2007-2008 Girls Basketball  Week-1 Poll A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith (11-12-2007)

MICHIGAN CITY, IN - (11-12-2007)- Let's take one last look at the 2007 state tournament.

In 1A, State champion Oregon-Davis (26-3) went from 14-8 last year to 27-3.  How?  The lead guard Gabrielle (Gabi) Minix, a freshman back court player who played on teams that were undefeated for three years in grade school.  Minix (12.8 ppg.) and her sophomore sister Aubrey (12.3 ppg.) team with senior sisters Amber (12.8 ppg.) and Angela Boyle (10.9 ppg.) led the Bobcat girls to a 20-point lead before winning 54-46 over Wood Memorial.  O-D should be just as strong in the next two seasons if Gabi Minix improves.  They return three starters (the sisters graduated) and little Minix is the only one that is crucial.  They have a chance to go wire-to-wire as the top-rated team.

In 2A, Heritage Christian played 15 Class 4A schools and had beaten almost all of them.  HC (26-3), has lost only one game in regulation time, 60-59 to Carmel.  Jimtown (24-3) didn't play anywhere near the schedule HC did and it showed from the opening tip.  HC lost only two seniors and had only two juniors.  Their best player is 5-10 soph Kelly Faris, one of three sophomores who average in double figures.  Obviously, if they stay healthy, Heritage Christian, now a two-time state champion, could win four titles in a row.  No northwest Indiana teams play Heritage Christian, which will travel to Illinois to play superpower Fenwick.

In 3A, there will be a shift in the balance of power in this class.  Teams like state champ Brebuef and powerful St. Joseph's lost players they cannot replace and it's time for somebody new.  It's also a down year for 3A schools in Northwest Indiana.  Other than Lebanon, which has been sidetracked early in the post-season the last two years, I can't see a state title hopeful.

In 4A, South Bend Washington (28-1) earned the state title and they got it with an 84-64 win over Columbus East.  Guard Skyler Diggens made just 10 of 28 shots, but scored 27.  South Bend Washington played 14 teams that won 19 or more games, not counting Plymouth (14-7), Portage (16-9) and Penn (16-7).  Aside from all their top players, that is why they won.  Washington loses all of its front court, but with Diggens and back court mate Emily Phillips (8.9 ppg.) returning, despite severe challenges from Penn and Michigan City, this will still be the top-ranked team for most of this season.

NUMBERS GAME:  The new sectional alignment takes Michigan City away from South Bend Washington but drops them into an eight-team sectional with six other Duneland Conference teams.  In 3A Andrean, Calumet and Knox end up in the same sectional, while in 2A, Boone Grove and Hebron are tied with Winamac and Culver.  And nobody in the 2A Sectional 33 (Noll, Lake Station, River Forest, Wheeler and Hanover Central) complained about a bad draw come tournament time.  Why some sectionals have eight teams and others have five is one of the mysteries of the state tournament.

It's always easier to wait until the teams play a couple of games for a 'pre-season' Top-10.  That way you know a little of what you're talking about.

1.  (4A) Michigan City (1-0)
2007 (22-2), 2006 (14-11), 2005 (6-15), 2004 (6-16)

MICHIGAN CITY:  Michigan City lost twice to 4A state champion South Bend Washington (28-1) and they'll be back with juniors Takenya Nixon (15.1 ppg) and Bianca McGee (11.5 ppg.) at guard along with wing shooter Katie Knoll (9.3 ppg.).  Nixon scored 25 in the season-opening win 79-48 over South Bend Adams.  The loss of center Emma Tucker isn't that big a deal because she was not a consistent player.  The Wolves have three potential centers over 6-feet tall and six seniors, but guards are everything and nobody else have two returning double figure scorers at guard.  6-foot-2 Maggie Gondeck scored six in her varsity debut.  Not every team has a 6-foot-2 freshman.  This is the only team in NW Indiana that has an outside chance to beat South Bend Washington.  But this is the DAC favorite and Sectional 2 favorite.

2.  (4A) Portage (1-0)
2007 (16-9), 2006 (4-17), 2005 (4-17), 2004 (10-12)

PORTAGE:  Junior stars Lisa Samplawski (16.1 ppg., 5.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 3.3 steals) and Gloria Hernandez (12.4 ppg., 8.0 rebounds) need only to stay healthy to make the Indians a DAC title contender.  But this team was 12-8 on the regular season and that's no good for a champion.  Shooting guard Tara Ellis needs to get into double figures for this team to roll because they will be at a speed disadvantage in the big games against Michigan City.  Also, Portage really doesn't have a lead guard and in 4A, you need a good one.  But the Indians were off to a good start after a 77-16 walkover against Lew Wallace on Nov. 8.  The real opener is Nov. 16 at Crown Point.

Portage only has three seniors, but they are all starters.  There is a feeling this team has done more than they actually have.  But if 6-foot-1 center Hannah Pajor can play a significant role defensively, you may not be able to say that in three months.

3.  (4A) MERRILLVILLE (2-0)
2007 (16-6), 2006 (19-3), 2005 (12-10), 2004 (12-8)

MERRILLVILLE:  Can you be 3rd in the area and 3rd in the DAC?  We're going to see.  The Pirates hope to do even better with forwards Britney Curry (7.1 ppg., 3.0 assists), Tierra Turner (9.8 ppg, 5.3 rebounds per game) and lead guard Britney Cruse (7.1 ppg. 3 steal per game).  The Pirates have no one over 5-foot-9, which makes them the smallest team in the DAC.  That may not catch up to them if they can control the pace of the game.  Translated: Fast when they mean to be and slow when they need to be.  That's something Merrillville could not do at the sectional the last two years when they had the best team.  With senior guards, it's something they now have the ability to do.  High school basketball is all about the guards and Merrillville is nothing, if not guard-oriented.

The Pirates began with a 58-50 win over Highland and a 78-43 win over Andrean.  Speed and experience is so significant in a short 20-game season.  But they can't be deceived by the non-DAC schedule.  They still have to find a way to beat Michigan City.

4.  (4A) Chesterton (1-0)
2007 (7-14), 2006 (16-8), 2005 (11-11), 2004 (14-8)

CHESTERTON:  The Trojans were rebuilding in 2007 and they'll be rebuilt by the 2008 playoffs.  Many are very positive about this team, which has good size in 6-foot-1 senior Abby Skube (10.0 ppg,) and 5-foot-11 Morgan Palombizio (8.0 ppg.), both of whom will be double figure scorers this year.  Palombizio scored 13 in the season opener Saturday night.  Guards Amanda Gough and Kathy MacMannus return at guard, but they will be under the gun against the speedy defenses of Michigan City and Merrillville.

I don't know if there's a lead guard here, but there are four seniors and three underclassmen 5-foot-11 or taller.  Chesterton probably can't win the sectional or the DAC this year, but they are always a very annoying team to play and that 7-14 from last year should turn completely around.  The turnaround began with a 52-44 win over Munster Saturday night, even though they sank a dismal 19-of-32 from the foul line.  It is the speed of the teams ahead of them that will be the problem.

5.  (4A) Highland (1-1)
2007 (20-6), 2006 (12-11), 2005 (19-5), 2004 (17-6)

HIGHLAND:  The Trojans are the only team in the Northwest Crossroads Conference (NWCC) who returns their lead guard: senior Lizzie Stapke.  Jordan Bedella is an experienced 5-10 center and 5-10 newcomer Rebecca Arredondo is expected to start.  Wing shooter Ashley Schassburger has to knock shots down as the Trojans are a perennially bad shooting team.
But they have more size than anyone in their league or their sectional.  They have only three seniors but they all start.  Highland does not play in any tournaments and they do not play any games outside Northwest Indiana.  This team could handle that challenge.

The Trojans lost an early lead and fell 58-50 to Merrillville in the first week, but they bounced back with a 55-34 win at Boone Grove Saturday (11-10-2007) night behind 15 points from Schassburger.  The Trojans were 3-of-12 from the line at Boone and that's been a chronic problem for Highland.  One word of caution.  At last year's regional, Highland lost by 27 to Portage, which lost by 30 to South Bend Washington the same day.  This team has to get a lot better than they were last year to compete at the regional.

6.  (4A) Valparaiso (1-2)
2007 (8-14), 2006 (13-8), 2005 (21-2), 2004 (23-3)

VALPARAISO:  I'd heard Valparaiso had some good players coming and I saw Stephanie Lang play volleyball, but I didn't put 2-and-2 together and come up with a 6-foot-3 sophomore center who will give Valparaiso a chance to win DAC and sectional championships.  The upper classmen will have to win it and those include 6-foot power forward Becca Hoefler (10.0 ppg, 6.0 rebounds per game) and 5-10 wing shooter Christine Brichta (11 ppg.).  The backcourt play will be the swing factor with senior Tara Villareal (9.8 ppg, 2.5 assist per game) being asked to protect the ball against some of those mean old DAC full court presses.  Valpo will have to play a slow-paced game.

This team has five players 5-foot-10 or taller and that's a lot of size to deal with, but a player of Lang's size takes about 10 points off the opposition's total.  Lang had 15 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots Tuesday night (11-6-2007) in a 47-31 season-opening win over Munster.  Valpo's might be better than Highland and Portage, but Hoefler has not been cleared to play after a summer foot injury.

The Vikes were bombed by 17 points by both 4A No. 4 Carmel and 4A No. 5 Hamilton Southeastern at the Lake Central Classic Saturday (11-10-2007) but those are two Top-10 teams.  I would disregard those results so early in the season.

7.  (4A) Gary West Side (1-0)
2007 (16-6), 2006 (16-7), 2005 (23-5), 2004 (22-3)

GARY:  Here's a tough team to judge but a 59-54 season-opening win at Harding in Fort Wayne shows the Cougars cannot be discounted.  There was a lot of talk about Gary Roosevelt last year and there will be more this season, but it's all talk.  Velt was toasted by West Side when they met and that will probably happen again.  Senior West Side forward Jasmine Brown (9.4 points, 5.0 rebounds per game) and 6-foot-3 Ish Sha Terry makes them formidable in the middle.  The fact that Gary West Side lost seven seniors from last year's team is irrelevant because they typically play 12-15 girls in most regular season games.  They have experienced underclassmen as was evidenced Saturday when West Side outscored Harding 17-10 in the fourth quarter in Fort Wayne to grab the season opening victory.

New stars will have to emerge here, clearly, but I like their size and I assume that if they rallied past Harding, that they have speed.  West Side still lives and dies with that full court pressure that will wipe out 75% of the teams they play.  The Cougars' power schedule is running on unleaded this season because some of the foes (Munster, Andrean, East Chicago, Jefferson, St. Jospeh's) simply are not as formidable as they have been in the past.  West Side is going to have a very good won-loss record.

8.  (3A) Hammond (1-0)
2007 (17-9), 2006 (15-8), 2005 (15-7), 2004 (8-12)

HAMMOND:  The Wildcats appear to be the top-3A team in Northwest Indiana with 5-10 guard Sancheon White, 5-10 forward Zena Nasiloski and 5-10 center Dalita Scott, who missed all last season with a knee injury.  The Cats are very quick with guard Mavis Green leading the way.  They won't be as strong on the boards, but they have the speed to win two thirds of their games.

Hammond's Tony Chase is the Wildcats third coach in three seasons.  But they have a sectional they should win, even with Gary Roosevelt, a team that defeated them last season, in the field.  Hammond opened the season with a 56-38 win over East Chicago, but that's a team they should beat by more than 18.  The Wildcats are going to need better rebounding and floor discipline than they appear to have.  But Hammond now plays largely a nonconference schedule and it's just a very weak year in Lake County overall.  Hammond stays close to home for all games, and in the 2008 season, home is where the wins are.

9.  (4A) Crown Point (2-0)
2007 (10-11), 2006 (11-11), 2005 (17-6), 2004 (14-8)

CROWN POINT:  Before I saw them, I would not have put them in the Top-10, but CP did look very good beating Kankakee Valley 59-31 Saturday night (11-10-2007).  The Bulldogs were not able to press full court due to their personnel last year, but the full court defense is back.  Daniela Tarailo scored 21 in Saturday's win, while Maegen Maloney had 14 steals in the 54-39 win over Hebron on Friday.  Saturday, Maloney, Tarailo and Sydnee Reeves all scored in double figures and that has to continue for CP to overcome their shortcomings.  The defense forced 31 turnovers from a KV team that will probably finish at .500 or above.

If 5-foot-11 junior Samantha Polus stays healthy, she will be the key to CP's defense and 5-foot-5 point guard Flori Garcia has to be very strong-minded because she will be overwhelmed at times in the DAC.  Lets not get carried away.  CP has beaten both KV and Hebron seven years in a row.  In the eight team DAC, they are probably still the fifth best team.  But the Lady Bulldogs have that core of interchangeable 5-foot-9 and 5-foot-10 players that should make them a defensive force again.  CP faces a major hurdle Friday (11-16-2007) at home against Portage.

10.  (1A) Oregon-Davis (3-0)
2007 (25-3), 2006 (14-8), 2005 (11-11), 2004 (7-14)

HAMLET:  It's time to come into the real world here.  Tiny Oregon-Davis, after winning the Class 1A championship last season, did what they should do and loaded up their schedule with bigger schools.  That alone doesn't make them a Top-10 team here, but a season-opening 64-55 win over South Bend St. Joseph's helps.  OD has six 3A teams, two 4A schools and a yet-to-be-announced Chicago power in January's Chicagoland Classic.

The Bobcats return lead guard Gabrielle (Gabi) Minix, who averaged 13 points a game last season as a freshman and her 5-foot-9 sister Aubrey Minix (8 ppg.).  Senior Sarah Conkey is a cross country state finalist and she'll fit into O-D's running attack.  Senior guard Lauren Kuss is a state finalist golfer.  They simply have a rare group.  So why aren't they higher in this poll?  They have no one taller than 5-foot-9, and like most small school teams, they are totally dependent on one player.  Without Gabi Minix leading the attack, they become an average 1A team again.

But let's shorthand this.  Oregon-Davis could beat everybody in the PCC.  They could beat everybody in the Greater South Shore Conference.  They could beat everybody in the Northwest Crossroads Conference.  Everybody saw O-D in the state finals last year and this is largely the same team.  No one in any of those leagues (LaCrosse and Washington Township have always been on the schedule) I just mentioned scheduled O-D when they were searching for quality opponents.  No big school wants to get embarrassed by a 1A team, even the 1A state champions.
 

Copyright © 2007 USA-365.com and Meyer Multimedia Services, a division of Meyer Broadcasting Corp.  All rights reserved.
Revised: November 12, 2007 .