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2006-2007 Boys BasketballWeek-14, Top-10 PollA USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith(03-07-2007) |
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2006-2007 Boys BasketballWeek-14, Top-10 PollA USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith(03-07-2007) |
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VALPARAISO (03-07-2007) - The sectional didn't knock out the top teams as Valparaiso and East Chicago locally got by. The biggest upset in NW Indiana had to be Wirt over Gary Roosevelt, taking down the No.1 challenger to 3A Plymouth in the north. In 2A Wheeler got their landmark first sectional win. I believe that Lake Station, Westville and Washington Township remain the only schools in the seven county area (Lake, Portage, LaPorte, Newton, Jasper, Starke and Pulaski) that have never won sectional tournaments.
The spotlight is on downstate as the 'Big 4', Franklin Central, Pike, North Central and three-time defending state champ Lawrence North go head-to-head on the floor of the old Hinkle Fieldhouse. That title game will be aired on the Comcast cable network state wide Saturday night (3-10-2007) at 7:00 p.m. Ask yourself why regional and semistate championship games were not on TV statewide 30 years ago?
In 1A, the No. 1 Oregon-Davis's boys continue the quest to match the girls state crown. Far downstate, No. 6 Washington, the 2005 state champ, hosts tradition-rich Madison, Bosse and undefeated and top-ranked Edgewood (22-0), the state's only remaining undefeated team. Kiss them goodbye. Undefeated teams do not win the state title unless are vastly superior to everyone else. It rarely happens. But say goodbye to the two-time defending 1A state champ Forest Park Rangers (20-2) who got beat by 23 points in the sectional title game. It can happen to anybody. There will be no tape delay TV of the Michigan City Regional, so if you want to see Valparaiso (or Penn) vs. East Chicago (or Adams), you are going to have to head for LaPorte County.
4A at Michigan City
East Chicago (19-3) vs. South Bend Adams (17-5). 10:00 a.m., CST
Penn (21-3) vs. Valparaiso (22-2). 12:00 p.m., CST
4A at Marion
(FW) South Side (20-2) vs. Muncie Central (20-2)
(Allen County) Carroll (17-6) vs. Marion (19-3)
4A Pike (Hinkle Fieldhouse)
(Indy) North Central (18-4) vs. Pike (20-4)
Lawrence North (16-7) vs. Franklin Central (23-2)
4A Seymour
Terre Haute North (15-9) vs. New Albany (20-3)
Evansville Reitz (20-3) vs. Bloomington South (19-4)
3A at Plymouth
Plymouth (21-2) vs. Clark (21-4). 10:30 am (EST)
Wirt (13-8) vs. Western (20-3)
3A at NorthWood
Tippecanoe Valley (18-4) vs. Jay County (19-4)
Bishop Luers (16-6) vs. NorthWood (17-5)
3A at New Castle
Howe Academy (13-8) vs. Batesville (20-3)
New Castle (23-2) vs. Brebeuf Jesuit (13-9)
3A at Washington
Madison (20-3) vs. Edgewood (22-0)
Washington (20-3) vs. Evansville Bosse (19-4)
2A at North Judson
Wheeler (17-5) vs. Rochester (18-5). 10 am CT
Fairfield (17-7) vs. North Montgomery (18-4). 12 pm CT
2A at Blackford
Lewis Cass (18-5) vs. (FW) Harding (18-5)
Northwestern (21-2) vs. Eastside (18-5)
2A at Alexandria
(Indy) Park Tudor (13-11) vs. Shenandoah (20-3)
Lawrenceburg (11-11) vs. Winchester (19-4)
2A at Southridge
South Knox (20-4) vs. Southridge (16-7)
Providence (20-3) vs. Cloverdale (18-6)
1A at Triton
Oregon-Davis (23-1) vs. Tri-County (22-1)
(FW) Blackhawk Christian (14-8) vs. Morgan Township (16-8)
1A at Frankfort
Blue River Valley (19-4) vs. Lafayette Catholic (17-6)
Wes-Del (16-5) vs. Eminence (12-11)
1A at Franklin
Orleans (20-3) vs. Lanesville (21-3)
Jac-Cen-Del (19-3) vs. Morristown (14-9)
1A at Loogootee
North Central (Farmersburg) (18-5) vs. Tecumseh (19-5)
Covington (13-9) vs. Barr-Reeve (20-3)
NUMBERS GAME: Valparaiso coach Bob Punter won his 300th and 301st
game in his final season at Valpo. The Vikings have won the last four Class 4A,
Sectional 2 titles.
Lewis Cass legend Basil Mawbey (644-237) has his boys' defensive average down to 40 points a game, but they face speedy Fort Wayne Harding, which averages 68 points a game. In Class 2A, host Fairfield defeated 5th-ranked John Glenn, 6th-ranked Jimtown and defending sectional champ Westview to shake up the state tournament. Rochester was 21-of-25 from the line in their 2A sectional title game, a 59-40 win over North Judson.
4A Penn (21-3) plays playoff style basketball. They have held eight teams to 40 points or less and they held three teams under 40 at the sectional. Penn has played six overtime games this season and they are 4-2. Class 1A, No. 10 Lafayette Catholic won the sectional title for the sixth year in a row. Eight-time state champ Marion (19-3) sank 18-of-21 from the foul line in a 54-47 win over Lafayette Jeff at the Logansport Berry Bowl. (Yeah, I know. Logansport's gym is called the Berry Bowl. I didn't name it.)
In the 97 years of the Indiana state tournament, Marion has won 64 sectional championships. Muncie Central won a 56th sectional championship with a 64-49 win over Anderson. Marion and Muncie Central could meet in the finals of the Marion Regional.
1.
(4A) Valparaiso (22-2)
2006 (21-3), 2005 (22-3), 2004
(22-3)
VALPARAISO: Valparaiso slapped good defense on Hobart and Merrillville to win the Crown Point Sectional. Truthfully, the Vikings got a break when they didn't have to face Crown Point (12-9) and Chesterton (16-6). Valpo beat Merrillville 45-27 as the Pirates were three players short. The Vikings have to understand that the level of competition goes up dramatically Saturday when Valpo plays Penn (21-3). Region fans forget that Penn dominated this regional last season, whipping East Chicago and Valparaiso easily. No matter what they say publicly, there has to be limited concern here about getting offense in big games from someone other than Scott Martin (21.9 ppg.) and Rob Hummel (16.1 ppg.). The time for talk is over. I am not a believer in balanced scoring. Stars win game. Hummel and Martin have to clip the false modesty, accept that they are star players and take and make big shots against big teams. Everybody has to know their role and aggressively perform it. Valpo needs to pick up Penn full court and rattle sophomore guard Tommy Kurth. Penn has five regular players 6-foot-4 or taller and they want to walk Valpo into a 29-27 game. Valpo can't let that happen.
2. (4A) East Chicago (19-3)
2006
(19-5), 2005 (13-8), 2004 (13-10)
EAST CHICAGO: The Cardinals cruised by Lowell by 20 and then wore down Munster 58-54 to win the East Chicago Sectional. EC probably needs Valparaiso to beat Penn Saturday because they won't beat Penn. The Cardinals need 6-foot-10 Angel Garcia to stay close to the basket and intimidate shooters. The truth is, this team can be spread out and attacked and that's what Penn would do. One thing about EC. E'Twaun Moore (23 ppg.) will take his shots and he will go to the basket. He doesn't worry about EC getting balanced scoring. He takes the big shots. That's what a star does. He won't stop now. The Cardinals need to attack everyone in the full court to speed up the game. They cannot win a half court game against either Penn or Valpo. Remember the final score from last year: Penn 73, East Chicago 45. And they could have won by 40. EC has to know that they haven't faced a day like this all season.
3. (4A) Munster (21-4)
2006 (20-4), 2005 (16-8), 2004 (20-2)
MUNSTER: Munster beat Gary West Side and Lake Central, but they wore down against East Chicago. Missed free throws and missed jump shots were very much a product of having to play three times in five days. Munster has won 20 games four times in the last five years and has not gotten out of the sectional in any of those years. Analyzing that is unnecessary. They simply are facing superior competition. The Mustangs won't ever admit this, but they could go 10 more years and never win a sectional that has 3,000-kid arch rival LC, basketball icon East Chicago and talent-rich Gary West Side. Graduating five starters, Munster isn't going to beat West Side and EC next year. They are officially in the rebuilding mode. I know they'd like to play Crown Point and an upgrade in the schedule is always welcome.
4. (4A) Gary West Side (14-7)
2006 (7-14), 2005 (19-5), 2004 (12-7)
GARY: Gary West Side lost by one on the road at Munster in the regular season and they lost in 2 OTs at Munster in the sectional opener. Tough luck, but this is a team with a future. 6-foot-7 Darius Stevens, 6-foot-4 DeShawn Clay and 6-foot-3 Xavier Jones give this team an excellent future. Lead guard Gerald Campbell also has one more year. When a team gets a bad draw and loses, you have to simply say it wasn't your year. Note to coach John Boyd: If Lowell leaves Sectional One (to be replaced by Morton), ask for a re-vote on the 'Satellite Site' rule.
5. (4A) CROWN POINT (12-9)
2006 (9-13), 2005 (13-9), 2004 (6-16)
CROWN POINT: Crown Point's 70-65 overtime loss to Chesterton in the CP Sectional quarterfinals showed depth and the need for the Bulldogs to play a wide ranging schedule. The Bulldogs definitely choked up down the stretch after building an 11-point lead with 6:50 to play. This wasn't going to be their year anyway. CP was not going to beat Valparaiso and Penn and East Chicago. Crown Point returns 10 varsity players including all five starters in 2008. They will be ranked No. 1 in NW Indiana and in the Top 10 state wide. They need to see if they can't get into the Hall-of-Fame tournament in New Castle so they can play two extra games and I'd love to see them play Gary West Side in the Region Rumble or in the Gary Holiday Tournament. There's a need to aim high here. This is a state finals' team coming back. They need a 'state finals' schedule.
6. (4A) Chesterton (16-7)
2006 (14-9), 2005 (9-12), 2004 (13-8)
CHESTERTON: The Trojans rallied late to take out Crown Point, but lost 57-55 to Merrillville on a half court shot by Bo Patton. Forget about it. They also were not going to beat Valparaiso, East Chicago and Penn this year. This team is in the same boat with Crown Point. They return eight regulars including all-stater Zack Novak (22 ppg.) the DAC's best offensive player. 6-foot-7 Jack Houpt can be a major force next year and coaches' son Tommy Peller will step in at guard along side quick Jordan Lewis. Austin Bower is an excellent all-purpose player. They need 6-foot-5 Alex Mannen as a back-up post. But this team has everything. They have to understand that between them and CP and Merrillville, only one team can survive the sectional next year. Here's another potential state finals team.
7. (4A) Lake Central (13-9)
2006 (7-14), 2005 (11-10), 2004 (17-6)
ST. JOHN: LC could not make big shots in a winnable game against arch-rival Munster in the EC sectional semifinals. This team loses a lot, including six seniors and four starters. But they do have 6-foot-8 Eric Summers and 6-3 Zack Felton to rebuild around. But almost everyone else in the DAC returns the lead guard. LC has talent in the lower classes from what I have heard. But they may have missed an opportunity here.
8. (3A) Gary Roosevelt (15-6)
2006 (11-12), 2005 (10-11), 2004 (11-13)
GARY: Roosevelt didn't come to play in the post season. They were tied with Andrean (5-17) in the semifinals and they were blown out 88-66 by a mediocre Wirt (13-8) team. I can't explain it. This team was physically tough and had blinding speed. But they did not play well in March. The Panthers lose seven seniors and all five starters. It will be two years before they have serious post-season hopes again.
9. (4A) Merrillville (13-9)
2006 (17-4), 2005 (18-4), 2004 (9-12)
MERRILLVILLE: The Pirates beat Portage and Chesterton before losing to Valparaiso. That was all they could do after 6-foot-3 Andy Anderson joined two other players on the sidelines for the Pirates. Hopes are very high here with 6-foot-6 Jonathan Nwunannu and 6-foot-6 Ryan Smith along with half court hero Anthony 'Bo' Patton, who hit a three-point half court shot to beat Chesterton 57-55 in overtime. When you have the point and the post you are in good shape. They welcome back guard Mario Stapleton next season. The Pirates are a player in the 2008 playoffs.
10. (3A) Clark
(21-4)
2006
(16-7), 2005 (8-13), 2004 (12-9)
HAMMOND: You've got to give Clark credit for winning Sectional 17 for the second consecutive season. The Pioneers had some wide momentum swings that would indicate they have weaknesses. They lost a 25-point lead against Hammond and still won in the sectional semifinals. Clark never left NW Indiana once all season and now they head to Marshall County to take on one of the true giants in Indiana basketball, Plymouth (21-2) at Plymouth. Clark has never won a regional game and they will face a precision, spread-the-floor attack the likes of which they do not see in NW Indiana. The Pioneers must match Plymouth star Randy Davis (16.9 ppg.) with full-court heat. The Pilgrims have some excellent outside shooters. Clark has to be better than they have been all year. Clark-Plymouth might be the best match of contrasting styles Saturday.
On the outside looking
in...
(2A) Wheeler (17-5)
2006 (19-6), 2005
(16-5), 2004 (20-5)
UNION TOWNSHIP: Congratulations to Wheeler for taking their name off the list of teams that have NEVER won a sectional. The Bearcats bombed Boone and Noll to win the 2A crown. Rochester has eight players 6-foot-3 or 6-foot-4 and they are a difficult team to play. Wheeler's 6-foot-8 Nate Kasper has to dominate. The Zebras are a pain to play and they have a big wing in 6-foot-5 Korey Barnett with 38 three-point goals. But the matchups don't matter. Wheeler is their own problem here. They have to get over the fact they've won their first sectional because Rochester does not care. Both of these teams do not play killer schedules. Both are 0-2 against 4A schools. But Rochester has played in the old North Judson gym many times, while Wheeler has never been there.
(1A) Oregon-Davis (23-1)
2006 (23-4), 2005
(11-10), 2004 (4-17)
HAMLET: O-D barely survived Triton 49-47 Monday night in the delayed sectional final. I sense a lot of nerves here. When a team has to shot well to win, pressure can affect them. O-D is not a big team and I think they've less than a 50-50 chance to survive this weekend with the four good teams at Triton. With six seniors led by 6-foot-3 Brandon Johnston (13.6 ppg.), the Bobcats are in the difficult position as the regional favorite. Kids do not do well as the favorites. Coaches don't handle it well, because it takes away their No. 1 motivational gimmick.
(1A) Morgan Township
(16-8)
2006
(5-16), 2005 (10-14), 2004 (19-4)
MORGAN TOWNSHIP: I don't know how much further they can go, but for Morgan, it's been a very god year. They are the South County champs, the PCC tournament champs and now the Hebron Sectional champs. The Cherokee people are 10-2 against 1A schools, but one of the losses is to Oregon-Davis, a team they could see this weekend. Here is the poster child for class basketball. Because of their proximity to Valparaiso, Morgan was eliminated every year under the old one class system. Given a fair chance on an equal playing field, Morgan has now won five sectionals in 10 years. They must slow the game and play hustling, taking-the-charge defense because they can't outscore teams. Here's where playing three times in four days in the PCC tournament helps them. There's lots of negatives. They have no one over 6-foot-2. They have only three seniors. But Steve Littrell (10.6 ppg.), Troy Turner (10.9 ppg.) and Eric Spaulding (10.2 ppg.) have proven they can win close ones. It's just now they have to win two of them in one day.