2003-2004 Boys Basketball  Preseason Renegade Poll A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith (11-28-2003)

  1. Lake Central (14-8 in 2003)

Okay, so it helps to get a 6-foot-10 low-Division I (Bowling Green) kid move in. Center Scott Vander Meer will give LC a height advantage up front. Point guard David Hoffmaster returns and runs a very big show with 6-5 shooting guard Brett Summers, 6-5 wing Krste Krstevski, and 6-7 big forward Kevin Parkinson. I don't know where 6-8 backup center Tommy Kline came from but the only truly short player they have is 6-1 sophomore Adam Short, the teams' only sophomore and a good shooter off the bench. Veteran coach Jim Black doesn't want his boys thinking ahead but the chance for the first LC regional title in 19 years is very much here.

2. Valparaiso (17-4 in 2003)

Coach Bob Punter should have been state coach of the year for leading his team to a 17-4 record with virtually no returning players. This year, Valpo will be no surprise with 6-7 center-forward Brian McMillian (10.5 ppg.) and good guards in Brent Kimmel and Ryan Nuppnau. 6-6 forward Ben Pease will be backed up by 6-4 brothers Jake and Dan Lieske. This is a team of nine seniors that reportedly knows each other very well.

3. LaPorte (15-6 in 2003)

The Slicers have a ton of athletes including 6-7 center Todd Dermody (8.6 ppg,.) in between 6-4 Jerome Vann and 6-2 Kevin Brandy, two quick, strong football stars. Guard Troy Tonagel is a wing with LaPorte history in his name and 6-8 junior Josh Corey gives LaPorte the size for the two games with LC. The Slicers, the defending DAC champs, will run most teams into the ground.

4. Gary West Side (9-13 in 2003)

There are two players who could make this team region champions. Move-in Jamil Tucker is listed as a point guard and also listed at 6-9. I'm thinking you're one or  the other but if he's both, he will be a monster to defense. The other top prospect is 6-5 sophomore David Bell, a raw player but a super-athletic sky-walker and a rim wrecker. Two big seniors, 6-7 Sean Smith and 6-5 Darren Weaver give coach John Boyd the size to battle LC at the sectional.

5.  Gary Roosevelt (23-2 in 2003)

The Panthers return 6-3 point guard Tyrone Appleton (9.0 points, 3.4 assists) and speedy 5-9 junior defender LaCelle McKinley. Robert Jenkins (11 ppg.) shot 52% from the field and 78% from the line.  The Panthers don't have any size but they'll run and press everyone.  Duane Grant is a solid player and there is depth.  In 3A, the Panthers are will be a contender.

6. MERRILLVILLE (15-11 in 2003)

The Pirates will have a winning team with 5-9 point guard Josh Mayo (14 ppg.), but 6-2 wing LaVell Cook (15.5 ppg, 6.8 rebounds) will be out until January at least. The only size is move-in Dwayne Momon from Roosevelt and 6-4 veteran forward Jimmy Reitz. But Mayo, 5-8 Tristan Dawson, 5-11 Anthony Dennis, 6-2 Greg Hill and 6-0 Dennis Howell will help give coach Jim East the full court pressure defense he likes.

7. ANDREAN (11-12 in 2003)

An up-and-coming team with just three seniors, the 59ers have power up front with 6-5 David Carson and 6-7 Luke Harangody. Harangody scored 34 in the 82-78 season-opening loss to Roosevelt. Provenzano, at 6-3, should be a strong wing and there are a lot of guard choices including football QB Tommy Finn. Teams will be able to press the 59ers for a while but it will come down to a rematch with Roosevelt for the sectional title. 

8. Chesterton (16-6 in 2003)

Another DAC team? The gap between the DAC and the LAC this year is stunning. Every foe will have to guard 6-3 Trojan senior Matt Campbell (17.1 ppg.) a very smooth player. Football QB Casey Martin, at 6-4, leads a small front line but 5-8 guard Matt Maple is a speedy guard prospect. The Trojans will bring 6-9 center Evan Schmidt along slowly but with all the big people at DAC rivals LaPorte, Valpo and LC, Schmidt will see varsity time this year.

9. East Chicago (18-6 in 2003)

The Cardinals return Tremaine Cooley (11.6 ppg.) with Kyum Gillis in the backcourt. Cooley scored 26 in the season opening win 72-65 at Michigan City. There's no size so 6-2 senior Ken Glass will have to hit the boards. Why are they in the top-10? I have heard from more than one person that 6-3 freshman E'Twan Moore, who scored 17 with 10 rebounds (10 of 10 FTs) in his varsity debut, is an impact player. Andrean's all-stater Shane Power scored 14 (5 of 6 from the line) with 12 rebounds in his varsity debut against Roosevelt. Think about it. Freshmen don't start for EC. And no freshman small forward gets 10 boards and goes 10 of 10 from the line in his first game. There will be Moore to come.

10. Highland (16-10 in 2003)

This is a peak year for Highland with point guard Kris Boyd (10.5 ppg.), promising 6-3 wing players Andrew Helmer and Derek Moser, and 6-6 soccer star Gary Simkus backed up by 6-8 football star Kevin Thomas at center. They may not beat out Andrean but they're better than Munster and the opening night one-point win over Merrillville indicates experience and confidence.

Others to watch......                    

Munster (21-2 in 2003)

Move-in Pete Trgovich (16.9 ppg, 52 3-point baskets) joins 6-4 senior Dustin Bothwell 13.2 ppg, 5.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists) and 6-3 point guard Josh Martin (78% FTs). They wont play the kind f competition that will ready them for EC and West Side in the 4A playoffs but the Mustangs should challenge Andrean for the LAC title.   They have no varsity experience up front however and the addition of a distance shooter isn't always a help to a team that already has perimeter scoring.

HANOVER CENTRAL (12-10 in 2003)

A team with no center in a league where you can get away with that.  Jeff Johnson  (14.2 ppg.,) hit 55 three-point baskets last year and shot 41%.  Brandon Hegg, who may be out until Christmas with a leg injury, is a solid scorer and rebounder. Among seven seniors who watched an 0-20 team as freshman,. are 6-3 centers Adam Suarez and Matt Jackson, who must rebound; 6-2 Greg Shroka, a versatile offensive player, and 6-1 Owen Goff, another who the Cats need to score in double figures.  HC will battle Boone Grove and Morgan Township for the PCC title.

Griffith (18-4 in 2003)

They'll be a better team without Kenny Harris, who never really fit in on the floor. Speedy senior Shaun Mathis is a fine open court player but his job will be to feed 6-6 junior Todd Polgar inside. Coach Jack Gabor wants a patient offense so veteran guard Steve DeJesus and wing Rich Lehman should lead the way. It's hard to see where the points are coming from but Gabor's teams can win low-scoring contests.

LOWELL (11-13 in 2003)

Jim Jeffries (12.8 ppg,) returns with double figure scoring and good defense. Point guard Mike Miller will be backed up by good-looking senior PG Dustin Mathis, who didn't play last year due to injury, Center Jason Corns is only 6-3 but he can rebound. and 5-10 soph wing player Jeff Clemens scored 15 in his varsity debut.   Like Hanover,  Lowell always sneaks up on people because the Lake County media obsesses on the teams north of Route 30.

Morgan Township (17-8 in 2003)

MT features 6-3 senior Matty Bush (21.6 ppg., 6.5 rebounds, 47 3s) but the biggest secret in Porter County is 6-6 junior Nate McKinley, who has low Division 1 potential.   The trick will be for the Cherokees to find a point guard so Bush wont have to do everything. The team has seven seniors, a big plus.

BOYS PRESEASON  NOTES:  Munster will play Fort Wayne Elmhurst on Dec. 6 in the Region Rumble.  Elmhurst was the 3A state finalist last year.  Hanover and Hebron play a boys-girls double-header on Friday, Dec. 5.  Gary Patterson (23.4 ppg.) and Bishop Noll play at Andrean on Dec. 6.

Copyright © 2002 USA-365.com and Meyer Multimedia Services, a division of Meyer Broadcasting Corp.  All rights reserved.
Revised: July 10, 2004 .