 |
2004-2005 Girls Basketball Poll:Week Three A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith(12-2-2004) |
|
|
2004-2005 Girls Basketball Poll:Week Three A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith(12-2-2004) |
|
CROWN
POINT, IN - (12-2-2004)
The 29-22 Valparaiso loss at unbeaten Plymouth (4-0) was the first defeat for
any of the top-4 and it was a good loss, on the road against a high-quality
program. It serves no purpose to remain undefeated very long. It's fool's gold.
You need to play the top schools. The gap between the top 4 and everyone else
appears to be widening as Merrillville hasn't had a really good game yet and
Boone Grove needs competition. Munster and Highland appear to be a step ahead of
everyone else in the LAC while, early results bring into question whether Boone
may not have a serious challenger in league play before the PCC tournament in
January. The DAC apparently will come down to Valpo at CP on Dec. 14 and CP at
Valpo on Jan. 28.
1.) East Chicago (6-0)
EAST CHICAGO - I believe the reason why East Chicago is not in the Times Region Rumble this week is because they are in the Hall-of-Fame Tournament at the end of December. Maybe next year. 5-10 Dee Dee Jernigan (18.1 ppg.) scored 22 Monday (Nov. 29) in a 76-44 win over Morton. Lisa Upshaw averaged 5.3 in her first three games and 12.3 in her last three. The Nov. 24 game with Merrillville was snowed out. EC should be 9-0 heading into the EC Classic on Dec. 17. The big one will be the Hall-of-Fame tournament when EC gets a shot at Evansville Memorial (2-0) and a possible chance against Hamilton SouthEastern (3-1).
2.) Gary West Side (2-0)
GARY – The 'Side' hasn't played very many games and they haven't been great when they have played. A 31-29 game at Hobart means the Brickies were very successful at slowing down one of the area's traditional up tempo teams. Hobart did a better job than supposedly superior Highland did when West Side beat them 50-35.
The Cougars will have problems at Munster (5-1) on Dec. 15 and will face South Bend Washington (4-0), which could be 11-0 when they get to Gary for the Gary Holiday Tournament.
Did the 4th quarter against Hobart really finish with West Side scoring two points in eight minutes and Hobart scoring one? That doesn't say much for region basketball.
3.) Valparaiso (5-1)
VALPARAISO – Valparaiso star 6-3 center Cassie Kerns (17.0 ppg.) got into foul trouble which explains the 29-22 loss at Plymouth. Again, no matter what coaches tell you, it's better to lose to a good team than beat a mediocre one. Erica Humes (11.1 ppg.) has been consistent and 6-2 sister Lindsey Humes played back-to-back games for the first time since coming off knee surgery.
Valpo isn't as good right now on offense as they're going to be. The Vikings play LC (1-4) and Highland (4-1) this weekend (Dec. 3-4). The only teams that think Valpo is beatable are the ones that don't play them three times.
CROWN POINT – Crown Point got by injury-depleted Lowell 60-42 Tuesday (Nov. 30) night with Cassie Pruzin scoring all 15 of her points in the first half. CP beat Chesterton 55-35 last Friday but the Trojans are also shorthanded. Pruzin had a school record 13 steals against Lowell, which was down to just six players due to injury and a move-out of the district.
Pruzin (13.5) has 53 steals (8.8) after six games, an outrageous total. Overall, CP is coasting and that has to stop before an all-hit weekend with Boone Grove (Dec. 11) and Valparaiso (Dec. 14) this month.
The Lady Bulldogs
will win 15 games on depth alone. To win the other five, they'll need better
offensive play out of their forwards and centers.
PORTER TOWNSHIP – Boone finally met some resistance against Kankakee Valley on Nov. 30, winning 65-46 at 3A KV (0-4), a game they led just 41-36 after three quarters. Karissa Walter (18.5 ppg.) scored 20 against KV. Soph guard Cortney Flanigan averaged 6.3 in her first three games and has averaged 14.6 in her last three games.
Boone has some time off before the Dec. 9 game against PCC rival Washington Township (3-2). The worry is that it's come too easy.
6.) Highland (4-1)
HIGHLAND – The Trojans can't look past KV (0-4) to their game with Valparaiso (5-1) on Dec. 4. The Trojans beat Calumet 65-21 with 5-11 junior Ashley Sampson scoring 17 but 12 of 23 from the foul line is worrisome. You are not a good team if you shoot 50% or less from the foul line. Highland was 5-of-19 from the line against Portage and 12 of 28 against Gavit. They know that's a blueprint for losing against good teams. Katie Kane, a 6-1 junior, scored a season-high 10 against Calumet You cant' teach height. There's not as much of a gap between Highland and the rest of the LAC (read: Munster) as was first thought. The Trojans begin to defend their LAC title Tuesday with a home game against Calumet.
7.) Merrillville (1-2)
MERRILLVILLE – The Pirates have lost to Highland (5-1) and Valparaiso (5-1) so that's not a black mark. The 36-33 win over a small Portage team is worrisome though. The Pirates average 34 points a game and that's just not enough. Center Brittney Moore (8.0 ppg.) has not gotten started for whatever reason and no other Pirate players have scored as many as 10 points in any game so far.
So why are they in the top-10? They have too much talent and a good coach. They can't be written off after three games and the competition has been good. You still want to give them 10-15 games before you pass judgment.
8.)
Munster (5-1)
MUNSTER – I'm not understanding the lack of Munster in local polls. Five wins in a row, including three against 4A schools, has the Lady Ponies moving on up like the Jeffersons. The 54-42 win over Lake Central was Munster's first ever win over LC. Guard Lauren Meneghetti scored 14 and 6-1 freshman center Natalie Emro added nine. Jackie Yerga scored 16. The Mustang girls press everybody full court and that's the secret in girls basketball where many teams don't have a true point guard. Somebody's coaching somebody here. In the first four games, Munster was 33-of-64 (51.5%) from the line (UGH!). In the last two games, they are 28 of 39 (71.6% on free shots (AHHHH!)
The Mustangs have a big LAC game with Griffith (6-0) Friday night and they'll host Bishop Noll Tuesday (Dec. 7) to begin the LAC tournament.
9.) Portage (1-5)
PORTAGE – Portage has lost a lot but they have been competitive. I think losses to Penn (5-1), CP (6-0), Highland (5-1), Merrillville (1-2) and Hobart (3-2) are not bad losses.
They are 77 of 113 (68.1%) from the line and, except for the CP game, all the losses are by 11 points or less. You just can't put somebody like Griffith (6-0) here until the Panthers (who have played North Newton, Wheeler, River Forest, Gavit, KV and Hebron) take on someone near the level of Portage's competition. This poll is not about who has the better won-loss record. It's all about who has the better team.
10.) Lake Central (2-3)
ST. JOHN – LC lost to Munster but Munster is probably a better team. LC's wins are over LaPorte and Michigan City but the losses are to Munster (5-1), Jefferson (2-3) and Carmel (5-1). Guard Katie Mitchel (12.0 ppg.) has developed into a double figure scorer.
The hits just keep on coming when LC gets to Valparaiso (5-1) on Friday. Dec. 3.
Surprise team No. 1
Michigan
City (1-3)
MICHIGAN CITY – MC got on the board with a 57-49 win over Mishawaka after losses to LC, Valparaiso and South Bend Adams. Just keep watching here. The Wolves led all the way behind 12 from Tierra Mitchell. Only 14 of 29 from the line. that's not good. MC is not a top team now but they have a chance to be.
Surprise
team No. 2
Winimac
(6-0)
WINAMAC – Okay, so Pulaski County is not quite in NW Indiana but the Warriors have won six games by 15 points or more. This team has dominated the first quarter, zapping Lewis Cass 17-2, Culver 28-6 and Rensselaer 22-11. Winamac is a surprise because hardly anybody knows where (Pulaski County is south of Starke County which is south of LaPorte County) it is.
Surprise
team No. 3
Hammond
(4-1)
HAMMOND
– Hammond supposedly graduated all their good
players. Not all of them. 5-9 sophomore Reniece Goodman (13.2 pg.) scored 28
points with eight steals and eight assists in a 102-39 win over Wirt Monday
(Nov. 29) night. 6-foot junior Cena Nasiloski (12.2) added 17, matching the 17
she scored against LW. EC beat Hammond 77-38 but the Purple girls have won four
in a row since then. Hammond embarrassed LW 69-36,
which has a lot of talent. The surprise is because Hammond lost 3 starters off
an 8-12 team. It will be more of a surprise if they get past Andrean (1-2) in
the first round of the LAC tournament at Andrean on Dec. 7.
Surprise
team No. 4
Lowell
(2-1)
LOWELL – Lowell lost 60-42 at Crown Point but they showed a competitive spirit. This will be the region's most unique team. Junior forward Wendy Broukal moved to Arizona and guard Whitney Magley has what technically is a broken back. They are gone, as far as basketball is concerned. Lowell will go basically all the way with a the starting five including four guards around 5-9 center Rachel Theil.
They need 6-1 center Kim Bell and 5-9 soph Jennifer Sharkey to jump into the playing rotation. But Lowell will now substitute less than any other team.
The key is lead guard Kelly Johnson, a soph newcomer and 5-2 left-handed junior Ashley Cosentino, a pair that is quicker than what Lowell has had in recent years. Bailey Wagner and Julie Swisher are wing shooters and press defenders. We'll see. Lowell drew Wheeler (3-1) in the LAC tournament at home Tuesday night, Dec. 7.