BB - Draw Creates Intrigue At North Montgomery Sectional

 The Sagamore Conference enters its second season next Tuesday when sectional play begins at North Montgomery. All six teams in the tournament field are members of the conference. League champion Danville and North Montgomery enter as the favorites in this one. That, in and of itself, leads to some real intrigue. The draw has these two heavyweights facing each other right off the bat in the Friday night bye game. Many would tell you that is the real championship game. However, when the draw creates this type of situation, it creates an atmosphere ripe for an upset on Saturday night. Here is a thumbnail sketch of the six teams as they enter the sectional.

Western Boone---The Stars have enough talent to beat anybody in the field on a given night. Senior Caleb Weber patrols the interior and has been a handful for opponents all year long. He single handedly kept Western Boone in the game in a close loss to North Montgomery over the holidays. Drew Pearson adds firepower from the perimeter. Western Boone can score with anybody. The problem has been they are at their offensive best when the game is up tempo and that is not when their defense is at its best. Sketchy play down the stretch has to be a concern. The Stars have won six of their last seven, but the loss was a bad one to a weak Harrison team and the wins include close contests against inferior Speedway and Cascade clubs.

Southmont---Everyone is in agreement that first year Coach Dan Chadd has done a terrific job with the Mounties. Their 7-12 record as of this writing is a big improvement for a program that has struggled mightily in recent seasons. Chadd has his troops playing hard and buying into a system that begins with stiff defense. The Mounties also have a legitimate offensive threat in any game in the person of senior Tyler Price. The Mounties problem has been learning how to win. They have four losses by five or fewer points and have been in countless games late only to fade down the stretch. It would not be surprising to see an upset from this crew, but it would take three of them to gain the title.

Lebanon---It has been a long season for Coach Tom Johnson’s Tigers. They currently stand just 2-16 on the campaign. The causes are simple. Lebanon struggles to score points. The Tigers lack a strong offensive presence inside and have a lack of size overall. What this team does possess is discipline. The Tigers’ style of play can pose a problem. They are not opposed to using a lot of clock on any possession and they can put pressure on a team that is not shooting well on a given night.

Crawfordsville---The Athenians have to believe they are the candidates to spring the tournament surprise. They certainly have the offensive firepower. Coach Michael Gasawy’s squad can score from anywhere on the floor. The problem has been getting all the cylinders to click on one night. Crawfordsville has fought inconsistency and injury through most of the season. Nonetheless, the draw favors this squad... They are 3-1 against the other three teams in their half of the draw and the only loss, an 11 point setback versus Western Boone, was very close late into the game.

Danville---The Warriors are undefeated conference champions. That means they already own a victory over North Montgomery. It was a 53-48 decision on the Chargers home court. It is no small thing that the rematch is also on the North Montgomery’s home hardwood. The key to Danville’s success is 6’8” sophomore center Travis Carroll. He is not only a big scoring threat, but the rest of the Warriors play off of him very well. Carroll is a good passer and takes advantage of the attention he receives from opposing defenses to consistently find his mates for open jumpers. The only weakness Danville has regularly shown is an inability to score when Carroll is not on the floor. Foul trouble could be a killer for this squad. The Warriors also have tended to be a bit streaky within a game. When they are clicking they are a pleasure to watch, but they often hit dry spells in a game that can leave an opponent in the contest.

North Montgomery---Obviously, the Chargers attack revolves around the big two. That would be D.J. Byrd, one of the state’s top juniors, and running mate senior A.J. Sutherlin. This pair is as good a 1-2 punch as there is in 3A. The question is simply whether that is enough. At tourney time, teams develop ways to stifle superstars. Witness what Western Boone’s girls did to Lebanon’s Maggie Boyer in the sectional final on the girl’s side. The Chargers supporting cast is certainly competent, but has been inconsistent. North Montgomery has had a habit of leaving teams in the game for longer than they should. Nonetheless, their loss to Danville was the last in a three game skid in early January and they haven’t lost since. Above all, do not discount the home court advantage in this one. The place will be rocking.

So, after all this pontificating, I suppose I am obligated to make a prediction. Guess what? I am going to hedge my bet. If North Montgomery wins the Friday showdown with Danville, they will win the championship. If Danville wins, look for Western Boone to spring the upset in the Saturday night finale. With my record of picking winners, I would be very happy right now if I were a fan of the other three teams.