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2005-2006 Boys BasketballWeek-2, Top-10 PollA USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith(12-15-2005) |
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2005-2006 Boys BasketballWeek-2, Top-10 PollA USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith(12-15-2005) |
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VALPARAISO (12-15-2005) Northwest Indiana sometimes lives in a dream world when it comes to high school athletics. So no one in the northwest corner noticed that two-time defending 4A state champion Lawrence North massacred 4A No. 8 Fort Wayne Snider 89-45 last Saturday WITHOUT All-America center Greg Oden (22.5 ppg.) who took an elbow in the face in North's rout of Nationally-ranked (Dayton, Ohio) Dunbar two nights earlier and couldn't play. I thought that North was supposed to have graduated much of last year's title team. But again, its not who you lost, it's always who you have coming back.
Here's what's scary to anybody in 4A. Lawrence North freshman Chris Read and Stephan VanTreese replaced Oden Saturday night. Van Treese is 6-foot-8 and Read is 6-foot-6 and they're 15 years old. No one has come within 15 points of Lawrence North all year, but folks truthfully thought that would all be over next season.
The dream game for March of 2006 may be Valparaiso, with 6-8 wing players Rob Hummel and Scott Martin, against North, going for the third consecutive 4A title. Don't say this too loud, but there doesn't appear to be a northern challenger to Valparaiso in Class 4A if the Vikings can get out of sectional one. Right now, Munster, East Chicago and Gary West Side all seem to be a notch below the Vikings. If there is a surprise, it would be Merrillville, which, from the first four games, is quicker one-through-eight than everybody they will face unless they go to Indianapolis.
Some teams are lying in wait. Boone Grove really hasn't gotten started yet in 2A and Wheeler (5-0) hasn't lost yet. In Class 1A, Hebron (4-1) is also walking low in the high weeds. In Class 3A, Andrean is getting the Superman hype but does Plymouth still have the kryptonite? NW Indiana fans and players are somewhat unique in that they do not respect the tradition of programs outside NW Indiana. I believe the 3A regional is still at Plymouth and nobody wins big at Plymouth except the home team.
1.) Valparaiso (6-0)
22-3 (2005), 22-3 (2004), 17-4 (2003)
VALPARAISO - Valparaiso put Crown Point down 61-26 Tuesday to stay atop any realistic local poll. Paul Coburn scored 17 and the defense, led by 6-foot-8 perimeter players Scott Martin and Rob Hummell, held CP to seven field goals. Portage was held to just 48 points and Boone was limited to just 37. You're going to need a great perimeter player to attack Valparaiso and there simply aren't any great, D-1 caliber perimeter players in NW Indiana this season. LaPorte (5-3) is the next victim this Friday (12-16-2005). In the fantasy league, Valpo's 'D' would be too much for Andrean by about 12 points. The only people who think Valparaiso would lose to Andrean haven't seen Valparaiso play. Valpo plays Munster on Jan. 28 and unless Merrillville can stop Valpo on Jan. 3, the Vikings will still be undefeated at that time.
2.) Munster (5-0)
16-8 (2005), 20-2 (2004), 21-2 (2003)
MUNSTER - Munster has not been challenged yet. Fort Wayne North (2-2) is about as overrated as Michael Vick. The Mustangs have to play one game at a time and not get too happy about the Lake Athletic Conference (LAC) tournament this week. The Mustangs have Merrillville on Dec. 28 and that game will tell them much more about their post-season chances than this weekend's proposed matchup with Andrean will. Munster beat Hobart 56-38 in the first round of the LAC tournament Tuesday (12-13-2005) but it's misleading. The LAC is fools gold. It's a league that tricks you into thinking you are better than you are. The champion of the LAC has never won anything in boys or girls basketball. Michael Bizoukas scored 15 in last week's 80-48 win over Calumet and the ponies sank 17 of 22. Munster hit nine three-point goals against Calumet and that's a mixed blessing. They should be going to the hole against Calumet. The Mustangs need to relax. They have a lot to prove and they can't prove any of it until March.
3.) Andrean (5-0)
21-3 (2005), 15-7 (2004), 11-12 (2003)
MERRILLVILLE - Andrean stomped Griffith 72-33 in another LAC snore-fest. The 59ers then rallied in the second half to stop rival Merrillville 71-60 Saturday night. Senior Luke Harangody took advantage of the small Merrillville front line to collect 28 points and 6-8 Chris Kaba added 17. Andrean clearly had trouble with Merrillville's speed.
After
the game, Kaba was quoted in the Post-Tribune as saying that they deserve to be
No.1 and they proved them selves. Let's not start that. Let your
play do the talking. Griffith football talked a mile a minute this
season. How'd that work out for them? Don't let your mouth write
checks that your butt can't cash. The 59ers should consider Munster just
another game this week if they meet in the LAC final. Munster is 4A so in
the 59er-world, they are irrelevant. You know the 59ers are scrambling to
get some tape out of Indianapolis.
They are probably much more interested in their trip to the Brebeuf Invitational
over the holidays. Brebeuf is 3-1 and the only loss is to superpower
Lawrence North (7-0).
4.) East Chicago (4-2)
13-8 (2005), 13-10 (2004), 18-6 (2003)
EAST CHICAGO - EC got 34 points from ETwan Moore in a 59-53 win over Lake Central Saturday and they are in the middle of a nine-day layoff until they play Highland (4-0). Has anybody else noticed that EC has lost only two distant road games? Moore is averaging 25 points a game and he was 9-for-9 from the line against Lake Central. The Cardinals have to be more of a defensive force. They shouldn't give up 58 points a game and they probably know that. Also, someone here has to establish that they can and will score. When one player scores 40% of the points, you probably don't have a championship team.
5.) Merrillville (3-1)
18-4 (2005), 9-12 (2004), 15-11 (2003)
MERRILLVILLE - Merrillville is doing very well in the early going. They led Andrean 35-32 at the half before the vivid height advantage allowed the 59ers to come back and win. The Pirates have proved far too fast for Chesterton, Michigan City and LaPorte. The Pirates were 17 of 19 from the foul line Tuesday in a 69-51 win at Michigan City. Who is James Rowe and how did he score 24 points at MC? A 28-11 fourth quarter wore out the speedy Wolves and that shows you all you need to know. Pencil the Pirates in for a 12-2 DAC record. They could lose to someone other than Valparaiso, but they won't.
6.) Gary West Side (1-3)
19-5 (2005), 12-7 (2004), 7-12 (2003) 23-4 (2002)
GARY - Gary West Side went up to Chicago where they got smoked like a Christmas ham, 80-66 by Farragut. Is it dawning on people that this is the not the West Side team of last year? They lost two key starters from last year. The Cougars need about 15 games to put a new team together. Right now, get ready for more losses. With the schedule this team is playing (Indianapolis Arlington, Andrean, top teams from Chicago and Detroit), the Side will have to hustle to stay over .500. But they could still pull it together by sectional time and coach John Boyd will be bragging and talking big again like the good old days.
7.) Highland (5-0)
16-8 (2005), 16-7 (2004), 16-10 (2003)
HIGHLAND - Highland is still living off that 50-45 overtime upset of Gary West Side, but that victory keeps fading with every West Side loss. The Trojans beat Whiting 59-20 to start the LAC tournament, but that's not a quality game. The Trojans need to beat someone with a winning record and they need to establish someone up front who can score and rebound. The Trojans were just 13 of 25 from the line in the 69-39 win over Hammond. Good start, but that's all it is so far. Highland has defeated five teams with top-heavy losing records. They have to be careful not to get big-headed, because the weak schedule could make them a victim of their conference.
8.) Wheeler (5-0)
16-5 (2005), 20-5 (2004), 21-3 (2003)
VALPARAISO - Wheeler is 5-0, but two of the teams are Class 1A. The Bearcats beat Lake Station 76-37 Tuesday (12-13-2005) in the LAC tourney, but the Eagles are 1-5. It's early in the season, but Wheeler needs to get to the LAC semifinals to play four games in the league tournament and see some real competition. This team is well-constructed and very big for Class 2A. They can play the LAC tourney for fun, because they can't prove anything by winning it. Wheeler won the LAC tourney two years ago and still got beat at the sectional.
9.) LaPorte (3-2)
8-14 (2005), 21-4 (2004), 15-6 (2003)
LaPORTE - The Slicers beat Portage to go to 3-2 overall, but they should be 4-1. The 80-58 loss to Merrillville was all too real. The Slicers' Kris Staats scored 21 Tuesday night in a 64-57 win at Portage. But what's up with 16 of 28 from the foul line? That's not going to get it done. The Slicers have 45 three-point baskets and that's their game.
10.) Chesterton (3-3)
9-12 (2005), 13-8 (2004), 16-6 (2003)
ST. JOHN - Chesterton got 23 from Curt Bradford to beat LC at LC 60-52 Tuesday night. They won't get 23 from Bradford every night, but you've got to hand it to them. After losses to Munster (5-0), Mishawaka (4-0) and Merrillville (3-1), Chesterton has won three in a row. They hit 12 of 12 from the line against LC and won even though top scorer Zach Novak, who scored 27 last Friday in a 65-44 win over Michigan City, got just 13. They'll play most of the year without 7-foot Evan Schmidt, so they have little inside game. But you've got to like the experience they have and what they've done so far.
On the outside looking in...
11.) 4A Lake Central (1-4)
11-10 (2005), 14-6 (2004), 14-8 (2003)
ST. JOHN - I still look at the first three losses (to Gary West Side, Valparaiso and East Chicago) and say that LC is better than the record. You can't rate Clark ahead of them. Come on... I like Clark but they've played played Joliet Baptist Academy. Chesterton (3-3) beat LC 60-52 Tuesday (12-13-2005) and I still have a feeling that LC is the better team as long as Chesterton doesn't have Evan Schmidt. New point guard Zac Fuhrman is just what this team needs. Remember, they have two transfer students in forward Joe Wingis and guard Evan Lavery. LC could easily be 3-2 although they could truthfully be 0-5 as well. Give them 15 games and then look out.
12.) 1A Hebron (4-1)
11-11 (2005), 10-11 (2004), 9-11 (2003)
HEBRON - Because they don't play in Lake County, Hebron, which has lost only to Wheeler (5-0) will get a low profile most of the season. But the Hawks won a big one Tuesday night, topping a good 2A team Rensselaer 54-52. Hebron's all-senior starting lineup will keep them in most games, but the foul shooting like 16 of 25 against Rensselaer has to get better. Hebron was 16 of 21 from the line in Friday's 60-38 PCC win at Lacrosse. The Hawks are a perimeter-oriented, traditional PCC team. But they have little depth and even less margin for error. They'll be 5-1 when they face rival Boone Grove in the South County semifinals on Dec. 29. Nobody can get injured and everybody has to maintain a decent level of play. But here's the No. 1 sleeper team for the 2006 playoffs.
13.) 1A Oregon-Davis (6-1)
11-10 (2005), 4-17 (2004), 1-20 (2003)
HAMLET - Here's the longest shot of them all. After an opening loss to Triton, the Bobcats have hit their stride and won six in a row, including a 20-point win over Class 3A Knox 67-47 last Friday that was an eye-opener. O-D then got out the whipping stick, 58-40 on South Central Tuesday night. Obviously, this team has been building for three years and it's now or never. Brothers Shaun Johnson (7.7) and Brandon Johnston (13.2 ppg.) combined for 35 against Knox. Guard Nathan Ferch (9.5) is a long-range shooter who scored 16 against Westville on Dec. 3.
The schedule has been weak but it's Oregon-Davis. They're in the middle of nowhere and that's who they play. We're talking enrollment of about 190 here. They do not play Hebron and they'd be a little overmatcehd against somebody like (FW) Blackhawk. We'll know more after Saturday's game at 2A John Glenn.