Fans,
Shown below are my annual pre-season rankings for the 2019-20 season for Class 3A. A big apology for being so late with these rankings this time around. Rankings for 4A will be coming soon.
These rankings are based on a formula I've developed over the years that places emphasis on each team's record for the past year combined with the number of key players they have returning along with the actual number of points returning. Strength of schedule is also a strong consideration. One aspect that is NOT considered is attempting to evaluate players who rarely played at the varsity level during this past season.
This formula usually works in a majority of cases but occasionally “misses the boat” on some others. I developed it so that my own personal biases do not enter into the final rankings. These rankings are usually more indicative of a team’s strength at the start of the season as opposed to how they might finish.
Most of the info used for this analysis was derived from the following sources:
* Coaches from 100 schools
* www.maxpreps.com, the IHSAA-endorsed statistical service, provided
usable data for 262 schools.
* E.T.Pearl’s excellent website which provides complete statistical info for
62 schools in North Central Indiana. See etpearl.homestead.com./
* subscribing to seven different newspapers
* researching the websites of several other papers and basketball websites.
A big Thank You to everyone who provided information.
For each school, the info below shows this past year's record along with the number of key players and points returning. Where a + is shown, that means that a key player is returning for whom I do not have statistical information.
The “Power Rating” is shown for each school so that readers can see how each of the ranked schools compared with each other. If two or more teams have the same power rating, the number of points returning is used as a “tie breaker.”
With regard to references to players that are mentioned as various "All-State" selections. Those comments are referring to annual selections made by myself.
One additional note. Unless otherwise known, these evaluations assume all players stay at the school they were at last year. In this day and age, that’s not a very safe assumption anymore, but I don’t’ know of any other way to deal with it, especially at this early date.
If you know of a team that you feel should be ranked, don’t hesitate to let me know (Dan.Wantz@yahoo.com). It’s possible that I did not have enough information to properly consider them.
And lastly, a big Thank You as always to John Harrell’s great website for all of the
easily accessible historical info that I often reference in these write-ups.
Enjoy,
Daniel Wantz
--------------------------------------------------------------------
CLASS 3A’s TOP 20 TEAMS
(For each ranked team, their 2019 record is shown along with the number of key players returning and the cumulative ppg represented by those players.)
2019___#Key_Players &____PowerRank__Team____________W-L____PPG Returning____Rating
01_Hamilton Heights________ 15-9_____ 5_________57______140
02_Mishawaka Marian_______ 20-4_____4________ _42______13
03_Heritage Hills___________ 22-2_____ 4_________56______138
04_South Bend Washington___14-11____ 5_________51______136
05_Connersville____________16-9______5_________34______134
06_Hammond______________18-8_____ 5_________ 44______133
07_Danville_______________ 15-9_____ 7_________ 48______128
08_West Lafayette__________ 16-10____ 7_________63______127
09_Brebeuf Jesuit___________16-6_____ 3_________15______ 127
10_Ft.Wayne Luers__________4-18_____5_________ 55______126
11_Evansville Bosse_________17-8_____4_________ 32______125
12_Silver Creek____________ 25-3_____2_________ 29______125
13_Greensburg_____________ 24-2_____3_________43______ 122
14_Beech Grove____________18-8_____5_________ 26______ 120
15_Mississinewa___________ 12-10____3_________ 46______ 119
16_Norwell_______________ 14-10____ 4_________ 34______ 119
17_South Bend St.Joseph____ 12-10____ 4_________ 42______ 114
18_Tri-West_______________10-13____6_________ 42_______113
19_Edgewood______________20-6_____3_________35_______112
20_Guerin Catholic_________ 13-11____3_________28_______107
Projecting ahead, let’s take a look at the tournament trail for the
teams shown above—starting in the far North part of the state.
06_Hammond__________ Sect. 17/Northwest Reg./North Semi-State02_Mishawaka Marian__ _Sect. 19/Northwest Reg./North Semi-State04_So.Bend Washington _Sect. 19/Northwest Reg./North Semi-State17_So.Bend St.Joseph____Sect. 19/Northwest Reg./North Semi-State08_West Lafayette_______Sect. 20/Northwest Reg./North Semi-State10_Ft.Wayne Luers______ Sect. 22/Northeast Reg./North Semi-State15_Mississinewa________ Sect. 23/Northeast Reg./North Semi-State16_Norwell____________ Sect. 23/Northeast Reg./North Semi-State01_Hamilton Heights____ Sect. 24/Northeast Reg./North Semi-State
07_Danville____________Sect. 25/Southeast Reg./South Semi-State18_Tri-West____________Sect. 25/Southeast Reg./South Semi-State19_Edgewood__________ Sect. 26/Southeast Reg./South Semi-State09_Brebeuf____________ Sect. 27/Southeast Reg./South Semi-State20_Guerin Catholic______ Sect. 27/Southeast Reg./South Semi-State14_Beech Grove_________Sect. 28/Southeast Reg./South Semi-State05_Connersville_________Sect. 29/Southwest Reg./South Semi-State13_Greensburg__________Sect. 29/Southwest Reg./South Semi-State12_Silver Creek_________Sect. 30/Southwest Reg./South Semi-State03_Heritage Hills________Sect. 32/Southwest Reg./South Semi-State11_Evansville Bosse_____ Sect. 32/Southwest Reg./South Semi-State
Now, here’s a closer look at the Top 10 teams in 3A. Unless stated otherwise, all players are seniors. Those 6’ 3 or taller have their height mentioned, if known.
Shown below are my annual pre-season rankings for the 2019-20 season for Class 3A. A big apology for being so late with these rankings this time around. Rankings for 4A will be coming soon.
These rankings are based on a formula I've developed over the years that places emphasis on each team's record for the past year combined with the number of key players they have returning along with the actual number of points returning. Strength of schedule is also a strong consideration. One aspect that is NOT considered is attempting to evaluate players who rarely played at the varsity level during this past season.
This formula usually works in a majority of cases but occasionally “misses the boat” on some others. I developed it so that my own personal biases do not enter into the final rankings. These rankings are usually more indicative of a team’s strength at the start of the season as opposed to how they might finish.
Most of the info used for this analysis was derived from the following sources:
* Coaches from 100 schools
* www.maxpreps.com, the IHSAA-endorsed statistical service, provided
usable data for 262 schools.
* E.T.Pearl’s excellent website which provides complete statistical info for
62 schools in North Central Indiana. See etpearl.homestead.com./
* subscribing to seven different newspapers
* researching the websites of several other papers and basketball websites.
A big Thank You to everyone who provided information.
For each school, the info below shows this past year's record along with the number of key players and points returning. Where a + is shown, that means that a key player is returning for whom I do not have statistical information.
The “Power Rating” is shown for each school so that readers can see how each of the ranked schools compared with each other. If two or more teams have the same power rating, the number of points returning is used as a “tie breaker.”
With regard to references to players that are mentioned as various "All-State" selections. Those comments are referring to annual selections made by myself.
One additional note. Unless otherwise known, these evaluations assume all players stay at the school they were at last year. In this day and age, that’s not a very safe assumption anymore, but I don’t’ know of any other way to deal with it, especially at this early date.
If you know of a team that you feel should be ranked, don’t hesitate to let me know (Dan.Wantz@yahoo.com). It’s possible that I did not have enough information to properly consider them.
And lastly, a big Thank You as always to John Harrell’s great website for all of the
easily accessible historical info that I often reference in these write-ups.
Enjoy,
Daniel Wantz
--------------------------------------------------------------------
CLASS 3A’s TOP 20 TEAMS
(For each ranked team, their 2019 record is shown along with the number of key players returning and the cumulative ppg represented by those players.)
2019___#Key_Players &____PowerRank__Team____________W-L____PPG Returning____Rating
01_Hamilton Heights________ 15-9_____ 5_________57______140
02_Mishawaka Marian_______ 20-4_____4________ _42______13
03_Heritage Hills___________ 22-2_____ 4_________56______138
04_South Bend Washington___14-11____ 5_________51______136
05_Connersville____________16-9______5_________34______134
06_Hammond______________18-8_____ 5_________ 44______133
07_Danville_______________ 15-9_____ 7_________ 48______128
08_West Lafayette__________ 16-10____ 7_________63______127
09_Brebeuf Jesuit___________16-6_____ 3_________15______ 127
10_Ft.Wayne Luers__________4-18_____5_________ 55______126
11_Evansville Bosse_________17-8_____4_________ 32______125
12_Silver Creek____________ 25-3_____2_________ 29______125
13_Greensburg_____________ 24-2_____3_________43______ 122
14_Beech Grove____________18-8_____5_________ 26______ 120
15_Mississinewa___________ 12-10____3_________ 46______ 119
16_Norwell_______________ 14-10____ 4_________ 34______ 119
17_South Bend St.Joseph____ 12-10____ 4_________ 42______ 114
18_Tri-West_______________10-13____6_________ 42_______113
19_Edgewood______________20-6_____3_________35_______112
20_Guerin Catholic_________ 13-11____3_________28_______107
Projecting ahead, let’s take a look at the tournament trail for the
teams shown above—starting in the far North part of the state.
06_Hammond__________ Sect. 17/Northwest Reg./North Semi-State02_Mishawaka Marian__ _Sect. 19/Northwest Reg./North Semi-State04_So.Bend Washington _Sect. 19/Northwest Reg./North Semi-State17_So.Bend St.Joseph____Sect. 19/Northwest Reg./North Semi-State08_West Lafayette_______Sect. 20/Northwest Reg./North Semi-State10_Ft.Wayne Luers______ Sect. 22/Northeast Reg./North Semi-State15_Mississinewa________ Sect. 23/Northeast Reg./North Semi-State16_Norwell____________ Sect. 23/Northeast Reg./North Semi-State01_Hamilton Heights____ Sect. 24/Northeast Reg./North Semi-State
07_Danville____________Sect. 25/Southeast Reg./South Semi-State18_Tri-West____________Sect. 25/Southeast Reg./South Semi-State19_Edgewood__________ Sect. 26/Southeast Reg./South Semi-State09_Brebeuf____________ Sect. 27/Southeast Reg./South Semi-State20_Guerin Catholic______ Sect. 27/Southeast Reg./South Semi-State14_Beech Grove_________Sect. 28/Southeast Reg./South Semi-State05_Connersville_________Sect. 29/Southwest Reg./South Semi-State13_Greensburg__________Sect. 29/Southwest Reg./South Semi-State12_Silver Creek_________Sect. 30/Southwest Reg./South Semi-State03_Heritage Hills________Sect. 32/Southwest Reg./South Semi-State11_Evansville Bosse_____ Sect. 32/Southwest Reg./South Semi-State
Now, here’s a closer look at the Top 10 teams in 3A. Unless stated otherwise, all players are seniors. Those 6’ 3 or taller have their height mentioned, if known.
