Last week was a busy one for SuperSam to the point that even he had to miss a weekly tradition of basketball hoops. However, he is back for one final post of 2023 as we reach the holiday break.

Students are starting to finish up on their final exams in the classroom, and they hope that their play on the basketball court is equally as impressive as their grades. Here are SuperSam’s Top 5 Boys and Top 5 Area Girls’ Basketball games of the week, before Santa takes over the Summit City.

Girls

Central Noble (7-6) @ Wawasee (10-3)

Series in the Last 20 Years: 6-1 CN

Since the series was revived 7 years ago, the only time Wawasee has been successful in beating the Lady Cougars came in 2017-18. the year the CN Girls won the 2A state championship. In the years that have followed, the Cougars have dominated this recent stretch between these two teams. Injuries and inconsistent play plagued the Cougars at the start of the season but have since found their groove.

In the last 3 games, CN has won all of them averaging over 58 points per game. Of course, a lot of that has come with a healthy Grace Swank, but lately CN has found contributions from everyone including Abby Pliett and Kierra Bolen. Bolen, for that matter, is averaging 11.3 points and shooting 72.7% from the floor in her last 3 games.

If Wawasee is going to extend their best start in 13 years, it will have to start with their defense that is holding teams to 34 points per game. And their success on offense and in the paint starts and ends with the junior MacKenzie Hackleman, who had a double-double in the 48-32 win over Bethany Christian (18 points & 10 boards). This one could be a close one, but I like CN’s recent stretch of performances.

Players to Watch:

CN: Grace Swank Sophomore Center

Wawasee: MacKenzie Hackleman Junior Combo Guard

Central Noble by 7

Warsaw (8-4) @ Huntington North (6-5)

Series in the Last 20 Years: 10-7 Warsaw

Both teams are coming off of bounceback wins over the weekend following two tough losses. For Warsaw, they answered responded from their 61-48 loss to Columbia City by dominating county rival Wawasee 56-39. Warsaw already has the Ball State commit in junior Brooke Winchester who is averaging a near double-double: 16 points and 9.8 boards. Sophomore Brooke Zartman has been automatic from deep averaging 14.9 points and shooting 41% from the 3-point line.

However, the one player that has emerged as a significant prospect is sophomore guard Joslyn Bricker. The irony in all of this is that Joslyn does NOT brick shots as she is averaging 17.1 points, 5.1 boards, and is shooting 52% from the floor and 37% from deep.

Against Wawasee, Warsaw had 4 players score in double figures to which Wawasee did not have a chance. As for Huntington North, it has been a learning experience for the Vikings at the start of the season. However, since blowing a 4th quarter lead in the 68-61 loss to Manchester and the Fighting Buzzard’s, the Vikings are on a winning streak dominating their last 4 games, including the 47-23 win over NE8 rival Leo.

However, this is the Vikings’ toughest test since the road trip to Norwell earlier this month. I see the Tigers roaring to victory.

Players to Watch:

Warsaw: Brooke Winchester Junior Combo Forward (Ball State Commit)

HN: Marissa Trout Junior Combo Guard

Warsaw by 6

Thursday

2A #14 Bluffton (11-1) @ Fairfield (11-1)

(How is Fairfield not ranked? I am trying to stay neutral here, but that is shocking)

First Meeting

Rarely do you ever see the Bluffton Tigers make that kind of road trip on a school night no less. But here we are. Bluffton is going to be making an hour and 38-minute drive onto U.S. 33 to Benton, IN nearby Goshen.

I don’t know what’s worse: Figuring out who is the real villain on the latest Scooby Doo mystery or trying to win a game against the defending state champions on finals week coming out of a near 2-hour bus ride? One thing’s for certain, this game will come down to defense and winning the 50-50 battles in the glass.

However, Bluffton has not looked quite as good without Konley Ault, who is dealing with a hand injury. Yes, Isabella Stout, Maryn Schreiber, and Mady Sonningsen have stepped up their games, but this Fairfield team will prove to be a huge test to find offense in the paint.

Eva Herbert has become one of the best in the NECC averaging nearly 14 points per game and looking more and more like one of the most improved players of the season out of Elkhart County. I like my odds with the defending state champs.

Players to Watch:

Bluffton: Maryn Schreiber Junior Power Forward

Fairfield: Eva Herbert Sophomore Combo Forward

Fairfield by 4

4A #4 Snider (12-1) @ 2A #11 Bishop Luers (8-4)

Series in the Last 20 Years: 13-11 Luers

Prior to last night’s 65-55 OT win over Columbia City, I did not think Luers was going to have a great chance of beating Snider. Well……..in the words of Ron Burgundy: ‘Boy, that escalated quickly’. I still can’t quite wrap my head around that one, and I covered that game.

I will say this. Reese Rhodehamel had the game in the bag last night with career highs of 22 points and 5 made threes OFF THE BENCH. If Luers gets THAT much offense from their guards, you might as well crown Luers a state championship right now because they are already a complete pain in the butt for opposing teams to defend the paint. Ok, maybe I am overexaggerating. The point is Luers will have trouble finding some offense against Snider.

That is because Snider is one of the premier teams in the area at pressuring the ball and defending the perimeter. They have excelled well in that area, which helped them beat South Bend Washington and Fishers. We know how good Jordyn Poole and Nae Nae are, but Snider thrives when they can defend at a high level. The key will be the battle in the paint. If Snider can win enough battles inside, I like their chances.

Players to Watch:

Snider: Zyann Phinezy Junior Combo Forward

Luers: Reese Rhodehamel Junior Guard/Forward

Snider by 12

Saturday

4A #10 Lawrence North (9-3) @ 3A #1 Norwell (11-2)

First Meeting

Me and Eastbrook Coach Jeff Liddick have stated for a long time that Norwell is the best team in 3A.

When you have the hardest schedule, the program has ever had, only lost to Homestead and Northridge by 5 combined points, and you go into Columbia City the previous #1 overall team and win 45-44, Norwell absolutely earned that ranking for Class 3A.

However, in the words of Lee Corso, ‘Not so fast my friend!’ Lawrence North has entered the chat. This is the same Wildcats team that destroyed the defending 4A state champions, Bedford North Lawrence 62-36 earlier this season. There is a reason why Eric Thornton ensured that their schedule was going to mean something: to play their best in the 3A playoffs.

I know Lawrence Central is in their sectional, but Lawrence North might win a state title in 4A this season. They have the talent to do that. I just think this might be Norwell’s toughest team that they will face this season. So, I guess this is a SuperSam Upset Special? Do you really consider it an upset?

Players to Watch:

LN: Kya Hurt Junior Point Guard

Norwell: Kennedy Fuelling Senior Shooting Guard (Marian Signee)

Lawrence North by 8

Undercard

Wed. Adams Central (3-10) @ South Adams (4-9) South Adams by 5

Fri. Concordia (4-8) @ Bellmont (9-2) Bellmont by 16

Fri. Fishers (9-4) @ Carroll (4-8) Fishers by 2

Fri. Wabash (5-7) @ Whitko (8-3) Whitko by 12

Boys

Tuesday

Homestead (3-2) @ Leo (5-2)

Series in the Last 35 Years: 12-0 Homestead

Sparty was not quite able to match Bishop Luers’ performance in the 4th quarter of a 60-47 loss to an impressive Knights team, but this Homestead team continues to fight in every game, and that mentality should continue moving forward.

Leo has played well, although I am not sure if last Friday’s outcome against Huntington North (69-65) helped answer any questions on who the best team in the NE8 is truly. One thing’s for certain though, Leo has all of the talent in the world to do so with Grand Valley State commit Jackson McGee and Trey and Nolan Hiteshew.

But Leo has to show that they can consistently live up to their potential on a nightly basis, and the 260 has too many good teams to have an off night. Maybe the Huntington game was the wakeup call they needed, but I still think they have a lot to learn if they have what it takes to come away victorious in their ultimate goals.

Players to Watch

Homestead: Payton Rhinehart Sophomore Combo Guard

Leo: Jackson McGee Senior Combo Guard (Grand Valley State Commit)

Homestead by 4

Lakeland (3-2) @ 2A #15 Westview (6-1)

Series in the Last 35 Years: 35-14 Westview

It is the LaGrange County Civil War that dates back to 1966 when Westview first opened its doors. Westview is coming off not just impressive wins over NorthWood (36-28) and Central Noble (59-43), but also finding ways to win like the Angola game (45-42). Wyatt Zepp did not play in that game, which accounted for some of these challenges in that Angola game. Nevertheless, Westview won a gritty game.

Top to bottom, this Westview team has different heroes that range from Kaden Grau to Wiley Minix to Zepp to Luke Helmuth to Wade Springer. There is always someone on that team that will make a big play each night. That is something Lakeland will have to match tonight. It’s a young Lakers team with a lot of sophomores. Of course, it helps that Nate Keil is back for his senior season stepping up for what his brother, Ben, was able to do as a Laker, and that is being the floor general.

The questions lie in everything else. Lakeland is very talented, but they have to learn what it takes to win these big games. Look, Lakeland has not beaten Westview since I was in 6th grade at Central Noble (Dec. 22, 2009). They have spent an equal amount of time not beating Westview as the Detroit Red Wings not hoisting a Stanley Cup. It is in their heads until is not. Can Lakeland pull off the upset at the Warrior Dome? I say no.

Players to Watch

Lakeland: Kyle Hartsough Sophomore Point Guard

Westview: Wiley Minix Senior Combo Guard

Westview by 6

Warsaw (4-2) @ Carroll (3-3)

Series in the Last 35 Years: 15-12 Warsaw

Here lies two teams with high expectations, and suddenly this game has a lot to play for. First off, I will not be the first person to say that I did not have Wawasee winning at Warsaw on my bingo card. NOT AT ALL.

Then, you get to Carroll, and while they lost on Friday to Wayne 73-69, one could argue that it was a sign of encouragement for how good Carroll can really be. I saw them play Concordia firsthand, and not only are Jaxon Pardon and Cannen Houser the real deal, but Jaiyre Sampson can flat out ball. This is a tough game to predict because Warsaw also has some talent of their own in with Luke Bricker, the sharpshooting Robbie Finlinson, Drew Sullivan, and Luke Yeager. But is Warsaw still a top 5 team in the Elkhart/Fort Wayne area? I think there is debate with this one.

Both teams can score, but they also can defend in key moments. I will say this, being at Carroll, I can see why it is such a tough place for visiting teams to win. It definitely has a different vibe being at Carroll. My only concern with Carroll is can they defend the paint well enough to limit their penetration to the basket. That to me is where it gets tricky with this game.

Players to Watch

Warsaw: Robbie Finlinson Junior Shooting Guard

Carroll: Jaxon Parson Senior Point Guard (Bowling Green Signee)

Carroll by 2

Wednesday

Central Noble (4-1) @ Wawasee (4-2)

Series in the Last 35 Years: 10-3 Wawasee

On Wednesday, this is the only show of the 260 for boys basketball. Central Noble could not have gotten off to a better start in the Ben Lemmon era, even though the last 2 games have seen the Cougars challenged in both games. However, despite falling by 16 to Westview, CN did go into Ligonier and beat their rivals West Noble 40-37. Spencer Adams I thought really stood out with 10 points and doing a bit of everything on the floor for them.

With CN, it really bodes down to sharing the ball, Drew Pliett and Isaiah Gard doing their magic with the ball in their hands and defending the paint. When they head over to the Hardwood Teepee in Syracuse, they will await the High-Flying Lou Hype Train and his pack of Rhinos!! Lou Lefevre has won everywhere he has coached, and Wawasee is now on this ride. Look at their games.

47-43 at rival Fairfield

64-62 OT win over Angola

50-48 at rival West Noble Collin Ziebarth with the dramatic buzzer beater to beat the Chargers

58-53 3OT loss at Whitko

And of course, the 57-51 win at Warsaw

That is an impressive slate of games. The challenge with this game for ‘Lou’s Rhino’ Warriors is the fact they have to play Columbia City first, and that is a rough transition to playing CN. I am curious to see how they have prepared for both teams. But it is clear with the Everingham brothers, Weston Hoffert, and Ziebarth, this is a pretty good NLC team.

The key question is: Who is going to take control of the glass and go on that one scoring run that gives them that two-three possession lead? You know what, I smell an upset. Rhinos are tough to stop after all.

Players to Watch

CN: Isaiah Gard Senior Power Forward

Wawasee: Myles Everingham Junior Combo Guard

Wawasee by 1 in a SuperSam Upset Special!

Friday

Bellmont (6-1) @ Adams Central (3-0)

Series in the Last 35 Years: 29-6 Bellmont

Remember when some people thought that maybe AC might struggle to get off to a good start out of the gate because of the long wait time from football? The Jets silenced any doubters of that talk. They are 3-0 and doing so with a Schultz of Adams Central dominance. Aside from an expected 77-70 close win at Woodlan, the Jets soared past Canterbury and Parkway (Ohio). Isaac Schultz is averaging 26 points per game on a Jets team that has scored 70 points or greater in every game so far.

However, Bellmont has something special in North Adams County as this is their best start since 2004 when Shaun Busick guided the Braves to a 24-3 record. Bellmont has come a long, long way from their rebuilding years, and now Payton Selking, in his 1st year as Head Coach, has guided his alma mater to a strong start.

They are coming in with a very balanced offense that is selfless, but it is also a team that continues to pride itself on defense, and this team will compete with AC. These are Adams County rivals, so you will not tell each team to be ready to play. They already know what to expect.

AC has struggled with Bellmont over the years as they have not beaten the Braves in nearly 8 years to the day. As good as Bellmont is compared to 2015, this Jets team might be better than the team that won a program-record 20 games a season ago.

Players to Watch

Bellmont: Jack Scheumann Senior Combo Guard

AC: Isaac Schultz Senior Power Forward

J-E-T-S JETS by 5

Undercard

Tues. Columbia City (3-4) @ Wawasee (4-2) Columbia City by 6

Tues. Goshen (4-3) @ East Noble (3-3) Goshen by 7

Tues. Maconaquah (4-2) @ Whitko (5-1) Whitko by 3

Tues. Woodlan (4-4) @ Fremont (4-3) Woodlan by 10

Sat. 4A #7 North Side (6-0) vs Fairfield (3-3) @ Trine We the North by 14

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