NW Indiana Girls Basketball: 2006-2007 Week-13 Poll

2006-2007 Girls Basketball

Week-13 Poll

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

(02-24-2007)

MICHIGAN CITY, IN - (02-24-2007) - It will be better next year. A down year in NW Indiana was a capped when most teams were blown out at the regional level. Other than Class 1A, which is very wide-ranging, no team from the seven county area (Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Starke, Newton, Jasper and Pulaski) we call Northwest Indiana advanced out of the regional in the other three classes.

Several teams spoke of how much they accomplished after suffering horrible blowouts at the regional level. That shows how much the game has changed. How the character of people has changed. If I had just been beaten by 30 points, a group of Abu Grade torture guards could not get me to brag about how much I had accomplished that year. That would suggest that you didn't really expect to go any further and you didn't deserve to. Northwest Indiana teams don't plan on going to the state finals so they don't. They don't schedule 'state finals' schedules (see: South Bend schools St. Joseph's and Washington).

I repeat this for emphasis. South Bend Washington faced 10 teams during the regular season that had won 19 games or more. That is not an accident. They have attempted to play them. Washington did not play Michigan City six years ago. Michigan City wasn't any good six years ago and Washington was 16-7. They chose to play each other because they're both good now. Washington did play New Trier six years ago. Washington scheduled them.

Illinois teams play 28 games. You can schedule anyone you want or you can schedule somebody you can beat. Heritage Christian is 50-6 in the last two years and they are not in a conference. Anyone can schedule them. The number of NW Indiana teams on Heritage Christian's schedule is zero. We are not competing in NW Indiana the way we did 10-15 years ago when Crown Point would play Bishop Luers, Penn, Fenwick, Ben Davis and Wawasee in assorted years.

In defense of the Duneland teams, no other conference in the state of Indiana has more than 10 league games. Most have eight or less. The DAC has 14. It cripples the league from a competitive standpoint and I would suggest that the coaches know it. You can slip and slide and win 20 playing your cousins, but you get blown up at the regional or semistate. Everybody wants to be George Mason and come in the back door as a surprise. But the back door eventually gets locked. Until teams get serious about scheduling, they deserve little credit for minor accomplishments. And when you didn't get out of the regional, your accomplishments were minor.

South Bend Washington (26-1) continues to expose the skill level of other teams with an aggressive press that breaks down teams that thought they could handle the ball and play defense.

In 3A, four 20-game winners go head-to-head with Brebuef and 6-foot-6 TaShia Phillips and St. Joseph's headed for a collision. In 2A Heritage Christian (24-3) is a prohibitive favorite over everyone else. HC has beaten 20 teams by 10 points or more in a schedule that includes 15 4A teams. In 1A, there's still hope that little Oregon-Davis can become the first school to win the girls and boys titles in the same season. The Bobcat girls are favored to beat Lapel in the semistate Saturday. The O-D boys are top-ranked.

There's no need for hollow compliments. NW Indiana teams enjoy being the underdog far to much as if there's some moral value there. Teams do not want to be the favorite. I know that kids have mental problems with being favored, but understand that to be the underdog, you have to live in mediocre-town most of the time. You'd rather be in rehab with Britney than to always be the team that 'nobody thought could win.'

NUMBERS GAME: Oregon-Davis semistate foe Lapel (22-4) was 9-13 last season. South Bend St. Joseph's has won 20 or more in five of the last six seasons. Portage (16-9) played 17 games against Duneland Conference teams this season and those teams are probably as sick of seeing them as they are of playing the other seven league members. Lake Station is 5-137 in the last seven years. That's not a misprint. They have won five games in seven years. They have lost 137 times. No matter what you may hear or read, Lake Station will benefit greatly from the breakup of the Lake Athletic Conference, which forced them to play schools they could not beat.

South Newton, which was 54-39 the last four seasons was 0-21 this year. Unfortunately, for North Montgomery, the tradition continues. The Chargers have won five consecutive sectional titles and they have been eliminated at the regional level for the fifth consecutive year.

The window of opportunity may have closed for Hebron. Since the state finals' team in 2002, Hebron is 47-62 and now the Hawks go back to Class 2A. A Class 2A school in 2001, they had been a 1A school for six seasons. Argos was 17-4 this season, but they were 1-3 against Oregon-Davis (23-3).

1. (4A) Michigan City (22-2)
2006 (14-11), 2005 (6-15), 2004 (6-16)

MICHIGAN CITY: Michigan City didn't lose to anybody but South Bend Washington (26-1), and that means more as Washington challenges for the state title. With Takenya Nixon (15.1 ppg) and Bianca McGee (11.5 ppg.) at guard along with wing shooter Katie Knoll (9.3 ppg.), MC will be in the state Top-10 next year. There's not much the Wolves can do after a 22-2 season that didn't get them out of the sectional. They didn't choke. They lost to a superior team. How badly does MC want to beat South Bend Washington? That's a question only they can answer. The major problem in NW Indiana is that teams don't appear to want to go to the state finals that badly. They are quite happy with a winning record, a league title or a sectional. It's hard to play the 12 month cost to get to the finals. In the state-wide scheme of things, MC isn't a player. Where's Heritage Christian, Bishop Luers or Hamilton Southeastern on their schedule? The 14-game DAC schedule requirement cripples them, but until you see big time foes, they're just another dog with a bone.

2. (3A) ANDREAN (18-5)
2006 (15-8), 2005 (9-13), 2004 (7-14)

MERRILLVILLE: I cannot explain why Andrean lost twice to an inferior Gary Roosevelt team. But this second Velt win, by 13 points, was a real shock. The only major weakness the 59ers had, a lack of quickness and foot speed, buried them after they fell behind in the KV 3A sectional semifinal. The Niners can rebuild around 5-foot-9 Kelleigh McCrea and a deep sophomore class. But the reality of it is, unless they have a player coming in who can make an impact, they will not be one of the favorites in the new Northwest Crossroads Conference. Look for the 59ers to continue to play St. Joe, Merrillville and others so the record will suffer next season. But they need to seek new foes because some of the 'tough' teams they faced in 2007 wont be as tough in 2008. As much as they must focus on Roosevelt, Andrean is not the kind of franchise that has the sectional as the ultimate goal.

3. (4A) Gary West Side (16-6)
2006 (16-7), 2005 (23-5), 2004 (22-3)

GARY: Like I said last week, West Side has better players than Highland (20-5) and they should have beaten the Trojans by 8-10 points. The Cougars return at least eight varsity players and they will still face little competition against Gary Roosevelt (who they routed by 30) and East Chicago. The Cougars need to ramp up the schedule until local teams get tougher. NW Indiana was all hat and no cattle this year as the semistate went on quite well without anyone from Lake and Porter County. But the tip came early when West Side got lynched by Chicago superpower Marshall 61-36. It's not like we didn't know. Most observers said early on this was a 'down' year and the Cougars were the best example of that. But at least West Side understands that it's 'state finals or bust'. Nobody cares whether Gary West Side wins the sectional and they know that. This is another program that's at a point where they always shoot for the state finals.

4. (4A) MERRILLVILLE (16-6)
2006 (19-3), 2005 (12-10), 2004 (12-8)

MERRILLVILLE: Merrillville had to be cringing as South Bend Washington wiped up the floor with a Portage team that beat the Pirates once in three tries. Merrillville had beaten Portage twice and, again, I'm sure even the Indians would admit who was the better team. But the Pirates were upset at sectional time for the second year in a row, and for the second time after they had a good lead. Again, 'Team Britney' returns for one more shot as they still have lead guard Britney Cruse and scorer Britney Curry. The Pirates should be over .500 and a sectional co-favorite in 2008. But with that said, this team is crippled by the DAC schedule that limits them to six nonconference games. They should be traveling the state and playing teams like Washington and Heritage Christian. Merrillville, with a 35-9 record the last two years, is a big enough name state wide to get on a lot of schedules. They'll have to find a way to beat Michigan City, though.

5. (4A) Munster (16-7)
2006 (19-5), 2005 (17-6), 2004 (6-15)

MUNSTER: Munster defeated Penn, Griffith and Highland and 16-7 is a very good record. But like Andrean, it may take a few weeks before they're over this one. The Lady Ponies lose some very good athletes off this team and they'll need a slower pace in 2008. Munster's schedule can change dramatically next year once they are free of the LAC chains. Here's another school that simply must get out of the area and play some wide-ranging foes and they will. With no inside knowledge, I'm of the belief that there will be a handful of changes in everybody's schedule next season. Munster's roster undergoes big changes as well.

6. (3A) Hammond (17-9)
2006 (15-8), 2005 (15-7), 2004 (8-12)

HAMMOND: Hammond has to be disappointed in the Twin Lakes Class 3A semifinal loss 48-45 to Gary Roosevelt, a team they had defeated by 16 earlier in the season. Oddly, the focus had been on Hammond and Andrean all season and Roosevelt, which did not make this Top-10 (they lost 6 regular games by 15 or more) beats them both. The record is decent, but the purple Cats should have done better than they did this year in 'big' games. Hammond did not defeat a winning team from a larger school all year. That's where it's at. Hammond returns perimeter players Zena Nasiloski and Sancheon White, so they should be back in the regional next season. Andrean and Griffith take major graduation hits, and the 2007 playoffs are just another step in progress for Hammond. But, to go further, they must understand that a first division league finish and a sectional title despite nine losses is just not that great an accomplishment. This team didn't beat anybody they weren't supposed to all season. The Wildcats need to challenge 3A superpowers in the northern half of the state. There's no reason not to.

7. (4A) Portage (16-9)
2006 (4-17), 2005 (4-17), 2004 (10-12)

PORTAGE: The Indians went further than they probably should have and that showed when they were dismantled by 30 points by South Bend Washington in the regional final. That loss showed Portage has a long way to go. The Indians were 0-2 against Michigan City, 1-2 against Merrillville and just 7-7 in the DAC. This team overachieved, but they will be one of the ones from whom much is expected in the 2008 playoffs and that's always a much tougher role to play. Portage needs a real point guard. Even when they win they turn the ball over repeatedly. Junior stars Lisa Samplawski and Gloria Hernandez need a distributor who does not appear to be on the roster. Bring back the same team next season and they probably end up with the same record. Portage knows that Michigan City and Merrillville, two teams that dominated them, aren't losing much. Please re-read the last line from the Hammond paragraph. You can't lose nine, get beat by 30 at the regional and celebrate. Not if you are real competitors.

8. (4A) Highland (20-6)
2006 (19-3), 2005 (22-4), 2004 (12-9)

HIGHLAND: The Trojans got hit hard in a 64-37 loss to Portage, but they return the core of their team including lead guard Lizze Stapke and center Jordan Bedella to start play in the new Northwest Crossroads Conference (NWCC) in 2008, where they will be pre-season favorites. Rivals Munster and Lake Central will have to rebuild so Highland and Gary West Side are the 2008 sectional favorites. The Trojans probably advanced a little further than they should have in 2007. But they need to toughen the schedule so they'll be ready to face Portage. Somebody in NW Indiana needs to call up South Bend Washington and ask for a game. Why not Highland?

9. (2A) Wheeler (19-4)
2006 (14-7), 2005 (18-8), 2004 (19-4)

UNION TOWNSHIP: Wheeler was smoked hard 72-40 by North Montgomery (21-3) in a game that probably showed the softness of their schedule. The Bearcats panicked when they fell behind and could not recover. I know the won-loss record here is very good, but a team that trails by 40 at the regional cannot be happy with the season. In their defense, I think Wheeler did what they wanted to do with a sweep of Boone Grove and a sectional title. There was a let down after that. But it was disturbing how badly this team got crushed by a North Montgomery team that lost later that day to Jimtown. Wheeler has good size returning and they'll be a sectional co-favorite with Boone again next year.

10. (2A) BOONE GROVE (18-5)
2006 (14-11), 2005 (21-2), 2004 (17-5)

PORTER TOWNSHIP: Boone Grove is like Wheeler. They lose an all state player, but they'll have a winning team again next year. Boone returns a ton of talent with 6-foot forwards Emily Strilich and Kelly Dobson and guards Jessica Fauser and Jessica Dowdy. They have plenty of bench for the 2008 playoffs and they will probably still be the sectional favorite. Boone will find that the game is much harder when you don't have the ace ball-handler, but somebody's got to step up and challenge them and Wheeler in 2A and I don't see it. Look out for the reclassification though. With Rochester and Rensselaer going up from 2A to 3A, Boone Grove may be changing sectionals. River Forest and Hebron come up from 1A to 2A, but Sectional 35 loses Rochester and Rensselaer so Boone and Hebron may be heading south for the 2008 playoffs. Stay tuned.

ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN.....

(1A) Oregon-Davis (23-3)
2006 (14-8), 2005 (11-11), 2004 (7-14)

HAMLET: The world could come to Hamlet (if they can find it) next week if the Oregon-Davis girls reach the state finals and the O-D boys start the sectional. The O-D girls have a 17-game winning streak while the boys are 20-1. O-D is led by the 'Gang of Four'... 5-foot-10 forwards Amber (12.3 ppg.) and Angela (11.2) Boyle and 5-9 wings Gabrielle (12.4 ppg.) and Aubrey (12.9 ppg.) Minix. The Bobcats create a lot of matchup problems and they were able to reject No. 3 Canterbury 63-59 last week.

(2A) North Judson (18-5)
2006 (19-3), 2005 (22-4), 2004 (12-9)

NORTH JUDSON: Judson got shanghaied at Winamac in the sectional title game when the host school got 44 free throws in a 55-47 upset. You're not going to be able to explain how the free throw disparity was 44-15 when Judson really isn't a running team. Sometimes the referees go overboard on 'calling it tight' in a playoff game. Judson had already beaten Winamac by 14 this year and they were the superior team. Winamac was ousted in the regional semifinals. Judson returns Chelsea Howard (11.1) and Whitney Trusty (13.0) next year but they lose all-state guard Debbie Bolen, their key player. Like Boone, Judson will be OK but they will lose the control of the game that an elite lead guard gives you. The Jays, one of just three teams to beat Oregon-Davis, were NW Indiana's best chance of reaching the state finals.

(1A) Kouts (20-3)
2006 (12-9), 2005 (12-9), 2004 (13-9)

KOUTS: Kouts got outran by Canterbury in the regional semifinals. The Fillies' up tempo game played right into the hands of the Canterbury girls, who led by 21 at halftime. Here's another tradition-rich small school that could use a schedule upgrade. North White's won six games in three years. Might be time to look for a tougher foe. Hebron plays Crown Point, Andrean and Griffith. Kouts needs to get busy.