Boys Basketball

Semistate Previews

(3-18-2003)

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

CLASS 4A  (Lafayette Semistate)

DeKalb (25-1) 63, MERRILLVILLE (15-10) 50

If LaVell Cook (injured foot) cannot play, this is a mismatch. DeKalb has lost four games in three years and they were in the semistate last year.  DeKalb was 20-0 two years ago.  They are 6-4, 6-5 and 6-7 across the front with three three-year starters. 6-7 forward Adam Lidell (12.0 ppg.) and 6-6 senior Adam Kock (18.5 ppg, 9.6 rpg.) are big, versatile forwards. Guard Matt Knapp has 70  three-point goals.

The Pirates don't match up here. If they go 'big' and match 6-2 Dezmone Jackson against DeKalb's 6-4 center Zach Christlieb with 6-4 Jimmy Reitz chasing Lidell and 6-4 George Lalic bumping the strong rebounding Kock, Merrillville slows themselves.

If Cook can play, he might be asked to guard the 6-7 Lidell.  Or coach Jim East can go 'quick' with freshman Greg Hill, Reitz and three guards and try to outrun the slower Barons.

Truthfully, Merrillville didn't match up with East Chicago or Riley last week either.

The Pirates' full-court press is severely hurt without Cook, a clever ball stealer. There's no way the Pirates are going to be honest about LaVell's condition in the local press because Jim East knows that DeKalb people can and will read those comments.  Merrillville's 6-2 leading scorer was said, by more than one observer to have a broken toe. If that is true, he could play but would be somewhat ineffective running the floor.

There is great pressure on DeKalb in this game. The Barons are 68-4 in the last three seasons but the three core players who have made that happen, Lidell, Kock and Knapp, are seniors and this is their last chance.  DeKalb fell far behind eventual state champion Gary West Side in last year's semistate before losing 69-64. After a 20-0 regular season two years ago, the Barons were shocked 64-51 in the sectional opener.

This is it. It is unlikely they will return to this point in 2004. A very large crowd (as many as 3,000 in good weather) will head west from DeKalb County to back the Barons. The Barons have to look at Merrillville's 15-10 record and LaVell Cook's availability and believe that this is their chance.

But Merrillville has one last weapon. The 'great equalizer'. Josh Mayo is a terrific ballhandler and 5-11 defensive specialist Cliff Harris is just as quick.  Without Cook, I'd spread the floor and play the four-corner attack.

Igor Ristevski can shoot from the perimeter while the 6-4 Reitz and the 6-2 Jackson can attack from the flanks. Merrillville can take 30-40 seconds off the clock on each possession and DeKalb may not be quick enough to handle it.

The Barons have certainly seen this attack but perhaps not with the quickness of Mayo, Harris and Hill. Merrillville has played in front of large crowds so that won't bother them.  I don''t know if DeKalb has played in front of 7-8,000.

It's hard to pick the Pirates here because of the youth on the team. There's also a likelihood that Merrillville will not be able to maintain their fantastic finishes. They have trailed anywhere from 5-15 points in the second half of four of five playoff games.

This appears the time that DeKalb finally makes it and Merrillville sets up a return trip next year.

No. 4 DeKalb  (25-1)
Coach Cliff Hawkins
2002 record: 23-2   -   2001 record: 20-1
2000 record: 11-11    -    1999: record:  8-13

Offense:   61.7ppg.        defense: 48.5               Average margin of victory:  13.3

Nov. 27: FW Northrop     (12-11)  W  66- 49
Dec.  6: at Wawasee      (15-8)   W  53- 42
Dec. 10: at Leo          (8-13)       W  69- 46
Dec. 14: Goshen     (15-7)          W  66- 51
Dec. 20: Norwell    (8-14)           W  71- 51
Dec. 21: FW Dwenger   (15-9)     W  64- 57
Dec. 28: (n)Perry Meridian  (22-5) W  47- 43 tny
Dec. 28: (n)Lebanon  (16-7)        W  64- 51 tny
Jan.  3: FW Snider   (15-7)         W  91- 84
Jan.  4: at Eastside  (6-15)         W  60- 31
Jan. 11: at New Haven  (7-14)       W  49- 38
Jan. 17: East Noble   (7-14)          W  66- 32
Jan. 21: at Angola   (12-9)            W  69- 52
Jan. 25: at Columbia City (21-2)     L  53- 56  (OT)
Jan. 31: at Homestead   (13-10)     W  61- 44
Feb.  4: FW North   (7-13)             W  93- 71
Feb.  8: Carroll (FW)  (9-12)             W  56- 54
Feb. 13: at Bellmont  (12-9)             W  62- 53
Feb. 18: at Central Noble    (10-13)  W  64- 46
Feb. 21: Garrett  (18-5)                W  55- 46
Feb. 25: Lakeland  (15-8)              W  62- 51
Feb. 28: at Northridge   (11-11)     W  51- 45

DeKalb (4A) Sectional
Mar.  7: (n)East Noble    (7-14)          W  45- 36
Mar.  8: (n)Columbia City  (21-2)        W  55- 49 (2 OTs)

Marion (4A) Sectional
Mar. 15: (n)FW Northrop  (12-11)       W  61- 43
Mr. 15: (n)Muncie Central  (16-9)      W  52- 39

Lafayette (4A) SemiState
Mar. 22: (n)Merrillville (15-10)  - 12 noon  (CST)

This might be the most interesting game of the eight to be played Saturday because some have doubts about Roosevelt and everybody probably has doubts about Elmhurst.

This is a 'Return to Glory'  season for the Trojans although I never heard whether they ever had any glory.   Elmhurst won only 33 games in the last five years and they've won 21 this season. 

What happened?

James Hardy.

James Hardy (23.3 ppg., 9.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.1 steals) is a 6-6 guard who scored 30 in Saturday's win over Jay County. Obviously, Hardy is difficult to guard with 62 three-point baskets including five against Jay County. What jumps out at you is 68 points per game in the Summit Athletic Conference (SAC).  The attack continues with Joe Poindexter (14.5 ppg., 4.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.9 steals) and Steven Driver (12.0 ppg.). To read the Fort Wayne papers, Poindexter and Hardy may be the top two players in the SAC.  They are not conservative.  It is said that Poindexter executed a 360-degree spinning dunk in the SAC tournament. The two big shooters reportedly feed off each other and Elmhurst has scored 70 or more 11 times.

After playing in Fort Wayne's Summit Athletic Conference, Elmhurst won't be intimidated by Roosevelt. But Driver didn't play last weekend for reasons that aren't clear. And Elmhurst isn't known for defense. They even admit that publicly.

Velt's Tyrone Appleton should welcome the challenge of slowing Hardy and 6-5 forwards Jamal Nash and NaQuan Jackson appear too strong for 6-5 senior center Ben Stiffler and 6-3 Elmhurst junior Brandon Stuckey inside.

I think this is the type of challenge that the Panthers will welcome. Roosevelt had four players in double figures in both games of the regional last week. They overlooked Highland and won by 13. Then, they keyed on 20-game winner Knox and blasted them by 23.  The Panthers shot 33 of 45 (73.3 %) from the foul line as well.  This is the reverse of the DeKalb-Merrillville game. Roosevelt is the team that was denied last year and has pushed hard to get back here. Elmhurst is the team that didn't expect to be here.

The team that will beat Roosevelt will slow them down, not run with them.  It would appear that Elmhurst cannot slow anybody.  I don't like the level of competition Elmhurst has played in the last half dozen games. No matter how well they play, Roosevelt should eventually run them down.

(FORT WAYNE) ELMHURST  (21-5)
Coach: Keith Edmonds
2002 record:  10-10     -     2001 record:   8-13
2000 record:  8-13      -     1999 record:  3-17
1998 record:  4-16
Offense:   68.9 ppg.       Defense: 62.0 ppg.      Average margin of victory: 6.9

Nov. 27: (n)FW South     (12-8)             W  65- 59
Nov. 30: at Huntington    (7-14)              L  54- 61
Dec. 10: FW Canterbury   (10-12)         W  76- 40
Dec. 13: at Brebeuf           (9-11)          W  60- 59
Dec. 14: Harding       (15-6)                W  66- 64
Dec. 18: at Heritage  (7-14)                W  58- 55
Dec. 20: FW Northrop     (12-11)          W  58- 56

Summit Athletic Conference Tournament
Dec. 28: FW Wayne (7-13)                 W  76- 63
Dec. 30: (n)FW Snider      (15-7)         W  78- 76
Dec. 30: (n) Bishop Dwenger    (15-9)          L  55- 72 title
Jan. 10: at FW Snider     (15-7)         W  77- 69
Jan. 17: FW North   (7-13)               W  84- 80
Jan. 21: at Bishop Dwenger (15-9)            L  55- 61
Jan. 25: FW Wayne   (7-13)                W  66- 59
Jan. 31: at Bishop Luers (3-17)               W  75- 49
Feb.  4: FW Blackhawk   (17-8)        W  65- 63  (2  OT)
Feb.  8: at FW South   (12-8)              L  65- 76
Feb. 12: FW Concordia  (17-5)              L  75- 82
Feb. 19: at Homestead   (13-10)          W  85- 63
Feb. 21: at SB Washington  (9-13)       W  81- 71
Feb. 25: Woodlan    (8-13)                W  81- 59

Wayne (4A) Sectional
Mar.  4: (n)FW Wayne   (7-13)             W  64- 43 sect
Mar.  7: (n)Harding        (15-6)              W  76- 60 sect
Mar.  8: (n)Heritage       (7-14)              W  66- 52 sect

Northwood (4A) Regional
Mar. 15: (n)Lakeland       (15-8)            W  69- 62 regn
Mar. 15: (n)Jay County   (15-10)           W  62- 59 regn

Lafayette (3A) Semistate
Mar. 22: (n)Gary Roosevelt  (23-1) 2:00 pm  (CST)

No. 1 Gary Roosevelt (23-1)

East Chicago Thanksgiving Tournament
11-29-2:  63-40   Portage (8-13)
11-30-2:  60-58 (OT)  East Chicago (18-6) title
12-2-2:  69-59 Valparaiso (17-4)
12-12-2: 91-73 at Lew Wallace  (8-11)
12-18-2:  67-65 at Andrean (11-12)
12-21-2:   67-57 Merrillville (15-10)

Gary Holiday Tournament
12-27-2:  71-67 West Side (7-12)
12-28-2:  83-72  Lew Wallace (8-11)  title

1-11-3:  37-45 (Chicago) Morgan Park (12-16)
1-16-3:  64-58 Gary West Side (7-12)
1-21-3:  69-42 Horace Mann (5-15)
1-18-3:  77-65 (Michigan) Buena Vista
1-24-3:  62-61 East Chicago (18-6)
1-25-3: 81-63 at (South Bend) Washington (9-13)
1-31-3:  55-48 Wirt (12-9)
2-5-3:  100-66 Hammond  (8-14)
2-12-3: 50-38 at Bishop Noll (11-11)
2-13-3: 63-62 Lake Central (14-8)
2-20-3: 53-41  at Crown Point (11-11)
2-28-3: 87-63 (Indy) Broad Ripple  (3-16)

Calumet (3A) Sectional
3-7-3:  59-56 Griffith (18-5)
3-8-3: 73-54 Andrean (11-12)

Plymouth (3A) Regional
3-15-3:  59-46  Highland (16-10)
3-8-3:   68-45  Knox (21-5)

CLASS 4A-2A  (Southport Semistate)

(4A) Pike (27-0) 67,  (Evansville) Harrison (23-2)  52
(2A) Forest Park (22-4)   47,  Eastern Hancock (20-5)  43 

CLASS 1A-2A  (Warsaw Semistate)

(2A) Lewis Cass (24-0)  50,  Northfield (15-10) 37
(1A) Lafayette Catholic (16-9)  60,  Blackhawk Christian (18-8)  57

CLASS 3A-1A  (Southport Semistate)

(3A) Bishop Chatard (20-2)  71, Corydon (20-6)  60 
(1A) Southwestern (21-4)  56,  Orleans (23-3)   53

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Revised: July 10, 2004.