Closing in on a month into the boys’ hoops season, it’s time for another look at Bounce’s top teams in the area.
We have seen each of the area conferences begin league play, and some big non-conference matchups for some of the contenders.
On the eve of holiday tournaments and the thick of the regular season in January, here is an update on Bounce’s top 10 area squads.
No. 1 – WAYNE GENERALS (5-2, 2-0 SAC)
Despite multiple losses before Christmas, something that didn’t happen a year ago, Wayne is still the team to beat in northeast Indiana.
Why? Well, both of their defeats, while definitely lopsided by a combined 32 points, came to two of the top five teams in the latest Class 4A AP Poll – Ben Davis and Lawrence North.
Remember, this is still a relatively young team outside of senior Jevon Lewis, who leads Wayne in scoring.
The Generals have a relatively chill holiday break, with a tournament at Wawasee on Dec. 29 the only action before a showdown with North Side on Jan. 5.
No. 2 – NORTH SIDE LEGENDS (6-0, 2-0 SAC)
The Legends are off to their best start under Coach Gary Andrews’s tutelage, and if you ask him it is a team he is enjoying coaching, with less attitudes and more commitment on the roster.
North has proven to be impressive in close games, having won four of their games by eight points or less.
Whereas Wayne only has a single senior of note, North Side’s top five scorers are all seniors. Will experience be the difference when the two meet in early January?
Why Not Higher?
Wayne atop the power poll has played some tough out-of-area foes. North Side hasn’t, until it competes in the Bob Wettig Memorial Tournament at Richmond between Christmas and New Year’s.
No. 3 – BISHOP LUERS KNIGHTS (5-0, 2-0 SAC)
I had Bishop Luers in the middle of the pack in the SAC in my preseason league breakdown, and it may end up there when all is said and done, but you have to give the Knights credit for exceeding expectations so far.
It helps when you play your first four games at home, but Bishop Luers hit the road last Friday and pulled away from Homestead in the fourth quarter in a back-and-forth game that was kind of a prove-it game for Coach Seth Coffing’s team.
The Truesdale twins – Dereon and Drelyn – have been phenomenal, averaging over 36 points per game between them.
Taking on some quality teams at the LaPorte Holiday Tournament on Dec. 28-29 will be telling.
Why Not Higher?
If the Knights had started the season higher in my rankings, you could make a case for a top-two spot. But let’s pump the brakes a bit, at least until the Truesdales power the squad to more dubs and Bounce is made to look foolish.
No. 4 – CARROLL CHARGERS (3-3, 1-1 SAC)
Hear me out, OK?
Yes, Carroll did drop an ugly game to Columbia City on the road last week, but it rebounded somewhat by pushing Wayne for four quarters in a four-point loss last Friday.
It comes down to defense for Carroll. When it allows 57 or less points, the Chargers are 3-0. When they allow more than that, they are 0-3.
The holidays will be helpful as Carroll preps for the rest of the SAC season, with Warsaw in the Fieldhouse on Tuesday followed by some solid foes in the Homestead Holiday Tournament next week.
Why Not Higher?
Are you serious?
No. 5 – BLACKHAWK CHRISTIAN BRAVES (5-1)
Since dropping the season opener to North Side, Coach Matt Roth’s team has ran off five-consecutive dubs, most recently a 30-point walloping of a then-undefeated Manchester team last weekend.
The Braves will wrap up their pre-Christmas slate with a visit from Columbia City on Friday. A good challenge awaits after Christmas at the Ray Furney Holiday Classic in Lawrenceburg on Dec. 29-30.
Why Not Higher?
Is Bounce putting too much on the loss to North Side? After all, Blackhawk Christian did house Norwell on the road by 36 points. We will see soon enough.
No. 6 – ADAMS CENTRAL FLYING JETS (3-0, 1-0 ACAC)
It was quite the opening week for the Jets, with three dubs over the course of five days against Canterbury, Woodlan and Parkway (OH).
Isaac Schultz dropped 27 points on Canterbury and followed it up with a 29-point effort to open ACAC play against the Warriors.
An under-the-radar game in the area looms this Friday with the Flying Jets welcoming one-loss Bellmont to Monroe. That will be a telling matchup for both.
Why Not Higher?
Still a small sample size for AC, although the road win at Woodlan should not be overlooked.
Let’s revisit this ranking in a few weeks.
No. 7 – WARSAW TIGERS (4-2, 0-1 NLC)
Despite the disappointing start to the Northern Lakes Conference schedule – a five-point loss to Wawasee last Friday, Warsaw has still been impressive against area foes. It has wins over Columbia City, Homestead and Huntington North and lost to North Side by just one point.
Coach Matt Moore’s team is about to hit the road for a challenging four-game stretch where it will face teams that have a combined 19 victories so far this season.
Why Not Higher?
Needs to beat a team ahead of them in this power poll. They get the chance Tuesday night at Carroll.
No. 8 – LEO LIONS (5-2, 1-0 NE8)
A constant for Leo early on in the season has been senior guard Jackson McGee, who put up 27 points in a close win over Huntington North to open league play last Friday.
The fact that the Lions were able to follow that win with another a day later at Trine against Snider really opened up my eyes.
Leo’s two losses were both by doubles digits, but both were on the road against teams considered in the top four of the SAC – Wayne and Bishop Luers.
The Lions aren’t competing with the Generals or Knights for a league title, but rather the likes of Bellmont and Norwell, squads that, while good, aren’t as complete as Leo is.
Why Not Higher?
The two teams in this power poll that Leo has played it lost to convincingly. Another just so happens to be on the schedule on Tuesday night…(see below)
No. 9 – HOMESTEAD SPARTANS (3-2, 1-1 SAC)
Five games seems like enough to get a feel for what a team is, but admittedly I still don’t know about Sparty. It dropped a hard-fought road game at Warsaw, then kept Wayne in check for three quarters before fading in the fourth last Friday.
The biggest question I have is, where does the consistent offense come from without Will Jamison? Sophomore Payton Rhinehart has been a break-out player early on, but can he continue to lead the way into the new year?
Road showdown with Leo on Tuesday.
Why Not Higher?
Homestead’s three wins have come against teams that are a combined 2-14.
No. 10 – WESTVIEW WARRIORS (6-1, 2-0 NECC)
I felt like Westview was the top team entering the year in the NECC and so far, it has proven that to be true with five straight wins after a loss on the road to Northridge.
It will be a quiet break for Westview, which will have a 14-day break between Tuesday’s game against Lakeland and a visit from East Noble on Jan. 2.
Why Not Higher?
Tough to make a case quite yet, even with the winning streak.
UNDER CONSIDERATION
Central Noble, 4-1
Woodlan, 4-4
Snider, 4-3
Bellmont, 6-1
Norwell, 4-2
Whitko, 5-1
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