2009-2010 Boys Basketball  Week-7, Top-10 Poll A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith (01-20-2010)

VALPARAISO (01-20-2010) We're late in the season and STILL wondering who's the best team.  Class 1A Bowman Academy hasn't played anyone local, much less 4A No. 3 Valparaiso. Class 3A No. 6 Lew Wallace hasn't faced either one.  4A No. 4 Munster has played a lot of good teams.  But none of the three I've mentioned in this paragraph.

No real fan cares about all these rankings because they aren't based on real head-to-head meetings.  That's like judging the American public in paid off teabagger protesters.  What you care about is whether these schools go head-to-head.  They didn't and, except for Munster vs. Valparaiso on Jan. 30, they won't.  It's why this area is the dark side of the moon in Indiana basketball.  Everybody whines about how we're treated by officials and the IHSAA, but NW Indiana is so backward that the top teams won't play each other and few admit they notice.

But then this is an area of Indiana where the Indianapolis Colts are not on the radio and the state basketball tournament is not on free TV.  The Indiana-Kentucky all-star game isn't on either medium.  And again, no one seems to care.

Gary, Hammond and East Chicago basketball is like NBC-TV Prime Time programming.  Good talent but disorganized and a shell of what it used to be.  The Duneland Conference (DAC) is like Glenn Beck.  Rich and highly publicized.  But very, very confused about what kind of show they're putting on.

There needs to be a Lake County basketball tournament and a DAC basketball tournament (there is a tourney in almost every county or league in Indiana) where schools go head-to-head in the big gyms.  The shocker is that the region is like Homeland security.  Everybody knows what's going on, but nobody communicates with each other and nobody works together where it counts.

One sure bet.  Next year at this time, local 'thinkers' will still ask three questions.

1.) "Why doesn't Bowman play Lew Wallace?
2.) How come Merrillville doesn't play East Chicago?.
And 3.) Why does everyone else in a state that reveres of high school athletics think NW Indiana is backward.?

The only two conferences (The Porter County Conference and the Greater South Shore Conference) that want a legitimate champion have conference tournaments this weekend.

Bishop Noll (9-1) and Wheeler (12-1) will battle it out in the GSSC finals at Calumet high school while Hanover Central (9-1), Boone Grove (7-3) and Morgan Township (8-2) will decide the PCC title at Hebron.

1. (4A) Valparaiso (11-1)
2009 (20-4), 2008 (11-14), 2007 (23-3), 2006 (21-3), 22-3 (2005)

VALPARAISO:  Valparaiso has only a 65-62 loss to 4A No. 9 Carmel (8-3) on their record.  Tell the truth.  You can't rate a 1A team over a 4A team if the 1A doesn't play them. Valparaiso is playing a 'state finals' schedule.  With a questionable situation (health wise) surrounding 6-foot-3 junior Jerrick Suiter (10 ppg.) the VHS boys may not survive the regional, but so far, they have faced a strong slate including PCC co-leader Boone Grove.

MID-SEASON GRADE (A-minus) The record speaks for itself and they are just one loss from a perfect record.  This is the region's most skilled team and the Carmel game indicates they can play with the state's 4A elite.

2. (4A) Munster (11-1)
2009 (24-2), 2008 (16-6), 2007 (21-4), 2006 (20-4), 2005 (16-8)

MUNSTER:  Munster has played less of a schedule than Valparaiso and that's why they are second in front of the match with Valpo on Jan. 30.  The Mustangs have a 12-point road loss to 3A No. 5 Mt. Vernon (11-2) but they have dominated all other games including an eight-point win over 4A No. 8 East Chicago (7-1).  There are no health issues with Munster and they play in a weaker sectional than Valpo so the long range projections are good.  I'm not sure they would not defeat anyone in this poll but there's no way to know where they would stand beyond the regional level.

MID-SEASON GRADE (A-minus) Same thing as Valpo.  One road loss but domination otherwise.  Munster could be 12-0 but they've beaten everyone but EC by 10 or more.

3. (1A) Bowman Academy (12-0)
2009 (19-4), 2008 (7-7)

GARY:  It will be hard to truthfully know where to rank Bowman Academy until they play at East Chicago on Feb. 23.  The four-year old private school (Charter schools are public in name only) averages a region-best 80-points-a-game with a group of four-year starters in a once-in-a-lifetime situation.  Bowman is a 3A school playing in the 1A division so they are a prohibitive favorite for the state title.  But they were last year as well and they lost inside a sea of excuses.  Class 1A No. 2 Triton (12-0) hosts the regional so that's the game that matters.  Not games like the match against Ohio State recruit DeShaun Thomas and 2A No. 2 Bishop Luers on Jan 30.  Unlike every other team in the state, Bowman does not play ANY of the teams they will see in the state tournament.  That's like buying a luxury airplane and taking off without any flying lessons.

MID-SEASON GRADE (A) This is a hugely talented team that is in a freak situation where they have huge advantages over the rest of the bracket in the post-season.  In the future, Bowman MUST play local teams or they risk being Valparaiso University, a very fine Division I team that nobody locally cares about.  Bowman surely is scouting Triton (12-0).  I suspect they didn't last year.

4. (4A) East Chicago (7-1)
2009 (14-8), 2008 (20-4), 2007 (23-3), 2006 (19-5)

EAST CHICAGO:  The Cardinals ran all over Bishop Noll (9-2) 77-56 on Tuesday with four players in double figures and shooting 13 of 15 from the foul line.  Admittedly, they have had some postponed games.  I like their speed and their schedule.  But I have to admit that Gary West Side, Crown Point, Bishop Noll, Bowman Academy and Lawrence North will tell much more of a story later.  They may be superior to Bowman but there's no proof of that.  They have 12 games in the final six weeks.  That's a heavy run.

MID-SEASON GRADE (B+) The Cardinals traditionally get better due to their schedule.  But they have not played much of that schedule as of yet.  Any other comments about them are truly a guess at this point.

5. (4A) Lew Wallace (9-3)
2009 (14-7), 2008 (13-11), 2007 (5-17), 2006 (4-17)

GARY:  I know Wallace is good and Brandon Dawson has NBA potential.  But for purposes of this region's rankings, I can't judge them either.  In 12 games, the only Northwest Indiana school they have faced is Andrean, a team they defeated impressively 58-22.  Anyone who tells you they know how Wallace would do against Bowman or Merrillville is lying to you. There's no way to know.  I suspect they have the pressure defense to take out all the teams above them in this poll.  But all three losses are to Illinois teams.  IF LW wants to play someone local, Lew Wallace should call 2A No. 11 Hanover Central.  You just get the feeling that this is local basketball's version of the New York Jets.  All jacked up but how real are they?

MID-SEASON GRADE (B) The last two losses have been by 10 or more, which indicates they may break down at the offensive end.  This may not be (they don't play locally so it's hard to know) a good shooting team under pressure.  The future is bright.  There don't seem to be any other good 3A teams in this part of the state.

6. (4A) Merrillville (10-1)
2009 (16-6), 2008 (16-5), 2007 (13-9), 2006 (17-4), 2005 (18-4), 2004 (9-12)

MERRILLVILLE:  The Pirates lost 58-52 to Valparaiso but they should have.  They are not as good as Valparaiso.  This is a good team waiting on 6-foot-8 soph Ed Seay to gain experience.  They have excellent speed and decent outside shooting, but their center is a very young sophomore right now and they lack a little power inside in a league and a sectional that have big people.  Merrillville (10-1) gets their shot at Munster on Feb. 6, but why they don't play a Lew Wallace team just 14 blocks away is really not a question I can answer.

MID-SEASON GRADE (A) I wasn't sure what they had this year and they are stronger than I thought.  The non-conference schedule is not strong and the 14-game DAC marathon hurts them.  But they should be 7-4 or 8-3 and they are 11-1.

7. (2A) BOONE GROVE (7-3)
2009 (13-7), 2008 (12-10), 2007 (11-12), 2006 (18-6), 2005 (19-7)

PORTER TOWNSHIP:  Wheeler defeated Boone 72-67 in overtime on New Year's Day, but to be honest, Boone's the better team.  The Wolves are the favorite in the PCC tourney, but the competition is tough.  Michael Eleftheri (15.5 ppg.), wing shooter Wayland Roach (10.9 ppg.) and 'power' forward Ryan Reynolds (16.3 ppg.) have to get it done now because this is an all-senior team.  When you look down the road in Class 2A, there is a lot of opportunity for Boone, which is not in the same sectional as Wheeler (12-1) or Hanover (10-1).  Boone is 1-2 against 4A schools with three more 4A to play.

MID-SEASON GRADE (B-) Other than Valparaiso, Boone should have defeated everyone on the schedule so far.  They have good wins, but this team is full of seniors and it's now or never for this group.  They seem to have improved, but senior-dominated teams are all about the end of the season.  It's time to win and 7-3 isn't exactly what they'd hoped for.

8. (4A) LaPorte (7-4)
2009 (9-12), 2008 (8-13), 2007 (9-13), 2006 (12-13)

LaPORTE:  No one in Lake County pays any attention to LaPorte.  It's easier to overate the Lake County schools.  But Dustin DeMuth (17.0 ppg.), Rich Leslie (17.1 ppg.) and Patrick Spence (14.6 ppg.) keep LaPorte in most games.  I see the two losses to Merrillville and the loss to Valparaiso but those are simply better teams.  LaPorte lost by 40 to (Indianapolis) North Central (11-2), but let's tell the whole truth.  Everybody knows who the elite Indianapolis schools are.  Either you play the North Central's or you play somebody like Broad Ripple and brag about how you handled an Indy school.

MID-SEASON GRADE (B) All the losses are to quality teams, but there are too many losses.  They are not a big team physically, but they are a physical team.  I think they maximize their talent.

9. (2A) Wheeler (12-1)
2009 (21-4) 2008 (16-6), 2007 (17-6), 2006 (19-6)

UNION TOWNSHIP:  You get the impression that a fast team would hurt them, but they are 12-1.  Wheeler's two wins over Bishop Noll jump them into the poll.  Balanced scoring is overrated.  You need a go-to player at the end of games.  But Wheeler's 6-foot-5 Andrew Rudakas (15 ppg.), 6-foot-5 Petr Todorovic, 6-foot-3 Naje Bailey (12.3 ppg.) plus 6-foot-7 newcomer Aleksa Kojcinovic (9.0 ppg.) are formidable around guard Donnie Ketchum.  They don't have much depth, but in 2A they don't need a lot.  Why don't they play Valparaiso?

MID-SEASON GRADE (B) They should not have lost to Andrean.  They should be 13-0.  A solid team, the Bearcats are the favorite in 2A Sectional 33 because of their size.  But they should not have lost to Andrean.  They should be 13-0.

10. (2A) Hanover Central (9-1)
2009 (9-11) 2008 (11-11), 2007 (9-11), 2006 (7-14)

CEDAR LAKE:  Hanover ran their winning streak to nine games with wins over 3A Griffith and 4A Lowell. The three guard attack with Zach Rush, Luis Norman and Nick Bollenbacher gives them an edge over Wheeler and Boone which are not deep at guard. The key will be Derek De St. Jean and Aaron Johnson, who at 6-foot-4, are HC's tallest players in a tall sectional.

MID-SEASON GRADE (A+) They feel they should have beaten Crown Point (a 41-39 loss) but has Hanover EVER beaten Crown Point? HC has defeated 4A Lowell, 3 Griffith and 3A Gary Roosevelt.  Hanover Central vs. Bowman Academy on New Year's Day 2011. It probably wont happen but its fun to talk about.

ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN...

(2A) Bishop Noll (9-2)
2009 (13-9), 2008 (19-5), 2007 (9-13), 2006 (6-15)

HAMMOND:  Noll lost twice to Wheeler in January and they're prospects for the 2A Sectional are a little diminished.  They were not bad losses but if Noll cant beat Wheeler, where do they get into the Top-10.  Wheeler blocks Noll's path at the sectional and its going to be hard to see them moving beyond that.

MID-SEASON GRADE (A) At 9-2, the record is excellent.  That's where we separate the 'grade' from future prospects.  If they go 15-5, its been a good year.