NW Indiana Boys Basketball Renegade Class 2A Sectional/Regional Preview

2003-2004 Boys Basketball

'The Renegade' Sectional / Regional

Preview: Class 2A

A USA-365.com Special Report

(3-2-2004)

There is some excitement in the north with the addition by subtraction (of enrollment) of traditional basketball power Bishop Noll to the 2A bracket. Noll isn't ranked because the rankings penalize teams that play tough schedules and reward teams that play soft schedules (and win). But everyone in 2A will know of Noll if they survive their first three playoffs games. Jimtown (18-2) has had the best season in the history of the school. This is a not a strong bracket in the northern half of the state. There are only 10 winning teams in the North Judson Regional bracket and four of them are at Bishop Noll.

1. 7:00 Tue: BOONE GROVE [13-8] vs. Wheeler [18-4]
2. 6:00 Fri: Bishop Noll [13-9] vs. Lake Station [0-19]
3. 7:30 Fri: HANOVER CENTRAL [11-9] vs. Winner Game 1
4. 7:30 Sat: Championship - 7:30 p.m.

HAMMOND (3-2-2004) - A premier 2A Sectional with four winning teams, lots of seniors and teams playing each other for the first time. The Tuesday matchup is a blockbuster as Boone upset Wheeler in the sectional championship game last year when Wheeler was making state finals plans. The Bearcats played a very rugged early schedule and a very soft February slate. A loss to North Judson two weeks ago is worrisome. Boone's record, as always, is deceptive. The Wolves are 0-4 against the powerful Duneland Conference and 13-4 against everyone else. The team of 6-6 senior Phil Bien (9.6 ppg.) and 6-4 forward Danny Borys (17.3 ppg.) are too much for anyone here if they let Boone walk the ball up the floor. But Wheeler's half court and three quarter court trapping presses should create 20 Boone turnovers and a narrow Wheeler win.

Wheeler then has to beat longtime PCC rival (Wheeler left the league this year) Hanover Central. The Bearcats have to be careful not to overlook Hanover, which is pointing to this game and this game only. HC lead guard Jeff Johnson (17 ppg.) is a streak shooter with 73 three-point goals, number one in northwest Indiana. The Cats are a team of 6-2 and 6-3 players like senior Owen Goff (10.2 ppg.) who match up well with Wheeler. The BearCats Cordale Micou (17.2 ppg.) has to contain Johnson and 6-3 Steve Wilson (14.1 ppg.) has to get the best of improving HC pivot Adam Suarez. There is a potential upset here but it may not matter.

Bishop Noll's Gary Patterson (23 ppg.) is a Division I player with college level dribbling and shooting skills. Noll still plays the 'old school' schedule from back when they were a bigger school. That means East Chicago, Gary Roosevelt, Gary West Side, schools Wheeler and Boone don't have access to.

Wheeler defeated Noll 45-43 earlier in the year but the Bearcats and Hanover must turn you over and they can't do that to Noll who plays three quick guards. On the Warriors' home court, and with a semifinal match of only Lake Station (0-19), it defies logic to see anyone but Noll coming out strong and winning on Saturday night.

1. 6:00 Tue: Glenn [15-6] vs. Fairfield [12-8]
1. 7:30 Tue: Bremen [7-13] vs. Jimtown [18-2]
3. 6:00 Fri: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
4. 7:30 Fri: Westview [9-13] vs. LaVille [9-11]
5. 7:30 Sat: Championship - 6:30 p.m. (CST)

TOPEKA (3-2-2004) - The Jimtown Jimmies have had a monster year with a 15-game winning streak. The suburban Elkhart team beat 4A neighbor Concord for the first time in 20 years and they have defeated every other school in Sectional 34 except Fairfield. Here's a match where, again, you have to see the obvious. Bremen lost five of their last six games. Fairfield has indeed beaten Jimtown, but there's two problems with that:

1.) Jimtown's 6-8 center Kyle Johnson (12 ppg, 7.3 rebounds) did not play in that game, and

Glenn over Jimtown? Jimtown smoked Glenn like a Christmas ham 57-42 at Glenn last month. Jimtown over ran LaVille 68-31 just last Friday and Westview got smoked by Concord last Friday 71-37. Jimtown beat Concord two weeks ago. See what I mean? If Jimtown doesn't come out of here with the 6-8 Johnson and 6-3 lead guard Derrick DeShone, it will be a major upset.

1. 7:00 Tue: Winamac [5-15] vs. North Judson [7-13]
2. 6:00 Fri: Rochester [8-12] vs. North Newton [5-15]
3. 7:30 Fri: Rensselaer [9-11] vs. Winner Game 1
4. 7:30 Sat: Championship - 6:30 p.m. (CST)

** If Rochester beats North Newton and gets to the Saturday championship game, the North Judson Sectional championship game will be postponed to Monday because of Rochester's participation in the girls state finals.

NORTH JUDSON (3-1-2004) - I'm not being sarcastic when I say that no dominant team jumps out at you here. North Judson may be better than their record. The Judds have won four of their last five including wins over Wheeler (18-4) and Glenn (13-8). Rensselaer carries a three-game win streak into the state tournament and they get a first round bye. The Bombers beat Judson 59-36 a month ago but Judson's scores strongly suggest they are a different team now. Rochester and North Newton also get a bye but Judson's 6-4 Adam Richie averages almost 10 rebounds a game and the Jays have another 6-4 forward in Joel Kerns. North Newton has shown some spark lately with 6-2 triplets Rich, Reid and Ryan Scheidt having added depth to support 6-3 senior Jonothan Corbin, a strong inside player and rebounder. When Judson met Newton, Judson won 60-57 in overtime. Judson beat Winamac 49-48 in December. Rensselaer has beaten Newton and Judson but has lost to Winamac 42-38. You can make a good argument for Rensselaer, but anybody who tells you they know whose going to win here is lying to you.

1. 6:00 Tue: Fountain Central [0-20] vs. Delphi [13-7]
1. 7:30 Tue: Sheridan [3-17] vs. Clinton Central [2-18]
3. 6:00 Fri: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
4. 7:30 Fri: Seeger [11-9] vs. North Montgomery [12-8]
5. 7:30 Sat: Championship - 6:30 p.m. (CST)

VEEDERSBURG (3-1-2004) - This sectional is not exactly loaded with NBA prospects either. Fountain Central graduated seven seniors from last year and clearly have seen better days... and Clinton Central vs. Sheridan is like a stay of execution for one or the other.

Delphi has won four of their last five but only five of their last nine. It worries you that they have almost allowed (57.2 ppg.) more points than they've scored (57.4 ppg.) with a 13-7 record. Seeger starts a senior-dominated lineup but nobody over 6-2.

Delphi has never won a sectional but 6-5 Colin Stauffer is probably the only player here with a chance to match North Montgomery's 6-6, 220-pound Bruce Murphy. Here's the clincher. North Montgomery is 1-3 in overtime games. Which means they are a couple of chocolate chip cookies away from being 15-5 and state rated. With the bye, and a neutral floor for everyone after Fountain Central loses, North Montgomery rolls to the regional.

FOUNTAIN CENTRAL winner (North Montgomery) vs. NORTH JUDSON winner (Rensselaer)
WESTVIEW winner (Jimtown) vs. BISHOP NOLL winner (Bishop Noll)

NORTH JUDSON (3-13-2004) - This regional is a little lopsided. North Montgomery, with the 6-6 center Murphy, will be favored over Rensselaer or anyone else who comes out of North Judson. But the focus will be on the other semifinal which should match Noll and Patterson against Jimtown's once in a generation team. The Jimmies defeated 4A Concord, so they have seen quick players. Noll's 6-4 Vince Johnson will have had to have played well for Noll to get out of their sectional so he'll match up here with Jimtown's 6-8 Johnson. Out front, DeShone will have to be very, very good, to get a 50-50 break with Patterson and other quick players like Noll junior guards Greg Jones and Sam Watts are going to create full-court problems for the Jimmies. This will be a pace game. Jimtown wins if the game is in the 40s but it won't be. Noll wins by 10 and beats North Montgomery by 15 to win their first regional title since 2001.