The smoke has cleared after the first round of the IHSAA girls basketball sectionals, and we have nearly as many teams alive as was humanly possible following Tuesday’s contests.
Of the four area teams to taste defeat on Tuesday, only Lapel was beaten by someone outside of our area. But that still leaves six teams left to battle for four sectional crowns on Friday night.
Yet the going figures to be tough for our heroes in the semis. Of those six, only Anderson, Pendleton Heights and Daleville are favored to win their games.
At Greenfield, both Anderson and Pendleton Heights are expected to advance to a rematch. The Indians are 19-point favorites over New Castle according to USA Today’s Jeff Sagarin’s computer ratings. The Arabians are nine points to the good against Richmond, and Daleville is favored by 30 points over winless Wes-Del.
But that doesn’t mean all is lost for Madison-Grant at home against Eastern or for Elwood against Tipton at that same sectional. The Blue Devils are favored by 30 over the Panthers, and the Argylls are six-point underdogs against Eastern.
Frankton is five points behind Winchester at Shenandoah, certainly not an insurmountable disadvantage.
The ratings are done on paper, but games are played on the courts.
The local favorites are more likely to win, and the underdogs more likely to pull upsets with strong fan backing. The boys basketball teams are playing tonight to clear the decks on Friday for the girls. This would be an excellent time to get out to one of these four gyms and show the teams some well-deserved enthusiasm.
While on the topic of high school basketball, I wonder what The Associated Press voters were thinking in this week’s boys basketball poll? Perhaps they weren’t thinking.
Pendleton Heights defeated 3A No. 1 Muncie Central on the Bearcats’ home court last Saturday, and yet the Arabians didn’t move from their No. 5 perch. What will it take for people around the state to understand the team is very good and that Kellen Dunham is the state’s Mr. Basketball whether he is voted to that spot or not?
Then there’s the case of the Lapel Bulldogs. Coach Jimmie Howell has done a masterful job of bringing the team around this season. They have gone from 7-3 to 15-3 by virtue of an eight-game winning streak. Of those eight wins, only two of the victory margins were under 10 points.
Lapel is now ranked No. 18 in 2A by Sagarin and honorable mention by the AP whiz kids. I think the Bulldogs are playing better than that right now as is evidenced by a win over Guerin Catholic last weekend, a team that is rated No. 51 in the entire state.
Hopefully many of our area boys teams will take the respect issue to the court next month when the state tournament begins and end this rating nonsense.
We have opened the door into Hoosier Hysteria, and I am pumped to see where the journey leads.
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Contact sports editor Rick Teverbaugh: 640-4886, rick.teverbaugh@heraldbulletin.com
Discussion
Rick Teverbaugh: Hoosier Hysteria in bloom
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