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2004-2005 Boys BasketballWeek-5 Renegade PollA USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith(12-29-2004) |
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2004-2005 Boys BasketballWeek-5 Renegade PollA USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith(12-29-2004) |
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(12-22-2004) The winner of the Lake Athletic Conference (LAC) tournament hasn't done much in the post-season in the last few years but Andrean (7-0) may break that trend. The tourney comes too early and includes too many bad basketball schools to have any meaning, but the 59ers won with 6-3 forward Frank Provenzano, their second leading scorer. Valparaiso's 7-0 is a little more significant although they have not played perennial DAC power Merrillville, a team well-suited to beat them. It was a week for redemption as North White's 51-50 win over LaCrosse broke a state-record 68-game losing streak. Lake Station's 54-51 overtime win over Lowell broke a 42-game losing streak and South Central's 54-50 win over Hanover Central broke a 23-game losing streak. On top of that, Michigan City, which was 2-19 and 1-13 in DAC play last year, was 3-4 after 7 games with a 2-2 league mark.
1.) East Chicago (5-3)
EAST
CHICAGO – The Cardinals didn't have
what it took to take down high-flying Indianapolis Arlington (6-0) Saturday,
losing 71-60. Arlington scored a 70-60 win over top-ranked Lawrence North
earlier last week. There is no substitute for the independent schedule EC is
playing and highly skilled E'Twan Moore and David Connor lead a team that has
already played three top-10 teams.
2.) Merrillville (4-2)
MERRILLVILLE
– No one is really fooled by
Merrillville's two overtime losses to LaPorte (3-2) and Andrean (7-0). There's
not a lot of difference between the top half dozen teams but Merrillville and
5-11 guard Josh Mayo is going to be close in any game. Mayo scored 15 of his 18
in the second half of last Saturday's 60-55 win over Lake Central (Dec. 18). The
Pirates smoked out Michigan City earlier in the week 70-48 and Crown point
couldn't stop them Tuesday. the Pirates are a bounce and free throw away from
being 6-0.
3.) Valparaiso (7-1)
VALPARAISO
– Three players scored 10 or more in
Valpo's 62-44 win over LaPorte. Earlier last week, VHS smoked out Crown Point
55-35, holding the Bulldogs to 12 of 40 shooting. VHS
also paddled South Bend Clay 57-39 and low-bridged
Portage 53-35, all in a five day span.
Jon Moon (16.9 ppg.) was expected to score but 6-5 Scott Martin (11.4 ppg.) has been the big newcomer. After seven games, 100 of 124 (80.6%) from the foul line. Can they possibly keep that up? 80% from the foul line?? Nobody does that.
Valpo took their first loss at Chesterton Tuesday night.
4.) Gary West Side (7-3)
GARY
– They have not played since the 15th
of December and will not play until the Gary Holiday Tournament on Dec. 27.
Would you bet money on Munster vs. Gary West Side? 6-7 Jamil Tucker (18.6 ppg.)
scored 30 in an 88-80 win over Chicago Public League
standout Farragut, but who knows how they'll come off this long layoff?
The Gary Holiday Tournament championship came too easily but nobody really believes that Andrean would beat Gary West Side right now, do they?
5.) Chesterton (4-3)
CHESTERTON
– Chesterton has
lost two games in overtime so they are truly 4-1-2. The Trojans are getting 6-11
Evan Schmidt into the offense. Freshman Zack Novak (15.2 ppg.) is producing at
the offensive end but the Trojans have no other double figure scorers.
Adam Hutnick scored
17 against Portage in last Friday's (Dec. 17) 54-47 win. This team is too good
to be .500 for long. Come on. Look at the size they can put on the floor.
Chesterton stomped on Valpo Tuesday night to justify this ranking.
MERRILLVILLE
– Playing over their heads right but
they don't want to wake up. The 59ers swamped Calumet 80-46, nipped Highland
65-55 and rallied past Munster 60-57 in the LAC tournament. 6-7 Luke Harangody
(22.4 ppg.) scored 27 in the semifinals against Highland.
Sophomore David Boarden came off the bench to score 15 against Munster in the title game. I'm not sure Andrean is better than Munster, but they will be when Frank Provenzano returns from injury in January. 97 of 148 (65.5%) from the foul line is probably not good enough to go deep into the state tournament.
They could see Brebuef in the title game of the Brebuef Jesuit Invitational Dec. 29 in Indianapolis.
CROWN
POINT – The Bulldogs lost a 30-18
halftime lead and lost to Michigan City 55-51. Here's a team that defies stats.
They have scored more points than they've allowed. The Bulldogs had 33
three-point baskets in five games and they shoot an overwhelming 68-of-86 (79.5
%). Sam Henderson (12.0 ppg.) is a streak
shooter with 15 3-point goals. The Bulldog problem is
composure and good decisions when they have the lead. It's something they can
acquire in the next 14 games.
CP lost 67-53
to Merrillville on Tuesday but they've only beaten Merrillville twice in 17
years. When you see CP play, they're not as bad as their record.
8.) Munster (6-2)
MUNSTER
- Munster is a coming team with lots of young players.
6-8 center Kevin Rutkowski is in and out of the lineup with illness and injury
but he should be stronger in 2005. The Mustangs got 13 from soph guard Mike
Bizoukas in the Ponies' 69-64 win over Lake Central Tuesday. Junior Aric Van
Weelden scored a season-high 18. 108-162 from the line is 67.3% is almost good
enough. The only thing you want changed here is the Mustangs experience level
and that will take care of itself. Munster must not focus on the league and must
concentrate on games with East Chicago and Gary West Side. Those are the foes
that matter.
9.) LaPorte (5-2)
LaPORTE
– LaPorte got smoked out by
Valparaiso 62-44 last week (Dec. 17) and the LaPorte-MC game was postponed. Troy
Tonagel made his 2004-2005 debut and scored eight. LaPorte has been held to 86 points
total in the last two games but that will change. At full strength now, things will
start going their way. LaPorte won two easy games in the Super Hoops tourney.
This team is rising after a slow start.
10.) Lake Central (3-4)
ST.
JOHN – LC's 69-64 loss to Munster was
indicative of their season so far. Except for the 70-54 loss to Valpo,
all the games could have gone either way.
Unfortunately that means they're very close to being
0-7.
The only losing team LC has played is Crown Point (2-3) and they won't be a losing team at the end of the year. LC has 57 three-point goals after seven games. With four seniors, this is a playoff team.
They aren't going to win the DAC, but they have played long enough to pull a sectional upset.
OUTSIDERS...
Outsider No. 1 - Boone Grove (5-1)
PORTER
TOWNSHIP - It's a big year for Boone.
6-4 senior Danny Borys (21.1 pg.) will be the focus of every defense but the
Wolves are winning despite that.
Boone beat LaCrosse 48-34 as Jake Pivarnik (8.2 ppg.) scored a career-high 18 (Dec. 17).
The Wolves have to
play that type of low-scoring game. 70-of-94 (74.4% - 4 games) from the foul
line is good enough. That 61-48 season-opening loss to Valparaiso (7-1) doesn't
look so bad now. Boone won a 16th South County title by beating Kouts and
Hebron and that early title traditionally means a good year for them. Boone will
be tested consistently with Portage, Merrillville and Chesterton still to come.
Outsider No. 2 - Kouts (6-1)
KOUTS
- This team lost to Boone at the South
County tournament but who cares. Seniors John Lauer (15.0 ppg.), Jake Schoon
(15.0 pg.), John Selman (12.8 ppg.) and junior Jake Birky (11.0 ppg.) have led a
balanced attack after an 11-8 season in 2004.
Foul shooting (91-123, 73.9% - 5 games) has been very good. Kouts will get 2 more shots at Boone and they could pull an upset.
Outsider No. 3 - North Judson (6-1)
NORTH
JUDSON - The Judds took their first loss of the season late Tuesday (Dec.
21) when they lost 48-47 in overtime to John Glen
(4-2), the only winning team they've played.
The Judson Bluejays are a big team with 6-5 Joel Kerns (15.5 ppg.) and 6-4 Adam Richie (15.0 ppg.) and they've outrebounded everyone so far. This clearly is not a great offensive team and they need to work on that over the holidays.
Judson hosts Kouts (6-1) on Jan. 7. We'll know more then.