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2006-2007 Girls BasketballWeek-3 PollA USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith(11-30-2006) |
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2006-2007 Girls BasketballWeek-3 PollA USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith(11-30-2006) |
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MICHIGAN
CITY, IN - (11-30-2006)
- There's going to be more juggling in
the Top-10 this week and there'll be even more in the next couple of weeks as
so-called top teams fall. I love Michigan City, but I wouldn't bet a
nickel on them winning either the DAC or their sectional.
South Bend Washington got ambushed by Fort Wayne South on opening night, but they have made an example of four good teams since them, including a 63-44 spanking of defending 3A champ Bishop Luers last Friday. Any 4A team that has state finals dreams better wake up and schedule two-a-day practices because no one appears to be close to Washington right now.
The
most inexplicable game of the year award goes to Valparaiso's 49-40 victory over
Munster. Valpo (1-5) has lost all five games since then and Munster (5-1)
has won all five since then. But you can't be a knee-jerk pollster.
Just because a team is undefeated against bad competition does not make it
better than a team that is 1-5 against monsters. You have to say that.
State-wide, did anyone notice that 2A state champ Heritage Christian (4-0) of
Indianapolis is just embarrassing teams? HC beat 4A Broad Ripple 87-9 and
smeared 2A power Shenandoah (3-2) by a 71-39 score. Powerful Fort Wayne
Harding bit the dust 77-59 at the hands of Heritage Christian and 4A weak sister
Indianapolis Tech lost 87-42. What kind of girls are they using down
there?
The
regular season game of the year might be Heritage Christian against South Bend
Washington in the semifinals of the Hall-Of-Fame Classic at New Castle on Dec.
29.
Pairings, as usual, have not been announced, but the Lake Athletic Conference
(LAC) Tournament begins next Tuesday (12-5-2006) night.
1. (4A) Michigan City (3-0)
2006 (14-11), 2005 (6-15), 2004 (6-16)
MICHIGAN CITY: Disappointing so far. Michigan City survived a 52-49 overtime win over Valparaiso, a game they should have won by more. The Wolves have to get the ball inside to 6-3 center Emma Tucker. She can't just score six points. Sometimes it's foul trouble. Sometimes it's bad shooting. Sometimes it's just not getting her the ball. The Wolves were 16-of-53 from the field and 15-of-28 from the line against Valpo. They were lucky to win. Still, they have so much speed that most teams can't protect the basketball. 'Wolf Pack East' should be 6-0 going to Merrillville on Dec. 12.
2. (3A) ANDREAN
(4-3)
2006 (15-8), 2005 (9-13), 2004 (7-14)
MERRILLVILLE: The 59ers sent an inadvertent message with the 66-55 loss at St. Joseph's (4-1) this week. In past years, Andean lost to St. Joseph's (4-1) by margins of 35, 37 and 27 points. This gap between one of the elite 3A schools and the 59ers has clearly narrowed. Since November games do not matter, it is significant that the 59ers came close. Andrean has scored 56 or more points in every game this year. I'm sure they'd like to play a little better defense and that opportunity will arise Friday at surprising Calumet (5-1), a team that has not played anywhere near the schedule Andrean has so far. The Niners look good until you see the 52 points per game allowed. They have to prove they are not softer on defense than the Democratic Party. Or the University of Notre Dame football team.
3. (4A) Gary West Side
(1-1)
2006 (16-7), 2005 (23-5), 2004 (22-3)
GARY: The Cougars play just two games before Dec. 1 and the 59-43 win over Hammond is an eye-opener because Hammond is a quick team. West Side plays a wide ranging schedule which includes (Lafayette) Jefferson, (South Bend) St. Joseph's, (South Bend) Clay, (South Bend) Riley and (Fort Wayne) Harding so the story of the Cougars has not yet been told. But a highlight of the season may be a meeting with cross-town rival Gary Roosevelt at the Gary Holiday Tournament.
4. (3A) Hammond
(4-2)
2006 (15-8), 2005 (15-7), 2004 (8-12)
HAMMOND: Hammond has lost to West Side and Griffith, but many who have seen them are impressed. The speed is significant and they'll try to run down undefeated Wheeler (4-0) Friday night. The Wildcats also have the depth to do damage in the LAC tournament next week. But in truth, Hammond wins the 'Greg Oden' award. Everybody says he'll be great, but he hasn't done anything yet. Hammond victims East Chicago, Clark and Gavit are winless so Hammond has no quality wins yet. But they're coming.
5. (2A) Wheeler (5-0)
2006 (14-7), 2005 (18-8), 2004 (19-4)
UNION TOWNSHIP: Wheeler bombed 4A Chesterton 52-27 Tuesday, but in truth, Chesterton (1-4) is almost an all-rookie team. The Bearcats have to beat a good pressing team to get ready to play rival Boone Grove. Here comes a good pressing team, Hammond high, to play at Wheeler Friday night. The Bearcats were a disturbing 9-of-20 from the line in the win over Chesterton, but this team is just coming together with transfer Emilie Naccarato at guard. Let the record show that no one has come within 10 points of Wheeler yet. This will eventually be Wheeler's best team but 'eventually' might not be Friday night.
6. (2A) BOONE GROVE
(6-0)
2006 (14-11) 2005 (21-2) 2004 (17-5)
PORTER TOWNSHIP: Boone smoked out Kankakee Valley 52-38 in DeMotte Tuesday night (11-28-2006), after leading 25-6 at the half. Courtney Flanigan (20 ppg.) has scored in double figures in every game. The Wolves have a big home weekend coming up on Dec. 7 when they face Washington Township and Dec. 9 when they face Crown Point (4-1). I'd feel a little better if they'd have played somebody like Valparaiso, but there is a chance that "Wolf Pack West' could be 8-0 and Kouts could be 6-0 when those two teams meet on Dec. 12.
7. (4A) MERRILLVILLE (4-1)
2006 (19-3), 2005 (12-10), 2004 (12-8)
MERRILLVILLE: The Pirates have beaten some bad teams, so I'm not sure they're as good as the record. The same team that scored 70 against Andrean scored 31 against Valparaiso. The Pirates should not be slowed that easily. They cannot play a half court game. Merrillville beat Portage 57-47 last week largely on 12-of-15 from the foul line. Andrean is the only non-losing team Merrillville has defeated. That won't change Friday, but Merrillville is probably looking forward to the game at Chesterton (1-4). The Trojans upset a heavily-favored Merrillville team for the sectional title last season.
8. (4A) LAKE CENTRAL
(1-5)
2006 (11-10), 2005 (7-14), 2004 (11-10)
St. JOHN: LC is 1-5, but the losses are to Michigan City (3-0), LaPorte (4-2) and Munster (5-1), Carmel (4-1) and Hamilton Southeastern (5-0). I don't take losses in November seriously unless we're talking about football. LC was 2-8 last year and they rallied. I expect a similar revival this season. With that said, LC was 15-of-55 from the field in Tuesday night's 62-51 home loss to neighbor Munster and they start a three-game road trip Friday (12-1-2006) night at Valparaiso (1-5), which has played a similar schedule.
9. (4A) LaPorte (4-2)
2006 (8-14), 2005 (8-13), 2004 (4-17)
LaPORTE: The Slicers have not been great, but all the games are warm-ups so far. LaPorte overcame a 23-19 halftime deficit and beat Lake Central 43-36 last week. Sarah Dermody (16 ppg.) scored 24, including 12 of 16 from the foul line. The Slicers need scoring from someone other than Dermody and beating neighbor New Prairie 71-20 (11-25-6) doesn't prove much. LaPorte gets a test when Crown Point comes dashing through the snow Friday night.
10. (4A) CROWN POINT (4-1)
2006 (11-11), 2005 (9-13), 2004 (7-14)
CROWN POINT: How can CP nearly drop out of the top-10 when they are on a win streak? Because you don't rise in this poll just because you win. CP has problems on offense and the Bulldogs scored only 38 points Tuesday night against an injury-plagued Lowell team. The all-senior front court of Anjellica Rospond, Amanda Moore and Courtney Perry still hasn't had big games at the same time. The winter winds start to blow for CP Friday night (12-1-2006) when CP visits LaPorte (4-2).
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN.....
(4A) Valparaiso
(1-5)
2006 (13-8), 2005 (21-2), 2004 (23-3)
VALPARAISO: Understand about Valpo. They have lost to Hamilton Southeastern (5-0), Carmel (4-1), Michigan City (3-0), Merrillville (4-1) and Plymouth (4-1). You cannot write off a team because they've played good competition. I know the confidence level at Valpo may be low. But the schedule they play is what a 2,000-kid school should play and the Vikings will benefit from this after the first of the year.
(2A) North Judson
(3-2)
2006 (19-3), 2005 (22-4), 2004 (12-9)
NORTH JUDSON: The Judson express slowed with losses to Twin Lakes (5-1) and Kouts (4-0) and there might not be much love in the air when the Jays get off the bus in Plymouth (4-1) Saturday afternoon. But losses to top-10 teams are almost badges of honor in November. Early on, it's not who you beat, it's who you play. You have to pay the cost to be the boss. Judson just has to stay healthy and indications are, they have.
GAME OF THE WEEK
(3A) Hammond (4-2) at (2A)
Wheeler (5-0)
UNION TOWNSHIP (12-1-2006) Both teams will get something out of this 'catfight' Friday as the speedy Wildcats meet the tall Bearcats. Wheeler's guards have to break Hammond's full court pressure, but then slow the game to get the ball to Becca Bruszewski (18 ppg.). Hammond, which will play athletic Gary Roosevelt (4-3) the night before (11-30-2006) can't let fatigue slow them into a half court game. Guards 5-10 Sancheon White and 5-9 Zena Nasiloski can score plenty of fast break baskets, but only if they can get steals or rebounds.
The real show starts once Wheeler gets ahead and Hammond has to turn up the full court heat to get back in the game. Hammond is 1-5 against Wheeler in the last three years and they had to forfeit the game they did win.
If Wheeler can't beat Hammond, they probably can't beat Boone Grove, their big rival and the team they must beat for post-season glory. If Hammond can't beat Gary Roosevelt or Wheeler after losing to Griffith, they might as well start all wearing headbands and complaining about the dress code.