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2005-2006 Boys BasketballWeek-7, Top-10 PollA USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith(1-26-2006) |
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2005-2006 Boys BasketballWeek-7, Top-10 PollA USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith(1-26-2006) |
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VALPARAISO (1-26-2006) A lot of schools are trying to mount a second half charge as January comes to an end. I would say that with the possible exception of South Central and Clark, and their schedule is weak, there are no positive surprises in NW Indiana boys basketball. It's been one of those years. As for second half revivals, watch Lake Central, which has been under .500 all season. The schedule eases and a transfer-boosted squad gets together. I think Chesterton is better than they have shown. The Trojans won eight of 13 but this team lost by more than 20 points to Merrillville and Valparaiso in the first half of the season. Those rematches should be much closer and Chesterton should win every other game.
I'm also looking for a late winning streak from Hebron. The Hawks are 9-3 after 12 games but I look for them to go 6-1 the rest of the way and last more than a week in the post-season. I think Hanover Central (4-10) can go 5-1 the rest of the way and possibly reach .500 in the post-season. And the ultimate long shot? Lake Station. The Eagles (1-11) have a transfer student from Mishawaka named Chris Davis, who broke his hand before the season begins. If he can play on Feb. 1, Lake Station can go 4-3 in February.
Meanwhile, I remember saying that No. 1 Lawrence North (15-0) would not go undefeated because their schedule was too tough. The Wildcats still have Center Grove (8-4), Carmel (11-2), Terre Haute North (11-4), Bloomington South (12-3), Pike (10-2) and Chicago metro superpower Glenbrook North (18-1), with all-America guard John Schulyer, all yet to play. I STILL don't think Lawrence North will finish the season undefeated.
But if there's an Indiana team that can steal Lawrence North's state title, I haven't heard of them. Is it possible that Valparaiso and Lawrence North could take undefeated records into the state title game?
Isn't that like that Bears-Colts Super Bowl we were supposed to have?
1.) 4A Valparaiso (13-0)
22-3 (2005), 22-3 (2004), 17-4 (2003)
VALPARAISO - An injury to 6-8 forward Scott Martin (19.4 pg.) slowed Valpo in a two-game sweep last week, including a 57-38 win over LaPorte. Martin, who has an ankle problem, almost certainly will not play or not be 100% when the Vikings host Crown Point (6-7) and Munster (12-3) in a double-header weekend Jan 27-28. Valpo's 3-year record is 57-6, No.1 in NW Indiana, but they will be looking at a versatile team in Munster, which can get scoring from any of four players. This is the first of two consecutive double-header weekends for Valparaiso. They take on Chesterton (9-5) and Highland (12-3) the weekend of Feb. 3-4. If the Vikings clear those four games, a 20-0 mark is almost guaranteed. A loss wouldn't hurt here. No team that wants to go to the state finals needs to carry the weight of a perfect record.
2.) 4A Munster (12-2)
16-8 (2005), 20-2 (2004), 21-2 (2003)
MUNSTER - Munster hasn't done much since the first of the year but that changes now. The Mustangs ride the big yellow bus to Highland (12-3) and Valparaiso (13-0) this weekend. The level of play for the ponies is going to have to rise or they'll get horsewhipped both nights. The Mustangs beat Bishop Noll 58-26 last week, but no one was impressed. Munster has the versatility of offense to break through Valpo's top-ranked (38.8 ppg.) defense. But can they do it after going four rounds with Highland 24 hours earlier? Any way it works out, Munster benefits because this is the sectional format. A road game Friday and a road game Saturday. And you have to win them both.
3.) 4A East Chicago (10-4)
13-8 (2005), 13-10 (2004), 18-6 (2003)
EAST CHICAGO - EC rejected Gary Roosevelt 63-57 and Crown Point 66-38 last weekend to continue their quality play. But you get the feeling the season doesn't really start for EC until they roll into Gary West Side's big gym Thursday night (Jan. 25). The Cougars (7-7) and Munster (12-2) are the only teams in the power-packed sectional one with equal talent to EC. The victory over Crown Point might have been the Cards first good defensive game of the year, but you have to qualify that with the youth and experience of CP. East Chicago can win all six of the remaining games on their schedule, but I doubt they will.
4.) 4A Merrillville (10-3)
18-4 (2005), 9-12 (2004), 15-11 (2003)
MERRILLVILLE - The Pirates stumbled to a 44-39 win over Lake Central Saturday (1-22-2006) as Greg Hill (17) and Darryl Evans (14) combined for 31 points. Merrillville has won five in a row and they'll be favored to make it six at Michigan City (7-5) Friday night. The Pirates' defense is showing numerical improvement, holding four of the last five foes to under 50 points. But 10-3 is 10-3. Now if they can just figure a way to score on Valparaiso. It was written here last month that the Pirates would go 12-2 in the DAC and there's no reason why they can't.
5.) 4A Chesterton (9-5)
9-12 (2005), 13-8 (2004), 16-6 (2003)
CHESTERTON - The Trojans coasted by Portage 65-52 as 6-foot-5 Zack Novak scored 23 and shooter Curt Bradford added 21. The five losses are to Crown Point (6-7), Mishawaka (11-2), Merrillville (10-3), Valparaiso (13-0), and in overtime to Munster (12-2) and they'd like to play Crown Point again now. The Trojans are in down time now with only three games in the next three weeks. The only team they really do not match up with is Merrillville. Watch the game against Valparaiso on Feb. 3. The Trojans could pull a major upset that night.
6.) 3A Andrean (11-5)
21-3 (2005), 15-7 (2004), 11-12 (2003)
MERRILLVILLE - I put no stock in Highland's 49-45 win over the 59ers. Andraen is still the better team and both sides probably know it. It doesn't matter since Andrean is 3A and Highland is 4A. They won't meet again this season. Luke Harangody had 23, but offense is not a problem here. The 59er defense did well holding Highland to 45 points, just 20 in the first half. That's the kind of defensive production they were looking for. Andrean needs to get Anthony Johnson in the flow as a consistent scorer, but that will come. Defensively, they must get better. They have the tools to be a top defensive team. Quick on the perimeter and big in the lane. There's still time here. Plymouth update: The Pilgrims are 10-3 and they know Andrean is coming.
7.) 4A Highland (11-3)
16-8 (2005), 16-7 (2004), 16-10 (2003)
HIGHLAND - Highland rallied in the second half to take out Andrean 49-45 as Derek Moser scored 14 and Ryan Drake added 13. The Trojans sank 17 of 20 from the line to win at home. The 59ers are not playing their best right now, but this is still a big win. Highland also smoked out Morton 67-42 in a Tuesday night (1-24-2006) triumph. Now, the real tests against Munster (12-2) Friday and Valparaiso (13-0) on Feb. 4. Highland always gets a lot of accolades, but it's time they win some games against top foes. The Trojans lost only 55-47 to Munster in December. They can reverse that decision, but they have to keep the pace of the game slow and avoid getting caught up in the big rivalry crowd.
8.) 4A Gary West Side (7-7)
19-5 (2005), 12-7 (2004), 7-12 (2003) 23-4 (2002)
GARY - There are signs that West Side is ready to roll off consecutive wins. One of them is that the Cougars are about to play some soft NW Indiana foes instead of Illinois heavy hitters. But first, the 'Side' welcomes in their friends from East Chicago a homecoming for 6-foot-5 David Bell who transferred from West to EC last year. The Cougars held off a late rally to beat Lew Wallace 72-66, but things aren't perfect. West Side gives up almost 70 points per game, a scary rate of defensive failure. I don't care who they're playing. To allow 67.8 points per game is unacceptable for a winning team. Truthfully, we don't know much about West Side. With the schedule they play, the Cougars are about as anonymous as the Chicago Black Hawks. But the lack of notoriety here is good for West Side. They don't get the local super hype that Munster and Highland get. And coach John Boyd can play off the Cougars' lack of publicity as motivation. Eventually, though, tough talk is going to have to become tough defense.
9.) 2A Wheeler (10-4)
16-5 (2005), 20-5 (2004), 21-3 (2003)
VALPARAISO - Wheeler drifts into the second half of their schedule and that's what usually kills them. Playing Lake Station (1-11) Morgan Township (2-9) and Portage (1-12) in front of the playoffs is a good way to get canceled faster than "Emily's Reasons Why Not." The Bearcats must go schedule some losses. They must go out and sign up Plymouth or Lafayette Catholic or East Chicago. Wheeler would get toasted faster than Wonder Bread in these matchups, but then they wouldn't lose to Boone Grove at the sectional like it was annual holiday. There is a myth that you cannot control your own schedule. East Chicago is an independent with no set schedule. All you have to do is call them. As the LAC is breaking up in a year, now is the time to call.
10.) 2A Boone Grove (10-3)
19-7 (2005), 13-9 (2004), 11-12 (2003)
PORTER TOWNSHIP - Boone Grove lost to South Central 35-33 in the finals of the 83rd Porter County Conference (PCC) tournament. But the Wolves at Boone are a coming team. Adding 6-3 Will Mitchell and 6-1 Matt Pierce after 10 games has boosted this squad and they will be a monster down the stretch. But they better be. Boone travels to Crown Point (6-7) Chesterton (9-5) and arch-rival Hebron (10-3) in the final six weeks. But this is a team that just went from a solid six-man rotation to a very solid eight man rotation overnight.
In Class 2A, there aren't a lot of teams with eight usable players. But Boone lost to Wheeler by 13 earlier this month 'BPM' (before Pierce and Mitchell) and both sides know they must meet again. The Wolves are looking at a 15-6 record again. You remember Boone? They're the team that always wins at the sectional that nobody cares about because they aren't Munster or Highland.
On the outside looking in...
11.) 4A Hebron (9-3)
11-11 (2005),10-11 (2004), 9-11 (2003)
HEBRON - Let's just set it out right now. Hebron will probably win every game the rest of the regular season except the game against Boone Grove, their arch-rival. And if they lose that game, Hebron will be the only 16-3 team in state history whose regular season will be a total loss because they are 0-3 against their next door neighbor in the oldest rivalry in Northwest Indiana. Hebron has lost 49-40 and 58-49 to Boone already and there is no way to hide that in Porter County. They also lost to Wheeler but nobody cares. The Hawks may go on to a sectional and regional championship this year with good balance and five senior starters but they will have to. A senior class that goes 0-3 against Boone Grove may have to leave town. The Hawks will never hear the end of it if they don't win at home against Boone on Feb. 14.
12.) 1A Oregon-Davis (12-3)
8-13 (2005), 12-9 (2004), 6-14 (2003)
HAMLET - Here's a similar situation. O-D lost 49-42 to John Glenn last Saturday in the finals of the Bi-County tournament and that's the Bobcats' second loss to Glenn (10-3) this year. Glenn ran into ballhandling problems and 10 second half turnovers (19 for the game) lost a lead against Glenn and slowed the O-D charge. O-D has five losing teams remaining and Westville (11-3), which will be a sectional rival along with Culver (6-8), Argos (5-8) and Triton (8-5). The Bobcats are staring at a 17-4 regular season record and they know what they have to do to get out of sectional play.
13.) 3A Wirt (6-5)
9-12 (2005), 6-15 (2004), 12-9 (2003)
GARY
- Here's a new team to focus on. Whatever you hear about
Clark, Wirt beat Clark 56-47. Morton (7-4) has done well, but Wirt beat
Morton 72-56. The Troopers lost just 86-81 to Gary West Side and only
63-59 to Gary Roosevelt. Wirt has big losses at Huntington North (11-1)
and Terre Haute North (11-4) but this is a good schedule. Wirt's scores
don't get in the paper that often and usually when the playoffs start, the
Troopers get kicked out faster than Ron Artest. Wirt has seven seniors, no
size, but some quickness and shooting. Senior guard Michael McLauren was
31 of 55 (56.3%) from the field after 10 games and soph guard DeAndre Allen was
30 of 54 (55.5%). They don't take many bad shots and don't get caught up
in run-and-gun. The troopers play five guards and Andrean is getting ready
to deal with it in Sectional 18. They know they'll have to.