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2009-2010 Boys BasketballWeek-13, Top-10 PollA USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith(02-24-2010) |
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2009-2010 Boys BasketballWeek-13, Top-10 PollA USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith(02-24-2010) |
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VALPARAISO (02-25-2010) With the 100th state tournament beginning next week, this is the final poll in which all of the Top-10 here will still be playing. But, in a rare occurrence, none of the top teams were matched against each other in opening round play. Odds are we'll get to the regional semifinals with all of the Top-10 intact. The new deal in the post-season will be the move of the 3A regional from Plymouth to Chesterton, largely due to complaining from Lake County teams about bad treatment in Plymouth. Local people whined when the 'region' team lost again under pressure at Plymouth.
Just so you all remember, here's what happened. Because a security dog accompanied a police officer into the Plymouth gym when some Lake County fans got rowdy (and because the all-black Lake County team lost), there were cries of racism about people in Plymouth. Plymouth, Indiana, which has had a summer high school basketball league (with black players) for decades. Plymouth, Indiana was described as a racist town. Translated: 'We can't win the big game and we need to cop out.' The whining was embarrassing to true competitors and brought shame on high school athletics in this formerly proud region.
Now that the 3A boys basketball regional has been moved to that multicultural
oasis that is Porter County, there can be no more tolerance of manufactured
excuses. I would hope that, whatever the outcome of the 3A playoffs at their new
home, or whatever the outcome of the eventual 1A showdown between all-black
Bowman Academy and all-white Triton (a match that controversially went to Triton
in 2009), that Lake County people will, at least try, to be mature. The
aftermath of last year's playoffs was ridiculous to anyone who looked at it
objectively. Angela Davis called from the 1960s and she wants her act back. Coaches, players and media need to accept the outcome of a basketball game for
the relatively meaningless event that it is and not try to stir up race hatred
by channeling the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
Again there will be no TV of any state tournament games before the finals. Lakeshore TV (the old Channel 56) got out of the business of airing high school
games four or five years ago now and they do not believe any significant segment
of the local TV watching public wants high school games on TV. That's not my
opinion and it may not be yours, but it is theirs.
And frankly, no one that I know of has contacted Lakeshore Public TV to tell them otherwise. It appears that the 'best draw' award goes to Bishop Noll, which will not have to face both Wheeler (19-1) and Hanover Central (17-3) at 2A Sectional 33.
Munster (19-2) did not get a bye in 4A Sectional One, but they are in the side of the bracket with three losing teams. Boone Grove also is in the side of the 2A Sectional 34 bracket where they will face two 3-17 teams.
1.
(4A) Valparaiso (17-2)
2009 (20-4), 2008 (11-14), 2007
(23-3), 2006 (21-3), 22-3 (2005)
VALPARAISO: Valparaiso won the DAC
with a 13-1 record despite an overtime loss at Merrillville that is troubling.
Valpo led by 11 but threw the game away with sub par foul shooting.
Senior Brad Karp (14.1 ppg.) and junior Jerrick Suiter (10.3 pg.) lead a
disciplined team that had an almost perfect season until they shot 3-of-12 from
the line at Merrillville. Valpo is close to home at Michigan City so
playing on a school night wont bother them in the 8-team sectional. The Vikings
have won six of the last eight 4A Sectional playoffs. They are the
sectional favorite.
2. (4A) Munster (19-2)
2009 (24-2), 2008 (16-6), 2007 (21-4), 2006 (20-4), 2005 (16-8)
MUNSTER: Munster has lost Mt. Vernon (14-2) and Valparaiso (16-1) and they could finish at 20-2. The Mustangs will have to play three games but the first one is Lowell, a team they have not lost to in nine seasons. Oddly, Munster's final game Friday is at South Bend Riley (17-3), a team they could easily see at the regional level. This team has done everything they can (they'll play 22 regular season games, the state limit) to advance deep into the state tournament and they are the defending sectional and regional champ. Munster is a clear cut sectional favorite.
3. (1A) Bowman Academy (18-1)
2009 (19-4), 2008 (7-7)
GARY: Bowman won another race horse game with East Chicago, a match up that is meaningless because they won't face that style of play in the post-season. There is a misconception about Bowman's loss to Culver Academy (13-8) on Feb. 11. It was said that Culver, because of their record, was an inferior team. Not true, talent-wise. Culver has boarding students from all over the world. They do not have a better team than Bowman, but they arguably have better players. That's a good loss. Bowman, which was a pathetic 23 of 45 from the foul line against EC, got an easy draw and they will meet slow-down Morgan Township in the 1A Sectional 49 title game. Bowman is a significant favorite.
4. (4A) Lew Wallace (14-4)
2009 (14-7), 2008 (13-11), 2007 (5-17), 2006 (4-17)
GARY: I'll repeat what I said last week. The Hornets' four losses are all to Illinois schools, which would matter only if Wallace was entered in the Illinois state tournament. Coach Renaldo Thomas lobbied to get the postponed East Chicago game rescheduled and he was successful. That's big because LW drew a first round bye in the 3A Gary Roosevelt sectional and they don't need a lot of days off. Brandon Dawson averages an outrageous 25.9 points and 15.2 rebounds per game. LaTroy Taylor averages 17.6 points and 5.3 assists. Wallace sees the sectional in Gary and the regional in Chesterton. There are no excuses for the Hornets not winning the sectional title. I think they will.
5. (4A) East Chicago (15-3)
2009 (14-8), 2008 (20-4), 2007 (23-3), 2006 (19-5)
EAST CHICAGO: An 89-82 loss to Bowman Academy Tuesday (2-23-2010) is significant only if it hurts the confidence of EC, heading into a sectional match with Lake Central (13-6). EC did sink 27 of 34 from the line (Henry Davis was 11 of 11) against Bowman, but they are not a defensive powerhouse. They did defeat superpower North Central (17-3) early, but there is doubt here. EC is always overrated because they're EC, but I can't promise you they won't defeat Munster and win the sectional title.
6. (4A) Merrillville (17-3)
2009 (16-6), 2008 (16-5), 2007 (13-9), 2006 (17-4), 2005 (18-4), 2004 (9-12)
MERRILLVILLE: I thought the Pirates win over Valpo was a game the VHS boys handed to Merrillville. Valpo had an 11-point lead. Merrillville got a soft draw with an opening game against Hobart (5-15), but I don't like them driving three times to Michigan City (30 miles to play) in the eight-team 4A Sectional 2. The Pirates have to win twice on a neutral site and then defeat Valparaiso for the title. Unlikely. This is too young a team to win this year. Sectional 2 is a mine field. Everybody here is simply unlucky enough to be in one of the two (New Castle is the other) 8-team sectionals in 4A.
7. (2A) BOONE GROVE (16-4)
2009 (13-7), 2008 (12-10), 2007 (11-12), 2006 (18-6), 2005 (19-7)
PORTER TOWNSHIP: Boone Grove closed fast with eight consecutive wins and a 57-49 win at injury-depleted Chesterton. Michael Eleftheri (16.3 ppg.), Ryan Reynolds (15.2 ppg.) and Wayland Roach (11.0 ppg.) are all ready for one final shot at the state tournament. Boone played six 4A schools and finished at 4-2. Now, in the interest of full disclosure, those who read the bi-weekly girls Top-10s will note that I picked Boone Grove's girls with an outside chance to reach the state finals. We now know the Boone girls (22-2) lost in sectional play. But I'll bite again. This team plays together as well as any I saw all year. Boone is the sectional favorite and I believe they are the regional favorite as well.
8. (4A) Lake Central
(13-6)
2009 (15-6), 2008 (9-12), 2007 (13-9), 2006 (7-14)
ST. JOHN: It's been a good year but this team got the short end of the stick. They drew East Chicago at East Chicago in a quarterfinal. No bye. No neutral court. No nothing. Where is the love? East Chicago defeated LC 61-51 last month and the rematch scenario is always good for the team that lost the first game. Here's a thought. EC plays Bowman and Lew Wallace in the final week and then they have to come back Tuesday and face LC. They might be tired. Then again. Then again, they might not be.
9. (2A) Wheeler (19-1)
2009 (21-4) 2008 (16-6), 2007 (17-6),
2006 (19-6)
UNION TOWNSHIP: Folks who don't watch the game closely make the team that has the best record the favorite in all the sectionals. So Wheeler automatically is the favorite in the 2A Sectional 33. But Wheeler didn't get a good draw. They will have to defeat River Forest (14-6), Hanover Central (17-3) and Bishop Noll (15-5) just to get out of the sectional. This is a strong team physically. They do not have a lot of speed, but they are big and strong with 6-foot-5 Andrew Rudakas (15.4 ppg.), 6-foot-5 Petar Todorovic (13.5 ppg.), 6-foot-3 Najee Bailey (13.0 ppg.) plus 6-foot-7 newcomer Aleksa Kojcinovic (8.5). Wheeler, Hanover and Boone all have the same problem. They don't want to go to the seventh or eighth man on the bench. Class 1A Morgan Township (14-5) has used six players all season. Three fouls on two different players in the first 11 minutes eliminates any of those three teams. It's a problem the larger schools do not have and it makes the small school playoffs somewhat unpredictable. Wheeler was the sectional favorite until the draw came out. Now, nobody knows.
10. (2A) Hanover Central (17-3)
2009 (9-11) 2008 (11-11), 2007 (9-11), 2006 (7-14)
CEDAR LAKE: Hanover got the bye they needed in the post season. They do not have to drive to Lake Station on a school night and they get four full days of practice just like a normal week. But HC will have to defeat both Wheeler (19-1) and Bishop Noll (15-5) to win their first sectional title in 24 years. Now, it's about this point where I'm supposed to tell you that Hanover has had a wonderful year. They've only had nine winning seasons in 42 years of existence. 18 wins is a school record. They're all wonderful boys and even if they lose in the first round, they're still heroes in our hearts and champion in spirit.
Well let me shut that down right now. It's not like that. It's going to be an awfully dark bus driving back from Lake Station Friday night if HC does not, at least, win one game. In fact, it may be an empty bus because they may all be walking home. But if they do win that first game, they will become a very difficult team to stop. This is the team that won the PCC for the first time in 23 years and beat Boone Grove for the first time in 16 years. If they defeat Wheeler, they'll be playing Boone for the regional championship on the night of March 13. Does anyone else realize than neither Hanover (one sectional title), Boone (9 sectionals) or Wheeler (2 sectionals) has ever won a regional championship? That's going to end this year. It's just a matter of who it is.
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN...
(2A) Bishop Noll (15-4)
2009 (13-9), 2008 (19-5), 2007 (9-13),
2006 (6-15)
HAMMOND: Noll has lost twice to the Bearcats and both losses have been decisive. But now they may not play Wheeler if Hanover defeats them in the 2A Sectional 33 semifinals. With Ronnye Beamon (10.9 ppg.) and Kendall Coleman (17.7 ppg.), certainly they have a chance and the draw favors them considerably with River Forest (14-6), Hanover (17-3) and Wheeler (19-1) in the other half of the bracket. If there is to be a major surprise in sectional week, it would be Bishop Noll winning 2A Sectional 33.