2004-2005 Boys Basketball 

IHSAA - Class 1A, 4A Regional Preview

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

(3-10-2005)

95th Indiana State Tournament

BOURBON – These are the toughest brackets of the four class tournament. But theses are the greatest stories. In Class 1A, public schools are only good once in awhile. You ride the roller-coaster of luck and limited talent. And when you have enough of both to get deep into the state tournament, it becomes a reaffirmation of the small-town glory of Indiana basketball.

In 4A, you strive to be the absolute best. You have to. With all the over matched foes removed from your path and put in the three smaller classes, you face some force in every game. You cannot ease up. And the ultimate goal is blocked by all-staters, and this year, by All-Americans.

Used to be you had to win eight or nine games to win the state title. Now, it's just six or seven. But in Class 4A, it's six or seven big schools. A lot more really good teams don't get out of the sectional. And very few state finals teams are not very good.

Media follows the big schools as if those kids are somehow more worthy. But years from now, if you won an Indiana state title, nobody's going to care if it was a Class 1A title.

Class 1A

Triton (1A) Regional – 10 a.m. (EST)

Argos (15-9) vs. Morgan Township (9-13)
West Central (16-6) vs. Blackhawk Christian (15-8)

 

Frankfort (1A) Regional - 10 a.m. (EST)

Lafayette Catholic (17-6) vs. Tri-High (15-8)
Tri-Central (22-0) vs. Lapel (21-3)

BOURBON – Argos (66-28 last four years) is a two time defending sectional champ with four returning starters from a tradition-rich Marshall County school south of Plymouth.

6-2 junior Taylor Hulse scored 30 in a semifinal win over Triton and added 19 in the title game win over Westville (15-8). The Dragons won three games in five days and take the nearby Triton court (Argos is the next school south of Triton) Saturday as the favorite.

Morgan Township (9-13) still has a lot to prove. They beat two average teams to get out of the Kouts sectional after Hebron upset the state-ranked Mustangs (18-5). You can get lucky at the sectional and Morgan probably was. It's harder to get lucky at the regional.

With that said, Morgan's losing record is deceptive. The Cherokees lost three times when 6-6 high-jumping Nate McGinley (19.1 ppg.) was injured and unavailable.

McGinley scored 45 points in a 52-44 win over Washington Township (11-10) and a 61-57 win over Hebron (11-11). Guard Bryan Jones (11.3 ppg.) scored 15 including three three-point goals against Hebron.

The Cherokees sank 30 of 36 from the foul line and McGinley was 20 of 21. Morgan has to break Argos' full court pressure and take advantage of McGinley's height advantage. The Dragons have no one taller than 6-4.

West Central has never won more than the 16 games they won this year (although one of the schools that consolidated into West Central, Francesville high, was 25-1 in 1955). The Trojans have won two sectionals in a row but I'm hard pressed to see how they'll handle Blackhawk, a three-time sectional champ.

Blackhawk has 6-7 Adam Tein, 6-5 Phil Kelpin and 6-3 Jason Steiner up front, causing rebounding problems for almost anyone in Class 1A. Five of their eight losses are to teams in the powerful Summit Athletic Conference (DAC) in Fort Wayne. 6-2 guard Brian Heger scored 19 as Blackhawk beat Elkhart Christian in the 1A Hamilton sectional final.

West Central forward Cody Mounts scored 22 to lead WC over Tri-County in the host team's Sectional Saturday (3-5-5).

It should concern you that five of West Central's wins are over South Newton and North Newton.

West Central has beaten Kouts (18-5) and Glenn (18-6) but with no one taller than 6-3, they'll need a prime time game plan to win this one.

If it's Blackhawk and Argos in the final, the size up front is still a factor. Argos was eliminated by West Central last year after a 22-2 season in 2003. This school has never reached the semistate.

But Blackhawk is tall and talented and has played a rougher schedule than anyone here. So, here comes the Hawk, the Mighty Blackhawks!!

That's pro hockey humor. Hmmm... What's pro hockey? Uh, I'll get back to you on that.

(FW) Blackhawk Christian 58, Argos 52

Class 1A

Frankfort (1A) Regional - 10 a.m. (EST)

Lafayette Catholic (17-6) vs. Tri-High (15-8)
Tri-Central (22-0) vs. Lapel (21-3).

FRANKFORT:  We're looking at a major confrontation here with undefeated and top-ranked Tri-Central taking on small school superpower Lafayette Catholic in the title game.

Honestly, you hope that the other two schools don't get in the way.

Tri-High brought back five starters from last year's 6-14 team and turned it all around. The sectional title, a 70-56 win over Union City, was Tri's first in 28 years.

But Lafayette Catholic played four 4A schools and four 3A schools. Tri played none of either. Catholic is led by 6-6 guard Will Hubertz (16 ppg.) and 6-6 center Alex Loepker (12.2 points, 5.8 rebounds) and they've won 15 out of their last 17.

6-1 senior guard Ryan Svenstrup (6.9 points) runs the show for the defending sectional champions. There is more than one size mismatch here and Tri just has not played enough tough teams.

The other semifinal matches Tri-Central, the undefeated front runner, against a Lapel team that won a sectional title for the first time in 60 years. Lapel starts four seniors but they have nobody taller than 6-4 and that will hurt against a Tri-Central team that returned four starters off a 21-6 regional title team.

Kurt Cunningham, a 6-9 senior, is flanked by 6-5 Eulise Barney up front. The backcourt of 6-2 Dusty Driggs and 6-1 Grayson Flitttner has been strong all year. This is considered a once-in-a-generation team that was not challenged at the sectional winning three games all by 19 points or more.

JR Howell, son of first year coach Jimmie Howell, scored 17 in a 70-50 win over Ritter, a game played before a sellout crowd of 2,400 in Lapel, a small Madison County town of 1,980.

Lapel has lost to 3A Pendleton Heights (18-4) twice and they have beaten 3A Elwood (7-14) twice. Tri-Central is 4-0 against 3As but that's pretty even scheduling. Tri-Central has won 21 games by 10 points or more. But Lapel is undefeated against 1A and 2A teams.

Still, you go with the team that's been here before and Tri-Central is a two-time defending regional champ. Lapel hasn't been there since WW II.

If it's Tri-Central and Lafayette Catholic in the finals, who do you like? Catholic averages 70 points a game but Tri-Central averages 74. Catholic also won three sectional games by 10 points or more.

Hubertz is a big shooting threat on the perimeter but Cunningham might win the battle up front with Catholic's Loepker.

These teams met in Lafayette on Feb. 12 and Tri-Central won 62-61 but that was a single game played on a Saturday afternoon. Playing for the second time in one day, I like Lafayette Catholic, based on a tougher schedule, to win a rematch.

Lafayette Catholic 66, Tri-Central 62

Class 4A

Michigan City (4A) Regional – 10 a.m. (CST)

Concord (22-1) vs. Gary West Side (18-4)
Clay (13-11) vs. Valparaiso (21-2)

Marion (4A) Regional - 10 a.m. (EST)

DeKalb (10-12) vs. Kokomo (13-10)
(FW) North (16-5) vs. Muncie Central (24-1)

MARION - The monster here is clearly eight-time state champ (they have won 54 sectionals) Muncie Central, one of the all-time dominators of Indiana basketball. This is the Bearcats' regional to lose, even with a competitive Fort Wayne Northside team waiting in the opening game.

Muncie Central has lost 64-60 in overtime to Pike (22-2).

Central defeated Muncie South (15-6) and Richmond (18-4) at the sectional and they are 18-1 against other 4A schools.

Central is led by the inside-outside combination of 6-6 senior Jordan Armstrong and 6-2 senior Alex Daniel. The Bear cats returned seven players off a 20-4 team and they have held 25 foes to an average of 50 points a game.

North doesn't play that way, averaging 74 points a game. The Redskins have the size to match Muncie with 6-7 junior Jeron Lewis, 6-6 junior John Trowbridge, 6-4 sophomore Eshaunte Jones and 6-2 guard Danny McBride.

This is not a beginner's program. Fort Wayne North has won 21 sectionals and 11 regionals. Northside defeated SAC champion Fort Wayne Snider (18-4) in the Fort Wayne Sectional title game 74-67.

It is dangerous to challenge them to an up-tempo game. There's a potential upset here in this first game because I'm not sure Muncie Central can play at a slower pace.

But the Bearcats have won 17 in a row and, as a rule, you don't make a living betting against the champion of Indiana's famed North Central Conference (NCC).

Kokomo upset Harrison (16-7) 72-68 to win the Harrison Sectional after they beat NCC rival Marion in the semifinals.

Kokomo is led by 6-4 senior Tristan Rogers and four senior starters. DeKalb was 8-12 during the regular season but shocked slowdown masters Columbia City (16-7) 36-34 in the sectional championship game.

DeKalb has had a couple of losing seasons in a row and the win over Columbia City may be the high-water mark for them. I don't see how they can handle a Kokomo team that lost five games by four points or less.

If it's Kokomo and Muncie Central in the final, these are age old rivals going back to the Depression. Central beat Kokomo 49-45 earlier this year and that's close enough to give the Kats hope Saturday night.

Muncie is 60-14 in the last three years. They lost in the regional semifinals in 2004 and are back one year later. It's now or never for the Bearcats and no one here should stop them.

Muncie Central 54, Kokomo 50

Michigan City (4A) Regional – 10 a.m. (CST)

Concord (22-1) vs. Gary West Side (18-4)
Clay (13-11) vs. Valparaiso (21-2)

MICHIGAN CITY - There is high interest here. The three nights and five games of the six team Elkhart Sectional drew an official 15,527 fans to the old Northside gym in Elkhart.

The semifinals drew 5,767 fans last Friday night and the remote upper corners of the 50-year-old gym were used for the first time (according to Elkhart Central officials) in 15 years.

The point is that the first semifinal between Gary West Side and Concord will finish in front of a near sellout crowd in the 7,800-seat Michigan City gym.

The big crowd should see a tight finish between two very proud programs. Gary West Side, the 2002 state champ, is led by 6-8 Jamil Tucker (17 ppg.), a high Division I prospect. 6-4 DeShawn Wright (14 ppg.) is a perimeter threat and 6-5 high jump champion David Bell is a star press defender.

But Concord is 71-21 over the last four years and they will not back down against the quick and tall Cougars. West Side needs an answer for the three-sided attack of 6-3 Division I forward Shawntes Gary, 6-1 Division I prospect Darise Gary and 5-10 lead guard Michael Moore, who has 50 three-point goals.

The Minutemen handed Mishawaka (20-3) two of the three losses including a 58-48 win Saturday in the Elkhart Sectional title game.

Concord's question is whether 6-7 center Eric Gaff can rebound with Tucker, Bell and the rest of the Cougars. Concord is used to playing against speed and the Gary brothers (the ones who play for Concord, not all the brothers from Gary) are rim-wreckers and slam dunkers so they can make West Side pay for a sloppy press.

Moore is a 75% foul shooter who was 6-of-6 against Mishawaka last week. This is a guaranteed show, a game that will get played above the rim. But with Concord having the better lead guard, the Minutemen should prevail.

Clay is going to have to show Valparaiso something very quickly.

The Colonials were just 10-11 after the regular season ended and they defeated three teams with losing records to win the Michigan City Sectional.

Clay should have done better this year with 6-6 Ashton Daniel and 6-5 junior Danny Payne. 5-10 guard Ashton Neely scored 15 in the sectional title game win over Washington, a game where Clay sank 23 of 32 foul shots.

Daniel and Payne are going to have to be quick enough to handle Valparaiso's star sophomore Scott Martin and Rob Hummel, which helped the Vikings dominate three teams at the Merrillville sectional, winning all games by 17 points or more.

The problem with Valpo is that you need to play man-to-man to take away shots for Jon Moon and Ryan Osburn, who combined for 32 points in the 64-36 rout of Crown Point (13-9) in the sectional title game.

Martin scored 24 as Valpo smoked Merrillville (18-4) in the semifinals.

Valparaiso, a tradition rich team with 47 sectional titles, doesn't need extra incentive but Clay is the team that denied Valpo a state title in 1994 when the Colonials came from 10 points behind in the final four minutes to beat Valpo in overtime. Valpo beat Clay 57-39 on Dec. 11 so overconfidence would appear to be the only way they could lose this game.

If the title game is Valparaiso and Concord, it would be ironic. As Valparaiso was 28-0 when they lost the 1994 state title game, Concord was 28-0 when they lost state title games in 1988 and 1990.

I love the speed of Concord and its very tough to press them. But Valparaiso will not try. Valpo will let Scott Martin and Jon Moon attack the basket if Concord plays a man-to-man defense. The Minute men may come up with a combination, Box and one against Moon or Triangle and two against Moon and Martin.

Concord's only loss was 52-51 to Northridge, a tall, patient team. they beat Penn, another tall, patient team 54-48. Valparaiso is more difficult to match up with than either of those two.

Concord could get turnovers from Moon and Osburn in the back court but playing for the second time in the same day, it will be tough.
I know Concord is 12-0 against 4A teams, but Valparaiso has improved a lot as the season has gone on.
And again, fast teams get slower as the day goes on. Tall teams don't get shorter. Let's be honest, 10 days ago, I'd have picked Concord to beat Valpo. But you cant ignore how dominant Valparaiso was last week in the Merrillville Sectional.

Valparaiso 64, Concord 58

 

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Revised: March 10, 2005 .