A
USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith1. Munster (9-0)
11-29-2002:
66-37 at Highland (3-4)
11-30-2002: 53-50 at Merrillville (4-4)
12-2-2002: 73-49 Andrean (4-5)
12-6-2002: 76-61 Frankfort (5-2) at the Hammond Civic Center
12-13-2002: 60-47 Hammond (2-6)
12-14-2002: 78-58 Lake Central (5-3)
12-21-2002: 57-55 at Chesterton (4-2)
12-27-2002: 68-55 Crown Point (6-3)
12-28-2002: 52-43 at Highland (3-4)
Munster
won the Highland Holiday tournament but they were not impressive, trailing Crown
Point in the fourth quarter and playing just well enough to win against sub. 500
Highland. Nate Burchfield scored 15 and was an inside-outside threat against CP
and Adam Del Rio helped off the bench. The Mustangs are not playing as hard as
they could.
2.
MERRILLVILLE (4-3)
11-29-2002:
64-49 Highland (2-4)
11-30-2002: 50-53 Munster (7-0)
12-14-2002: 61-58 Andrean (3-2)
12-20-2002:
66-52 at Michigan City (2-3)
12-21-2002: 57-67 at Gary Roosevelt (5-0)
12-27-2002:
41-62 Hamilton Southeastern (8-2)
12-28-2002: 58-50 Franklin (1-6)
Merrillville's
only losses are to top-10 teams and they should have beaten Roosevelt and
Munster. Point guyard Josh Mayo controls the pace of every game and
Merrillville has unusual scoring punch. You can't always go by the wins
and losses. This is one of the better Merrillville teams.
3. Gary Roosevelt (8-0)
East
Chicago Thanksgiving Tournament
11-29-2002:
63-40 Portage (2-6)
11-30-2002: 60-58 East Chicago (7-3) title
12-2-2002:
69-59 Valparaiso (5-1)
12-12-2002:
91-73 at Lew Wallace (6-5)
12-18-2002: 67-65 at Andrean (3-5)
12-21-2002: 67-57 Merrillville (4-3)
Gary
Holiday Tournament
12-27-2:
71-67 West Side (2-6)
12-28-2: 83-72 Lew Wallace (6-5)
Roosevelt
had to come from behind to beat Gary West Side. They've been fortunate recently.
Like Munster, they could use a loss. The Panthers shot very well (26-54 FGs,
16-22 FTs) against the Cougars when they needed to. The Jan. 24 rematch
with East Chicago is one to watch.
4. East
Chicago (5-3)
East
Chicago Thanksgiving Tournament
11-29-2002:
70-53 Lew Wallace (5-4)
11-30-2002: 58-60 (OT) Gary Roosevelt (6-0)
12-5-2002:
62-63 (OT) (South Bend) Clay (4-2)
12-6-2002:
72-81 at (South Bend) Riley (5-1)
12-13-2002: 64-35 Michigan City (2-4)
12-13-2002: 60-55 at Crown Point (5-2)
12-20-2002: 66-64 at Lake Central (4-2)
12-21-2002: 75-71 at (Indianapolis) Arlington (4-3)
East
Chicago needs a holiday tournament. A long mid-season break does not help you.
East Chicago plays at Amboy on Jan. 4. Where's Amboy?
5.
CROWN POINT (6-3)
11-27-2002:
74-46 at Gavit (0-8)
11-30-2002: 85-86 Lake Central (5-3)
12-5-2002: 76-41 at Clark (5-3)
12-6-2002: 56-54 (West Lafayette) Harrison (3-5)
12-13-2002: 59-40 at Griffith (4-1)
12-14-2002: 55-60 East Chicago (5-3)
12-20-2002: 79-68 Portage (2-6)
Highland
Holiday Tournament
12-27-2002:
55-68 Munster (8-0)
12-28-2002: 69-33 Kankakee Valley (6-3)
Still,
far too many points allowed by the Bulldogs. But, CP has played without 6-4
center Kyle Robbins for the last three games. You can analyze their schedule but
it's a waste of time. Merrillville stands between CP and DAC and sectional titles,
Merrillville has beaten CP 25 of the last 27 times the two teams have met.
CP plays at Merrillville on Jan. 11.
6. Lake
Central (5-3)
11-27-2002:
75-41 Lowell (2-4)
11-30-2002: 86-85 at Crown Point (6-3)
12-6-2002: 87-70 Kankakee Valley (2-6)
12-13-2002: 74-47 at Portage (2-6)
12-14-2002: 58-78 at Munster (8-0)
12-20-2002: 64-66 East Chicago (5-3)
Benton Central Holiday Tournament
12-28-2002:
49-57 Carmel
12-28-2002: 70-58 Logansport
A tough loss to Carmel here but the competition is all good. You can't get better playing Horace Mann and Highland.
7.
Valparaiso (6-1)
11-27-2002:
73-36 at Boone Grove (3-2)
12-3-2002: 59-69 at Gary Roosevelt (6-0)
12-14-2002: 84-56 Elkhart Memorial (0-7)
12-20-2002: 55-44 at Chesterton (3-2)
12-21-2002: 69-57 (SB) Clay (3-4)
Michigan City Holiday Tournament
12-27-2:
71-60 LaPorte (6-2)
12-28-2: 78-57 Michigan City (2-5)
Teams
have stopped 6-2 senior shooter Mike Hills (14 ppg.) lately, but 6-3 Quantral
Blake (11.6 ppg.) has stepped up his scoring. The Feb. 13 game at Merrillville
looms large. Brett Kimmel hit four three-pointers in the rally against
LaPorte and added five more the next night against Portage. Everybody at
Valparaiso can shoot.
8.
LaPorte (6-3)
11-27-2002:
80-96 at (South Bend) Riley (8-1)
12-4-2002: 81-42 New Prairie (3-3)
12-14-2002: 61-50 Elkhart Central (6-2)
12-20-2002: 78-44 Hobart (3-2)
12-21-2002: 95-68 South Central (3-3)
Michigan City Holiday Tournament
12-27-2002:
60-71 Valparaiso (6-1)
12-28-2002: 78-67 Michigan City (2-5)
LaPorte
was on its way to an upset of Valparaiso but VHS turned it around with a
27-point fourth quarter and stopped them. 6-3 forward Kevin Brandy was
injured against Valpo and didn't play in the win over Michigan City. The weekend
of Clay (Jan. 3) and Lake Central (Jan. 4) is interesting.
9. ANDREAN (3-5)
12-2-2002:
83-55 Hammond (2-4)
12-4-2002:
49-73 at Munster (6-0)
12-6-2002: 69-57 at Maconaquah (3-3)
12-13-2002: 71-43 Highland (2-4)
12-14-2002: 59-62 at Merrillville (3-2)
12-18-2002: 65-67 Gary Roosevelt (6-0)
12-2-2002: 45-50 at Griffith (3-1)
12-28-2002: 59-62 Lafayette Central Catholic
(5-4)
They're top-10 because
they've lost to undefeated teams and solid programs. But without 6-3 Brett
Goins (quit the team), the 59ers aren't as physical up front.
10.
Griffith (4-1)
12-5-2002: 64-28 at
Gavit (0-8)
12-13-2002: 40-59 Crown Point (6-3)
12-16-2002: 69-45 Hebron (3-4)
12-21-2002: 50-45 Andrean (3-5)
12-21-2002: 72-48 at Peru (1-5)
Andrean held Kenny Harris (18.6 ppg.) to just 12 points but Cliff Wilson has had three consecutive 20-point games since Harris returned. Harris is obviously not yet in shape and the Panthers have to learn to play with him and not just around him.
Wheeler BearCat Invitational Holiday Tournament
12-27-2:
75-24 Lake Station (1-6)
12-28-2: 59-48 Hobart (4-3)
Todd
Schafer (30.0 ppg.) is 35 of 42 from the foul line (83.1 %). I'm not sure that
beating Lake Station and Hobart says much about your PCC championship hopes but
a win over Griffith on Jan. 14 would speak volumes.
2.
Kouts (8-0)
11-27-2002:
87-39 at West Central (0-6)
11-29-2002:
63-50 at Hebron (2-3)
12-6-2002: 72-55 North Newton (4-3)
12-13-2002: 63-58 at South Central (3-3)
12-14-2002: 101-72 Kankakee Valley (2-4)
12-20-2002: 76-46 Westville (0-6)
South County Tournament (at Kouts)
12-27-2:
65-58 Morgan Township (4-4)
12-28-2: 70-57 Hebron (3-4)
There's not much more Kouts could do at the South County Tournament, beating Morgan Township (4-4) by 7 and taking out Hebron by 13. Ricky Hise (23.5 ppg.), Adam Pendowski (19.5 ppg.) and Hebron's Ryan Ragland all scored 22 points in the title game. The Mustangs' schedule is not that tough. If they win all their PCC games, they will go undefeated.
3. HANOVER
CENTRAL (5-1)
11-27-2002:
60-34 at Lake Station (1-6)
11-29-2002: 49-38 Elmwood Park, Ill. (4-2)
12-6-2002: 46-40 Hebron (3-4)
12-14-2002:
56-62 at Washington Township (3-3)
12-2-2002: 59-45 at Kankakee Valley (2-6)
12-28-2002: 41-40 Gavit (0-8)
It's hard to leave Hanover in
the rankings after an abysmal performance against winless Gavit last week.
The Wildcats are at a cross roads. They rarely beat Lowell and they never beat
Boone Grove and those are their next two opponents.
4. Morgan Township (4-4)
11-29-2:
48-66 at Knox (6-3)
12-6-2:
68-56 North Judson (1-4)
12-13-2: 54-59 Wheeler (7-1)
12-14-2: 63-50 Culver Military (2-6)
12-17-2: 51-42 Whiting (1-6)
12-21-2: 48-57 at Hebron (3-4)
South
County Tournament (at Kouts)
12-27-2:
58-65 at Kouts (8-0)
12-28-2: 69-58 Boone Grove (3-4)
Morgan
could have won the South County tourney if it hadn't been for an 18-7 run by
undefeated Kouts down the stretch. Matty Bush (23.1 ppg.), a 6-3 junior,
and Cory Molchan (10.6 ppg.) a 6-foot senior, have carried the scoring load.
An interesting nonconference date sends tiny Morgan to giant neighbor Valparaiso
on Jan. 18.
5. BOONE GROVE
(3-4)
11-27-2:
36-73 at Valparaiso (4-1)
12-5-2: 61-36 Washington Township (3-2)
12-13-2: 63-36 River Forest (1-6)
12-20-2: 58-62 (OT) at Kankakee Valley (2-4)
12-21-2: 59-49 at Knox (4-3)
South
County Tournament (at Kouts)
12-27-2:
55-58 Hebron (3-4)
12-28-2: 58-69 Morgan Township (4-4)
Michael Christensen has averaged 15.7 ppg. in his last four games. Boone is a young team and they are getting a feel for what the PCC and a Boone Grove schedule (including 5 Class 4A teams) is like. Boone jumped up 20-13 on Morgan and then got buried. The Wolves outscored Hebron 33-19 in the second half but lost anyway. Will Mitchell (6.8 ppg.,) scored a career-high 10 against MT. Soph Danny Borys (10.0 ppg.) is contributing. Judge them after 15 games.
BOYS NOTES: Hanover Central will play in the Wheeler Holiday Tournament next year, replacing Hobart. Lowell has two weeks off before they play Hanover on Jan. 3 and Boone has two weeks off before they play Hanover Central on Jan. 10.
Defending
4A state champion Gary West Side dropped to 2-6 when they lost the consolation
game of the Gary Holiday Tournament 47-36. Defending 4A state finalist
Pike is the undisputed number one team in the state in every all-inclusive poll.
Bishop Noll (5-4) was not embarrassed at the Hall-of-Fame tournament, losing to
Perry Meridian (7-1) 68-58 and to Lebanon (6-2) 57-44.
If there is an area team that might play in the Hall-of-Fame tournament next
season it would probably be Gary West Side's girls, with the high-speed guard
tandem of Isabella Rhenwick and Belinda Drake. It won't be Highland because the
Trojans were in the Hall-of-Fame game two years ago and, even with Julie DeMuth,
they don't project to be as strong next year as they are now.
Valparaiso,
with 6-3 soph Cassie Kerns, 6-2 soph Lindsey Humes and 5-11 freshman Cassie
Humes, is also a possibility for two years from now as is Crown Point, with
Cassie Pruzin, Kaitlyn Sertich and Jill Weiand, all varsity sophomores this
season.
There isn't an obvious Hall-of-Fame boys team from this region next season
unless it's Merrillville with Josh Mayo and LaVell Cook.
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