5-18, 1)

Wednesday

6 p.m. – North Vermillion (14-10) vs. Riverton Parke (12-9)

7:30 p.m. – Lafayette Central Catholic (9-14) vs. Faith Christian (12-8)

Friday

6 p.m. – No. 12 Fountain Central (18-2, 1) vs. Covington-Attica winner in semifinal

7:30 p.m. – Wednesday’s winners in semifinal

At Clay City

Tuesday

6 p.m. – Bloomfield (7-14) vs. White River Valley (10-10, 2)

7:30 p.m. – Dugger Union (4-17) vs. Lighthouse Christian (9-9, 3)

Wednesday

6 p.m. – Shakamak (11-9) vs. Cloverdale (9-12)

7:30 p.m. – Clay City (9-10, 2) vs. North Central (3-15, 1)

Friday

6 p.m. – Tuesday’s winners in semifinals

7:30 p.m. – Wednesday’s winners in semifinals

All championship games are Saturday