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2004-2005 Girls Basketball Poll:Week Four A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith(12-9-2004) |
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2004-2005 Girls Basketball Poll:Week Four A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith(12-9-2004) |
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CROWN
POINT, IN - (12-9-2004)
A quiet week for the top teams as EC, West Side, Boone and Crown Point remain undefeated.
But that will change as CP plays Boone and Valpo in a three-day span. The
16-team Lake Athletic Conference tournament begins and it should be a
competitive battle even though none of the top five are in the LAC. To the east
South Bend Washington (6-0), St. Joseph's (5-0) and 3A Plymouth (6-0) roll on
and there's mounting evidence those three are better than anyone in NW Indiana.
The winds of change are blowing in places like
Michigan City where 6-1 junior center Emma Tucker scored 30 with 22 rebounds in
MC's win over Portage.
1.) East Chicago (7-0)
EAST CHICAGO - The Cardinals coasted past Englewood 85-21 in an embarrassing game that was 30-3 after one quarter. Jeffra Harris scored 17 points and Taaj McKinley added 16 and those are JV players. Some of these games are as tough as a pack of puppies. EC should be 9-0 when they see Penn (4-2) in the East Chicago Classic on Dec. 17. Has anybody noticed that EC is scheduled to play 3A No. 1 Evansville Memorial (4-0) at the Hall-of-Fame tournament in New Castle on Dec. 29? They could also play 4A No. 2 Bloomington North (6-1) or 4A No. 5 Hamilton Southeastern (5-1).
And the first game of the New Year is Gary West Side (3-0).
We should let EC have some soft games now because there are storm clouds on the horizon.
2.) Gary West Side (3-0)
GARY – Gary West Side rolled over out manned Calumet 69-28 last week. Amazingly, 12 players score and none scored more than 10. A tougher test comes with South Bend Adams (3-3) this season. Adams should enter the game with a four-game losing streak.
West Side takes on Munster (6-1) next Wednesday (Dec, 15) but that game will say more about Munster than it will about West Side. The Cougars' judgment day comes when undefeated South Bend Washington gets off the bus for the Gary Holiday tournament on Dec. 28.
3.) Valparaiso (7-1)
VALPARAISO – Valparaiso's loss to Plymouth (6-0) doesn't look so bad as Plymouth slaps around folks over in Marshall County. Valpo crushed Lake Central 61-40 behind 20 from all-stater Cassie Kerns last Friday (Dec. 3) and then shut down the weak offense of Highland (6-2) on Dec. 4 with Kerns scoring 15 and Erica Humes (15.7 ppg.) adding 13. Valpo will outman Portage Friday (Dec. 10) but no one has attacked Valparaiso full court with experienced talent all year. That ends on Dec. 14 when Valpo gets to Crown Point.
But don't foul them. Valpo is a very strong 75 of 100 after eight games from the foul line.
CROWN POINT – Crown Point is coasting and a lackluster 41-30 win at LaPorte shows that. Cassie Pruzin (13.1 ppg) averages 8 steals, 5.5 assists and four rebounds a game and she's 22 of 27 from the foul line. They'll have to buckle up and fly right Friday when they face rival Lake Central (2-4) in a game LC can only win if CP lets them. Then CP takes the five-mile slide to undefeated Boone Grove (6-0) Saturday night (Dec. 11) before a home date with Valparaiso (7-1) three days later. There is nothing in the first seven games that indicates that CP can sweep all three but the suspicion is they've been holding back.
PORTER TOWNSHIP – Boone did not play since the last poll and that can't be good for them. The schedule so far has been softer than Barry Bonds' excuses. Karissa Walter (18.5 ppg.) will be ready to go full speed against Washington Township (4-2) Thursday (Dec. 9) and Crown Point (7-0) on Dec. 11. There is an indication that, with good weather (it may snow), Saturday's game will draw one of the bigger crowds in recent history for Boone girls basketball.
Boone vs. Kouts (4-2) on Dec. 14 and again in the South County Tournament (and maybe again in the PCC Tournament) is starting to loom large. Coach Candy Wilson (89-70) should reach the 100-win level this year.
6.) Highland (5-2)
HIGHLAND – The Trojans paddled Kankakee Valley 53-34 last Friday but lost 42-32 to Valparaiso (7-1) last Saturday. They are playing the schedule they need to play outside the weak LAC. Ashley Sampson, who scored 17 against Calumet was held to eight against Valpo. Highland continues to shoot like they aren't allowed to. A varsity team cannot shoot 54 of 121 (44.6%) from the line.
Rather than bash them again for bad accuracy, imagine how effective their defense must be to win games with that lousy shooting?
And the bottom line is that the games that matter aren't played until February.
Highland got a great draw and home court again in the LAC tournament this weekend. But they must shoot the ball better or they will fall to rival Munster this weekend.
7.) Merrillville (2-2)
MERRILLVILLE – The Pirates crushed injury-weakened Chesterton 51-21. Anyone who has Wheeler rated ahead of Merrillville has not been paying attention. This team lost to Valparaiso by 11. They have plenty. They just haven't got it together yet. Very few players can stop 6-3 Brittney Moore once they figure out how to get her in position with the ball. Merrillville has four games they can win before they face Crown Point on Dec. 29.
8.)
Munster (6-1)
MUNSTER – The Lady Ponies laid some fourth quarter smack on undefeated Griffith, outscoring the Panthers 15-2 to win 38-29. The Mustangs were just 11 of 38 from the field and their shooting is a concern. But if they can reach the final day of the LAC tournament this week, the first half of the season is a total success.
The Mustangs' foul shooting is 75 of 120 (60.8%) overall but they are 42 of 56 (75.0%) in the last three games.
The Times newspaper should be looking at this team for next years' 'Region Rumble' trying to line up one of those Indianapolis superpowers like Brebuef or South Bend St. Joseph's 5-9 junior forward Jackie Yerga (13.5). Whatever happens in this week's LAC tournament, Munster has to be ready to play Gary West Side on Dec. 15 and Highland on Dec. 17. Munster gets three shots at Highland and there's no way they'll go 0-for-3.
9.) Hobart (5-2)
HOBART – The Brickies have lost by five to Munster and by one to Gary West Side, so maybe they should have been in the poll before this. The Brickies barely survived Lowell 45-43 last week after they beat Portage by 10. 5-10 senior Kelly Glidewell (11.6) scored 20 in the in over the Devils. This team has to keep the pace slow to take advantage of Glidewell, 5-11 Jessica Boyles and 6-3 Amy Balchak. This team could do even better in league play.
10.) Lake Central (2-4)
ST. JOHN – Okay, two games below .500 (unless you're the Chicago Bears and you're desperate) is not very good. But lets examine this. Jefferson (3-4) beat LC in overtime. Carmel (6-1) beat LC by 22. Munster (6-1) beat LC by 12. Valpo (7-1) beat LC by 21.
Does this make them a bad team??? I think not. Does this make them a mediocre team?? Well, okay. Maybe so. But Portage is 1-6, Wheeler (5-3) has issues and Griffith (6-2) does all they can with what they have. I needed a 10th team and there just aren't that many good teams this season. There is a gap between the top-6 and everybody else. Will LC get smoked out by Crown Point (7-0) Friday night?
Unless they catch CP looking ahead.
Surprise team No. 1
Michigan
City (2-4)
MICHIGAN
CITY – Keep watching here. 6-2 junior center
Emma Tucker scored 30 with 22 rebounds as MC spanked
Portage 52-38. The Lady Wolves were slaughtered 79-38 by Riley Tuesday
(Dec. 7) night but, hey, baby steps. Baby Wolf steps. I believe they still have
five freshmen on the varsity.
Surprise
team No. 2
Winimac
(8-0)
WINAMAC – Somebody in 2A will eventually have to deal with Winamac, which crushed 4A Logansport 66-33 last week in Logansport. No one has come within 14 points of the 'sisterhood.'
The Chumley sisters,
5-5 seniors Julie and Jennifer Chumley, control the ball and break the press
while 5-10 senior Whitney Fritz piles on the points. This is an up
tempo team like Boone Grove that has scored 60 or more five times. If
they don't lose to 3A Tippecanoe Valley
on Dec. 15, they might not lose during the regular season.
Surprise
team No. 3
Hammond
(6-2)
HAMMOND
– Hammond lost 52-47 to Wheeler in a game that Wheeler really controlled,
leading 29-20 at the half. The Cats sank just 7-of-16 from the line. But Hammond
bounced back to beat Andrean 54-44, Donita Phelps (13.2 ppg.), a 5-10 guard,
scored 19 against Wheeler. This is an athletic team with size but no experience.
Surprise
team No. 4
Washington
Township (5-2)
VALPARAISO – Dana Barkas scored a career-high 26 Tuesday in WT's 89-13 'conquest' of LaCrosse. I don't think they can beat anybody in the top-10 now, but that's not a permanent condition. Early losses to Hebron and Wheeler are games they'd win later on. To be honest, wins over Marquette (2-4), Oregon-Davis (5-4), Whiting (1-6), West Central (3-2) and LaCrosse (0-6) are no reason to run out and buy a new trophy case. But with three double figure scorers (once Jen Smith, who averaged 13.6 last year, starts scoring again) eventually, this is a team to watch starting Thursday night against unbeaten Boone.