NW Indiana Girls Basketball: 2009-2010 Week-3 Poll

2009-2010 Renegade Girls Basketball

Week-3 Poll

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

(12-21-2009)

MERRILLVILLE, IN (12-25-2009) It's been a struggle for most teams early as the balance of power has shifted. Two-time DAC champ Michigan City (4-4, 2-4) won't win a third consecutive title. Perennial powers like Highland (2-9) and Chesterton (3-6) have hit on hard times. Most NW Indiana teams either have major injury problems like Andrean and Merrillville have been hit with injury trouble and two of the top squads, Hobart (11-0) and Gavit (9-0), are almost totally untested when it comes to state class competition.

The Jan. 19 match of Hobart (11-0) and Merrillville (9-0) and Hobart vs. Gavit (10-0) on Feb. 4 stand as the highlights of the NW Indiana season, but even those games will be misleading since they don't relate to anyone outside the area, which is painfully weak in 2010.

Northwest Indiana teams largely ducked South Bend Washington when they had All American Skyler Diggins. They have ducked Oregon-Davis during their strong years and they (except for Michigan City) are now avoiding power-laden Elkhart Memorial (8-1). There are no 3A or 4A schools in the top-10 and there should not be. Few Northwest Indiana teams are willing to pay the cost to be the boss.

Hobart does takes on Fort Wayne South (5-5) in the 'Region Rumble' on New Year's Day at Valparaiso University (3:15 p.m.), but all that will show is if a top team from NW Indiana can beat a mid-range team from the powerful Fort Wayne area.

The leagues that Merrillville, Gavit and Hobart play in do not have conference tournaments, so the final month of the girls year locally will be as exciting as the Senate health care debate. January in region girls basketball is consistently a meat-grinder against old tired faces (in the double round robin DAC) or a slow walk to insomnia until the undefeated nonconference match-ups.

The annual small school fun-fest, the Porter County Conference tournament with Kouts (8-1), Boone Grove (9-1) and Hanover Central (6-3) in mid-January should be semi-lively, but the lack of league championship tournaments in the Duneland and Northwest Crossroads Conference, plus the lack of any Lake County tournament makes the final month of the regular season largely a lullaby to lameness.

1. (4A) MERRILLVILLE (9-0)
2009 (10-11), 2008 (17-5), 2007 (16-6), 2006 (19-3), 2005 (12-10)

MERRILLVILLE: Despite a couple of injuries, Merrillville is and should be atop any real poll due to strength of schedule. To say that Gavit's 11-0 is the same as Merrillville's 9-0 is like saying Boise State plays the same schedule as Ohio State. The Pirates, who averaged 67 points a game after nine appearances, rejected LC 61-48 Saturday (12-20-2009) as Bryonna Davis scored 27 points. Merrillville was 21 of 33 from the foul line and that's something you're going to have to watch closely here because this team is going to have to beat taller teams with turnovers and free throws. The Jan. 29 game at Crown Point (7-5) should be interesting because both teams play an up-tempo style. The road to the state finals is mined with teams that play 'fast' and if you can't, you're a speed bump before softball. When you ask which Northwest Indiana team could possibly defeat regional favorite Elkhart Memorial in February, Merrillville is the only answer.

2. 4A Hobart (11-0)
2009 (15-6), 2008 (12-9), 2007 (7-14), 2006 (11-11), 2005 (13-10)

HOBART: The Brickies turned down Andrean 40-28 in a Saturday night special and they could see the 59ers (6-5) again on Dec. 29 in the Wheeler Christmas Tournament. Hobart is looking at Griffith (7-2) in the semifinals of that four-team holiday match up. Hobart does play at Lafayette Jefferson (5-3) on Feb. 2 and they do face Merrillville. You have to give them some credit for TRYING to toughen their schedule, but everybody knows where the truly tough teams are and nobody makes the call. The junior dominated Brickies have allowed just 34 points a game, but playing Washington Township (2-9), Morton (2-8) and Bishop Noll (1-8) has a lot to do with that. When you have a 'special' team you have to seek out 'special' foes. The Brickies have to develop more precision offensively. 52 points a game against a schedule that is only half full of 4A schools is not going get the crops in out of the field come harvest time. Hobart is having a good season only if they realize that your record before New Year's Day is about as valuable as all those Bears playoff tickets folks printed up when they signed Jay Cutler last summer.

3. (4A) Valparaiso (7-5)
2009 (13-8), 2008 (13-10), 2007 (8-14), 2006 (13-8), 2005 (21-2), 2004 (23-3)

VALPARAISO: Valparaiso has lost five times, including a loss to Hobart (11-0). But look at the other four losses: All 4A teams: Carmel (9-3), Merrillville (9-0), Hamilton Southeastern (6-3) and Portage (9-2). The Vikings' size up front and slow-paced style makes them the alternative to Hobart and Merrillville and that's why they can't and won't beat those teams.
6-foot-4 center Stefanie Lang (16.5 ppg.) and 5-10 senior forward Kelsie Ostojic (12.5 ppg.) make the Vikings a big, slow and painful team to play. But the guard play here is still suspect.

4. (4A) Portage (8-2)
2009 (13-8), 2008 (13-8), 2007 (16-9), 2006 (4-17), 2005 (4-17))

PORTAGE: Very impressive. This team does not have the players to be 8-2 at mid-season. The only losses are to Merrillville (9-0) and Hobart (11-0) and they are 5-1 in DAC play. The Indians revolve around the 'Gang of Three' returning starters Tara Ellis (11.9 ppg.), Tori Bliss (13.9 ppg.) and Bri Wischman (11.3 ppg.). I think they are the quintessential DAC team. Slow and strong. That's why they lost to speedy little Merrillville and Hobart. As long as they can keep the pace of the game at their level, they can win the DAC and the sectional. But Portage does not play the same game that potential regional foes Clay (7-0) and Elkhart Memorial (8-1) are playing.

5. (4A) Gary West Side (7-2)
2009 (17-7) 2008 (18-5), 2007 (16-6) 2006 (16-7), 2005 (23-5), 2004 (20-4)

GARY: You have to question Gary West Side after back-to-back loses to Munster (6-4) and Jefferson (5-3). The Cougars' Antoinette Taylor scored 20 Saturday (12-19-2009) in a 65-57 win over (Chicago) North Lawndale, but here's a team that would benefit greatly from a Lake County tournament. Lake County is probably the only county in the entire state that does not have an annual county basketball tournament. West Side does not play undefeated Gavit, Merrillville or Hobart but they do play at Benton Central (10-1) on Jan. 8 and they face unbeaten South Bend Clay (7-0) on Jan. 15. Like I said, everybody knows where the good teams are. They will play you. All you have to do is make the call.

6. (3A) Griffith (7-5)
2009 (16-7), 2008 (17-5), 2007 (15-7), 2006 (14-8), 2005 (15-8), 2004 (13-9)

GRIFFITH: Here's another team that isn't scoring enough points. Take away no-contest games with River Forest and Clark (0-11) and the Panthers are averaging about 42 points a game. That dog won't hunt. Unlike the four teams above them, however, Griffith is 3A and they have an easier path to the semistate. That path looked a little rockier when Griffith lost to 3A sectional rival Andrean on Dec. 11. I have a suspicion that Griffith is better than Hobart, but let's put off any further analysis until the Panthers' Dec. 28 matchup with Hobart (11-0) at the Wheeler holiday tourney.

7. (1A) Oregon-Davis (7-1)
2009 (22-3), 2008 (24-1), 2007 (25-3), 2006 (14-8), 2005 (11-11), 2004 (7-14)

HAMLET: Gabrielle (Gabi) Minix (19.5 ppg.) is leading another winning season here and any lessons learned in a 57-39 beat down at 4A No. 5 Elkhart Memorial (8-1) on Dec. 11.
The Bobcats play undefeated South Bend Clay (7-0) in the South Bend Holiday Tournament and if they win, they could get a rematch with Memorial. Although they have no players taller than 5-foot-8, you have to like them in the 1A playoffs. No one in Lake County really wanted to play them until Minix graduated. How come Oregon-Davis can find the top teams to play but Lake County schools can't?

8. 2A Boone Grove (9-1)
2009 (16-7), 2008 (16-7), 2007 (18-5), 2006 (14-11), 2005 (21-6)

PORTER TOWNSHIP: The surprise here is new lead guard Emily Bobrowski (9.2 ppg.) who doesn't need help getting the ball up the floor. That could make Boone a player in 2A beyond the sectional. 5-foot-10 senior Kelly Dobson (14.8) is the leading scorer and 6-foot-1 senior Emily Strilich is the lead defender. They let the game at Crown Point get away or they'd be 10-0 at midseason. Boone beat Calumet (7-3) and Kouts (8-1) and they may see Kouts twice more. But you wish they'd have scheduled somebody like Gary West Side this season because they could play with them. It might have prepared them for 2A Sectional 34 rival Winamac (9-3).

9. (4A) Lake Central (6-5)
2009 (12-10) 2008 (9-13), 2007 (7-14), 2006 (11-10)

ST. JOHN: Like with Valparaiso, you have to subtract the two losses to 4A powerhouses Carmel and Hamilton Southeastern. LC and Valpo always start the season with those two teams and they always start 0-2. It relieves the 'burden' of being undefeated. LC's other three losses are to Merrillville (9-0), Griffith (7-2) and Valparaiso (7-5). Obviously, LC fits in the DAC with 6-foot-7 Andrea Kras in the middle. I question whether they can defeat Merrillville no matter how many times they face them, but Merrillville is not in 4A Sectional One. So the immediate future may be bright for LC.

10. (4A) Crown Point (7-5)
2009 (12-9), 2008 (6-15), 2007 (10-11), 2006 (11-11), 2005 (17-6)

CROWN POINT: The Lady Bulldogs handed Boone their first loss, but this team is the poster child for the Duneland Conference. Crown Point is 6-0 in nonconference play, but 1-5 in the DAC. Why? There's a clash of styles. CP pushes the ball up the floor while most of the DAC sits in a half court game. But the truth is that the DAC is big school basketball and that means more strength and size than CP can bring to the table right now. CP's hope for the post-season surrounds the fact that the two 4A Sectional Two favorites: Hobart (11-0) and Merrillville (9-0) play up-tempo basketball the way CP likes. If the Lady Bulldogs can avoid Portage and Valparaiso, they can win their sectional.