If you followed along with out preseason countdown then you already knew who our preseason top 10 girls basketball teams were. BUT, if you know anything about high school basketball, you know that things can change quickly.
So each Tuesday morning, we will release our weekly Power Poll ahead of the week of games ahead.
To no surprise, things don’t change much at the top.
1. HOMESTEAD (1-0)
WHY #1?
When you start the year here and don’t lose, it is easy to stay right here at #1. The Spartans had some rust, but still were able to fight through that and turn back a better than I expected Carmel team.
To retain this spot all year, Homestead will have to play cleaner basketball than they did in their opener, but there is not a single reason to expect them not to. This is still the best team in the area.
WHY NOT HIGHER?
Because #1 rules all.
RECORD VERSUS OTH TOP 10: 0-0
2. SOUTH SIDE (0-1)
WHY #2?
South Side got hot on the hands of Jaci Jones, but couldn’t sustain in their home opener. The Archers are a very good basketball team with more pieces showing their worth against Cathedral than we even expected.
WHY NOT HIGHER?
Starting 0-1 means there certainly won’t be any leap frogging of the top team.
RECORD VERSUS OTH TOP 10: 0-0
3. NORWELL (1-1)
WHY #3?
Norwell is expected still to be the class of the Northeast 8 and has more interesting challenges in a tough schedule even this week. Still, their loss on Saturday wasn’t a bad one with Warsaw rising. Kaylee Fuelling has looked the part so far this season with two high quality games.
WHY NOT HIGHER?
The loss was a surprising one, but still to a quality opponent. But they did lose, so bypassing South Side is not an option yet.
RECORD VERSUS OTH TOP 10: 0-1
4. NORTHROP (1-0)
WHY #4?
TiAuna White had a killer game in the season opener and it is going to be hard to keep her from manufacturing a double double every night of the season. When you factor in her not even being the biggest weapon some nights, the Bruins are a tough test.
WHY NOT HIGHER?
We didn’t learn much against at still lower half of NE8 Leo. So if Northrop is better than #4, we don’t know it yet.
RECORD VERSUS OTH TOP 10: 0-0
5. BISHOP LUERS (1-0)
WHY #5?
Another team with an embarrassment of riches, the Knights were able to outpace and out interior Central Noble so well on Saturday. They are a match up problem for most teams because of their ability to play inside-out with their roster.
WHY NOT HIGHER?
Was the Central Noble win just a win or a good win? That depends on where the Cougars go from here. Still learning about the Knights however.
RECORD VERSUS OTH TOP 10: 0-0
6. CARROLL (1-0)
WHY #6?
As I said in my Sunday column we now know that you can never, ever count Carroll out. Their major comeback win over the weekend against Columbia City was impressive. This is a team that can go and go and go. Olivia Hoeppner is at the forefront of that and her impressive motor leads the charge.
WHY NOT HIGHER?
They made that big comeback, but we can’t forget that they got into that situation in the first place. Carroll will need to start a lot faster in the future with two more NE8 teams coming for them this week.
RECORD VERSUS OTH TOP 10: 0-0
7. ANGOLA (0-0)
WHY #7?
This team wasn’t specifically built for this year, but it seems like a lot of things are going to be clicking at the right time for them, with the the rapid development of Hanna Knoll, the rising status of Lauren Leach and the senior leadership of Janna Fee and Kayla Fenstermaker. Until proven otherwise, the Hornets are the best of the NECC and feel like a team that could push a lot of SAC schools.
WHY NOT HIGHER?
They haven’t played a game yet, so keeping them here seems fair.
RECORD VERSUS OTH TOP 10: 0-0
8. BELLMONT (0-0)
WHY #8?
The culture at Bellmont is just different now in the past and there is every reason to believe that they will still be a very good program even without Grace Hunter. Bellmont is going to challenge you defensively and have players that can score with consistency at all three levels.
WHY NOT HIGHER?
They haven’t played a game yet, so keeping them here seems fair.
RECORD VERSUS OTH TOP 10: 0-0
9. WARSAW (1-0)
WHY #9?
The only new team in the Power Poll from the preseason version, the Tigers earned their spot by being the only team in this Top 10 with a win against another team from the Top 10. Beating Norwell is a major feather in their cap and terrific resume builder. It shows that the Tigers have the speed, intelligence and finesse to be a force in Northeast Indiana, because Norwell has all of those things too.
WHY NOT HIGHER?
We don’t think the Norwell win was an isolated incident, but until we have more data to process, this spot seems right for Warsaw’s power poll debut.
RECORD VERSUS OTH TOP 10: 1-0
10. Bishop Dwenger (0-0)
WHY #10?
There is a wide variety of talent here from top of the roster to the bottom of the roster. We still don’t know if as many girls will play as last year, but the reality is that they have that option if needed when they kick their season off.
WHY NOT HIGHER?
Another team who hasn’t played yet. Their drop from 9 to 10 doesn’t have anything to do with them, but more to do with the team that leapfrogged them.
RECORD VERSUS OTH TOP 10: 0-0
In consideration (in no particular order): Heritage (2-0), Columbia City (0-1), Bluffton (0-1), West Noble (2-0), Garrett (1-0), Concordia (1-0), Central Noble (0-1)
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