With the boys basketball postseason coming around quickly, Bounce is here to quick preview and discuss the area Sectionals, moving on to Class 3A.
SECTIONAL AT LAKELAND
Projected Winner: Fairfield
Fairfield won the NECC tournament and were pretty solid favorites all season to win the NECC regular season. You have to assume the Falcons have a bit of a chip on their shoulder after not accomplishing goal number two so why not just skip ahead and with another trophy in the same gym you won the NECC Tournament at, after all it is a similar set up with a week long bracket.
Carson Smith has been the guy for Fairfield lately, but when we talk about the importance of depth in the postseason, what Fairfield does should be the poster child for depth equalling success. As good as Smith has been lately, Mitchell Miller was a can’t miss player in the middle of the season and Tyson Frey started the season on a torrid pace. All three of them are in the top 18 in the conference in scoring with Noah Mast and Alex Hofer also capable of big scoring outputs. Fairfield gets shooting from others as well and even though I’ve talked about it a lot this season, the Falcons are one of the deepest teams in the area this season.
I think the depth, combined with the disappointment of not closing out the regular season how they wanted is going to make a difference this week.
Player you can’t miss: Nate Keil, Lakeland
Leading the NECC at 20.3 points per game and as one of the top scorers in all of Northeast Indiana, Keil has been a revelation for the NECC outright champions all season. Keil is able to play four spots both offensively and defensively and there is not a part of the court he isn’t capable of scoring from. His biggest strength is his athleticism and ability to play above the rim, yet Keil still shoots 41 percent from downtown (and 51 percent from the field). Keil is able to play at about any pace you want and also averages nearly four assists per game for the Lakers.
Don’t be surprised if: Lakeland keeps the trophy at home
Keil is reason one. But Kyle Hartsough and Keegan Merrifield have both been able to produce some really impressive games offensively as well and Lakeland’s ability to push above and beyond during major stretches of the season has been impressive. Keil is the only senior that Lakeland follows, but the sophomore class for the Lakers has been a major steady presence, led by Hartsough and Merrifield but followed up by Keyan Arroyo and Levi Cook with junior Justin Carlson helping as another strong shooter. Lakeland has enough guys to space the floor out and that has led them to a lot of success.
NorthWood is a tough first game and potential meeting with Fairfield is intriguing in the finals. It isn’t an easy road for Lakeland, but neither was the NECC and yet the Lakers came out on top.
SCHEDULE
LAKELAND SECTIONAL
Tuesday
Wawasee vs. Lakeland, 7 p.m.
Friday
Fairfield vs. West Noble, 6 p.m.
NorthWood vs. Wawasee/Lakeland winner, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Championship, 7:30 p.m.
SECTIONAL AT WOODLAN
Projected Winner: Concordia Lutheran
This is another tough Sectional to pick as the teams are just a combined 63-93 and have all had waves of success and of struggle throughout the season. Woodlan at 14-7 has the best record and Leo has the longest winning streak of these teams with five but that was back in December. The Warriors also come in winners of eight of their last nine but we can’t forget they lost to first round opponent Leo earlier this season.
So why Concordia? Well it is fair to say that they are on the easier side of this bracket. The Cadets aren’t the model of consistency, but their peak is really successful with wins against co-NE8 champions Bellmont and Columbia City, as well as victories opposite NorthWood and Leo this season. All of those games helped prove that this isn’t a one man show even if Cole Hayworth has a diverse offense that makes him a bit tricky to guard. Max Adair has had a solid last third of the season and between Avery Cook, Sam Eggold, Will Schlegel and Ben Bentz, this back court is able to move the ball pretty smoothly and keep the game at their own pace.
With a star player to lean on, the ability to shoot the ball well at times and most importantly, pace control, Concordia is one to watch but keep in mind this is far from a given Sectional for anyone.
Player you can’t miss: Dane Lantz, Angola
Lantz ended the regular season about as strong as you can, scoring 31 points in a closer than expected loss to the conference champions. He really makes things go for Angola and finished the regular season second (16.7 ppg) in the NECC in scoring. When we talk about pace setting, keep in mind what the Lantz led Hornets can do and how his ability to get into passing lanes and move the ball at the speed he wants is important. On both ends of the floor, Lantz is by far the biggest threat that not enough people are talking about heading into this Sectional.
Don’t be surprised if: Leo reminds everyone what they are capable of
Leo finished the regular season 10-12. Leo does not have losing records often, in fact if they don’t win three more this season then it would be the first time that happened in back to back seasons since before Cary Cogdell roamed the sidelines for the Lions. So this group isn’t going to be too keen on leaving that mark on the program. Leo was considered by some the preseason favorite in the NE8 and the reasons for that are not only still there, but there are more reasons now why they can be successful.
We all know Jackson McGee and Trey Hiteshew are a dangerous scoring duo. McGee leads the NE8 in scoring at 19.7 points per game and went over 1,000 career points on senior night recently. Hiteshew reminded anyone who forgot how crafty and diverse his scoring ability is with a 19 point outing to close the regular season in a 2OT loss to Blackhawk Christian. But what about the others who have stepped up? Solomon Richard just put up 25 opposite the Braves in that same game and went from being a ball moving, pace setting type of guard last season to being a strong scorer and major corner three threat.
On the interior, there have been times Leo can be better, but strength on strength they have succeeded well. Landon Ruoff can be a tough rim protector and has a big frame that can move posts out of the way. In his absence last week, Jaxon Keller performed far more than admirably in throwing off Kellen Pickett’s game at Blackhawk. Leo’s record isn’t where they want it, but lets not forget who this program and players really are and that is Sectional champions three of the last four years.
SCHEDULE
WOODLAN SECTIONAL
Tuesday
Concordia vs. Garrett, 7 p.m.
Wednesday
Bishop Dwenger vs. Heritage, 6 p.m.
Leo vs. Woodlan, 7:30 p.m.
Friday
Angola vs. Concordia/Garrett winner, 6 p.m.
Dwenger/Heritage winner vs. Leo/Woodlan winner, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Championship, 7 p.m.
SECTIONAL AT MISSISSINEWA
Projected Winner: Bellmont
The co-NE8 champs are a no brainer here. They’ve been able to answer so many challenges and even when they lose, they often impress. Look no further than a recent loss to Bishop Luers where Jack Scheumann scored 43 points. He is one of Northeast Indiana’s most prolific scorers and his 19.5 points per game is second in the NE8. Alongside Andrew James in the backcourt, this duo of guards can be elite defensively, as they can defend several different positions 1-3, giving them the flexibility to switch ball screens. The both defend extremely well because of how strongly they attack angles on the defensive end.
Kord Fuelling could be a really interesting piece in all of this. His length make him a real problem on the interior on both ends of the floor yet matching up with him is one of every team’s biggest issues as he can shoot well and he can put the ball on the floor and go. Who has someone to match up with that kind of size, shot and stride? Probably nobody in this Sectional if he’s at his peak.
Player you can’t miss: Ashton Federspiel, Norwell
Although his numbers haven’t been as insane lately as they were to start the season, Federspiel has been able to power his way 10 feet in against almost everyone that Norwell has come across this season. At 17.8 points per game, he is third in the NE8 in scoring this season and the fact that he came virtually out of nowhere to do so is what is most impressive.
Federspiel was a known commodity going into the season but it is really hard to prepare for such growth in a player between their junior and senior seasons. He is physical and smart and he plays both ends so well that he can really alter how things happen in this Sectional.
Don’t be surprised if: The home team proves more difficult than expected
All seven teams in this Sectional have 12 or more wins; four of them have 14 or more wins. But, only two teams have conference titles and that is favorite Bellmont in the NE8 and host Mississinewa as co-champs of the CIC. Isn’t it fitting that they square off first?
The Indians have a unique collective of players that make them more like the Bellmont and Norwell teams that we are familiar with in Northeast Indiana. They don’t overpower but they get the job done in a really gritty and fundamental way with enough depth to back up whenever one of them is showing deficiencies and that is what also makes Bellmont so good. Preston McCann (11.8 ppg) leads the Indians with a solid shot, but his ability to create and pull up in the midrange is his biggest strength, while Kobe Johnson can be a straight line slasher or a spot up shooter. Gannon Smith is coming off a hot shooting outing in a surprise win over Class 2A ranked Manchester to close the regular season, while Jesse Simpkins and A’Jean Johnson can both get hot from the perimeter. Mississinewa also has Kiontaye Woods and Jaxson Ott’s size to help shore up the middle.
Facing Bellmont first is a tough draw for the home team, but Gas City is certainly not going out without a fight.
SCHEDULE
MISSISSINEWA SECTIONAL
Tuesday
Mississinewa vs. Bellmont, 7 p.m.
Wednesday
Maconaquah vs. Oak Hill, 6 p.m.
Norwell vs. Peru, 7:30 p.m.
Friday
Northwestern vs. Mississinewa/Bellmont winner, 6 p.m.
Maconaquah/Oak Hill winner vs. Norwell/Peru winner, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Championship, 7:30 p.m.
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