A half-dozen area teams across three classes remain in the IHSAA Boys Basketball State Tournament, with four-team semistates standing between them and a trip to Indianapolis for state finals.
Bounce is here to break down each northern semistate in Classes 4A, 3A and 2A, with a pair of local teams competing in each.
CLASS 4A
ELKHART SEMISTATE (AT NORTH SIDE GYM)
The field: Northridge (25-1), Homestead (20-6), Crown Point (23-1), Snider (20-7)
First off, apologies to Snider, which Bounce felt had no chance knocking off Carmel, which dispatched of No. 1 and nationally-ranked Fishers in sectional play. The Panthers went into the regional, did not shy away from the challenge and knocked off the Greyhounds to capture the program’s first regional title in 17 years.
It gets no easier for Snider, however. Crown Point captured its third-straight regional title last week and is seeking its first-ever semistate championship. The Bulldogs are led by 6-foot-7 Dikembe Shaw, an Illinois-Chicago commit and a matchup nightmare. Crown Point is one of the top scoring teams in the state, averaging 73.9 points per game. Can Snider slow it down?
Meanwhile, Homestead gets another one-loss foe in Northridge, fresh off its first regional crown in program history. Senior forward Brady Scholl is a problem. He began last week’s regional victory over South Bend St. Joseph with 13 points in the first quarter and finished with 33 points and 17 rebounds. Meanwhile, fellow senior Freeman Schlabach is the floor general, a dynamic player and creator in a compact frame.
The Spartans and Raiders are two very similar teams, relying on solid shooting, a patient offense and solid defense to carry the day.
Crown Point enters Saturday as the favorite, but whoever emerges will have earned it in such a stacked field.
SCHEDULE
Northridge (25-1) vs. Homestead (20-6), 10 a.m.
Crown Point (23-1) vs. Snider (20-7), noon
Championship, 8 p.m.
BOUNCE’S PREDICTION: Crown Point beats Homestead 71-63 to win semistate title
CLASS 3A
LOGANSPORT SEMISTATE (AT THE BERRY BOWL)
The field: New Haven (20-7), Delta (16-10), Columbia City (23-4), East Chicago Central (15-12)
Could we have an all-local semistate championship game with a berth in the state finals on the line?
To Bounce, he feels that is likely, with New Haven and Columbia City each earning favorable matchups.
First-time regional winner New Haven gets Delta, which surprised a lot of people by bouncing Blackhawk Christian in regionals a week ago. The Eagles have an exceptional defense, which held the Braves scoreless for the first 12 minutes and 20 seconds of the second half in last weekend’s victory. Sophomore Ryan Lynch is a player to watch, as he was clutch early and late in that win, including a perfect 8-of-8 free throws over the final two minutes. For the year, Lynch is an 86 percent shooter from the stripe.
If New Haven can stay patient and execute offensively, it wins.
Meanwhile, Columbia City gets East Chicago Central, a squad that surprised Gary West in the sectional final, then took down favorite Mishawaka Marian in regional play. After winning a sectional in Year 2 and a regional in Year 3, Coach Alaa Mroueh is aiming to take the next step forward with a trip to the state finals. Seniors Jamarie Pollard and Joseph Watkins Jr. are the leaders, but freshmen Naji Meux and Mekhi Gillis give the team Cardinals a mix of experience and youthful exuberance. It was Pollard who dropped 35 points on Marian in the regional win.
Both foes present challenges, but New Haven and Columbia City will meet in the nightcap with a trip to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on the line. Who wins?
SCHEDULE
New Haven (20-7) vs. Delta (16-10), 10 a.m.
Columbia City (23-4) vs. East Chicago Central (15-12), noon
Championship, 8 p.m.
BOUNCE’S PREDICTION: Columbia City beats New Haven 59-55 to win semistate title
CLASS 2A
MUNCIE SEMISTATE (AT MUNCIE FIELDHOUSE)
The field: Bishop Luers (15-11), Oak Hill (25-1), Westview (25-1), Lapel (21-5)
The last time Oak Hill reached the semistate round, it went all the way to state and won a 2A crown. Can the Golden Eagles do it again?
Oak Hill is led by a pair of brothers with a familiar last name. Junior Jace Tonagel and freshman Will Tonagel are sons of dad Greg, longtime head coach of the highly successful Indiana Wesleyan men’s basketball program. All the brothers have done is combine for 30 points per game for the Golden Eagles. They also lead the team in assists and steals.
Oak Hill is the favorite in this field, although Westview may have something to say about it. The Warriors surprised many, including Bounce, by taking down Gary 21st Century in regional action. The tandem of Austin Schlabach and Kaden Grau combined for 48 points in the win, with Schlabach dropping a career-high 32. But Westview needs to find a way to knock out a Lapel team that can turn to one (or more) of five different players who average double figures for them.
And then there is Bishop Luers. The three-game winning streak that the Knights are currently on equals their season high. The win over Bremen showed that it can close out gritty teams away from home, something they couldn’t do against Carroll to close out the regular season. But can it find answers on the defensive end to slow down the Tonagel boys?
SCHEDULE
Bishop Luers (15-11) vs. Oak Hill (25-1), 10 a.m.
Westview (25-1) vs. Lapel (21-5), noon
Championship, 8 p.m.
BOUNCE’S PREDICTION: Oak Hill beats Westview 56-54 win semistate title
These opinions represent those of Bounce and Outside the Huddle. No opinions expressed on Outside the Huddle represent those of any of our advertisers. Follow Bounce on Twitter at Bounce_OTH
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