2006 IHSAA Boys Basketball Tourney Class 4A Northern Regional Bracket Sectional Overview A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith (3-2-2006)

INDIANAPOLIS (3-2-2006) In Class 4A, everybody's chasing Lawrence North in the 96th Indiana State basketball tournament and they all know it.  The Wildcats are the two-time defending state champs and they won 21 games in a row against all comers in three states.  The biggest detail is that Lawrence North also played the state's toughest schedule, including No. 2 Pike and No. 6 North Central twice.

If North, now 23-0,  can win the final six games they will extend their winning streak to 45 games, tying the all-time Indiana record set by Oscar Robertson and long since closed Crispus Attucks in 1955 and 1956.

North must beat Pike (21-2) again at the regional and they would meet undefeated Shelbyville (21-0) at the Southport Semistate in Indianapolis.  In the north, No. 3 Anderson (23-1) would meet No. 7 Huntington North (18-2) at the Marion regional.  Anderson beat out Huntington by one game for the title in the famed North Central Conference (NCC).

No. 8 Valparaiso (18-2)  could meet No. 9 Penn (17-3) at the Michigan City Regional. 

The big match almost certainly will be No. 1 Lawrence North and No. 2 Pike in the championship game of the Pike Regional at Butler University's Hinkle Field house the night of March 11.  Expect that game to be the next state-wide Comcast Cable TV offering as North tries to become the first three-peat champion since Jay Edwards, Lyn Jones and Marion in the mid-70s.

But let's be honest, anybody who says they're gong to take out Lawrence North before the finals sounds a lot like President Bush saying he's going to get bin Laden sooner or later.  You had years to do it already and all you've done so far is talk.

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(4A) EAST CHICAGO SECTIONAL 1  (CST)
  Tue Gary West [8-13] at Munster [20-3], Munster 69-50
Tue East Chicago Central [17-4] at Lowell [7-14], East Chicago 75-31
Fri Winner Game 1 - Munster [21-3] vs. Winner Game 2 - East Chicago [18-4]
Fri Highland [17-5] vs. Lake Central [6-14]
Sat =  Championship (7:30 p.m.) CST

(4A)  CHESTERTON SECTIONAL 2  (CST)
Tue Hobart [11-10] vs. Chesterton [13-8], Chesterton 60-34
Tue Portage [2-19] vs. Crown Point [9-12], Crown Point 56-51
Fri Winner Game 1 - Chesterton [14-8] vs. Winner Game 2 - Crown Point [10-12]
Fri Merrillville [17-3] vs. Valparaiso [18-2]
Sat = Championship (7:30 p.m.) CST

  (4A) MICHIGAN CITY SECTIONAL 3  (CST)
Tue South Bend Clay [11-11] at South Bend Riley [11-10], Riley 75-72, OT
Tue Michigan City [9-12] at LaPorte [10-12], LaPorte 56-50, OT
Fri Winner Game 1 - SB Riley [12-10] vs. Winner Game 2 - LaPorte [11-12]
Fri South Bend Washington [14-7] vs. South Bend Adams [11-11]
Sat = Championship (7:30 p.m.) CST

(4A) ELKHART CENTRAL SECTIONAL 4  (EST)
Tue Concord [11-10] vs. Penn [20-2], Penn 44-39
Tue Goshen [2-19] vs. Mishawaka [17-5], Mishawaka 43-30
Fri Winner Game 1 - Penn [21-2] vs. Winner Game 2 - Mishawaka [18-5]
Fri Elkhart Memorial [18-3] vs. Elkhart Central [3-18]
Sat = Championship (7:30 p.m.) EST

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ELKHART (3-2-2006) Penn (21-2) and Mishawaka (18-5) won on opening night and they will duel in a key Friday (3-3-2006) semifinal.  Penn has already won at Mishawaka 50-43, but both can slow the game and slap on some defense so this is a very close call.  Penn is the undefeated Northern Indiana Conference (NIC) champion and they have size up front with 6-foot-5 cousins Caleb and Wes Laidig, plus 6-5 all-stater Tyler Brown.

I think Mishawaka is too small to stop the Kingsmen, but Elkhart Memorial and 6-5 star Kevin Sindle may have a chance.  Memorial beat Penn 61-52 in December.  But Memorial does not know about the availability of 6-4 forward Phil McCray, who missed the final two weeks of the regular season with mononucleosis.  Memorial also had 10 days off after the regular season and they then have to play twice in 24 hours.  Even at home at the giant Northside gym in Elkhart, I like Penn to win here.

 

MICHIGAN CITY (3-2-2006) Riley and LaPorte won on opening night, both in overtime, which gives you a good handle on this sectional.  Anyone can win here and that truthfully isn't the case at the other three sectionals that feed the Michigan City regional.  Washington (14-7) has the best record in the field, but I think the up-tempo style of the South Bend schools plays into LaPorte's hands.  The Slicers were 7-of-21 from three-point range in beating rival Michigan City and they are at home in the MC gym.  Riley (12-10) began the year 1-7 but Washington has a bye and senior guard Jon Jamerson (24.6 per game).  Clay upset Elkhart Memorial (18-3) last week.  If it's Washington and LaPorte in the final, the Slicers probably can't outscore them.  I like Washington to survive here.

 

EAST CHICAGO (3-2-2006) East Chicago (17-4) and Munster (20-3) won on opening night, creating a matchup of the two teams in the regional semifinal Friday.  EC has already beaten Munster 63-60 in January and is probably playing better now. Plus the Cardinal have played a more difficult and wide-ranging independent schedule. The Ponies have to lead all the way  and make EC run and chase.  With lead guard Michael Bizoukis yo-yo'ing the ball, they can pick teams apart.  But if Munster has to chase EC they will lose because they don't have that type of athletic ability.  The other half of the bracket features solid teams in Highland and Lake Central that have about a 1/3 chance of an upset.  The winner of the EC-Munster game will continue on and that winner will be East Chicago.

 

CHESTERTON (3-2-2006) Merrillville (17-3) and Valparaiso (18-2) got a first round bye and will take the floor in the Friday semifinals.  The Pirates are small and quick while Valpo is tall, with two 6-foot-8 wing players and capable at all other positions. I think Merrillville is just the perfect team to go against Valpo. They can spread the floor and use their speed and VHS shooter Kyle West won't get away from a top defender like Merrillville's James Rowe.  I like the fact that Merrillville's top-3 players are seniors.  Valpo is good enough to reach the semistate and they will, in 2007.  Crown Point's 10-man depth and shooting on the perimeter will spread out Chesterton and the Bulldogs weaving delay attack will provide the night's biggest upset as CP beats Chesterton.  In the finals, CP matches up well with Merrillville and they have played close games twice.  The Bulldogs have not beaten Merrillville in eight years but they have had significant leads in both meetings so far.  The coming team in this sectional is Crown Point.  They have a state contender in the making with outrageous size and perimeter players.  Some day soon Crown Point will beat Merrillville, but that someday is not Saturday.  Merrillville wins the sectional here.

 

MICHIGAN CITY (4A) REGIONAL

 

MICHIGAN CITY (3-11-2006)  If it's Penn against East Chicago and Merrillville against South Bend Washington, then Merrillville reaches the finals.  Merrillville has a better record against a tougher schedule.  The Pirates would have to overlook Washington and the challenge of stopping Jon Jameson (24.7 ppg.) would interest them.  Penn is a solid fundamental half court team and East Chicago is a slashing up-tick running squad. 

In the first game of the day, I like East Chicago to have too much quickness for Penn  to handle for four quarters.  A 10-2 or 9-1 run will push the Cardinals to the lead in the late going.

If the final is East Chicago and Merrillville, it will be a rematch of a 66-46 Merrillville rout at mid season.  The Cardinals are playing much better now, but I don't think they can make that up.  The Pirates can usually take out one great scorer because they play such good man-to-man defense with quickness.  EC will come close but not close enough.

I thought that the winner of the Valparaiso-Merrillville game will reach the semistate and I still do.

MERRILLVILLE  67,  East Chicago 58