1. West Noble 5-0 (1-0)
2. Westview 3-2 (2-0)
3. Prairie Heights 5-0 (3-0)
4. Central Noble 2-1 (1-1)
5. Lakeland 3-2 (1-1)
6. Fremont 4-1 (1-1)
7. Fairfield 2-3 (1-1)
8. Eastside 2-2 (0-1)
9. Angola 1-5 (1-1)
10. Churubusco 1-3 (0-2)
11. Garrett 0-6 (0-3)

The NECC saw some amazing moments throughout this past week that signified an entertaining week of basketball. Fairfield stunned Lakeland and completed a 10-point comeback in the 47-45 win over the Lakers for their first conference win of the season.

West Noble is off to their best start since the 2013-14 season thanks to impressive wins over Concord (66-34) and Churubusco (67-27). Austin Cripe recorded his first career triple-double vs Concord (17 points, 11 assists, 10 boards).

It was a busy week for ‘We the Prairie’ as they flexed their muscles with impressive wins over Elkhart Christian (46-31) and Eastside (49-28). This is the Panthers’ first 5-0 start since the 2019-20 season. Westview was challenged this past week with a 59-31 loss at Northwood, but they completed an impressive 7-point fourth quarter comeback to beat 2A state finalist Central Noble 51-50 on a Luke Helmuth buzzer-beater.

Churubusco picked up their first win of the season with a 52-28 win over South Adams led by Cade Ummel’s 12 points. Can anyone stop West Noble or Prairie Heights??

SuperSam’s 5 NECC Boys’ Basketball Picks of the Week

Friday

3-2 Lakeland @ 2-2 Eastside

Lakeland is coming off a dominant 76-45 win at the Mennolands in Bethany Christian where the Lakers had 22 points from Ben and Nate Keil. While Lakeland was disappointed about not getting the win vs Fairfield, they hope this week will get them back on track. In that Bethany game, Lakeland shot 59% from the floor and a whopping 67% from the perimeter.

Speaking of getting back on track, that is something Eastside needs right now after losing consecutive games by 20 or more points for the first time since 2019. In fact, this is the first time that it has ever happened for an Ed Bentley-coached team. So, while the learning curves are high for Eastside, you have to expect a better showing from his team.

Lakeland hopes to end those demons of past years where they have lost their last 4 meetings with the Blazers. If Lakeland is able to get off to a good start against a stingy Eastside defense, they at least have a shot at winning in this game.

Players to Watch

Lakeland: Nate Keil Junior Combo Guard

Eastside: Santino Brewer Senior Combo Forward

Lakeland by 8

5-0 West Noble @ 2-1 Central Noble

This is the Game of the Week for the NECC as the Battle of Noble County squares off once again at the Jungle in Albion, IN. It is one of the more underrated rivalries in the 260 as WN and CN have experienced countless memories over the years between these two county neighbors.

In fact, last season alone was a great year for this county rivalry where both games were down to the wire. At West Noble, Central Noble held on for a 46-41 road win. In the NECC tournament, Central Noble kept their 3-peat alive thanks to a 59-52 home win over the Chargers.

Over the years, Connor Essegian, Logan Gard, and Ryan Schroeder were a massive part of CN’s dominance and the wins over West Noble. But now you are seeing why it is so difficult to sustain that success as CN is trying to find the right mix of talent and cohesion to maintain the winning success from previous seasons.

Isaiah Gard is seen as a fixture in that Cougar offense and defense, but it hasn’t quite led to that same level of impact for the most of that lineup. At times, Drew Pliett is easily one of the more talented guards in the area, but it is clear the learning stages are evident. Jackson Andrews and Conner Lemmon have shown flashes of making a strong impact, but the consistency isn’t there.

The way that Westview game played out was, it was one plagued by a lack of consistency, not making free throws, and the inability to take care of the basketball in late-game situations. However, it is not a doomsday scenario for CN, but they will need to play their best basketball of the season against West Noble.

West Noble looks as good as they have ever been in the Ethan Marsh era as the defense is only allowing 37 points a game, and they are generating over 62 points per game. Austin Cripe is a generational guard that showcases pure strength and mental toughness. Cripe is a Bethel signee.

But then you look further into this roster and the consistent growth of Bradyn Barth is where it has become a game changer. Barth looks as good as he has ever been so far this season averaging 19.6 points per game, which only trails Chase Bachelor of Prairie Heights.

In this series, it is tied with an all-time record of 39-39 where CN has won the last 6 meetings against the Chargers.

Players to Watch

WN: Austin Cripe Senior Combo Guard (Bethel Commit)

CN: Isaiah Gard Junior Combo Forward

I am not one that likes to forecast games, but I see an end to a CN winning streak this time around.

West Noble by 3

3-2 Westview @ 1-5 Angola

The Hive presents an interesting matchup between two teams that finished near the bottom of the conference last season but still have that same competitive fire that they had 5-6 years ago. The confidence for Chandler Prible’s Warriors is at an all-time high after taking down the Cougars in remarkable fashion. Yes, it helps that Brady Yoder and Wiley Minix are combining for 34.3 points per game, but they are even getting important contributions from guys like Wade Springer, Jethro Hostetler, and of course Luke Helmuth.

This run-and-gun style that Westview plays is essential to the identity of Prible’s offensively friendly style that best suits for the guard-heavy Warriors. They are averaging 56.8 points per game. While Westview has yet to play their best brand of basketball, the fight that makes Westview so successful is very evident.

For Angola, the rebuild is still in its early stages, but you can see how experience and being battle-tested is showing some benefit to Angola. While Coach Appleton’s program would like to see more wins, every game they have lost has come by 12 points or fewer, including a 38-37 loss at Concord and a 51-48 loss at Woodlan.

But the question remains: Can they keep up with the Yoder’s and Minix’s? Angola will need a valiant team effort and some strong play from Lane King and Dane Lantz to hang around in this one. Ideally, Angola will need to shoot the three-ball well and crash the boards with confidence.

Players to Watch

Westview: Wiley Minix Junior Combo Guard

Angola: Lane King Junior Center

Westview by 10

Saturday

1-5 Angola @ 4-1 Fremont

Less than 24 hours after Angola’s game against Westview, they will make the short 15-min drive north to Fremont in the Steuben County Brawl. In recent memory, the high-flying Eagles have had the last laugh.

While the speed and pure shooting talent makes Fremont a pain to play against on paper, it is the team cohesion and that ‘Fremont Tough’ mentality that makes this a unique 2A program in the 260. This team loves to share the basketball, and they are going to play with a lot of energy. The results reflect that with five different leading scorers so far this season and five players averaging 8 or more points per game.

Because it is a Saturday night game against their archrivals, you know the Steel Cage will be rocking in this one. And trust me, when you attend a packed Fremont basketball game, the atmosphere there give you goosebumps. This is not a fun place to be on the losing side of the scoreboard.

If Angola struggles to score inside and commits too many turnovers, it could be a long night for Angola. But Fremont has to be careful to not allow a young Angola team to hang around.

Players to Watch

Angola: Tyler Call Senior Combo Guard

Fremont: Conner Slee Junior Combo Guard

Fremont by 5

2-3 Fairfield @ 1-3 Jimtown

Separated by 18 miles across Elkhart County lies this Fairfield-Jimtown rivalry that not only are former rivals in the old NSC conference but also former 2A sectional rivals. While the Jimmies are proudly known for their rich football program, they have had some successful basketball teams before (which includes a 2004 state championship).

Fairfield has faced an interesting start where they have played better than the expectations would tell you, but Coach Hinen’s team knows they have a long road ahead of them to reach their ultimate goals. Their 64-24 loss to Northwood signals the growing pains of becoming a sustainable winner as a young program, even though Fairfield has a rich basketball track record.

It has been a slow start for the Jimmies as they are averaging just 41.5 points per game, but keep in mind they are a NIC school that starts off with strong opponents. Bishop Williams and Jackson Clopton combine for 19.7 points, 7.7 boards, and 5.7 assists per game.

Fairfield is known for having a more talented frontcourt led by Tyson Frey and Noah Mast to lead the way. But there are a few standouts in the backcourt like Alex Hofer that can get the job done. Fairfield has lost their last four meetings with the Jimmies, and they haven’t won at Jimtown since December 30, 2008!!

With that being said, expect a competitive Elkhart County rivalry game.

Players to Watch

Fairfield: Tyson Frey Junior Power Forward

Jimtown: Bishop Williams Junior Power Forward

Jimtown by 1

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