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2003-2004
Boys Basketball
Renegade Poll - Week 6A USA-365.com Special Report(1-6-2004) |
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It's
still early in the season and no team has indicated dominance. State-wide, the
door appears open widest again in 2A. Keep in mind, Boone Grove, with a sub. 500
record was minutes away from a semistate berth last year and Bishop Noll is now
2A. There are no ranked teams in the northern part of the state other than
Wheeler and Harding. On the other hand, 4A teams have to know that 4A statewide
is a monster with nationally rated teams like Pike and Lawrence North. Anyone in
northwest Indiana who feels they are in the same league with Lawrence North
simply is unaware of what they are up against.
1. Valparaiso (6-2)
Brent
Kimmell (16.1 ppg.),6-8 senior Brian McMillan (11.6 ppg.) and Jon Moon (12.1 ppg.)
give the Vikings a chance against anybody. Valpo is 102 of 149 (68.4%) from the
line after 8 games with 64 three-point goals. Jack up those free throws
over 70% and those are the numbers of sectional and regional champions.
2. Lake Central (8-1)
Lake
Central held off the challenge of Highland (7-2) in an overtime game last week.
Krste Krstevski was 8-of-8 from the foul line to boost the Indians in the late
going. The 6-3 senior has scored in double figures in every game this year. The
game Friday with LaPorte (9-1) is a highlight but these two are not sectional
rivals. Here's a team with the baseline and distance shooters (44
three-pointers) to go downstate.
Andrean
is a monster in the making. Sophomore 6-7 forward Ty Harangody (20.1 pg.) and
6-6 center David Carson (20.2 ppg.) give the 59ers one of the best baselines in
3A state wide. Carson completed a 3-game span where he averaged 26.7 per game.
Unofficially, Harangody (14.3 per game) is the state's leading rebounder.
Andrean has two road losses by a total of seven points. You can make a very good
argument for this being the region's top team. I've heard that LaPorte and LC
are better now but six weeks ago, I also heard that Oklahoma was the greatest
college football team of all time. What happened to that?
4. LaPorte (9-1)
LaPorte
smoked Center Grove 56-46 to win the Super Hoops tournament. 6-4 guard Jerome
Vann (17.4 ppg.) scored 18 and the Slicers survived 11 of 19 foul shooting.
After 10 games, the only loss was the inexplicable fourth quarter 23-9 meltdown
at Portage. But 36 of 58 (62.1%) from the line in 3 games... that's
something to worry about.
5. Munster (7-1)
Munster
has their struggles, like a 4-point second quarter at home against Chesterton.
But they survive. The Mustangs sank 15 of 17 from the line to beat Chesterton
71-60 as Josh Martin (27 points), Dustin Bothwell (14) and Pete Trgovich 18)
combined for 59 points. Munster has bounced back from the loss to Wheeler with
two fourth quarter wins. I don't believe they are a top-10 team but if the
Mustangs whip up on Andrean (Jan. 9), I might have to change my mind.
6. East Chicago (5-4)
East
Chicago gets a shot against Munster Saturday (Jan. 10) but if Tremaine Cooley
(22.0 ppg.) can't play, the Cardinals won't like what they get. Freshman E'Twan
Moore (17.0 ppg.) will have to dominate taller Mustangs on the backboards. Hard
to tell about the Cardinals. In the first 9 games, they played just three teams
from Lake and Porter County.
7. Gary Roosevelt (5-3)
6-3
guard Tyrone Appleton (23.0 ppg.) and 5-10 Robert Jenkins (20.1 ppg.,) have to
get help on offense now with Noll, East Chicago and Gary West Side in January.
The erratic schedule always hurts Roosevelt which must be at a peak to beat
Andrean when the sectional comes.
8. Wheeler (9-1)
I
think Wheeler needed a break and, after a slow start, they'll hit top speed
against Lowell (6-1) Friday and Boone Grove (4-3) Saturday. Senior guard Cordale
Micou (18.2) scored 17 in the 63-61 loss to Hammond and wing shooter Joe Dobson
dropped in 26 in Wheeler's 66-47 win over Hanover (3-4). Steve Wilson had
a season-best 16 rebounds in the loss to Hammond. The team that beats Wheeler
will have quickness to beat their press and power down low to exploit their lack
of height. Look at 2A and find out who has that.
9. Chesterton (5-3)
Losses
to Valparaiso (6-2) and Munster (7-1) shouldn't be held against Chesterton and
they won't be. Matt Campbell scored a season-best 30 in the 71-60 loss to
Munster, a game that was tied 41-41 after three quarters. The Trojans are a
little undersized for the DAC, but they don't have to beat LC or LaPorte at
sectional time. All three Trojan losses were on the road after 8 games.
Chesterton is 106 of 143 from the line (70.3 %) and those numbers can win for
you.
10. Highland (7-2)
Highland
did everything they could in a 62-59 OT game at Lake Central. This was a tie
game and Highland didn't get outplayed. This game and Highland's matchup with
Munster on Jan. 30 are the only games that matter for the Trojans because those
two are key sectional opponents. Garey Simkus scored a career-high 20
against LC and Highland needs him in double figures every night, not every other
night. Highland has the size to beat Andrean on Jan. 23.
Others to watch......
Morgan Township (7-1)
Guard
Matty Bush (22.7 ppg.) hit big shots to spark Morgan to a 62-49 win over Boone
in the South County title game. But Nate McGinley (15.9 ppg.) was injured in the
late going and there's no word on how long he'll be out. Morgan looks good on
their home floor but there isn't that much of a gap between them and Boone
Grove, who will get two rematches, the first at this month's PCC tournament
which is held at Boone Grove.
BOYS JANUARY NOTES: In 3A, Benton Central is 9-0, led by
Brock Dawson (16.3 ppg., 8.0 rpg., 4.3 assists), Brett Butler (15.7 ppg, 8.6 rpg.)
and Cody Anderson (13.9 ppg.). They could confront Gary Roosevelt or Andrean at
the regional.
Lawrence North (9-1) took their first loss of the year Saturday against undefeated Renaissance high of Detroit. South Bend Adams (9-3) beat Homestead 63-58 Saturday. They'll play at Crown Point in 2 weeks. LaCrosse (7-1) beat Westville 53-52 to win the Midwinter Classic at South Central.