2004-2005 Boys Basketball  Week-11 Renegade Poll A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith (2-3-2005)

(2-3-2005) Nothing changed in week 10 as the top-ranked team continued to win and everyone else struggled to hit their stride. Truthfully, the month of January is a struggle for motivation and a lot of teams played like they were running on empty. There may have been a key injury with Jake Schoon at Kouts, the top 1A school. Steve Luptak at Munster also went down. No word on when he'll be back. Chesterton is still promising if they get 7-foot Evan Schmidt back before the playoffs. Out east, 4A No. 6 Mishawaka has moved to 15-0 in 4A and headed for a showdown with 4A No. 9 Concord (12-1). Downstate, Arlington (17-0), Pike (16-1), Muncie Central and Lawrence North (12-2) still seem a cut above everyone.

And a 3A challenger to 3A No. 9 Plymouth (12-3) has risen in 3A No. 14 Northridge (10-4). 3A No. 1 Bellmont (12-1) took their first loss.

Jimtown (12-1) rolls on in 2A.

1.) Merrillville (12-2)

MERRILLVILLE – The Pirates got by Michigan City 60-56 and Boone Grove 75-65 without much help from guard Josh Mayo (17 ppg.) who sprained his ankle. Senior guard Tristan Dawson scored a career-high 20 against MC. The Pirates probably allowed a few too many points against Boone and the fact that 6-4 post player Danny Borys scored 27 against them is of great concern. If the Pirates get past the sectional level, they will see better back-to-the-basket player than Borys (21.9 ppg.). Merrillville hosts neighbor Crown Point (8-7) Friday.

2.) Valparaiso (12-2)

VALPARAISO – Valpo will eventually move up to the top spot. It's only a question of whether it's late this year or at the start of next year. Jon Moon (14.9 ppg.) scored 20 as the Vikings rallied from 10 points behind in the final 1:58 to win at Crown Point 65-62. 6-5 Scott Martin (13.3 ppg.) added 17.

The Vikings sank 10 three-point goals. Valpo has gotten away with using Moon in a 'point forward' type of playmaking role. Senior Jon Hanselman got away with a career-high 17 points in a 62-49 win over Calumet. They do not have a true point guard and that hurts them against extreme full court pressure but they have most everything else. 

3.) East Chicago (10-6)

EAST CHICAGO – A big win for EC 78-71 in overtime over West Side but the up-and-down nature of the Cardinals now has them behind Valpo. E'Twan Moore (21 ppg.) scored 21 and David Conner added 11 more for the Redbirds who survived 38 points from West Side's Jamil Tucker. EC has beaten Gary Roosevelt, Hammond and West Side but lost to Merrillville, Crown Point and top-ranked Arlington (17-0).

Fine athletes, good outside shooting, good (if sometimes flamboyant) floor leadership in Conner. But remember, they have to win two or three in a row to win the sectional. There is doubt they can do that.

4.) Gary West Side (11-4)

GARY – The Cougars lost 78-71 to EC but then doubled the score on Lowell 78-39. Jamil Tucker's 38 points vs. EC came with the aid of eight three-point shots, something he hopefully will not fall in love with. You don't win with three-point shots. Tucker had 33 with just two 3s in an 80-58 win over Roosevelt on Jan. 18. That's a much better game. The Cougars are too athletic to give up 69 points in regulation like they did against EC.

Those two teams are headed for a third meeting in the Gary West Side Sectional in March. West Side at Munster (12-4) on Feb. 9 is a sectional test that Munster is certainly looking forward to.

5.) Andrean (13-2)

MERRILLVILLE – Hammond couldn't handle Andrean last Friday (Jan. 28) and the 59ers won 73-58. 6-7 Luke Harangody scored 24 and 6-7 forward Chris Kaba (who was only 6-4 last year) sank a career-best 16.

Andrean at Penn (11-3) Saturday night is an interesting test after the 59ers lost to sectional rival Roosevelt two weeks ago. Senior wing Frank Provenzano, who averged in double figures last year, has been cleared to play after a long injury rehab.

The Niners still have East Chicago (9-6) left to play but the LAC champs are going to have to manufacture motivation while getting tapes of Plymouth and Northridge.

6.) Munster (11-4)

MUNSTER - The Mustangs had an all-hit weekend edging Highland 48-47 and holding off Crown Point 53-45. The Mustangs hopefully did not lose guard Steve Luptak to injury but they have significant depth. Forward Aric Van Weelden scored 16 against CP, but the Mustangs slumped to 26 of 46 from the foul line over the weekend. This is a team that was 16-of-19 against KV and 15 of 21 against Andrean.

There may be an injury to guard Steve Luptak, but Munster has the depth to overcome that. It's time for the wild horses to bust out of the corral. Narrow wins over teams that aren't as good as their sectional favorites won't get it done.

7.) Crown Point (8-7)

CROWN POINT – The Bulldogs were on the doorstep of a major win when they gave up a 10-point lead in the final two minutes against rival Valparaiso to lose 65-62. Mark Patrick had 13 points and six assists in a game they should have won.

The Bulldogs never led the next night at Munster, losing 53-45, the losses breaking a four-game win streak.

Okay, here they are again. Merrillville (12-2). CP has not beaten the Pirates in seven years and Merrillville has won 31 of the last 33 from CP. Any CP win over Merrillville is a season-changing event. But it's been seven years since the last one.

8.) Chesterton (7-8)

CHESTERTON – Chesterton is just a lot better than they've shown. The double overtime loss to Lake Central 72-69 last Friday kept the Trojans on a see-saw season. Zack Novak (16.7 ppg.) scored 31 points against LC and Novak, a 6-3 freshman had 86 points in a three-game span, reportedly the most for a Chesterton player in 45 years.

Once they get Evan Schmidt back, this is still a dangerous team. This is a new team still coming together. I believe they are the only NW Indiana team that regularly plays at least one freshman, sophomore, junior and senior on the varsity.

9.) Lake Central (8-7)

ST. JOHN – A double-overtime win over Chesterton is nice but it doesn't remove the questions. Six of LC's wins are by 10 points or less and three of them are in overtime. That means the Indians are a bowl full of Lucky Charms away from being 2-13. But when your losses are Merrillville (10-2), Valparaiso (10-2), Munster (9-4), East Chicago (8-6) and Crown Point (8-5), how bad can you possibly be?

6-2 junior Adam Short scored 20 for the second game in a row and LC sank 20 of 26 from the foul line. LC has made 34 of their last 41 free throws (82.9%). Like I said, how bad can they be?

10.) Boone Grove (10-4)

PORTER TOWNSHIP – A good showing at Merrillville in a 75-65 loss edged the Wolves into this spot. The Wolves have lost three games to 4A DAC schools and one in double-overtime to Kouts.

Boone beat Kouts 68-56 in a rematch last Friday (Jan. 28) with Danny Borys scoring 30 points. 6-4 junior forward Jon Shurr appears to be coming on with 17 against Merrillville.

Boone has a tough weekend at Morgan Township Friday (Feb. 4) and North Judson (Feb. 5). Borys (915) is closing in on 1,000 points.

Let's be plain. If this team can score 65 points on Merrillville, the last six teams on the Boone schedule have a problem.

OUTSIDERS...

Outsider No. 1 - Bishop Noll (6-9)

HAMMOND - Forget the record. Class 2A Noll has not faced a Class 2A team all season. They'll host 4A Highland (9-6) Friday night. Senior guard Sam Watts scored 16 in a 56-39 win over Calumet and senior guard Greg Jones added 15. Jones and Watts combined for 37 in a Jan. 15 63-56 win over rival Hammond.

The Warriors haven't shown they can rebound or win consistently, but again, they are in the 2A playoffs and the ENTIRE schedule so far has been against 3A and 4A teams. Believe me, Boone Grove and Wheeler are checking them out.

Outsider No. 2 - Kouts (12-3)

KOUTS - Kouts got beat by Boone 68-56 last Friday but they won the meeting that counted, Jan. 24 in OT at the PCC tournament.

John Selman (14.1 ppg.), who scored 24 in the PCC finale, scored 15 last week in the loss. There is a worry that Jake Schoon (13.3 ppg.) who was injured last Friday (Jan. 28) against Boone, will miss too much time. John Lauer (13.3 ppg.) broke a scoring slump with 15 against Boone.

Kouts visits one of the great old-school gyms when they travel to Knox Saturday night.

Outsider No. 3 - Rensselaer (12-3)

RENSSELAER - Rensselaer beat North Newton and Winamac to improve to nine games over .500. Senior guard Andrew Malone scored 16 in a 41-37 win over Winamac (1-14) on Jan. 28. The Bombers only go seven players deep but two of their losses have been by 10 or less. A barometer comes Friday when 2A Rensselaer faces 4A power McCutcheon (10-3).

The schedule is a question here with Rensselaer facing seven 1A schools. And, to some extent, this is Rensselaer's very strong football team including star quarterback Jacob Kiger. Like the situation at Boone, the rise of the girls teams helps the boys, whose playoffs follow immediately.

The Bombers host 3A Twin Lakes (12-2) on Feb. 18. We'll know more later.

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Revised: February 03, 2005 .