Stateline Preps: Boys Hoops Power Rankings (Week 5)
It’s crystal clear that after the first 6 weeks of the prep basketball season, this year’s teams are different than last year’s teams.
Beloit Memorial, considered a good bet to make it to the WIAA State Tournament in 2009 look like a team that has to scrap for every victory. The Purple Knights are still a good team built around defense, but their lack of offensive firepower, specifically from the three-point line, leaves a lot to be desired.
South Beloit had such a magical season last year that anything less figured to be a letdown. The SoBos lack of an inside presence, whether it be on the offensive or defensive end has hurt them this year. So reliant on their trio of guards, the SoBos have been coming up short this year. They faced a good opportunity to climb back in the NUIC East race with a win Saturday night over Forreston, but came up short, 90-89, in double overtime.
Parkview is better this season — MUCH better. The Vikings used to be a one-man show with Nick Melton, but a solid supporting cast led by Jay Naatz, Kyle Woodworth and Jamie Wichser has put the Vikings in contention for an RVC South title.
Beloit Turner has undergone a complete face-lift since Ken Watkins took over the program two years ago. Defense and playing their style make the Trojans the favorite in the RVC South.
Here’s this week’s rankings:
(Disclaimer: This is my opinion only, so if you don’t agree with it, feel free to send me a comment on the bottom of the page. Otherwise, it’s not a life-and-death situation.)
1. HONONEGAH (11-2): Even with the departure of key players David Brown, Matt Carroll, Dustin Meier and L.J. Jones, the Indians still are in contention for a NIC-10 title. How? Defense. The Indians took it to lowly Rockford East on Friday night, but their wins have been impressive. Hononegah finished second in the State Farm Classic, losing to 3A power Champaign Centennial in the title game, while also losing to a strong Rockford Boylan team. The Indians are a young team that figures to get better as the season wears on. NEXT: Friday at Belvidere North, 7 p.m.; Saturday/Monday: MLK Tournament at Hononegah.
2. BELOIT MEMORIAL (6-3): If there’s such a thing as good losses, Beloit Memorial has them, losing to all state-ranked teams (Madison East, Racine Park and Madison Memorial). Besides the loss to Racine Park in the Waterford Tournament, Beloit has been in every game. The Purple Knights narrowly missed beating Madison East (63-61) and were a rebound away from scaring Madison Memorial (45-40). But, Beloit has to learn to beat the good teams if it is to make a push in the WIAA Tournament. NEXT: Tuesday at Verona, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday vs. Middleton, 7:30 p.m.
3. BELOIT TURNER (9-1): If there’s a more surprising team in the Stateline than the Trojans, I’d like to know. Turner has the perfect mix of offense (Jordan Conway, A.J. Bernstein and Aaron Jones), athleticism (Tevian Pinckney) and leadership (D.J. Hill). A year after being blasted by Brodhead in the RVC South title-clinching game, Turner responded by knocking off the Cardinals. They held J.J. Panoske to 17 points and controlled the game throughout. NEXT: Thursday at East Troy, 7:15 p.m.
4. PARKVIEW (8-3): The Vikings picked up their biggest win to date on Friday when they upended Big Foot. Parkview controlled the game the entire first half before the Chiefs went on a 16-2 third-quarter run to tighten the gap. But when things weren’t working — like Nick Melton missing a shot in the closing moments — Jamie Wichser was there to clean it up. The Vikings have proved that they are a team that needs to be taken seriously as a conference contender. Can’t wait for the Parkview-Turner matchup. NEXT: Thursday at Jefferson, 7:15 p.m.
5. SOUTH BELOIT (6-3): I still can’t figure out the SoBos. They probably should be better than they are, but records don’t lie. They had to storm back in a win over a below-average North Boone team before surrendering 90 points in a 2OT loss to Forreston. Maybe NUIC teams are getting used to the SoBos defense or maybe they simply aren’t as good as last year. Like I said, it’s tough to figure out. NEXT: Monday at Durand, 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday vs. Orangeville, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday/Jan. 18: MLK Tournament at South Beloit.
STAR SYSTEM
(I award stars to the top five players in the past week, checking out who had star performances in Week 5).
1. K.J. EVANS (BELOIT MEMORIAL) — Evans had only eight points in Beloit’s loss to Madison Memorial, but it was his defense on Vander Blue that kept the Knights in the game. The Matquette recruite was basically a non-factor, scoring only 10 points. A lot of that had to do with Evans, who hounded Blue’s every move.
2. JAMIE WICHSER (PARKVIEW) — Jamie Wichser finished with one field goal and two points, but it was the biggest two points of Parkview’s season. Wichser tipped in Nick Melton’s miss with 8.5 seconds left, helping the Vikings upset Big Foot and create a buzz in the RVC South race.
3. DENZEL WOODS (SOUTH BELOIT) — Woods could have sulked and moped on the bench after picking up a silly technical foul in last week’s win over North Boone, but the 6-foot senior didn’t. Instead, he knocked down NBA three-pointers in the fourth quarter, helping the SoBos stave off an upset bid by the Vikings.
4. JUSTIN LANGLEY (CLINTON) — Langley scored 30 points in victories over Palmyra-Eagle and Juda. Langley remains a constant force for a dangerous Cougars squad that could surprise before the year’s over.
5. STANLEY MOORE (HONONEGAH) — Everyone expected Mario Donaldson to be the star of the Indians this year, not Moore. But Donaldson has been OK, while Moore has been sensational. He scored 17 in Hononegah’s 25-point romp over Rockford East. He has been the Indians best player this season.
Beloit Memorial's Sharod Stone
