Fans,
Shown below are my annual pre-season rankings for the 2019-20 season for Class 4A. A big apology for being so late with these rankings this time around. Rankings for the other three classes have already been posted.
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 4A’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 &___Power
Rank___Team_________Record__PPG Returning___Rating
01_Jeffersonville___________19-6______7______62________185
02_Ft.Wayne Snider________ 14-9______8______60________182
03_Lafayette Jeff___________17-8______6______69________177
04_Indpls.Attucks__________20-9______5______43________ 175
05_Marion________________19-8______4______54________174
06_Bloomington South______24-4______4______53________ 174
07_Lawrence Central_______ 22-4______3______36________ 164
08_Columbus North________16-8______ 3______41________161
09_Lawrence North________ 17-7______ 3______32________158
10_Homestead_______ _____21-3______ 4______33________154
11_Avon_________________15-10_____ 5______36________ 152
12_Ft.Wayne Northrop______16-9______5______ 31________151
13_Brownsburg___________ 17-7______ 4______ 26________150
14_Ft.Wayne South________ 11-9______ 5______45________ 148
15_Fishers_______________ 17-8_______3______25________147
16_Evansville Reitz________12-12______5______55________146
17_Culver Academy________24-4______ 4______38________ 146
18_Decatur Central_________16-8______ 4______34________ 146
19_Bloomington North______13-8______ 5______45________ 144
20_Muncie Central_________13-11_____ 4______42________ 144
Projecting ahead, let’s take a look at the Top 40 ranked teams sorted
by each sectional. Last year’s record and next year’s Power Rating are
also shown.
SECTIONAL 1
56_Merrillville____________11-13_______111
SECTIONAL 2
24_Chesterton_____________19-7________137
SECTIONAL 3
17_Culver Academy________24-4________146
SECTIONAL 4
23_Northridge____________ 19-9________137
SECTIONAL 5
02_Ft.Wayne Snider _______14-9________ 182
12_Ft.Wayne Northrop_____ 16-9________151
38_East Noble____________21-4________ 126
40_Carroll (Allen Co.)______15-8________125
SECTIONAL 6
10_Homestead____________21-3________154
14_Ft.Wayne South________11-9________148
SECTIONAL 7
03_Lafayette Jeff_________ 17-8_________177
05_Marion______________ 19-8_________ 174
SECTIONAL 8
15_Fishers______________17-8__________147
27_Hamilton SE_________ 16-9__________136
30_Zionsville___________ 21-6__________134
36_Carmel______________26-1__________129
SECTIONAL 9
20_Muncie Central_______13-11_________144
26_New Palestine________ 18-9__________136
SECTIONAL 10
04_Indpls.Attucks________20-9__________175
07_Lawrence Central_____ 22-4__________164
09_Lawrence North______ 17-7__________158
21_Indpls.Tech__________6-16__________140
28_Indpls.Cathedral______18-6__________ 136
32_Warren Central_______23-3__________ 131
SECTIONAL 11
18_Decatur Central_______16-8__________146
29_Southport___________ 11-13_________ 134
31_Ben Davis___________20-8__________ 131
37_Pike________________14-10_________127
SECTIONAL 12
11_Avon_______________15-10_________152
13_Brownsburg_________ 17-7__________150
33_Mooresville_________ 16-8__________ 130
39_Plainfield___________ 19-6__________125
SECTIONAL 13
25_Center Grove________ 21-9__________ 137
34_Franklin____________ 19-8__________ 130
SECTIONAL 14
06_Bloomington South___ 24-4__________174
08_Columbus North______16-8__________161
19_Bloomington North___ 13-8__________144
SECTIONAL 15
01_Jeffersonville_________19-6_________185
22_New Albany__________18-7_________139
SECTIONAL 16
16_Evansville Reitz_______12-12________146
35_Castle_______________17-6_________129
Now, here’s a closer look at the Top 10 teams in 4A. Unless stated otherwise, all players are seniors. Those 6’ 3 or taller have their height mentioned, if known.
Scoring average is shown in parentheses. Rebound and/or assist average is also shown where known and relevant. (Since I'm so late in getting this preview completed this year,
I've "streamlined" some of the usual rhetoric that I usually include with these write-ups.)
