2. Lake Central (12-2)
Previous rank: 2
Last week’s games: Won at #8 Merrillville, 55-44
Upcoming games: at Chesterton (5-8), Friday
Remarks: Lake Central has been on a roll since a loss at Michigan City. The Indians will be favored in the rest of their games and in Class 4A Sectional 1.

3. Munster (10-2)
Previous rank: 3
Last week’s games: Defeated Michigan City, 64-42; won at Hobart, 62-52
Upcoming games: at Lowell (6-7), Friday; at #6 Valparaiso (11-2), Saturday
Remarks: Munster had a surprisingly close win at Hobart, but that marked the first time the Brickies have lost at home this season.

4. Bowman Academy (9-5)
Previous rank: 4
Last week’s games: Won at Culver Military, 79-33; won at Chicago Morgan Park, 73-61
Upcoming games: Fort Wayne Luers (11-3), Saturday
Remarks: Not many teams go to Morgan Park and win by double digits. The Eagles have gone 9-2 since a tough 0-3 start that could have been 3-0 with a little luck.

5. Hammond Noll (13-0)
Previous rank: 5
Last week’s games: Defeated North Newton, 78-47; defeated Whiting, 58-37; defeated Lake Station, 55-48 (at Calumet)
Upcoming games: Hammond (5-6), Friday; Whiting (9-5), Saturday
Remarks: Noll once again struggled against Lake Station, but the Warriors got the W to stay unbeaten. Despite the unblemished record, it is clear that Noll is not as good as Bowman (which destroyed Lake Station by 47 points).

6. Valparaiso (11-2)
Previous rank: 6
Last week’s games: Defeated LaPorte, 58-38
Upcoming games: Crown Point (4-8), Friday; #3 Munster (10-2), Saturday
Remarks: LaPorte had been on a hot streak, so for Valpo to beat the Slicers by 20 points was an impressive victory. The Vikings are only a game out of first place in the Duneland Athletic Conference.

7. Hebron (12-1)
Previous rank: 9
Last week’s games: Defeated #10 Kouts, 55-44; defeated South Central, 49-30; defeated Morgan Township, 58-34
Upcoming games: Rensselaer (3-8), Saturday
Remarks: Hebron has rattled off 11 straight wins and has twice avenged its only loss, at Kouts.

8. Kouts (10-3)
Previous rank: 10
Last week’s games: Lost at #9 Hebron, 55-44
Upcoming games: Boone Grove (5-5), Friday
Remarks: Kouts has beaten the teams it should beat, and has gone 1-3 against Hebron and North Judson, two very strong Class 2A teams. The Mustangs took powerful North Judson into overtime.

9. Lake Station (9-4)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week’s games: Defeated Calumet, 59-43; won at Marquette Catholic, 57-42; lost to #5 Hammond Noll, 55-48 (at Calumet)
Upcoming games: Westville (3-7), Tuesday; Marquette Catholic (8-7), Saturday
Remarks: Lake Station hasn’t been especially impressive in its last few games, except against Noll. The Eagles lost by one in overtime the first time they played, then had a chance to take a late lead before Noll closed it out last week from the free-throw line. The Eagles seem to get up for their top opponents, play down to their lesser foes.

10. East Chicago (8-5)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week’s games: Defeated Hammond, 57-46; defeated Gary Roosevelt, 75-49
Upcoming games: at Gary West Side (4-5), Thursday; at South Bend Adams (8-3), Saturday
Remarks: Don’t look now, but the Cardinals have taken three of their last four. Could inexperienced EC be growing up at the right time?

Top 5 Small Schools (2A or smaller)
1. Bowman Academy (9-5)
2. Hammond Noll (13-0)
3. Hebron (12-1)
4. Kouts (10-3)
5. Lake Station (9-4)

2. Lake Central (11-2)
Previous rank: 2
Last week’s games: Defeated #8 Highland, 80-51; defeated Crown Point, 74-54
Upcoming games: at #8 Merrillville (6-5)
Remarks: The loss at Michigan City a couple weeks ago seems to have lit a fire under the Indians, who have won their last three games by 26, 29 and 20 points.

3. Munster (8-2)
Previous rank: 3
Last week’s games: Defeated #8 Highland, 61-43
Upcoming games: Michigan City (6-5), Tuesday; at Hobart (6-6), Saturday
Remarks: Munster had an impressive win over arch-rival Highland and has continued to decisively beat everybody it is supposed to beat.

4. Bowman Academy (7-5)
Previous rank: 4
Last week’s games: Defeated #9 Lake Station, 93-46; won at Detroit Consortium, 40-27
Upcoming games: at Culver Military (0-10), Tuesday; vs. Chicago Morgan Park (at Chicago Whitney Young), Saturday
Remarks: The Eagles more than doubled a good Lake Station team, and they have won seven of their last nine games against Indiana’s toughest schedule.

5. Hammond Noll (11-0)
Previous rank: 8
Last week’s games: Won at River Forest, 69-31
Upcoming games: North Newton (1-10), Tuesday, Greater South Shore Conference Tournament first round; TBA Friday in GSSC second round
Remarks: Noll has played down in some games this season (against Morton and Lake Station), but also played very well against good teams (such as Guerin Catholic). We’ll have a better idea where the Warriors rate when they play late-season games against Andrean and Valparaiso.

6. Valparaiso (10-2)
Previous rank: 6
Last week’s games: Won at Portage, 62-32; won at Kankakee Valley, 56-39
Upcoming games: #7 LaPorte (6-5), Friday
Remarks: It’s hard to put Valparaiso ahead of Merrillville considering its 15-point loss at home against the Pirates, but Merrillville’s up-and-down struggles make Valpo’s relative consistency look good.

7. LaPorte (6-6)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week’s games: Defeated #5 Merrillville, 71-69 (OT); defeated Plymouth, 59-45
Upcoming games: at #6 Valparaiso (10-2), Friday
Remarks: It’s hard to get a fix on the Slicers. They are only 6-6, yet they just swept Merrillville for the season and also beat Plymouth. They seem to play down against the lesser teams on their schedule (losing to Crown Point, New Prairie and Chesterton) and play up against the better ones. But it’s impossible to ignore the fact that LaPorte had two very impressive wins last week.

8. Merrillville (6-5)
Previous rank: 6
Last week’s games: Lost at LaPorte, 71-69 (OT)
Upcoming games: #2 Lake Central (11-2), Saturday
Remarks: Young Merrillville continues to perplex. After playing well for a few games, the Pirates lost for the second time to LaPorte. Will they bring their A game against Lake Central, as they did the last time they played (an overtime loss on the road)?

9. Hebron (9-1)
Previous rank: 10
Last week’s games: Did not play
Upcoming games: #10 Kouts (10-2), Thursday, Porter County Conference Tournament, first round
Remarks: Aside from Bowman and Noll, Hebron has emerged as the Region’s most consistent small-school team. The Hawks get a rubber match against Kouts in the opening round of the PCC Tourney.

10. Kouts (10-2)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week’s games: Defeated Washington Township, 66-46; won at Rensselaer, 57-43
Upcoming games: at #9 Hebron (9-1), Thursday, Porter County Conference Tournament, first round
Remarks: Kouts’ losses have been against North Judson and Hebron, a pair of very good class 2A schools. Otherwise, the Mustangs have been untouchable.

Top 5 Small Schools (2A or smaller)
1. Bowman Academy (7-5)
2. Hammond Noll (11-0)
3. Hebron (9-1)
4. Kouts (10-2)
5. Lake Station (6-3)

2. Lake Central (9-2)
Previous rank: 2
Last week’s games: Lost at Michigan City, 51-42; won at Menominee Falls (WI), 73-47
Upcoming games: #8 Highland (7-3), Tuesday; Crown Point (4-6), Friday
Remarks: The loss at Michigan City was a low point for the Indians, but City is better than its record and was bound to knock somebody off sooner or later. LC bounced back with a convincing win in Wisconsin.

3. Munster (7-2)
Previous rank: 3
Last week’s games: Won at Kankakee Valley, 71-38
Upcoming games: #8 Highland (7-3), Thursday
Remarks: Munster has been solid all year, losing only to Warren Central and Lake Central, and winning at Marion.

4. Bowman Academy (5-5)
Previous rank: 4
Last week’s games: Defeated Lawrence Central, 84-76; lost at Romulus (MI), 70-53
Upcoming games: Lake Station (6-2), Tuesday; at Detroit Consortium, Saturday
Remarks: Nobody in the state of Indiana plays a tougher schedule than Bowman.

5. Merrillville (6-4)
Previous rank: 7
Last week’s games: Won at #5 Valparaiso, 57-42; defeated Portage, 75-47
Upcoming games: at LaPorte (4-6), Friday
Remarks: Merrillville finally seems to be putting things together, dominating Valparaiso on the road last week. The Pirates had a learning curve this season, with a lot of graduation losses and a new coach, but they seem to be moving in a positive direction. Staying in the top five depends on avenging an earlier loss to LaPorte.

6. Valparaiso (8-2)
Previous rank: 5
Last week’s games: Lost to #7 Merrillville, 57-42; won at Michigan City, 52-39
Upcoming games: at Portage (1-12), Friday; at Kankakee Valley (3-7), Saturday
Remarks: Valpo got routed at home by Merrillville, but turned around and stunned Michigan City after the Wolves’ upset of Lake Central. As a result, the Vikings fall only one spot.

7. Hammond Noll (9-0)
Previous rank: 10
Last week’s games: Defeated North Judson, 61-60; defeated Wheeler, 86-58, won at Marquette Catholic, 65-52
Upcoming games: at River Forest (2-6), Friday
Remarks: Noll had three good wins last week, and several teams ahead of the Warriors (LaPorte, Highland and East Chicago) had bad losses.

8. Highland (7-3)
Previous rank: 8
Last week’s games: Lost at Lowell, 75-70
Upcoming games: at #2 Lake Central (9-2), Tuesday; at #3 Munster (7-2), Thursday
Remarks: Make no mistake, last week’s upset loss at Lowell was a very bad loss for Highland, but the Trojans stay eighth because there are no credible teams to move ahead of them. Even a pair of losses next week probably won’t drop the Trojans, who will play two of the Region’s top three teams on the road.

9. Lake Station (6-2)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week’s games: Defeated River Forest, 52-41; won at Whiting, 45-42
Upcoming games: at #4 Bowman Academy (5-5), Tuesday; Calumet (3-7), Friday
Remarks: Lake Station has played well against the better teams on its schedule, but has played down to its competition against some of the lesser teams. We’ll get a better idea of how good the Eagles are or aren’t when they travel to Bowman.

10. Hebron (9-1)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week’s games: Defeated South Central, 66-36
Upcoming games: Marquette Catholic (6-6), Friday
Remarks: The Hawks have won eight in a row since losing at Kouts, and avenged that loss by a decisive margin during that streak.

Top 5 Small Schools (2A or smaller)
1. Bowman Academy (5-5)
2. Hammond Noll (9-0)
3. Lake Station (6-2)
4. Hebron (9-1)
5. Kouts (8-2)

2. Lake Central (8-1)
Previous rank: 4
Last week’s games: Defeated LaPorte, 60-45
Upcoming games: at Michigan City (3-4), Tuesday; at Menominee Falls (WI), Saturday
Remarks: Lake Central won at Munster over the holidays, so the Indians move up.

3. Munster (6-2)
Previous rank: 3
Last week’s games: Lost to Warren Central, 58-51 (at Marion); won at Marion, 65-54
Upcoming games: at Kankakee Valley (3-6), Saturday
Remarks: Munster played a closer game against Warren Central than Bowman Academy did, and beat Marion by a bigger margin.

4. Bowman Academy (4-4)
Previous rank: 1
Last week’s games: Won at Marion, 68-63; lost to Warren Central, 67-55 (at Marion); defeated Indianapolis Cathedral, 49-46 (at East Chicago)
Upcoming games: Lawrence Central (5-1), Tuesday; at Romulus (MI), Saturday
Remarks: Munster slightly outperformed Bowman at the Marion Tournament, so Bowman drops to fourth — for now.

5. Valparaiso (7-1)
Previous rank: 7
Last week’s games: Defeated Chesterton, 51-39
Upcoming games: #7 Merrillville (4-4), Tuesday; at Michigan City (3-4), Friday
Remarks: The young Vikings have been the surprise team of the Region so far, and their win over South Bend Clay puts them ahead of a couple of teams that lost to Clay.

6. LaPorte (4-5)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week’s games: Lost at #4 Lake Central, 60-45
Upcoming games: at Chesterton (2-5), Tuesday
Remarks: It may look odd to have a 4-5 team rated sixth in the Region, but this team won decisively at Merrillville, handed Michigan City its only loss of more than one basket, and nearly knocked off Valparaiso. The Slicers are improving greatly as the season goes on.

7. Merrillville (4-4)
Previous rank: 8
Last week’s games: Defeated Crown Point, 65-64
Upcoming games: at #5 Valparaiso (7-1), Tuesday; Portage (1-10), Friday
Remarks: Merrillville almost won at Lake Central over the holidays and held off a dangerous Crown Point team that has had a number of near-misses against good teams. Additionally, Merrillville won at Highland.

8. Highland (7-2)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week’s games: Defeated Whiting, 68-37; lost to South Bend Clay, 59-55; won at Calumet, 71-50
Upcoming games: at Lowell (3-7), Saturday
Remarks: Although Lake Station advanced to the final of the Calumet Tournament, and Highland placed third, Highland actually came closer to South Bend Clay and beat Calumet by a larger margin than Lake Station. Only the draw placed Lake Station ahead of Highland. Highland’s four-point neutral-court loss to Clay trumps East Chicago’s four-point home loss to Clay.

9. East Chicago (5-4)
Previous rank: 10
Last week’s games: Lost to Fishers, 62-44 (at North Central Tournament); lost to Castle, 68-64 (at North Central Tournament); defeated Crown Point, 62-56 (OT)
Upcoming games: Thornton Fractional North (IL), Saturday
Remarks: East Chicago edges out Noll by virtue of a four-point overtime loss to South Bend Clay; Clay beat Lake Station by nine, and Noll needed overtime to beat Lake Station.

10. Hammond Noll (6-0)
Previous rank: 5
Last week’s games: Did not play
Upcoming games: vs. North Judson (6-0), Monday (at Hammond Civic Center); Wheeler (4-4), Wednesday; at Marquette Catholic (6-4), Saturday
Remarks: Noll needed overtime to beat Lake Station, at Noll. Because the performances of Highland and East Chicago bettered Lake Station’s results against South Bend Clay, and Noll and Lake Station can be considered about even on head-to-head results, Noll has to be behind Highland and EC.

Top 5 Small Schools (2A or smaller)
1. Bowman Academy (4-4)
2. Hammond Noll (6-0)
3. Lake Station (4-2)
4. Hebron (8-1)
5. Kouts (7-1)

2. Andrean (5-0)
Previous rank: 4
Last week’s results: Defeated Wheeler, 87-51; defeated Kankakee Valley, 66-38
Upcoming games: vs. Lebanon (5-0), Jan. 2
Remarks: Andrean hasn’t beaten anybody by less than 15 points, and the 59ers move up because they flattened Merrillville, which took Lake Central to overtime last week. The 59ers get a real test after New Year’s when they take on a similarly impressive Lebanon team. The site of the contest is still in flux due to uncertainty over whether the game can be played on Valparaiso University’s court.

3. Munster (5-0)
Previous rank: 3
Last week’s results: Defeated Penn, 64-51
Upcoming games: #4 Lake Central (5-1), Tuesday
Remarks: Another year, another beatdown against Penn. The Mustangs get another chance to prove themselves when they host Lake Central.

4. Lake Central (5-1)
Previous rank: 1
Last week’s results: Defeated Chesterton, 66-47; defeated Merrillville, 66-60 (OT)
Upcoming games: at #3 Munster (5-0), Tuesday; Portage (1-5), Thursday
Remarks: The Indians have a pretty good club, but comparing their results with Bowman’s, there is not much room for doubt that Bowman is the stronger team. And that shaky win over Merrillville drops the Indians’ stock as well.

5. Hammond Noll (5-0)
Previous rank: 9
Last week’s results: Defeated #10 Lake Station, 84-83 (OT)
Upcoming games: vs. Guerin Catholic (5-1), Thursday (at Indianapolis Chatard)
Remarks: Noll survives a strong test from Lake Station and gets two more tough ones coming up — against Guerin this week, and against North Judson Jan. 2. If Noll is 7-0 after those games, the Warriors will make another major move up.

6. Lake Station (2-1)
Previous rank: 10
Last week’s results: Lost at #9 Hammond Noll, 84-83 (OT)
Upcoming games: vs. Hammond Gavit (0-5), Dec. 27 (at Calumet Tournament)
Remarks: Folks, if you didn’t believe it before, believe it now. The Eagles went over to Noll and played the Warriors to a 1-point game in overtime, and did it while running with Noll; no slowdown game in that one. Lake Station isn’t just one of the best small-school teams in the Region. Lake Station is one of the best teams in the Region, period.

7. Valparaiso (6-1)
Previous rank: 5
Last week’s results: Won at Crown Point, 61-50; won at LaPorte, 49-46
Upcoming games: Chesterton (2-4), Dec. 27
Remarks: The young Vikings look pretty good so far. This year, pretty good might be good enough for second place in an unusually weak Duneland Athletic Conference. But it’s not enough to keep Valpo from dropping two spots after a shaky win over LaPorte.

8. Merrillville (3-4)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week’s results: Defeated #8 Michigan City, 48-47; lost at #1 Lake Central, 66-60 (OT)
Upcoming games: Crown Point (1-4), Dec. 27
Remarks: Merrillville had a pretty impressive week, knocking off snakebitten Michigan City and nearly pulling the stunner at Lake Central. Merrillville should have won that game, blowing a big lead late. When these young Pirates come of age, watch out.

9. Gary West Side (3-2)
Previous rank: 6
Last week’s results: Did not play
Upcoming games: vs. Indianapolis Howe (2-2), Friday (at Indianapolis Marshall)
Remarks: Howe just played Fort Wayne Luers to a six-point game. That game will tell us quite a bit about West Side.

10. East Chicago (2-2)
Previous rank: 7
Last week’s results: Did not play
Upcoming games: at Mishawaka (3-1), Tuesday; at Indianapolis Marshall (4-1), Friday
Remarks: East Chicago stays in because it is hard to believe that the Cardinals don’t have enough talent to beat Kouts. But they need to kick it up a notch to stay here.

Top 10 Small Schools (2A or smaller)
1. Bowman Academy (1-3)
2. Hammond Noll (5-0)
3. Lake Station (2-1)
4. Kouts (6-0)
5. Hebron (6-1)
6. Gary 21st Century (2-1)
7. Whiting (7-0)
8. Marquette Catholic (5-2)
9. Boone Grove (2-2)
10. South Central (2-4)

2. Bowman Academy (0-3)
Previous rank: 2
Last week’s results: Lost to North Central, 75-72
Upcoming games: Thornton Fractional North (IL), Wednesday
Remarks: Bowman took 4A power North Central down to the wire. I don’t care what the record says, this is one of the Region’s top two teams.

3. Munster (4-0)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week’s results: Defeated #7 East Chicago, 72-39
Upcoming games: Penn (1-2), Saturday
Remarks: Well, Munster didn’t have the greatest results in its first two games, but the Mustangs seem to have gotten on a roll now.

4. Andrean (3-0)
Previous rank: 3
Last week’s results: Defeated #4 Merrillville, 64-46
Upcoming games: Wheeler (1-2), Friday; Kankakee Valley (2-4), Saturday
Remarks: Andrean has had three blowout wins over Roosevelt, Wallace and Merrillville, and the 59ers drop a spot? Well, Munster’s 33-point win over East Chicago was pretty impressive.

5. Valparaiso (4-1)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week’s results: Defeated Portage, 55-34; won at South Bend Clay, 63-52
Upcoming games: at Crown Point (1-2), Tuesday; at LaPorte (2-3), Friday
Remarks: The Vikings got blown out by Lake Central, but it would seem a lot of teams will suffer that fate this year. Their double-digit win at South Bend Clay — an overtime winner at East Chicago — propels young Valpo into the top five.

6. Gary West Side (3-2)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week’s results: Won at Chicago King, 80-65; defeated Michigan City, 68-66 (OT)
Upcoming games: No games scheduled this week
Remarks: That 25-point opening loss at Lake Central doesn’t look so bad now, especially after two impressive wins last week.

7. East Chicago (2-2)
Previous rank: 7
Last week’s results: Lost at Munster, 72-39
Upcoming games: Chicago King, Friday
Remarks: It’s been a long time since an East Chicago team got beaten down the way the Cards did at Munster. Is EC that young, or is Munster that good?

8. Michigan City (2-2)
Previous rank: 8
Last week’s results: Won at Chesterton, 47-45; lost at Gary West Side, 68-66 (OT)
Upcoming games: at Merrillville (2-3), Tuesday; Crown Point (1-2), Friday
Remarks: Two overtime losses on the road are all that separate the Wolves from 4-0.

9. Hammond Noll (4-0)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week’s results: Won at North Newton, 81-34; defeated Lowell, 69-50
Upcoming games: #10 Lake Station (2-0), Saturday
Remarks: The Warriors had two impressive wins this week but will face a real test when the Eagles fly into town.

10. Lake Station (2-0)
Previous rank: 9
Last week’s results: Won at Wheeler, 56-45
Upcoming games: at #9 Hammond Noll (4-0), Saturday
Remarks: Is Wheeler down? Sure, without a doubt. Is Lake Station good? Absolutely. How good? We’ll know Saturday.

Top 10 Small Schools (2A or smaller)
1. Bowman Academy (0-3)
2. Hammond Noll (4-0)
3. Lake Station (3-0)
4. Kouts (5-0)
5. Whiting (6-0)
6. Hebron (4-1)
7. Wheeler (1-2)
8. Marquette Catholic (4-2)
9. Gary 21st Century (2-0)
10. South Central (2-2)

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.

This debate has been going on for years, and for the most part, I’ve disagreed with those who think that “something needs to be done” about private school dominance of the smaller classes, particularly in football. We are constantly bombarded with the allegations of private school athletic recruiting — and sure, it happens, but it also happens among public schools.

I’ve always felt that the bottom line — and I am a public-school grad — is that a lot of people just didn’t like the fact that some of these private schools had built terrific programs and won a lot of championships. And I’ve always said that if you don’t like losing to these teams, then stop griping and figure out how to beat them.

That said, when four of your five state football champions are the same this year as they were last year — and some of them have won three straight titles — one begins to consider that perhaps it wouldn’t be tragic if these schools could move up into a higher class.

Usually, the anti-private school crowd recommends one of two solutions: a “multiplier,” which would count students at private schools as the equivalent of 1.5 students in public schools, and a separate tournament for private schools only.

Both of these ideas — with all due respect to their proponents — are stupid, and either idea would get the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) sued. They are both fundamentally discriminatory, and you can rest assured that if the IHSAA attempted to implement either solution, every religious school in the state would file a religious-discrimination lawsuit. It happened recently in Tennessee, and the religious schools won. And rightly so.

The multiplier for private schools, in addition to being obviously discriminatory, also would do a disservice to schools like Bishop Noll, whose woeful football program over the last couple decades obviously has not been helped by the school’s private status.

In addition, the separate tournament for private schools wouldn’t work because there aren’t enough private schools in the state to make it work. There are about two dozen football-playing private schools in Indiana, which means the private-school tournament would be two rounds shorter than the others. A private-school class in other sports would be similarly shorthanded.

And finally, neither solution addresses the issue of charter schools.

Enter IHSAA commissioner Bobby Cox, who has a solution. And, although this is admittedly unusual for the IHSAA, the proposed solution, as detailed in the Indianapolis Star, is a good one.

Cox’s idea is simple. Any team that makes it to the state finals two straight years and wins the championship at least once would move up one class in that sport in the following realignment. This covers public, private and charter schools alike, thereby avoiding nettlesome discrimination litigation.

It’s a good idea, and it’s fair. Let’s face it, if you are dominating your class in a particular sport (as perennial champions Lafayette Central Catholic, Fort Wayne Luers, Indianapolis Chatard and Indianapolis Cathedral are doing in football, and as Marquette Catholic and Muncie Burris have done in volleyball), you’re not getting any worthwhile competition in the playoffs. Where is the accomplishment in destroying teams that clearly aren’t on your level, year after year after year? Does anyone think Central Catholic couldn’t compete in 2A — or Luers in 3A, or Chatard in 4A, or Cathedral in 5A? In 2009, which concluded with Warren Central beating Carmel for the 5A title, Cathedral opened the year by beating both teams, back-to-back.

Not only would the Cox solution provide better competition for the perennial winners, it would also open things up for other schools in their respective classes.

Commissioner Cox’s idea is a good one. Let’s hope the IHSAA gives it serious consideration.

DUNELAND ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Chesterton (0-1)
With a 62-35 loss to Mishawaka, it looks like Chesterton isn’t going to be a whole lot better than last year, when the Trojans went dead last in the DAC.

Crown Point (0-0)
The Bulldogs’ opener against South Bend Washington was postponed due to Washington’s football team reaching the Class 4A state finals.

Lake Central (1-1)
The Indians had an impressive 72-47 win over Gary West Side, then fell 79-64 at one of the top teams in the state, Hamilton Southeastern. While the road loss should be no surprise, the margin demonstrates that LC is not yet a contender at that level.

LaPorte (1-1)
The Slicers had a nice win over South Bend Riley before following up with a disappointing loss to South Bend Clay. On the whole, going 1-1 against those two is not a terrible result, but not a great one either.

Merrillville (0-1)
It may take some time for the Pirates to adjust to a new coach for the first time in decades, and let’s face it, Merrillville is young and inexperienced. The Pirates fell to a Homestead team they handled easily a year ago. Looks like a rebuilding year may be in store.

Michigan City (0-1)
The Wolves led most of the way before host East Chicago came back to scrap out a 55-52 win. Losing at EC is no embarrassment, but the Wolves would like to have that one back against a very young Cardinals’ squad.

Portage (0-1)
We knew Portage would be young this year, and a 66-44 loss at Highland was not unexpected. Still, for a DAC team to go down by 22 against an NCC team is a troubling sign for the Indians.

Valparaiso (2-0)
Many Region fans are looking forward to next year, when the DAC goes back to a seven-game conference schedule and Valpo can actually add some decent teams (besides Munster) to its nonconference slate. Blowout wins over Boone Grove and Hobart tell us nothing about the Vikings.

GREAT LAKES ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Hammond (1-0)
Hammond routed freshmen-laden Gary Lighthouse 95-13 in the Turkey Shootout at East Chicago. Actually, that game was more like a turkey shoot than a shootout. We won’t get any real insights about the Wildcats from that game.

Hammond Clark (1-1)
The Pioneers opened with an impressive rally to win at Hanover Central, then came home and got handled by arch-rival Whiting. Does this tell us more about Clark, Whiting or Hanover?

Hammond Gavit (0-2)
After opening with a 50-point loss at Munster last year, the Gladiators cut that deficit to 12 this year, then lost by 13 to Lowell. I suspect this tells us more about Munster, and what it lost, than it does about Gavit.

Hammond Morton (0-1)
The Governors played well against Hammond Noll last year and came within nine this year. With the rest of this league looking perhaps a little weaker this season, this might be the year for the steadily improving Govs to make a move.

GREATER SOUTH SHORE CONFERENCE
Calumet (0-0)
The Warriors haven’t played yet. They are young and would be ahead of schedule if they finish in the middle of the league.

Hammond Noll (1-0)
A nine-point win over Morton is no cause for concern. The Warriors barely beat the Governors last year.

Lake Station (0-0)
The Eagles don’t open until this week, but they expect to be very good this year — perhaps even better than last year’s 16-6 team.

Marquette Catholic (0-1)
We heard at the start of the year that the Blazers had brought in three players with Division I talent. Listen, a team with three Division I players doesn’t lose to Hobart, one of the Region’s worst basketball programs in recent years (2-19 last year). Was Marquette overrated? Without a doubt.

North Newton (0-0)
The Spartans open this week, and nobody is expecting much from a team that went 1-20 last year and doesn’t return a ton of firepower.

River Forest (1-0)
If the Ingots were going to do anything this season, a win at home over a young LaCrosse team was a must. RF got it, 54-42. Let’s see how many more the Ingots can get.

Wheeler (0-0)
It’s hard to say how Wheeler will do this year, but the Bearcat program has been good for a long time. Then again, so had Boone Grove, and we see what’s happened to the Wolves since 2009. One doesn’t expect a similar fall from Wheeler.

Whiting (2-0)
The Oilers were the surprise team of the Region last year, after many years of lousy basketball. They may be even better this year, after holding Washington Township to 23 points and then beating arch-rival Hammond Clark decisively at Clark.

NORTHWEST CROSSROADS CONFERENCE
Andrean (1-0)
It looked like Andrean was loaded this season, and the 59ers didn’t disappoint in their 70-55 win at Gary Roosevelt. Could this be the team that dethrones Munster? It sure looks like it, albeit only after one game from each team.

Griffith (0-0)
It’s hard to see how a young Panther team avoids the cellar in what appears to be an improving NCC.

Highland (1-0)
We know Portage isn’t likely to be very good this year, but a 66-44 opening win over any DAC team bodes well for any NCC team. Still, as much as this league appears to have improved, the Trojans will have a hard time finishing higher than third or fourth.

Hobart (1-1)
The Brickies dispatched an obviously overrated Marquette Catholic team before getting served up for their traditional post-Thanksgiving drubbing at Valparaiso. Nothing to see here.

Kankakee Valley (0-2)
Tri-County is usually pretty decent, but when you are the largest Class 3A school in the state, it’s a bad sign to lose by 11 to a Class A school. The home opener, a four-point loss to 3A Twin Lakes, is a little less troubling, but not exactly comforting, either.

Lowell (2-0)
The Red Devils lost Austin Richie after last year’s bounce-back 12-9 campaign, but returned just about everyone else. Sometimes a team that loses its star but returns everyone else does even better the next year, and after double-digit road wins at Hanover Central and Hammond Gavit, that may be true for Lowell. Hey, it was Tee Martin, not Peyton Manning, who quarterbacked Tennessee to a national championship.

Munster (1-0)
These aren’t the Mustangs of old. Munster beat Hammond Gavit 58-46, and that says a lot more about the Mustangs than the Gladiators. This could be the year the Mustangs finally lose an NCC game.

NORTHWESTERN CONFERENCE
Gary Roosevelt (0-1)
It’s always a bad sign to lose your opener at home by 15 points, but that Andrean team is solid. Roosevelt might still be the best team in this truncated league — but if that’s true, oh how the mighty have fallen.

Gary Wallace (0-0)
Wallace was scheduled to play Gary Lighthouse last week, but I never could find a score. Considering what Hammond did to Lighthouse, if the game actually did take place, the Hornets might have won by 100 points.

Gary West Side (0-2)
Yes, we know Lake Central is good, but a 25-point loss? It hasn’t taken the Cougars long to slip into mediocrity, has it?

PORTER COUNTY CONFERENCE
Boone Grove (0-1)
How did the Boone program fall so hard so fast? Yes, that 20-5 sectional championship team from two years ago lost everything, but don’t they play basketball at the lower levels in the Porter Township schools? It’s no surprise for Boone to lose to Valparaiso, but 75-27? Against a very young Valpo team?

Hanover Central (0-2)
Aside from Marquette, the Wildcats at this point look like the Region’s most overrated team. They lost at home to Hammond Clark, 67-62, a few days before Clark got drubbed at home by Whiting, then gave up 82 points — also at home — in a 10-point loss to Lowell.

Hebron (1-1)
Hebron had high hopes with a lot of players returning from a team that closed strong last year, but apparently, only two of them showed up in a 53-41 loss at Kouts. A win over Covenant Christian doesn’t count for much.

Kouts (2-0)
With a 78-48 win over West Central and a solid 53-41 victory over Hebron, the Mustangs look like they might be the top team in the PCC right now.

LaCrosse (0-1)
We knew coming in that LaCrosse was young. Apparently, the Tigers are also not very good, judging by their 54-42 loss at River Forest, a 3-18 team last year that LaCrosse defeated.

Morgan Township (1-0)
Morgan opened with a 44-40 win over Knox. You know what North Judson did to Knox? The Bluejays won 80-24. The Cherokees have a long way to go to be a top-level small-school team this year.

South Central (0-0)
The Satellites open this week against Morgan Township, so we will get an early look at whether they can be an upper-division team in the PCC this year.

Washington Township (1-1)
After managing only 23 points in a loss to Whiting, it looks like the Senators may be one of the worst teams in the Region. They did beat Covenant Christian, but they might not beat anybody else.

INDEPENDENTS
Bowman Academy (0-1)
A nine-point loss to Chicago Farragut, typically a very competitive team in Chicago’s uber-talented Public League, is no embarrassment for a 2A school. With Bowman’s schedule, by far the Region’s toughest, a 10-10 season would be a great success.

East Chicago (2-0)
The young Cardinals made an impressive comeback against Michigan City, then came away with an expected 85-34 rout of Chicago Ace Tech.

Gary 21st Century (1-0)
21st Century Charter won 70-67 at Indianapolis Marshall, reopened this year as a high school after many years as a middle school. There isn’t much to take from that one.

Gary Lighthouse (0-1)
Lighthouse had a game scheduled Tuesday against Gary Wallace, but I couldn’t find a score. Judging by freshman-laden Lighthouse’s 95-13 loss to Hammond, that’s probably just as well.

TOP 10
1. Lake Central (1-1)
2. Bowman Academy (0-1)
3. Andrean (1-0)
4. Hammond Noll (1-0)
5. East Chicago (2-0)
6. Michigan City (0-1)
7. Merrillville (0-1)
8. Lowell (2-0)
9. Munster (1-0)
10. Highland (1-0)

HONORABLE MENTION
11. Valparaiso (2-0)
12. LaPorte (1-1)
13. Crown Point (0-0)
14. Gary Roosevelt (0-1)
15. Hammond (1-0)

TOP FIVE SMALL SCHOOLS (2A or smaller)
1. Bowman Academy (0-1)
2. Hammond Noll (1-0)
3. Lake Station (0-0)
4. Kouts (2-0)
5. Whiting (2-0)