2010-2011 Boys Basketball  Week-9, Top-10 Poll A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith 02-05-2011

MERRILLVILLE (02-05-2011) I don't know how many people practiced this/last week when the snow hit Northwest Indiana. But I'm not sure that's the worst thing. I always suspect that early February, which is still a month away from the post-season, is a brutal time to be a high school basketball player. To get two days (or more) off practice and school for basketball players that have been working six days a week for three months can't be too negative with four weeks still to go.

The storm hit at a good time (midday on Tuesday, Feb. 1) because relatively few games were postponed. Friday games were not affected and make-up dates were not needed.

Northwest Indiana got a rare showdown of undefeated team on line for Saturday, Feb. 5 when Munster was scheduled to play at Merrillville (14-0). Assuming that Merrillville did not lose the night before to Crown Point (13-2), this game would be a nice diversion from the regular boredom of the season and since Munster and Merrillville are not sectional opponents, both teams didn't need to hold back.

Absolutely no one truly believes that Munster and Merrillville are the two best teams in Indiana. Both rose in the ratings because they play somewhat limited schedules. Merrillville more so than Munster. The powerful Indianapolis schools North Central and Pike play much tougher opponents regularly and polling often benefits weaker schedules. North Central (11-2) has split with Pike (14-2), defeated defending 1A state champ Bowman Academy, Muncie Central, 3A power Brebeuf (10-3) and 4,000 teen schools like Carmel and Ben Davis. Merrillville doesn't even play East Chicago anymore.

This is the kind of game that needs to be on local television, but it's hard to convince Lakeshore Public Television, the only possible outlet that there's anything in it for them. I accept that it's hard to do a TV Game-of-the-Week at a public TV station, which cannot cut normal ad money deals. But if they could pick and choose a couple of games a year like Munster (14-0) vs. Merrillville (14-0), I think they would lift the station's profile and they could regain the money through pledges. The game is on WLPR (89.1) FM, Lakeshore's radio sister station.

In most other parts of Indiana, this caliber of a showdown game would be televised. But there have been no local games on TV for five seasons now and this year will end without there being any.

1. (4A) Merrillville (14-0)
2010 (20-4), 2009 (16-6), 2008 (16-5), 2007 (13-9), 2006 (17-4)

MERRILLVILLE: The Pirates worked their way through Gary West Side and Lowell last week. The Pirates were without guard Anton Redmon for reasons that were not explained, but the back court of Brandon Clark (13.6 ppg.), Jeremiah Jones (17.1 ppg.) and 6-foot-3 swing man Josh Hogan (21 against Lowell) is very hard to deal with. To be honest, Merrillville has not faced a lot of tests. Hopefully, in years to come, they can play Gary schools again and East Chicago or Bishop Noll. The Pirates are still the Chicago Bulls. A speedy team with a lot of nice highlights, which hasn't done anything for years. Are they better than Munster? We'll see Saturday night.

2. (4A) Munster (14-0)
2010 (23-2), 2009 (24-2) 2008 (16-6), 2007 (21-4), 2006 (20-4)

MUNSTER: Munster rolled over Lowell and bombed Valparaiso 48-25 to solidify their rep as one of the top two teams. Joe Crisman (17.7 ppg.) did a top defensive job on Lowell offensive star Austin Richie (34 ppg.) ands the entire Mustang herd shut down Valpo the next night. On paper, this is a flawed team with a sophomore rookie at the point and no true center. Munster is a little small inside, but a little tall on the perimeter and they are tough to move the ball against. I don't think they match up with Merrillville, though. We'll see Saturday.

3. (2A) Bishop Noll (15-0)
2010 (17-5), 2009 (13-9), 2008 (19-5), 2007 (9-13), 2006 (6-15)

HAMMOND: The Warriors won the Greater South Shore Conference as expected and a 20-0 regular season is a possibility if they defeat Valparaiso this Saturday. I keep waiting for Noll's small school league schedule to catch up to them, but it hasn't happened yet. The Vikings have played a superior schedule and they are battle-tested. Noll's quick-paced attack led by Adonis Filer (14.8 ppg.) and Ronnie Beamon (11.9 ppg.) faces the ultimate test against Valpo's ball control. It's ironic that the enrollment numbers just released by the IHSAA indicate that Noll is a 1A school playing in the 2A bracket, unlike Bowman, which is exactly the opposite.

4. (4A) Valparaiso (10-5)
2010 (19-4), 2009 (20-4), 2008 (11-14), 2007 (23-3), 2006 (21-3)

VALPARAISO: Valparaiso has struggled lately. They lost 66-56 in overtime to Crown Point, a game they should have won. Then they were no match for Munster in a 48-25 slap down the next night. Jerrick Suiter (14.2 ppg.) and Adam Butterfield (10.4 ppg.) lead the attack, but they gave up 35 to Crown Point's Michael Albrecht, something that does not happen to the really good Valpo teams. One thing: The game slows down in the post-season and that means that everybody will have to play like Valpo does all the time.

5. (4A) Crown Point (13-2)
2010 (8-13), 2009 (15-8), 2008 (17-7), 2007 (12-9), 2006 (9-13)

CROWN POINT: CP's 66-56 win over Valparaiso moved them into second place in the DAC and broke a 3-year losing streak to the Vikings. Jared Smoot added 18 and Sean Crary scored 23 in a non-contest victory over Boone Grove. The Bulldogs got 33 from Albrecht (20 ppg.) in a surprising 20-point win over East Chicago on Jan. 29. The Good news is: I think they could beat Bowman or Lew Wallace right now. The bad news? They don't play them. CP plays at Merrillville (14-0) Friday night and they only face DAC schools in the sectional. News flash: Crown Point was 16-3 in 1999. I don't know that they've ever been 13-2 before. But they have to beat Merrillville eventually or it doesn't matter.

6. (3A) Lew Wallace (6-8)
2010 (19-4), 2009 (14-7), 2008 (13-11), 2007 (5-17), 2006 (4-17)

GARY: Wallace lost to Gary West Side 67-66 in a cross town rivalry upset last week a month after beating West Side by 26. The Loses to Simeon (19-0) and Whitney Young of Chicago don't look bad, but LW has to get back to the .500 mark and, unlike Bowman, it looks like they will. Wallace faces East Chicago (10-5) on Feb. 11 and they may have other games on the schedule that are not listed. The John Harrell web site only shows 18 games for Wallace and I would guess they have more than that. Remember LW only plays in a 5-team sectional. They may need just five wins to get to the state finals.

7. (4A) East Chicago (11-4)
2010 (17-4), 2009 (14-8), 2008 (20-4), 2007 (23-3), 2006 (19-5)

EAST CHICAGO: East Chicago has lost only to Munster (15-0) and North Central (14-1), Lawrence North and Crown Point (13-2), so it seems they've had a worse year than they actually have. That 71-51 loss to Crown Point cast a cloud over their future since Munster (14-0) is the sectional rival and Munster might be a touch better than CP.
Jerrick Ware (20.1 ppg, 4.8 assists, 2.0 steals) is having an all-star year, but it'll have to snow two feet in February before EC has a chance to reach the regional.

8. (1A) Bowman Academy (6-9)
2010 (29-1), 2009 (19-4), 2008 (7-7)

GARY: The wins over Homewood Floosmoor and Culver were good, but the loss to 2A power Bishop Luers shows what would happen to Bowman if they played in 2A, the bracket they, by enrollment, should be in. I'll tell you right now that a Bowman 1A state title with a sub-.500 record is not going to be anything to have a parade about. Bowman needs to at least end the season at .500 (10-10) to make any post-season run credible. In a poll like this, respect has to be earned.

9. (3A) Andrean (9-3)
2010 (13-10), 2009 (10-13), 2008 (2-19), 2007 (5-17)

MERRILLVILLE: Sophs Nick Davidson (19.5 ppg.), Collin Wojcik (13.6 ppg.) and 6-foot-7 senior Adam Bozak (8.3 rebounds per game) are leading a slow rise up the standings that may hit a bump when the Niners play at Lowell (8-7) this Friday and at Penn (6-8) this Saturday. Obviously there are no big victories here yet and this team has to beat Lew Wallace or Western (12-3) at the 3A Crown Point regional. There is no indication they can do that yet and they may be a year away. But if Lew Wallace somehow self destructs and the eventual West Lafayette/Western winner isn't that good, suddenly an inferior Andrean team could be in the semistate in mid-March.

10. (2A) Wheeler (11-3)
2010 (27-1), 2009 (21-4) 2008 (16-6), 2007 (17-6)

UNION TOWNSHIP: The Bearcats haven't done anything to fall out of the top-10. They are 0-2 against Bishop Noll (15-0) and are likely to go 0-3 but this is a strong season. The Bearcats host Andrean on Feb. 12 and that's a chance to get set for the third match with Noll in the sectional. 6-foot-3 seniors Najee Bailey (17.3 ppg.) and Nigel Mims (15.7 ppg.) give them a chance, but they need some power inside to take down Noll and I'm not sure where that's coming from. Are they better than Chesterton and LaPorte? Yes. Better than Gary West Side and Lake Central? Maybe. Like I've said all year. It's hard to find a 10th Top-10 team.