2006-2007 Boys Basketball  Week-15, Top-10 Poll A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith (03-17-2007)

In front of 5,500 at Marion, the Giants raced to a 13-point lead before two-time defending semistate champ Muncie Central rallied to even the score.  Finally, Marion D-1 junior Julius Mays hit a turnaround shot with three seconds to go to give Marion a 64-62 win.

In Indianapolis, in a showdown between two other D-1 seniors Purdue' s JuJuan Johnson scored 22 with 11 rebounds and seven blocked shots for Franklin Central but North Central and I-U-bound Eric Gordon (29 points, nine rebounds, 4 assists) rallied from a seven point third quarter deficit to win 49-44.

I'll say it again.  As much as I read from old-timers about how the tournament isn't what it used to be and how the kids and parents don't care anymore, that's not what I'm seeing.  If you went to any of these games, I would ask you if that lack of interest was prevalent at the games.

Plymouth won the regional again on their home floor (3rd year in a row) and while certainly Marion and 3A Northwood were also home for the regional, Plymouth is home for the sectional and regional and that should be changed.  They are a quality team, but it's a big advantage to be at home when you play twice in one day.

Luers (16-7) will be heard from in the future, apparently.  They got 33 points from a 6-foot-7 15-year-old freshman DeShaun Thomas.  Batesville's 6-foot-6 junior Alex Grimsley scored 32 points with 12 rebounds in the semifinal win over Howe and then added 28 points in the regional title game, an 85-65 win over Brebuef.

The state wide TV game on Comcast cable (Channels 26 or 27) will probably (they had not announced it by Wednesday) will be Bloomington South vs. North Central at 3:45 p.m., EST  from Southport.

2007 Indiana Semistate Championship Games
3-17-2007

1A North - Lafayette Catholic (19-6) vs. Oregon-Davis (25-1)
1A South - Barr-Reeve (22-3) vs. Lanesville (23-3)

2A North - Northwestern (23-2) vs. Fairfield (19-7)
2A South - Providence (22-3) vs. Winchester (21-4)

3A North - NorthWood (19-5) vs. Plymouth (23-2)
3A South - Evansville Bosse (21-4) vs. Batesville (22-3)

4A North - Marion (21-3) vs. East Chicago (21-3)
4A South - Bloomington South (21-4) vs. (Indianapolis) North Central  (20-4)

NUMBERS GAME:  I'd like to see Oregon-Davis win the state title, but in 10 years of class basketball, Lafayette Catholic has won nine sectional championships (including the last six in a row), seven regionals and three state titles.  Blackhawk Christian, Muncie Central and Lawrence North have won five sectional championships in a row.  Oregon-Davis has won 48 of their last 53 games and all five losses have been by 10 points or less.

I appreciate that somebody has to host the regional and the host team does not hire the officials in the state tournament.  But Plymouth was 15-1 at home this year while Northwood was 12-1.  Plymouth's only home loss this season was to Northwood and the rematch Saturday comes up at the Warsaw semistate.  Plymouth is 23-2 and the Pilgrims' only two losses are by one point in overtime.  In their last 77 games, Plymouth is 66-11.  Northwood football quarterback Skyler Titus, a 6-foot-2 guard, scored 22 points in both games as the Panthers (19-5) defeated Bishop Luers 70-65 and Tippecanoe Valley 61-52 to win that school's first-ever regional title.  Titus was 24-of-27 from the line in two games.  Northwood, on their home floor, was 51 of 61 from the foul line.

Wheeler was 5-of-22 from 3-point range in their 55-50 2A North Judson Regional semifinal loss to Rochester.  North Montgomery was 3-of-23 from three-point range in the same regional in a 68-52 loss to Fairfield.

The top five NW Indiana teams for the 2008 playoffs?  Crown Point, Gary West Side, Merrillville, Chesterton and Michigan City.

The top four 2A NW Indiana teams for the 2008 playoffs?  Hebron, Boone Grove, Rochester (I know that's stretching NW Indiana, but there aren't that many 2A teams here) and yes, Hanover Central.

1.  (4A) Valparaiso (23-3)
2006 (21-3), 2005 (22-3), 2004 (22-3)

VALPARAISO:  Valparaiso did not start quickly in the regional championship game and could never catch up, losing 54-42 to East Chicago.  All-staters Rob Hummel and Scott Martin scored 33 of the 42 Valpo points and that's the story there.  They shouldn't have won.  Valpo was 2-of-16 from three-point range, which indicates some of their shooters choked up in the big game.  It happens.  Valpo didn't have a lead guard or a real post player, something that many said at the start of the year.  The Vikings played twice in the same day twice during the season and split both times.  The Vikings graduate all five starters but their 8th graders and freshmen were dominant teams.  Valpo brings in a new coach to replace retiring long time coach Bob Punter, but they will not have a losing record next season.

2.  (4A) East Chicago (21-3)
2006 (19-5), 2005 (13-8), 2004 (13-10)

EAST CHICAGO:  The Cardinals had enough to get by Adams and Valparaiso at Michigan City for their first regional title since 1994.  Kawaan Short scored 19 with 11 rebounds as EC beat Adams 56-49 and Angel Garcia had 15 against Valpo.  E'Twaun Moore, who was the focus of the Adams and Valpo defense, was held to less than 20 in both games.  Moore scored 11 against Adams and 14 against Valpo.  EC will go no further with numbers like that.  The Cardinals were not great in either game (27 turnovers against Adams) and they need a significant upgrade this week in the semistate.  EC has been strong on free throws.  They were 11-of-15 against Adams and 12 of 16 against Valpo.  But you get the impression that EC is not playing very well and has not played well for three games.  To be the 'region' champ means nothing.  To be the state champ (and to be No. 1 in this poll), the Cardinals need more than they have shown and they need it immediately.

3.  (4A) Munster (21-4)
2006 (20-4), 2005 (16-8), 2004 (20-2)

MUNSTER:  Munster now has to wonder what would have happened if they'd have beaten East Chicago.  Munster may have a better chance against Marion than EC does.  But the OT sectional loss ended another bitter sweet season.  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.  Can NW Indiana have four Indiana all-stars?  Valpo's Scott Martin and Rob Hummel are locks, unless they are injured.  So is EC's E'Twaun Moore.  But none are lead guards and neither is North Central's Eric Gordon or Franklin Central's JuJuan Johnson, both of whom are also certain to be selected.  Munster's Michael Bizoukas could play his way onto the team.  Odds are with him.

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.  Gary West Side?  Call Crown Point.  You have a spot in the Gary Holiday Tournament and CP needs a one-time schedule upgrade.  West Side-CP could be the EC vs. Valparaiso of the year 2008.

5.  (4A) CROWN POINT (12-9)
2006 (9-13), 2005 (13-9), 2004 (6-16)

CROWN POINT:  Crown Point's 70-65 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.  With the graduations at Valpo, EC and Munster, CP will be ranked No. 1 in NW Indiana and in the Top 10 state wide.  Kyle Hanaway (8.1 ppg, 8.0 apg.) and Stephen Albrecht (19 ppg.) have a good chance to be selected as junior all-stars along with Michigan City's Jarrod Jones and Chesterton's Zack Novak.

6.  (4A) Chesterton (16-7)
2006 (14-9), 2005 (9-12), 2004 (13-8)

CHESTERTON:  The Trojans again, were not going to beat Valparaiso, East Chicago and Penn this year so their 57-55 sectional semifinal loss to Merrillville was not the end of the world.  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 (8.8 ppg.) can be a major force next year and coaches' son Tommy Peller will step in at guard along side quick Jordan Lewis.  Austin Bower (6.5 ppg.) is an excellent all-purpose player.  They need 6-foot-5 Alex Mannen as a back-up post.  Here's another team that should be in the 'Region Rumble' and could be in the Hall-of-Fame Tournament in New Castle.  Here's a school that has only won three sectionals in history and has never won a regional.  March of 2008 could be the best month in the history of Chesterton basketball.

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.  I thought they might go further, but there's a couple of teams in sectionals one and two that you can say that about.  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's sectional gets a lot easier next season when E'Twaun Moore (EC) and all five Munster starters graduate.  One small consolation.  LC has a 32-point victory over a regional championship East Chicago team that is still playing.

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 by 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 al five starters.  Watch for the IHSAA's realignment next week.  John Glenn, Rensselaer, North Montgomery, Harding and Rochester all become 3A next season.  Gary Roosevelt plays in a five team sectional and that is certain to change any day now.  The Panthers also need a schedule upgrade.  I'm proposing an eight team Gary-Hammond challenge where Clark, Morton, Hammond and Gavit match up against West Side, Wirt, Roosevelt and Lew Wallace.  Everybody plays at least twice and the championship game alternates between the Civic Center and the Genesis Center.

9.  (4A) Merrillville (13-9)
2006 (17-4), 2005 (18-4), 2004 (9-12)

MERRILLVILLE:  Hopes are very high here for the future 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.  Outside of Chesterton, I'm not sure who has the experience in the front line coming back that Merrillville has.  The Pirates are a player in the 2008 playoffs.  There is a chance that Chesterton will move from sectional two, which would help the Pirates sectional title chances.  Here's another team that should play Gary West Side, but they won't.  It's a long story.

10.  (3A) Clark (21-4)
2006 (16-7), 2005 (8-13), 2004 (12-9)

HAMMOND:  Clark turned the ball over 18 times in a 69-55 loss to Plymouth at Plymouth.  Until Clark plays some regular season games outside NW Indiana, they will continue to have regional problems, no matter who they face.  The opportunity is there for a wider ranging schedule in 2008 because of the breakup of the Lake Athletic Conference.  The Pioneers need to take advantage of the extra non-league game.  Ridgewood Baptist and Blue River Valley are not quality foes for a 3A school that wants to (and has a chance to) win a regional title.  Clark graduates seven seniors, but they should still be a sectional favorite with Nick Curosh and Mario Ramirez.  If Calumet can play teams like Merrillville and Valparaiso, Clark can too.  You can't expect to beat Terry Bradshaw if you spend your season playing Teri Hatcher.

On the outside looking in...

(1A) Oregon-Davis (25-1)
2006 (23-4), 2005 (11-10), 2004 (4-17)

HAMLET:  O-D barely survived Tri-County 48-45 and coasted past a worn out Blackhawk Christian 67-54 to win the regional championship for a second year in a row.  Like EC, this team is laboring but they are surviving.  Blackhawk had played a three-overtime game with Morgan Township and they did not have much resistance to offer in the regional title game at Triton.  Brandon Johnston (13.6 ppg.), Justin Egger (12.0 ppg.) and Nathan Ferch (10.6 ppg.) combined for 40 points in the title game and the O-D boys shot 23 of 40 from the field.  O-D was 1-of-6 from the line in a forgettable 48-45 win over Tri-County.  The Bobcats face the moment of truth Saturday when they play three-time state champ Lafayette Catholic in Lafayette.  Catholic faces a vastly tougher schedule than O-D plays and they will be at home.  The Bobcats appear overmatched here and they'll need all their legion of fans to battle Lafayette's least favorite team.  If O-D wins it will be a bigger upset than if Ron Artest stays out of trouble the rest of the year.

(1A) Morgan Township (16-9)
2006 (5-16), 2005 (10-14), 2004 (19-4)

MORGAN TOWNSHIP:  Morgan went down in a blaze of glory, losing 62-57 in triple overtime against Blackhawk Christian.  The Cherokees had chances to win, but once the game went into extra time, it would have been especially difficult for Morgan to come back and win the nighttime championship game against 1A Oregon-Davis in the Triton Regional.  Morgan ended up winning the Porter County Conference Championship, the South County Championship and the Hebron Sectional.  With the possible exception of East Chicago, they did all they could do.  Senior Steve Littrell (11.0 ppg.) and juniors Troy Turner (11.0 ppg.) and Eric Spaulding (10.2 ppg.) created balanced scoring.  Jon Grubl (8.9 ppg.) has two more years.  This team will continue to be very small and they need more from 6-foot-2 Jarrett Washington.  Most of this team returns in 2008, including promising 5-foot-11 guard Joel Reinhertz.  The landscape changes for Morgan.  Sectional 49 rivals River Forest and Hebron move up to 2A, as does Culver in neighboring sectional 49.  No one drops down into 1A so Elkhart Christian may slide from Sectional 51 to 50.  South Central may go from Sectional 50 to 49.  If that's the way it shakes down, Morgan and South Central would be the favorites in sectional 49.  But I cant swear to what changes will occur.  The IHSAA works in mysterious ways.

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Revised: March 17, 2007 .