NW Indiana Girls Basketball: 2009-2010 Week-7 Poll

2009-2010 Renegade Girls Basketball

Week-7 Poll

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

(01-13-2010)

MERRILLVILLE, IN (01-15-2010) There's still no doubt who's number one as the playoffs approach.

Merrillville and Gavit, the latter of which plays a very soft schedule, have a chance to go 20-0 and the question that may come up is: Should either school bench its starters in the final regular season game to rest them for the playoffs?

Here's the deal. Merrillville plays at Crown Point on Thursday night, Feb .4 and they will definitely play an opening round Sectional game on Tuesday, May 9 or Wednesday, May 10. With the prospect of three sectional games in five days (and you certainly hope you get to play 3), should a 19-0 Merrillville, which has had injury problems, bench starters in the third quarter and throw the game like the Indianapolis Colts did just so they can be 'ready' for the sectional?

The answer is 'no'. All games matter. You train all year to play just 20 games and you are a disgrace to the sport if you don't play them all to win. Plus, intentionally losing or giving 75% NEVER works for you. Only misguided or over-coached teams do that.

Plus, 20-0 means something. I do not believe that any DAC team has ever gone 20-0 during the regular season. That matters. You play to win and you play for achievements. A sectional title means something but I do NOT believe the sectional means more than going 20-0 and 14-0 in league play. Any coach who gets in the way of that should be taken out back and whipped.

The 38th Porter County Conference Tournament begins Monday night with Kouts (11-2) facing Boone Grove (12-1) Monday night at 7:00 p.m. The Greater South Shore Conference Tournament also begins Monday night on four home sites. Calumet (10-4) is the host of the semifinals and finals and they should see surprising River Forest (10-4) in the semifinals.
The big school Duneland Conference tournament begins...

Oh. Sorry. The DAC doesn't have a championship tournament. Just another boring week in the mind-numbing 14-game round robin that is probably more painful to play than it is to watch.

1. (4A) MERRILLVILLE (14-0)
2009 (10-11), 2008 (17-5), 2007 (16-6), 2006 (19-3), 2005 (12-10)

MERRILLVILLE: The Pirates got junior guard Latoi Merriweather back from the injured list in a Tuesday night (01-12-2010) win 76-45 at Lowell. Point guard Raveen Murray scored 19 and she's the key to the Pirates. Most teams don't have a true lead guard, but Murray is going past people and no one in the DAC has an answer for her. The Pirates host Hobart (14-1) on Tuesday, Jan. 19 and if they win that night, they need only to beat DAC teams they have defeated before to go 20-0. The Pirates have to go hard because there is a major jump in quality from the sectional to the regional.

2. (4A) Hobart (15-1)
2009 (15-6), 2008 (12-9), 2007 (7-14), 2006 (11-11), 2005 (13-10)

HOBART: The Brickies defeated Chesterton 60-45 Tuesday night (Jan. 12) in the second game of a five-game road trip. Amanda Corral scored 23 points, but the Brickies still stumbled (just 10 of 21) from the foul line. Hobart's schedule hasn't been that tough despite good wins over Valparaiso (8-6) and Portage (9-5). But it's not over yet. Hobart has Gavit (14-0), Merrillville (14-0) and Jefferson (9-5) still to play. They need it. This is one of the weakest seasons of all time in Northwest Indiana girls basketball. Hobart quite rightfully thinks they're good, but Conan O'Brien thought he was good, too. The Brickies have the speed to win 4A Sectional 2, but they need to play very well in the next couple of weeks because of that soft schedule.

3. (4A) Valparaiso (8-6)
2009 (13-8), 2008 (13-10), 2007 (8-14), 2006 (13-8), 2005 (21-2), 2004 (23-3)

VALPARAISO: It is very hard to find a third best team. You can't just ignore strength of schedule. Valparaiso has lost six times including a loss to Hobart (12-1), Carmel (11-3), Merrillville (14-0) twice, Hamilton Southeastern (8-6) and Portage (9-5). Valpo had 11 days off after the holidays and I don't know why, but they should be ready for the final six regular season games. Valpo could defeat anyone in 4A Sectional 2, but they do not play at the pace needed to beat someone like Elkhart Memorial (15-1), a certain regional foe.

4. (3A) Andrean (10-5)
2009 (12-9), 2008 (8-12), 2007 (18-5), 2006 (15-8)

MERRILLVILLE: Let's be honest, they've made a charge that did not appear possible when they were 1-4 in December. Andrean's 65-50 win over Gary West Side (9-4), added to their overtime win over Hobart (15-1), indicates the 59ers have jumped up into contention in 3A Sectional 18. The 59ers still have Knox (9-4) to play and that will tell a story, because Knox is in Sectional 18 which is at Kankakee Valley. The Niners may have some rebounding problems, but they can extend the defense and cause problems to teams without top ball handlers and that's almost everybody. Andrean does have a postponed game with Hanover Central (7-5) remaining, but Hanover has eight games left and can't find a date to play. The 59ers, who are riding a four-game winning streak, may only have four games remaining in the season. But as far as they're concerned, the playoffs could start now.

5. (4A) Portage (9-5)
2009 (13-8), 2008 (13-8), 2007 (16-9), 2006 (4-17), 2005 (4-17)

PORTAGE: I don't know how Portage lost by 20 to Griffith, but Portage is still a sectional threat with returning starters Tara Ellis (10.0 ppg.), Tori Bliss (14.5 ppg.) and Bri Wischman (11.7 ppg.) holding their own against anyone. It's troubling that they've been held under 30 points twice recently, but they out-rebound almost everybody. This is a very small team outside of Ellis and Bliss and that can hurt them against a team like Valpo. Portage is quicker than Valpo though, and that gives them a better chance beyond the sectional if they can get there.

6. (4A) Gary West Side (9-4)
2009 (17-7), 2008 (18-5), 2007 (16-6), 2006 (16-7), 2005 (23-5), 2004 (20-4)

GARY: The Cougars had a long time off after some snow postponements and they got beat 63-50 by Andrean Tuesday (01-12-2010). Gary West Side plays at Clay (10-1) on Jan. 15 and they'll try to make up the Benton Central (12-2) game. But they don't have any good wins and I wonder how good they really are. The upside is: West Side doesn't have any tough sectional opponents except Lake Central (8-6). West Side and LC are still the sectional favorites.

7. (1A) Oregon-Davis (11-3)
2009 (22-3), 2008 (24-1), 2007 (25-3), 2006 (14-8), 2005 (11-11), 2004 (7-14)

HAMLET: Oregon-Davis is still riding high in their final season in the sun. No offense, but when senior ball-handler Gabrielle (Gabi) Minix (20.3 ppg.) graduates, they'll fade away faster than the Jay Leno show. But they are playing a 'state finals' schedule. None of the 4A Northwest Indiana teams are facing Elkhart Memorial (15-1), but O-D has played them as well as 4A South Bend Clay (12-4). Here's another very small team physically, but no one in 1A Sectional 50 has a winning record except Oregon-Davis.

8. (2A) Boone Grove (12-1)
2009 (16-7), 2008 (16-7), 2007 (18-5), 2006 (14-11), 2005 (21-6)

PORTER TOWNSHIP: Boone Grove drew Kouts (11-2) in the Porter County Conference (PCC) tournament so there will be a third and winner-take-all match. I know Boone has beaten Kouts twice already, but if Kouts wins the third meeting and eliminates Boone from the PCC tourney, the other two don't matter. Kouts (11-2) and Hanover Central (7-5) appear to be the only teams capable of defeating Boone left on their schedule. But the Kouts game is big. If Boone loses they only get 19 regular season games. If the Wolves get to the PCC finals on Jan. 18, they will play 21 games.

9. (4A) Lake Central (7-5)
2009 (12-10), 2008 (9-13), 2007 (7-14), 2006 (11-10)

ST. JOHN: Again, when you look at the record (as with Valparaiso), you have to subtract the two losses to 4A powerhouses Carmel and Hamilton Southeastern. LC's other three losses are to Merrillville (14-0), Griffith (9-7), Michigan City (9-5) and Valparaiso (8-6). LC was 0-3, so they've won eight of their past 11 and anyone who has them ranked behind Gavit (14-0) simply doesn't understand the game.

10. (3A) Griffith (9-4)
2009 (16-7), 2008 (17-5), 2007 (15-7), 2006 (14-8), 2005 (15-8), 2004 (13-9)

GRIFFITH: Griffith stomped Portage by 20, but then lost to Gavit (14-0), a team they should beat. I still think this team can win sectional and regional titles. They've lost to Hobart (15-1) twice, Gavit (14-0) and Andrean (10-5). What I do not know is what they still believe they can do. You simply can't rank Gavit, a team that plays a very soft schedule, ahead of Griffith because Gavit beat Griffith in 2 overtimes 53-49. The Panthers have played the schedule required to win sectional and regional titles in 3A. They have not been productive offensively lately (under 50 points for 4 games in a row) and I don't know why.

On the outside looking in...

(3A) Gavit (14-0)
2009 (11-10), 2008 (9-14), 2007 (4-17), 2006 (4-16)

HAMMOND: Gavit tied Griffith at the buzzer on a three-point shot by Breanna-Rivoli Johnson and won in overtime 53-49. After a 53-41 win over 2A Hanover Central, the Gladiators have a little more credibility than they had 10 days ago. I do not think this team has a chance to win the 3A regional title. This is a very weak area in girls basketball this season. The 19-0 start (unless they disband the program next week, they'll go 19-0) just doesn't mean what it would in other years. But with that said, Gavit could go 20-0 and win the sectional. Gavit has Clark (0-15) and Marquette (0-11) left to play so they should be 19-0 when they play the season finale at Hobart (15-1) on Thursday, Feb. 4. Other than Gary Roosevelt (12-1), which plays a far worse schedule than Gavit does, no one in the 5-team Class 3A sectional 17 has a winning record. The Indianapolis Colts are the only people on the planet who believe that an undefeated regular season does not matter.