2005-2006 Boys Basketball 

Week-13, Top-10 Poll

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

(3-24-2006)

VALPARAISO (3-24-2006) In the end, not only did all NW Indiana teams other than Oregon-Davis get eliminated at the regional level, but the teams that beat them were eliminated at the semistate level.  Hebron lost to 1A Oregon Davis which got nipped by Tri-County last Saturday (3-18-2006).  3A Plymouth knocked out Andrean, but then lost to Jay County, of all people.  2A Boone lost to Westview who, in turn,  got bombed by (Fort Wayne) Harding.  And 4A Valparaiso lost to Penn who then got knocked out by Muncie Central.

But we've said all year this was a poor quality season for prep basketball in NW Indiana.  It isn't a shock that the finals will carry on without the northwest corner.  For a second, let's recognize what's about to happen Saturday as USA No. 1 Lawrence North takes on Muncie Central.  A Lawrence North win creates' a state record tying 45-game winning streak and lands the Wildcats a third consecutive state title.

North, if they win, is probably the greatest Indiana team of all-time.  The only other contenders are Marion's 3-time state champs of the 80s.  1969 star George McGinnis of Indianapolis Washington, would have been dominated by North's Greg Oden.  1971 East Chicago Washington simply wasn't big enough and neither was 1985-87 Marion.  Oden would be very hard on teams with 6-7 or 6-8  centers.

An Indianapolis Star story on this subject mentioned that 1956 Crispus Attucks and Oscar Robertson won 10 playoff games while Lawrence North only needs seven wins.  But in the class system, it is tougher for 4A schools to win seven games than it is for 1A, 2A and 3A teams.  Before 1997, 4A-sized schools faced 1A and 2A-sized schools in the state tournament and beat them like rented mules.

That's why 1950s teams and 1970s teams almost cannot even be considered into the equation.  Athletes are bigger and faster today, while the path of the past was easier.  With all due respect... the Pete Trgovichs and Junior Bridgemans couldn't be star players today at 4A 3,000-kid schools.  Teams that played 35 years ago didn't even have the same shorts.

Another thing is the schedule.  Teams 30-40 years ago didn't play teams from all angles.  Lawrence North played teams in three different states and they defeated No. 2 Pike three times.  No state champ in the last 40 years has played this level of schedule.

The truth is, I'd get a blank tape and capture this one for future years.  If you are a basketball fan, you'll want to say you saw this.  The Lawrence North team that turns back Muncie Central Saturday night at 7 p.m. (CST) will go down as Indiana's best-ever high school basketball team.

The four Indiana championship games will be on Comcast Cable Channel 4 exclusively Saturday beginning at 9:35 a.m., CT.


1.) 4A  Valparaiso (21-3)

22-3 (2005), 22-3 (2004), 17-4 (2003)

VALPARAISO -   No shame losing to Penn in the regional final but Valparaiso did expect more.  The Vikings were maybe a year away as it turned out.  Truthfully, they don't beat Lawrence North without a court order in the finals so 2006 was a prep for 2007 anyway.  The Vikings need a ballhandler who can allow tall boys Rob Hummell (12.7 ppg.,, 5.3 rebounds) and Scott Martin (20.1 ppg, 7.3 rebounds, 65% FGs, 82% FTs) to move off the ball.  The 6-8 wings are easier to guard with the ball than without it.  Most everybody is.  The Vikes also need a wing shooter to replace Kyle West.  It's easy to find a boy who can shoot in Valparaiso.  I also don't think Hummel and Martin are strong enough physically to go where they want to go which is Indianapolis.  But Valpo doesn't need anything they cant get.  Two complimentary 6-foot-8 wing players is more than anybody else in NW Indiana has.

 

2.) 4A  East Chicago (19-5)

13-8 (2005), 13-10 (2004), 18-6 (2003)

EAST CHICAGO -   EC got smoked out by Penn 63-45 in an embarrassing 4a Regional semifinal, but two wins over Munster and a tougher schedule puts EC ahead of Munster in the final rankings.  The Cardinals had the top player in NW Indiana in E'Twan  Moore (24.3 ppg, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists), but they need to get better defensively.  Powerful 6-4 center Kawaan Short is strong, but needs to be stronger to battle taller foes the next two years.  The Cards could also use another wing shooter to spread the defense.  Coach Pete Trgovich got a lot out of a team of transfers and newcomers who had to deal with, among other things, a new coach.

 

3.) 4A  Munster (20-4)

16-8 (2005), 20-2 (2004), 21-2 (2003)

MUNSTER -   Munster was 10-0 and finished 20-4 so they can't be happy.  This team returns lead guard Mike Bizoukas (9.0 points, 6.0 assists, 4.4 rebounds) and several reserves from this year, but three starters graduate and this will become a different team by  2007.  When you have the lead guard, you will win more than you lose.  This team plays as tough a schedule as they can in the Lake Athletic Conference, but they may believe it's a really tough schedule and it isn't.  Call Penn.  Call Muncie Central.  Call Chicago Simeon.  Munster can play anyone and hold their own and they need that before the sectional against EC, LC and Gary West Side.

 

4.) 4A  Merrillville (17-4)

18-4 (2005), 9-12 (2004), 15-11 (2003)

MERRILLVILLE -   The Pirates lost to Valparaiso in the state tournament to end the season and they will be deceptive headed into the 2007 campaign.  They've got 6-6 Ryan Smith coming back for his sophomore season along with tough defender Anthony Anderson and future point guard Bo Patton.  Merrillville was a miracle team this year with no one taller than 6-foot-2, but they graduate their top three scorers.  There is talk of another tall sophomore partner for Smith and if he (Jonathan Nwannunu) pans out,  the Pirates will be back in the 15-20 win range next season.

 

5.) 4A  Chesterton (14-9)

9-12 (2005), 13-8 (2004), 16-6 (2003)

CHESTERTON -   The Trojans never busted loose the way they had hoped to, losing by 10 to Valparaiso in the sectional title game. But this is still a team of the future. Guards Mark Babcock, Jordan Lewis and Adam Hutnick all return in the backcourt with high-scoring inside-outside player Zack Novak (18.4 pg.) up front.  It'll come down to the development of two very big juniors. Chase Saylor, a 6-7 forward and Evan Schmidt, a 7-foot center.  If they are healthy and get stronger, Chesterton could take the big ride downstate because those five players can be as good as Valparaiso or anyone else.

 

6)  4A Gary West Side (12-9)

19-5 (2005), 12-7 (2004), 7-12 (2003)  23-4 (2002)

GARY -  West Side will go down with a record of 8-13 because of four forfeits, and they'll do better without 6-foot-8 Jamil Tucker (23 ppg.) who truthfully never had a good post-season.  The Cougars always have good depth, but they cant give up 65 points a game.  Freshman DeShawn Clay didn't have a good season, but he's still talented.  West Side touts their Chicago-area foes, but they didn't play state champ Simeon and they didn't play state 3rd place Marshall.  The Cougars need to call up Muncie Central or Penn and take on Indiana foes they will see deep in the state tourney.  The Cougars were down this year but its unlikely they'll be down for long.

 

7.) 3A Andrean (18-9)

21-3 (2005), 15-7 (2004), 11-12 (2003)

MERRILLVILLE -   Andrean got to the regional finals, but I don't know if they  were better than Plymouth, the team that eliminated them 52-43.  The 59ers did almost everything they could.  They played two games in one day to get ready for the regional.  They played Penn, a similar style team to Plymouth.  It just didn't work out.  Luke Harangody (23.6 ppg., 12.7 rebounds) heads for Notre Dame and Chris Kaba and AJ Johnson also graduate.  All three should do well in college, although Harangody won't start immediately in South Bend.  The 59ers return guards Jesse Repay, Mike Mandich and forward David Boarden.  All should return and start.  Andrean always graduates good players and they always replace them.

 

8.) 4A Highland (18-6)

16-8 (2005), 16-7 (2004), 16-10 (2003)

HIGHLAND -   Highland went as far as they realistically could go, losing 47-44 to the host school at the East Chicago Sectional.  The Trojans graduate eight seniors including core players Andrew Helmer (14.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists) and Derek Moser.  The Trojans have good size returning in 6-foot-6 Josh Kiser and 6-foot-4 Nick Cianci.  Highland has some good athletes coming and they won't be down for long.  Truthfully, Highland is waiting for the sectional realignment after the 2007 season.  There's a chance they will no longer be hooked up with East Chicago and Gary West Side at sectional time.

 

9.) 3A Wirt (12-9)

9-12  (2005),  6-15  (2004), 12-9  (2003)

GARY -  Wirt had one shot at Andrean and came up short 73-67, or they might have been playing Plymouth in the regional title game.  The Troopers graduate seven seniors and things will change.  It will be hard for Wirt, when they play two of every three games on the road.  Here's another school that's waiting for the 2008 realignment when they may be separated from Andrean at sectional time.

 

10.) 2A  Boone Grove  (18-6)

19-7 (2005), 13-9 (2004), 11-12 (2003)

PORTER TOWNSHIP  -   The Wolves had a very good year, losing to regional champion Westview by 14 after leading by 11 in the third quarter.  I don't known if they beat Rochester in the regional finals and I doubt they beat Harding at the semistate.  Boone graduates Jon Shurr and Will Mitchell, two core players.  But 6-foot-4 PCC MVP Bryce Palleson (15.3 ppg.) and guards Joe Johnson and Jake Pivarnik  will anchor another winning team in 2007.  Boone has at least one eighth grader who will come to the varsity next season and they'll return powerful forwards David Block and David Mastey up front.  If the Wolves had to start the five returning players I  named here, they'd win 15 games.

 

On the outside looking in...

 

11.) 4A Wheeler (19-6)

16-5 (2005),  20-5 (2004),  21-3 (2003)

VALPARAISO -   Wheeler doesn't play a lot of good teams during the regular season, and that is something they can't help in the Lake Athletic Conference.  After next season, they get more freedom in the nonconference schedule.  Center Nate Kasper (14 ppg, 65% FG) returns from the team that lost to Boone Grove in the sectional finals.  But the Bearcats need a new guard line and that won't be easy to find after the Micou brothers (Cordell and Lamar) have now graduated.  Wheeler may not be as quick defensively as they have been.

 

12.) 1A  Hebron (17-5)

11-11  (2005), 10-11  (2004), 9-11 (2003)

HEBRON -  Hebron was 17-5 losing to Oregon Davis (23-4), Boone Grove (18-6) and Wheeler (18-6).  They shot the ball terribly in a 13-point regional loss to O-D.  What hurts is that Lafayette Catholic, the only team that badly outsized them in the north, lost the same day and Hebron might have reached the state finals.  It isn't a great season with the three losses to Boone Grove and there's no reason to believe they can turn that around next year.  The Hawks graduate all five senior starters and like Highland, they have more rebuilding to do than New Orleans.

 

13.) 1A  Oregon-Davis (23-4)

8-13  (2005), 12-9  (2004), 6-14 (2003)

HAMLET -  Oregon-Davis had a great year until they lost a seven point lead in overtime to Tri-County.  In a nightmare of apocalyptic proportions, O-D fouled three point shooters twice in the final 90 seconds giving up six free throws, all of which Tri-County made.  O-D led 17-8 and 60-53 with 1:51 left in OT but lost 64-63 to Tri-Central (23-3). This was the first regional tile ever for O-D, so its unrealistic to expect them to be back in the semistate in 2007.  But The Bobcats lose just two starters and Class 1A will not be tough next year.

This was the top story of the year. Oregon-Davis lost 56 games in a row earlier in this decade. To come back and win a school-record 23 times is far superior to what anyone else did in NW Indiana this season.  

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Revised: March 26, 2006 .