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2015 Boys Basketball"Magnificent 7," Week-12 PollA USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith03-03-2015 |
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2015 Boys Basketball"Magnificent 7," Week-12 PollA USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith03-03-2015 |
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| East Chicago is home to the top ranked team in Northwest Indiana and the seven-team Class 4A Sectional 1 playoffs. (Photo by Mark Smith) |
EAST
CHICAGO
(03-02-2015)
This week, a local court decided to overrule the IHSAA and allow Griffith and
Hammond into the state tournament. It's wrong. Once voluntary members of the
IHSAA get a ruling from the IHSAA, they should accept it.
The message here is: Fighting is OK if you feel like it. If someone gets hurt, too bad. Your parents will bail you out.
In the aftermath of the Griffith-Hammond fight last month which prompted the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) to suspend both programs for the rest of the season, let's keep in mind what was not done. The IHSAA did not suspend the players from all athletics for the rest of the year, just basketball. All boys involved in the incident can run track or play baseball this spring.
The Griffith and Hammond basketball programs were suspended for the rest of the season, not for a calendar year. The IHSAA could have suspended both programs for a calendar year, meaning they would not have played much of next year as well.
Finally, the boys seen throwing punches could have been expelled from school athletics for life. That has been done in the past by the IHSAA, but probably because no one was seriously hurt, it was not done here.
Griffith followers feel the IHSAA penalty, which took away the highly-rated Panthers' chances for Sectional and regional titles, was too harsh. The point is: It could be much more severe. There was another incident in the game between Roosevelt and Bishop Luers on Feb. 20 but I wouldn't connect the two. Players reportedly were not involved at Roosevelt.
School security and adult behavior is in
question, but players were not the cause. It's two different incidents. I can't
solve the problems of on-court behavior, but there are two things I'd like to
see changed.
1.) I'd like to see an end to four players running over to a teammate who has
fallen to help him up. That's nothing but a fake show of unity. And the players
usually have to push an opponent out of the way to help up a teammate who
doesn't need to be helped up. Like offensive linemen who push tacklers of a ball
carrier supposedly so they can help him to his feet, it's taunting and it
borders on unsportsmanlike conduct. I'd like to see coaches stop it and I'd like
to see referees call fouls on players who push an opponent aside to help a
teammate up off the floor. When players are on the floor, I'd like to see
players help guys on the other team up. Especially if you knocked them down.
2.) Clapping in or near some opponent's face or chest pounding in front of an
opponent needs be a technical foul. Every time. Again, it's taunting. It's
disrespectful and it's unsportsmanlike conduct. When did after the play hand
gestures become part of basketball? Boys have to believe their play speaks for
itself and they don't need flying chest bumping to draw attention to themselves
or diminish their foes. For those on the court, there is no need to
celebrate every positive play. There's a comfortable place for those who wish to
do that. It's called 'the bench.' Basketball players have to players first,
players second and players third. Entertaining the crowd and feeding one's ego
is for fans, cheerleaders and mascots.
3.) Ignore everything you see National Basketball Association (NBA) players do.
Everything. Do not talk to players on the other team or the referees. They don't
want to hear it and nothing good comes of that. Speak only to players on your
team and your coaches. Do not make hand gestures to the crowd after a basket. Do
not do dance moves and dramatic poses going down court after a good play. Do not
take three steps on the dribble. That's not allowed in real basketball. Do not
beg for 'continuation' after you get fouled. You don't get that here. Do not
carry the basketball and pretend you didn't know you did it. Do not forget that
it's a privilege to play in high school. No one recruited you or signed you to a
contract. Show an attitude of gratitude.
1. (4A) East Chicago (18-3)
EAST CHICAGO: East Chicago is not a dominant No.1, but no one else is close. The Cardinals won their final 11 games and drew a quarterfinal sectional game against Morton on March 4. The Cardinals lost to Lawrence Central (10-12), North Central (16-5) and Brownsburg (18-6) in the 21-game regular season. The Cardinals got a good draw in sectional play facing Morton (9-12) and either Lowell (10-13) or Highland (5-18) in the first two rounds. EC has to win three games in four days to win the sectional title, but the Cardinals play them on their home floor. EC has already beaten everyone they will see in the sectional.
VALPO: There also really isn't any question about the No. 2 team in
Northwest Indiana. Valpo was 7-0 in the big school Duneland Conference with
losses only to Munster (15-9), Hamilton Heights (17-7) Connersville (14-10) and
Penn (19-5), all by five points or less. Impressed? You're on your own,
apparently. Valpo is not ranked with an 18-4 record and an undefeated league
championship. Brownsburg (18-6) is rated 15th. Columbus North (16-7) is 17th.
The Vikes have that balanced scoring coaches like with 6-foot-7 junior center
Conner TenHove (12.2 ppg.), 6-3 junior forward Drew Paul (12.4 ppg.) and 6-foot
junior guard Scott Helm (10.9 ppg.). But they drew a hard road in the 4A
Merrillville Sectonal beginning with Crown Point (15-8) in the quarterfinals
Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
3. (4A) Crown Point (15-8)
2014 (12-9), 2013 (5-16), 2012 (11-10)
CROWN POINT: The Bulldogs were 4-3 in DAC play, but they won seven of their last eight, losing to Valpo and EC. Seven of the eight teams CP lost to had winning records including Penn (19-5) and Noblesville (13-10). CP lost at Bowman Academy but Bowman is a special case. Nick Jeffirs averages 18 pints and shoots 70% on the inside and CP will challenge any defense outside with Grant Gelon (15.0, 87 of 201 3s) and Sasha Stefanovic (11.7, 46 of 108 3s). Point guard Blake Bonin had a career best 11 assists against Lowell in the regular season finale. The Bulldogs shoot 40% (186 of 464) on three-point shots and 72% from the line. CP is a very good offensive team. But CP has to be very good very quickly because they drew Valparaiso (18-4) in the 4A Sectional 2 quarterfinals.
4. (4A) Chesterton (15-8)
2014 (12-10), 2013 (13-9), 2012 (9-13)
CHESTERTON: There were seven teams with winning records in the DAC this year and, even though Chesterson was 3-4 in league play, I rank them here. The Trojans did lose to East Chicago (18-3), Merrillville (17-7), Valpo (18-4) and 3A No. 1 (Mishawaka) Marian (19-0). But six of their losses are by six points or less and they've got the DAC MVP in 6-foot-6 Chris Palombizio, who average 23 points and eight rebounds over the 23-game regular season. You may not believe in numbers, but the Trojans finished the season shooting 39% on three-point shoots (164 of 425) and 75% (326 of 434) on foul shots. Chesterton was the No. 2 scoring team (65.1) in the DAC and to win three games in four days, you can't ask the defense to carry you. The Trojans got a bad draw, though, facing a Michigan City team they lost to 76-65 last month. Chesterton also plays the late game Wednesday, meaning they'd have to win three times in 72 hours to win the school's first sectional in 28 years.
5. (4A) Michigan City (14-8)
2014 (14-9), 2013 (10-12), 2012 (12-11)
MICHIGAN CITY: The Wolves won seven in a row to end the regular season and they finished with 10 wins in 11 games. MC is not a great shooting team and they were just 6-6 in games decided by 10 points or less. But they have depth and results. MC was 5-2 in the DAC and they were 5-0 in February. The Wolves were the only DAC team to allow 60 points a game and they also drew a hard week. Three games in four days if they keep winning. The Wolves obviously were 4-7 in mid-January and you can look at that in two ways. With no high scorer, they have to keep the tempo quick and force turnovers, which they have done. But they also have to defeat Chesterton, Merrillville and either Valpo or CP in a four-day span.
6. (4A) Merrillville
(17-7)
2014 (4-16), 2013 (22-4), 2012
(16-8)
MERRILLVILLE: The Pirates closed the season with a 74-61 win over Penn. DJ Wilkins scored 24 points. Merrillville also topped 1A No. 12 Morgan Township (18-5), the Porter County Conference (PCC) champion in the final week. The Pirates drew Hobart (10-13) in sectional play, but they also got a Wednesday game so they have to win three in four days. Merrillville topped Hobart by 15 two weeks ago. The Pirates know they can get to the semifinals. But folks don't understand how big a deal it is to be the host of an eight team sectional. You don't travel on a school night and you don't have to drive home after the semifinals. And if you win the early game on quarterfinal night, you can sit in the stands in your home gym and watch the two teams you would meet in the semifinals beat each other up. There is not a better feeling.
ST. JOHN: Is Lake Central better than Roosevelt (14-5) and Lighthouse (15-6)? Probably so, due to strength of schedule. LC losses are to Munster (15-9), Chesterton (15-8), Michigan City (14-8), Crown Point (15-8), Hamilton Southeastern (7-16), Columbia City (16-7), Valparaiso (18-4) and Merrillville (17-7) twice. The defending sectional and regional champs, LC has played three overtime games and lost eight by 10 points or less. But, if you're going to go strictly by won-loss records, you have to at least ask: Would Roosevelt or Lighthouse beat LC? No they wouldn't. Would they beat Munster? We find out right away on opening night of the 4A East Chicago Sectional.