BB: Stats say HCC is enjoying another big year on the hardwood

Mike McGraw

Hoosier Authority

As we enter the second half of the basketball season, the
Hoosier Crossroads Conference is likely to start garnering more respect. The
conference starts the new year with a 33-18 record against non-conference
opposition. That is eighth best in Indiana.
If that is not enough, the Sagarin ratings list four HCC teams among the top 20
squads in Indiana.
Lafayette Jeff is ranked 12^th, Noblesville is 14^th,
Zionsville 16^th, and Hamilton Southeastern is currently 19^th.
McCutcheon is also listed among the top 50 teams.

The conference race appears to be going down to the wire. We
have yet to reach the halfway point of the conference season and already there
are no unbeaten teams left. Brownsburg currently sits atop the standings at 3-1
while three teams, Zionsville, Hamilton Southeastern, and Fishers, are all a
half game behind at 2-1. Lafayette Jeff, the team everybody is pointing toward,
currently sits at 1-1 in league play.

The schedule is likely to leave us in suspense for awhile.
Brownsburg has a date with Hamilton Southeastern in mid-January, but does not
go to battle with Lafayette Jeff until February 20^th. Zionsville,
who has already split with Brownsburg and Hamilton Southeastern, will get a
huge test next Friday night when Lafayette Jeff comes to call. That game will
go a long way to deciding the importance of many other conference battles in January.
Hamilton Southeastern does not play the Brochos until the final game of the
regular season.

At this point in the season, Lafayette Jeff’s Jesse Berry leads the league
in scoring with a 27 point per game average. Phil Miller of Fishers is the
premiere dime tosser. He leads the conference in assists, averaging 4.3 a game.