RRR News - November, 2004

November, 2004
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Important Upcoming Dates:
11/10/04 -NCAA early signing period begins
11/17/04 - NCAA early signing period ends

Region Roundball Review
November, 2004
News & Updates
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Monday, November 22

Do-everything point guard Karissa Walter (right) of Boone Grove has signed with Division II Oakland City head coach Clint Weddle. The 5'5 dynamo and last season's PCC MVP averaged 15.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 4.5 steals per game last season as a junior. So far this season, Walter and head coach Candy Wilson have the Wolves off to a tremendous start, with wins over River Forest, Calumet, Hebron and Knox. Walter will join former BG teammate Kim Sliwa on the OCU roster next season. Says Coach Weddle about Walter, "Karissa is the type of player that can impact a game in every way possible, and I think that is evident by the success of the team's she has been a part of. She was at the top of our recruiting chart all summer and we are very happy to sign her." Photo courtesy of strempkagallery.com.

Walter chooses OCU - OCU website

Oakland City also signed Silver Creek senior Allison Jackson for next season. Jackson, an All Mid-Southern Conference selection last season, averaged 13.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game as a 5'10 junior forward.

The Times released its girls basketball preview last Friday. Included in the preview are team-by-team breakdowns, Preseason Top 10 and Preseason Girls All-Area Team. Those named to the team include Wheeler sophomore Becca Bruszewski, West Side senior Isabell Rhenwrick, East Chicago junior Dee Dee Jernigan, Valparaiso senior Cassie Kerns, Crown Point senior Cassie Pruzin, Boone Grove senior Karissa Walter, Highland senior Cassi Siska, West Side senior Shanee' Butler, Chesterton senior Stephanie Boyle, Valparaiso junior Erica Humes, Lew Wallace junior Sharon Houston, East Chicago junior Kelly Watts, Merrillville junior Brittney Moore, Lake Central senior Katie Mitchell, and Rensselaer senior Leslie Rowan. Kerns is featured in a full-length article about her rise within girls basketball from seventh grade, and Merrillville's program, led by head coach Bob Maicher, is also profiled.

The Masterpiece (Cassie Kerns)

Proving the program is here to stay (Merrillville)

The making of the monsters (all-time Region elite players)

TIMES all-time Girls Top 10

According to the Evansville Courier & Press, Evansville Memorial guard FahKara Malone has verballed to Purdue head coach Kristy Curry. The 5'3 playmaker averaged 18.0 points, 4.6 steals and 1.7 assists per game last season as a sophomore. She was being recruited by Indiana, Florida, Florida State, Kansas, Kansas State, Princeton, Auburn and Colorado.

Very disappointing news arrived for 2005 All-Star candidate Tara Miller (right) last week. the 5'10 Indiana recruit was told that she had torn her ACL and will most likely miss the remainder of her senior season. Miller went down in a game against Crawford County last Tuesday. According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, there is a possibility that Miller might be able to return for the IHSAA tournament in February, but NH head coach MIssy Voyles is encouraging her star player "to be healthy for IU next year." Photo from the Louisville Courier-Journal.

Alan Grant has been hired as the new coach at Angola.

According to the Xavier website, former South Bend Riley standout Crystal Norman has signed with the Musketeers. Norman, who has spent the past two seasons at Cincinnati State Community College, will join former Riley teammate Suntana Granderson on the Xavier roster next season. Last season at CSCC, the 6'1 forward averaged 17.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game and was recently named Preseason Honorable Mention Junior College All-American. She was also named Ohio Community College Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year at the end of last season.

HSSP Internet Radio will again be covering girls basketball this season. This is a great way to catch the games if you're unable to attend. Their schedule for this season is as follows:

Tuesday 11/23         Wheeler @ Highland

Wednesday 11/24    Merrillville @ East Chicago

Saturday 12/4          Illiana Christian vs Wheeler    (Region Rumble)

Thursday 12/9          Washington Twp. @ Boone Grove

Tuesday 12/14         Valparaiso @ Crown Point

Friday 12/17            East Chicago Girls Classic

Saturday 12/18        East Chicago Girls Classic

Tuesday 12/21         Penn @ SB St. Joseph's

Wednesday 12/29    South County Girls Tourney @ Kouts

Thursday 12/30        South County Girls Tourney @ Kouts

Thursday 1/6           East Chicago @ Gary West Side

Saturday 1/8           SB St. Joseph's @ East Chicago

Tuesday 1/11          SB Washington @ SB St. Joseph's

Friday 1/14             Valparaiso @ Portage

Saturday 1/22         SB St. Joseph's @ Gary West Side

Tuesday 1/25          Chesterton @ Merrillville

Tuesday 2/1            Kankakee Valley @ Hanover Central

Friday 2/4               East Chicago @ Highland

In a timely move for what should be a great season for the Cardinals, a new website covering East Chicago girls basketball has been launched at www.eccladycardinals.com. We've added this new link to our School Links page. Any other teams who would like to have their sites added to the RRR can send their site information to rrr@smallwebsolutions.com.

In case you missed it on the message board, we will unfortunately not be able to update scores and the ICGSA poll with game results this season on the RRR. As we stated on the message board, although the RRR is a fun diversion for Cory and I, the profit side of my web design business is taking an upswing and is requiring a lot more of my time. Until I can justify my time away from profitable work (which we tried -- to no avail -- with various ideas for raising sustaining revenue for maintaining the RRR, i.e. business ads, apparel, college camp listings, etc.), the RRR will have to take a back seat when my time is at a premium. If anyone would like to help out in any way, we might be able to set up a way for trusted news contributors to post updates on their own on a news blog of some kind. Just let us know if you are interested. News contributors would need to report in an unbiased fashion and cover more than just their favorite team.

Indiana girls basketball news:
Girls basketball faces 'season of unknown' - Indy Star

Chatard coach hopes to deliver winning ways - Indy Star

Coaches size up the competition - Indy Star

Girls season holds the answers - Indy Star

Westville, LaCrosse girls basketball - Herald-Argus

Lancers forced to change strategies - Indy Star

Lutheran standout always gives her best - Indy Star

Thrill of victory is coach's goal - Indy Star

'The Mike' gives his outlook of girls' hoops season - Evening News

Former coach Troutman dies - Courier-Journal

Young Chargers begin season trying to figure out game plan - Journal Review

Change in attitude - Journal Review

That championship feeling may carry Braves far again - Indy Star

Far-sighted Eagles may take some lumps - Indy Star

Harris is Panthers' foundation - Indy Star

Giants feature solid nucleus - Indy Star

College basketball news:
USI women's team shooting to give coach his 100th victory - Courier & Press

Rose-Hulman Women's Season Preview - Tribune Star

Gearlds leads young Boilers - Indy Star

Tough conference test for IU - Indy Star

Latest signee fits the Irish mold - South Bend Tribune

Given to Fly (ISU) - Tribune Star

BSU captures Seton Hall Tournament - Ball State Daily News

ISU women's team hopes to avoid snags on way to conference crown - Tribune Star

Men, women sign recruits for 2005 - Ball State Daily News

Wednesday, November 10

Today is the first day of the NCAA Division I early signing period for the skilled Class of 2005. We are expecting to hear more about seniors who have made their choices official for the next level. The early signing period ends on November 17. For those players who do not commit during the early signing period, they will be giving their best efforts throughout the season to gain attention from those programs with slots still open in the 2005 signing class. The late signing period is from April 13 through May 18, 2005. For more information about the National Letter of Intent, visit the NLI website.

Although the coverage is not online, The Times is reporting that East Chicago Central forward Jernita Moore (left) has quit the team. Coach Ron Edmonds is keeping mum on the reasons for Moore's departure, but the Cardinals are moving on without their best post option. Moore sat out a good portion of last season after a summer knee injury, but was 100% at the start of the practice schedule. Edmonds says in the article he will be looking to seniors Valencia Cotton and Lisa Upshaw to take Moore's place in the lineup. As a sophomore, Moore averaged 13.1 points per game during the Cardinals' undefeated regular season in 2002-03. The 5'11 forward was a RRR NWI Senior Seven and Super Senior 25 Honorable Mention selection at the start of the season.

The ICGSA Preseason Poll was released on Monday and the usual suspects are in the mix for the most part. Representing NWI in the polls are 4A No. 3 Gary West Side, No. 5 East Chicago Central, No. 7 Valparaiso, 3A No. 13 Gary Wallace, 2A No. 4 Boone Grove, No. 12 Wheeler, No. 16 Rensselaer, 1A No. 9 Washington Township and No. 18 Hebron.

Premier sophomore player Corie West has transferred back to New Castle after a short stay at Anderson. According to a source close to the team, the 5'6 high-scoring guard is currently eligible to play for the Trojans this season. West is getting looks from Duke, North Carolina, UConn, Texas, Stanford, Illinois, Notre Dame, Penn State and other top programs.

The Post-Tribune named its Preseason All-Area Team. Making the short list are junior Sharon Houston of Lew Wallace, junior Dee Dee Jernigan (right) of East Chicago, senior Cassie Kerns of Valparaiso, senior Cassie Pruzin of Crown Point and senior Karissa Walter of Boone Grove. Also, the Post-Tribune offered up some good preseason team coverage:

Then and now (Shanee Butler, West Side) - Post-Tribune

Rough and tumble (River Forest) - Post-Tribune

Displaced Ingots must overcome unimaginable level of adversity - Post-Tribune

Valpo’s Kerns geared for run to state finals - Post-Tribune

Ready to step up - Post-Tribune

Becca Bruszewski, Ali Roper front Bearcats’ potent attack - Post-Tribune
Photo from the Post-Tribune

The Times has announced that its girls basketball preview will appear in their Friday, November 19 edition.

A few coaching changes were brought to our attention recently. North White hired former West Central boys coach Kevin Wenzel to take over the girls program. Also, former Indianapolis Chatard coach Dawn Grinnage is now the head coach at the newly opened Blessed Theodore Geurin High School in Noblesville.

The Ft. Wayne News Sentinel has named is annual Fantastic Five. Making the list are seniors Stefanie Gerardot (left) of Ft. Wayne Luers, Jade Januseski of Garrett, Tricia Lee of Northrop, junior Mackenzie Warwick of Norwell and sophomore Megan King of Ft. Wayne Canterbury. Photo from the Ft. Wayne News Sentinel.
Something to improve - Ft. Wayne News Sentinel

It's anyone's game - Ft. Wayne News Sentinel

Notre Dame senior Jacqueline Batteast was named the Big East Conference Preseason Player of the Year by the head coaches of the league. Batteast is expected to take on a major leadership role in her last season with the Irish, who will be entering the college season early in the Preseason WNIT. She got off to a good start in exhibition play, logging 23 points, five rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 25 minutes against Premier Sports Wednesday night.

ND's Batteast honored - South Bend Tribune

Pleasant surprises in ND's opening win - South Bend Tribune

ND women ready to roll - South Bend Tribune

More Honors for Batteast:

Batteast voted first-team All-American - South Bend Tribune

Jacqueline Batteast Picks Up Two More National Preseason Honors - College Sports

The Post-Tribune has had some good coverage of the local NAIA teams in Northwest Indiana.

Purdue Cal hopes to soar with new name - Post-Tribune

Calumet College to rely on Jeffries, transfers - Post-Tribune
Coach seeking players to fill RedHawks' roster - Post-Tribune

The previews are coming fast and furious at this time of the year. The best we can do is link you up to all of the coverage. Thanks to those who passed along a good deal of this coverage!

Noblesville Millers returning 3 starters - Indianapolis Star

Pike Devils star gets orders: Shoot more, pass less - Indianapolis Star
Zionsville Eagles hoping to repeat last year - Indianapolis Star
University Trailblazers look forward to challenge of tougher schedule - Indianapolis Star
Rebuilding Western Boone sees speed, defense as their strengths - Indianapolis Star

Vigo County girls basketball on improvement track - Terre Haute Tribune Star
Shakamak faces Clay City in scrimmage - Linton Daily Citizen

Kirby in line for No. 300 - The Times

Elevating the women's game - Indianapolis Star

Cathedral's Roberson likes to share - Indianapolis Star

Hamilton SE opens season at No. 1 - Indianapolis Star

Top teams have some uncertainty (MIC preview) - Indianapolis Star

Bloomington N. brings experience (Conference Indiana preview) - Indianapolis Star

Hamilton Southeastern returns 2 of its top players (Hoosier Crossroads preview) - Indianapolis Star

Tech, Arlington look like contenders (IPS preview) - Indianapolis Star

Cathedral has incentive to improve (Marion Co. independent preview) - Indianapolis Star