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2007-2008 Girls BasketballWeek-7 PollA USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith(01-09-2008) |
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2007-2008 Girls BasketballWeek-7 PollA USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith(01-09-2008) |
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MICHIGAN
CITY, IN - (01-09-2008) - We're still looking for a
Northwest Indiana team, other than
Oregon-Davis, to make an impact outside of
NW Indiana. Michigan City showed quality in a 67-58
loss at No. 1 South Bend Washington (14-0)
but they didn't get the win. MC has three
losses to Washington in the last two years,
and while they can't be blamed for that, the
regional format says they'll have to do
better.
Gary West Side (11-2) stepped up to take
on 3A Benton Central (10-4), but stepped back
with a 59-57 loss. Stepped back? The same
format that says Michigan City must beat
Washington also says that West Side has to.
West Side and Gary Roosevelt both lost to
Marshall (15-6) from Chicago and this is
decidedly not one of Marshall's better
teams. The January tournaments that cover the
state of Indiana do not touch Northwest
Indiana except for the Porter County
Conference Tournament, the Bi-County
Invitational and the first Greater South
Shore Conference (GSSC) tournament.
The GSSC Tourney does not use a central
location, instead pitting the eight league
teams against each other on home sites on
Tuesday night, Jan. 15.
The semifinals are Friday night, Jan. 18 at
Whiting and the championship game is
Saturday at the Calumet Fieldhouse.
The GSSC (which is Noll, Wheeler, North
Newton, Marquette, Lake Station, River
Forest, Calumet and Whiting) also adds two
consolation games on Thursday, Jan. 17.
The boys tournament holds four quarterfinals on Wednesday, Jan. 16 with the semifinals Saturday morning at Calumet and the finals following the girls championship Saturday night. The final two days are the same as the PCC tournament, and I'll assume the home sites for quarterfinals were designed to reduce travel in a league that ranges from Michigan City, 40 miles east to Whiting and 60 miles south to Newton County.
Calumet is the anchor to this tourney. They have the most tradition of anyone here and the Calumet Fieldhouse is a great location for a tournament. Always has been. This new league of little teams with very little in common will enjoy coming together on one night. Plus, it could be a very big night for Calumet high school which is favored to win the girls title and has a good chance to take the boys crown as well. The only downside is, this tourney is on the same weekend as the 50th PCC tournament and may be somewhat overshadowed. Wheeler high school is located in Porter County and Marquette, Lake Station and River Forest almost are.
The top PCC teams are also slightly stronger than most of the GSSC teams, with the notable exception of Calumet. The GSSC might want to move their tourney to the final week of January, but either way, they'll benefit from the fact that the DAC and the new Northwest Crossroads Conference (NWCC) chose not to have a tourney. The biggest benefit of the tourney is that, like in the PCC, the teams that reach the finals will play three times and increase their season total of games to 21.
Under IHSAA rules you can play 18 games and a tournament or 16 games and two tournaments. Michigan City plays 18 games and one tournament, but the tourney is the eight-team pool play South Bend Holiday Tournament where everyone plays four times in two days. So while most Duneland Conference teams play 20 games, Michigan City plays 22. Some coaches want to schedule the maximum possible number of games and events in any sport to get everybody playing time. If you look state wide there are more tournaments than there are political primaries and some may mean less than the Iowa caucus.
But everybody loves to win something and
you put a $50 wood, paste and tin trophy on
the line and the kids play harder and the
fans drive further. It's always been that
way.
1. (4A)
Michigan
City
(13-4)
2007
(22-2)
2006 (14-11), 2005
(6-15), 2004
(6-16)
MICHIGAN CITY: Michigan City lost 67-58 to undefeated state champ South Bend Washington in front of a sellout crowd in South Bend. Washington star Skyler Diggins (26 ppg.) scored 31 as the Panthers won their 42nd game in a row. Michigan City is 35-6 in the last two seasons but 0-3 against Washington. That's like Mitt Romney saying he has a silver and a bronze medal after the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary. It's still losing. The Wolves trailed 53-33 with 5:30 to go, but a 21-7 run made it 60-54 with 2:02 to play. Bianca McGee hit four three point baskets while TaKenya Nixon scored 10 of her 29 in the final period. MC has a one-game lead in the DAC, but the line in the sand has been drawn once more. MC, to their credit, came back to beat Valparaiso behind 21 from McGee and nine rebounds from Missy Johnson. They host last place Crown Point (5-10, 0-9) this Friday. The eight-team Chesterton Sectional will be tough and MC has to try to forget about the 'Washington factor' that confronts everybody in NW Indiana at the regional level.
2. (4A)
MERRILLVILLE
(10-4)
2007
(16-6),
2006
(19-3),
2005
(12-10),
2004
(12-8)
MERRILLVILLE: Portage defeated Merrillville for the second time this year, 69-62 last Friday after the Pirates got off to another slow start. Britney Cruse scored 28, but the Pirates faded after a 15-15 first quarter. The Pirates sank 13 of 23 from the line, while Portage was 22 of 25. The Pirates romped over Lowell 69-34 Tuesday night (1-8-2008), but even in that game, Merrillville committed 20 turnovers. The Pirates appear to be coasting. They are better than they have shown recently. The only reason Merrillville is rated ahead of Portage is because the Pirates are a better team, player-for-player, and for their superior non-conference schedule. And let's be honest. I don't think anyone who has seen both teams feels Portage is better than Merrillville.
3.
(4A) Portage
(11-3)
2007
(16-9),
2006 (4-17),
2005
(4-17),
2004
(10-12)
PORTAGE: Portage lost 55-50 to Lake Central Saturday but they're fine. This is a team that won 16 games last year and they're still on-line to do better than that. Lisa Samplawski was 15 of 18 from the foul line as the Indians, who were 22 of 25 from the line, jumped on Merrillville early to stay in the DAC race. 5-10 senior forward Lisa Hernandez grabbed 11 rebounds. The Indians then romped over Washington Township 67-33 Tuesday in one of those games that lets folks know why we have class basketball. Washington Township and Portage, which are about five miles apart, used to be sectional rivals and Washington NEVER beat them. Portage would be ahead of Merrillville in this poll had they not played a couple of 1A schools and woeful Lew Wallace (1-10). The Indians have a very good chance to equal the 16 win total of last year. The Indians play their final four games at home starting with a Tuesday night matchup against Michigan City on Jan. 22. In January, its always better to play at home.
4.
(4A) Gary
West
Side
(11-2)
2007
(16-6),
2006 (16-7),
2005
(23-5),
2004
(22-3)
GARY: The Side didn't play well last week at Benton Central (10-4), falling behind 35-24 at half-time before a late rally fell short in a 59-57 game. Junior Breanna Haggard, who wasn't even on the preseason varsity roster, hit a season-best five three point shots to lead the Cougar rally. Junior guard Aurielle Anderson scored 23 and the Side sank 6-of-6 from the line. But the Cougars don't get many tests and they can't fall behind an unranked 3A team by double digits in the first half. West Side is just now getting into the tough part of the schedule and it will serve them well to play these difficult games. They've not been higher than fourth in this poll despite a 9-0 start because of that easy first half slate. The Cougars travel to South Bend to play Clay (13-3) this Friday. Win or lose, it's better than playing Wirt.
5.
(4A) Valparaiso
(8-7)
2007
(8-14),
2006 (13-8),
2005
(21-2),
2004
(23-3)
VALPARAISO: The Vikings lost 62-52 to Michigan City last Saturday (1-5-2008) in a game that was winnable because MC played Washington in South Bend the night before. 6-foot-4 Stephanie Lang had 10 points and 10 rebounds and the Vikings, which sank seven 3-pointers, trailed just 32-31 at halftime. Valpo was only 13-of-24 from the line and their entire game depends on shooting foul shots well. There is very little difference between Valparaiso and Chesterton except for the physical size of Valpo. The Vikings gear up for Portage, a team they surprisingly dominated 54-35 on Dec. 7, again this Friday. You do not see a lot of evidence that Valpo can win three in a row at the 4A Chesterton Sectional.
6. (4A)
Chesterton
(7-7)
2007
(7-14),
2006 (16-8),
2005
(11-11),
2004
(14-8)
CHESTERTON: Chesterton beat Crown Point in overtime to get back to the .500 mark. 5-10 junior Morgan Palombizio scored 13 in a low-scoring 47-41 triumph. The Trojans are in the same boat that Portage is. It's hard to see them winning three consecutive games against sectional and DAC rivals. But the Trojans host the sectional and they are probably the league's top defensive team. I thought Chesterton played more physically against Crown Point last week than they did last month. The Trojans have to gear up for an all-out brawl at the sectional because they are not talented enough offensively to score 50 points on the teams they have to beat. It was only three years ago when the Trojans ground down Hobart, CP and Merrillville to win the sectional title. The only losing team Chesterton has lost to is LaPorte (7-8). You can write that they are not exciting to watch, but you can't write them off.
7. (4A)
Highland
(11-2)
2007
(20-6),
2006 (12-11),
2005
(19-5),
2004
(17-6)
HIGHLAND: The Trojans won their sixth in a row 46-39 over Hobart after a two-week layoff. They weren't sharp, but after playing just twice in three weeks, they shouldn't have been. I've spoken here of the value of getting a holiday break as opposed to holiday tournament assignments. Highland's job now is to play as well as they did before the break. To get back to that level. Highland has to sweep the remainder of its schedule to be credible going into the postseason. They play so few 4A teams. Why is a .500 Chesterton team ahead of Highland? Chesterton plays 18 Class 4A schools while Highland plays eight. The Trojans must understand they take a significant step up in the post-season and two steps up if they reach (as they hope to) the regional.
8. (3A)
Griffith
(14-2)
2007
(15-7),
2006 (14-8),
2005
(15-8),
2004
(13-9)
GRIFFITH: The Panthers host Highland (11-2) Saturday night to play for first place in the Northwest Crossroads Conference (NWCC) standings. Griffith got by Gavit 39-27 in a game that does not sound too stimulating. The Panthers may be getting bogged down by the lack of highlight games on the schedule. That won't be a problem this week. Griffith is behind Highland because of the youth on the roster. They have no senior starters. But Griffith has their final four games at home and they, so far, have done everything that could have realistically been expected of them. I'll say it again. They can't get too full of themselves. Either undefeated and 3A No. 1 Twin Lakes (14-0) and undefeated and 3A No. 12 (what's up with that) Northwestern (15-0) will await Griffith if they survive sectional play. Griffith fans might want to know that Twin Lakes plays at Northwestern on Thursday night, Jan. 17. Might want to take a little drive. Griffith hosts sectional rival Calumet (10-3) on Jan. 31.
9. (1A)
Oregon-Davis (14-0)
2007
(25-3),
2006 (14-8),
2005
(11-11),
2004
(7-14)
HAMLET: Oregon-Davis beat John Glenn 52-32 last week and that was the team I thought would give them a decent game. Glenn gets a rematch at next week's Bi-County Tournament, but it's tough to ever turn around a 20-point defeat in a two week span. In the Bi-County Tourney, O-D drew Culver (2-12) in the quarterfinals. The Bobcats have won 12 games by nine points or more. They will play at Argos (8-4) on Jan. 11 and could see them in the Bi-County finals, but they're still looking at 21-0. Don't say this out loud, but I have a sneaking suspicion that Oregon-Davis could beat everyone except the top four in this poll. But with the Bobcats' 1A league schedule limiting their late season non-conference chances, O-D can't prove they could beat Highland or Chesterton.
10. (3A)
Hammond (12-2)
2007
(17-9),
2006 (15-8),
2005
(15-7),
2004
(8-12)
HAMMOND: The Wildcats are here basically because there's no one else. The Wildcats were crushed 70-51 by TF North (16-4) in a telling contest. Note the total games that North has played. You get 26-28 games in Illinois and playing more makes you a better team. But TF North's Jeanell Randolph, a 6-foot-1 center, also makes you better. She dominated a Hammond team that truthfully doesn't shoot very well from outside. Hammond was down 56-32 after three quarters and they were only 13 of 25 from the line. The Cats are front-runners. If they get ahead, they're fine. If they fall behind, they are toast because the other side can go to a zone and shut them down. Hammond will focus on sectional rival Morton (8-5) this week and we'll see if they can rebound when they have to.
HEY,
WHAT
ABOUT
US??????
(4A)
LaPorte
(7-8)
2007
(11-11),
2006 (8-13),
2005
(8-14),
2004
(4-17)
LaPORTE: LaPorte did not have a good week, losing 43-29 to slowdown masters at Plymouth. The Slicers also got pinched 50-31 by a Lake Central (5-9) team that started the season 0-7. The Slicers have lost to Michigan City (13-4), Merrillville (12-4), Portage (12-3), Chesterton (7-7), Plymouth (11-3), Lake Central (5-9) and South Bend powers Clay (14-2) and Washington (14-0). This team still has Merrillville, Portage and Michigan City left to play and chances of them finishing at .500 are slim at best. I just can't write them off yet. Keep watching here.
(1A)
Kouts
(13-1)
2007
(20-3),
2006 (12-9),
2005
(12-9),
2004
(13-9)
KOUTS: Kouts drew the 'yellow brick road' in next week's Porter County Conference (PCC) tournament drawing LaCrosse (1-13) in the quarterfinals and either Hebron (3-12) or Morgan Township (4-7) in the semifinals. I'd like to see them win 20 again before we can talk about the Top-10. The Fillies should be 15-1 going into the PCC championship game on Jan. 19 at Valparaiso University. Kouts dominated South Central 54-36 last week, their fifth win over a team with a winning record. Realistically, Kouts can't get past Oregon-Davis at the regional. The season's goal has to be the 1A Kouts Sectional and the eight-team PCC league championship next week.
(3A)
Calumet
(10-3)
2007
(13-8),
2006 (5-16),
2005
(7-15),
2004
(16-10)
GARY: Calumet's a feel-good story because they had some off-season personnel losses and they could only split their first four games. Since then, an 8-1 record has opened up the eyes of sectional rivals. Munster (5-9) is not having a good season, but for Calumet to beat Munster 59-48 had to be very gratifying. 'Feel good' does not make it in this poll. To be honest, the Warriors have not beaten anyone with a winning record other than 2A PCC powers Boone Grove (9-5) and Hanover Central (8-5). You have to say that. But Calumet is having a peak year. Next week's first-ever Greater South Shore Conference (GSSC) tourney can morph into a celebration of Calumet basketball. The Warriors, who have clinched the regular season title, are the tourney favorites and you could see Calumet girls and boys both holding up championship trophies on Calumet's tradition-rich Fieldhouse the night of Jan. 19.