From the results thus far, it is very difficult to put together a Top 10. It looks like a lot of Region teams are down this year. Here is this blog’s best attempt to put together a Top 10 that looks sensible, based on the results to date.
Readers may be surprised by some of the teams that aren’t listed. Right now, the early results for Munster haven’t been particularly impressive, and Valparaiso is clearly very young right now as well. And the results for Hammond Noll thus far, compared against other teams, haven’t made the case for keeping the Warriors in the Top 10.
Just as in football, there are probably going to be some wild swings over the first few weeks of the season, until more teams have played other teams and the data begin to show some better patterns. But here’s the Top 10 for Week 2.
1. Lake Central (2-1)
Previous rank: 1
Last week’s results: Won at Valparaiso, 62-39
Upcoming games: at #5 Crown Point (1-0), Friday
Remarks: Until somebody proves differently, this looks like the Region’s best team. Crown Point will get its shot on Friday.
2. Bowman Academy (0-2)
Previous rank: 2
Last week’s results: Lost at Chicago Curie, 81-71 (OT)
Upcoming games: North Central (3-0), Saturday
Remarks: Bowman continues to play an off-the-charts regular season schedule, with two games in Chicago thus far, and Indianapolis-area powerhouse North Central on tap. The Eagles will not have an outstanding win-loss record, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t one of the best teams in the Region.
3. Andrean (2-0)
Previous rank: 3
Last week’s results: Defeated Gary Wallace, 73-54
Upcoming games: #4 Merrillville (2-1), Saturday
Remarks: Andrean’s wins over Roosevelt and Wallace have been dominant, but neither of those programs are what they once were. Andrean’s first real test comes Saturday in the Battle of Broadway.
4. Merrillville (2-1)
Previous rank: 7
Last week’s results: Won at #10 Highland, 66-58; won at Chesterton, 54-47
Upcoming games: LaPorte (1-3), Friday; at #3 Andrean (2-0), Saturday
Remarks: Merrillville is young, but always talented.
5. Crown Point (1-0)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week’s results: Won at LaPorte, 53-49
Upcoming games: at Hammond Morton (0-3), Tuesday; #1 Lake Central (2-1), Friday
Remarks: Here’s the part where it’s getting kind of hard to fill out the Top 10. Crown Point’s four-point win at LaPorte clearly was not impressive, but on a comparative basis, this is where the Bulldogs end up. For now.
6. Highland (1-1)
Previous rank: 10
Last week’s results: Lost to #7 Merrillville, 66-58
Upcoming games: Hammond (1-2), Tuesday; Boone Grove (1-1), Friday
Remarks: With better foul shooting, Highland might have beaten Merrillville.
7. East Chicago (2-1)
Previous rank: 5
Last week’s results: Lost to South Bend Clay, 79-75 (OT)
Upcoming games: at Munster (3-0), Saturday
Remarks: The Cardinals don’t often lose to South Bend Clay, which is 3-0 but barely beating its marginally decent opponents thus far.
8. Michigan City (1-1)
Previous rank: 6
Last week’s results: Won at Portage, 56-41
Upcoming games: at Chesterton (1-2), Friday; at Gary West Side (1-2), Saturday
Remarks: With an overtime loss at East Chicago, MC and EC are roughly on an even par, taking into account the homecourt advantage. EC gets the head-to-head tiebreaker.
9. Lake Station (1-0)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week’s results: Defeated North Newton, 76-39
Upcoming games: at Wheeler (1-1), Friday
Remarks: We haven’t had a lot of results on which to judge the Eagles, but this is where the numbers put them right now. Let’s see what they do in visits to Wheeler and Hammond Noll.
10. Kouts (4-0)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week’s results: Defeated DeMotte Covenant Christian, 63-40; won at Kankakee Valley, 58-42
Upcoming games: at South Central (2-0), Friday
Remarks: So far, the Mustangs haven’t won a game by fewer than 12 points. Admittedly, the schedule isn’t great, although Hebron (which gave Kouts its closest game thus far) did beat Wheeler.
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