Lawrence North Wildcats (Indianapolis, IN)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

IndyStar

2/4/06

February 4, 2006

lawrence north 68, carmel 49
Unbeaten Wildcats foil strategy du jour

CARMEL, Ind. -- Theories on how best to attack Lawrence North have varied throughout the year, but one is getting repeated lately.

The idea, essentially, is to try to pull 7-foot center Greg Oden away from the basket on defense, slow the game and hit 3-pointers.

Carmel coach Mark Galloway used that approach Friday night, and his squad played the state's top-ranked team about as well as anyone for a half before the Wildcats' defense and talent turned a close game into a 68-49 victory at Carmel High School. The Greyhounds' tactics were similar to what Center Grove tried Jan. 28, staying close for a while before falling 76-55.

"I guess the theory is, you keep the ball long enough and we won't score as much," said Oden, who had 16 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out with 2:39 to play.

Carmel trailed just 25-21 at halftime, but Lawrence North held the Greyhounds to two 3-pointers and three free throws for the first 11 minutes of the second half, taking a 52-30 lead.

"All of us coaches are copycats. We find something that works and we go with it," Lawrence North coach Jack Keefer said. "They watched film and saw something they liked.

"He's got some good guards, and I thought he used his guards well. His big guys handle the ball well, so he inverted things and got Greg and our 'bigs' away from the bucket."

Lawrence North senior point guard Mike Conley scored a game-high 20 points to go with six assists and five steals.

Lawrence North (17-0, 5-0 Metropolitan Interscholastic) pushed its winning streak to 33 games. The Wildcats improved to 26-0 in conference games during the Oden-Conley era. They have two conference games remaining, both at home, against Ben Davis on Thursday and Terre Haute North on Feb. 24.

After the game, there was such a crush of autograph seekers, security kept them outside the hallway leading off the court to the locker room areas.

When Lawrence North headed out a back hallway, children and adults with pens in hand raced up the gymnasium stairs and through the door to where the Lawrence North bus was waiting.

Oden and Conley, who have signed with Ohio State, were playing on the day the NCAA infractions committee that will decide penalties for the Buckeyes began meeting. The meeting is scheduled to end today. An announcement of penalties for violations committed under former coach Jim O'Brien isn't expected for three to five weeks.

On the chance the Buckeyes are on probation after this season, Oden and Conley can sign with another school due to an out clause offered by Ohio State.

"I'm not concerned," Conley said. "I'm going to look at it, but I'm not thinking about it as much as people think."

Oden shot 6-for-7 from the field, hitting two jumpers from a step behind the free throw line and another along the baseline.

"I'm practicing it, it's just a matter of me shooting it," Oden said. "It went down and that gave me a lot of confidence. The past two games, coach Keefer just told me, 'You've got to shoot it if you want to score.'

"On the baseline, (the defense) knows where I'm going to be. You hit the shot, and it opens things up like it did in the second half."

Carmel (11-5, 2-3) shot 4-for-7 from 3-point range in the first half, 7-for-18 for the game. Senior guard Brett Finkelmeier led the Greyhounds with 17 points.

"We can take some positives from this," Galloway said. "They may go down as one of the best teams ever. They're No. 1 in the state. They're ranked nationally. They have the best player in the country, and you look at Conley and know his dad was an Olympic gold medalist, so right away, the odds are stacked against you."

Lawrence North10151528--68Carmel516820--49
Lawrence North -- Owen 4-8 2-3 10, McDonald 1-4 4-4 7, Conley 8-12 4-5 20, Windham 4-5 0-0 8, Oden 6-7 4-5 16, Jones 0-0 2-2 2, Weigel 0-0 0-0 0, Read 0-0 0-0 0, VanTreese 1-1 0-2 2, W. Smith 1-2 0-0 1, Bibbs 0-0 1-2 1. Totals: 25-39 17-23 68.
Carmel -- Finkelmeier 4-12 6-6 17, Moore 2-7 0-0 6, Kelly 1-2 0-0 2, Schneider 1-2 6-9 8, Kirages 1-4 0-0 2, Douglass 2-7 0-0 6, Murray 0-0 0-0 0, Huffman 0-0 0-0 0, Zaudtke 0-0 0-0 0, Brewer 4-7 0-2 8. Totals: 15-41 12-17 49.
3-point shooting -- Lawrence North 1-3 (McDonald 1-2, Conley 0-1), Carmel 7-18 (Finkelmeier 3-6, Moore 2-3, Douglass 2-5, Schneider 0-1, Kirages 0-2, Brewer 0-1). Rebounds -- Lawrence North 30 (Oden 11), Carmel 19 (Schneider 6, Brewer 6). Assists -- Lawrence North 11 (Conley 6), Carmel 6 (Moore 3, Schneider 3). Turnovers -- Lawrence North 12, Carmel 15. Total fouls -- Lawrence North 18, Carmel 19. Fouled out -- Oden. Technicals -- Owen.

Call Star Reporter Jeff Rabjohns at (317)-444-6183.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

2/9/06

Showdown for state champs
BY BILL SKOWRONSKI
STAFF WRITER [FONT=arial,helvetica,san-serif]Lawrence North (Ind.) basketball team has been showcased on ESPN2 three times for good reason. Seven-foot, 255-pound senior center Greg Oden was the first junior since LeBron James to be named Parade Magazine's High School Player of the Year in 2005.
Northwestern's Welsh-Ryan Arena will be sold out for good reason Saturday as Lawrence North takes on Glenbrook North.
Coach Jack Keefer's Wildcats are the two-time defending Indiana High School Athletic Association state champions, 17-0 overall, 6-0 in the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference and the No. 1 team in the nation, according to most publications. Oden, who is ticketed for Ohio State next season, is considered by many to be the best high school basketball player in the country and fellow Buckeye-recruit Michael Conley, Oden's teammate, isn't far behind.
Though Lawrence North and Glenbrook North (20-1 overall, 8-0 in Central Suburban League North) have never played each other and neither coach knows a whole lot about the other team, everyone anticipates an exciting night of basketball. The Wildcats have outscored opponents this season by 409 points, posting a 24.1-point average margin of victory. No team has come closer than 13 points.
"We're basically a fast break team," said Keefer. "If there's no break, we find Oden underneath."
The formula seems simple and the results are undeniable. Oden is currently averaging just below 25 points and just above 10 rebounds per game. Though explosive offensively, Oden's larger presence is felt defensively and as the team's leader.
"They're super kids so it's not a huge chore to keep them down to earth," Keefer says. "They work hard on their game, come in at 6 a.m. and work on their moves, then practice at night.
"It'll be a big game for us and I'm sure they're looking forward to it. But they keep themselves under wraps and they don't lose focus."
Although the Wildcats boast a great traveling fan base and phenomenal game atmosphere from their student section, Welsh-Ryan Arena figures to be mostly Glenbrook North fans who are anxious to see if the Spartans can unseat the nation's reigning top team.
If anyone thinks the defending Illinois Class AA state champions will back down from the challenge, they'd better think again.
"Maybe other teams might be intimidated, but we're not going to be," said Spartans coach Dave Weber. "We want to represent the state of Illinois, so there is a little bit of a pride factor. They're going to have to play a good game to beat us."
Glenbrook North is not used to being the underdog after bringing another dominant CSL North championship season to a close this month. The team is led by Duke-recruit and area standout Jonathan Scheyer who is supported by a cast including Zach Kelly, Matt Shamis, Tyler Cullitan and Jon Radke. For once, it will be the Spartans who are preparing for the marquee name instead of their opponent.
The Spartans, who also host Maine East Friday, recently picked up their second consecutive CSL North title with a 83-42 win Friday night at Niles North. Scheyer led all scorers with 31 points, while adding six rebounds, six steals, four assists and two blocks.
The City-Suburban Showdown at Welsh-Ryan Arena begins at 6:15 p.m. Saturday with Proviso East facing Warren. The Glenbrook North-Lawrence North game will begin at approximately 8 p.m.
Bill Skowronski can be reached at [email protected].
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

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2/10/06

LAWRENCE NORTH 81, BEN DAVIS 71
Oden scores 38 in closest win

Senior center Greg Oden scored a career-high 38 points and Class 4A No. 1 Lawrence North survived its closest game of the season, beating visiting Ben Davis 81-71 Thursday.

Oden shot 14-for-17 from the floor, including eight dunks, and 10-for-11 from the free throw line to go with 17 rebounds and five blocked shots.

The Wildcats (18-0, 6-0 Metropolitan Interscholastic) have won 34 in a row.

The Wildcats were winning by an average of 24 points per game. No team had come closer than 13 this year.

Clark Williams scored 29 points for Ben Davis (11-6, 4-3).

Ben Davis11181926--71Lawrence North16153119--81
Ben Davis -- Asberry 0, Sherman 7, Tate 12, Jackson 13, Williams 29, Gomes 2, Horner 2, Hardy 4, Glenn 2. Totals: 25-51 13-14 71.
Lawrence North -- Owen 6, McDonald 10, Conley 11, Windham 10, Oden 38, L. Smith 0, Jones 0, Weigel 0, W. Smith 3, Thomas 0, Read 0, VanTreese 3, Henderson 0. Totals: 31-55 15-26 81.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

IndyStar

2/11/06

Lawrence North braces for Illinois' finest
Glenbrook N., Duke recruit Scheyer pose big challenge

CHICAGO -- Jon Scheyer is called the pied piper of high school basketball around this city, and it stands to reason. Wherever he plays, the fans follow.

"It's a circus, but it's really fun," the 6-6 Duke-bound guard from Glenbrook North High School said this week. "I enjoy it a lot. I'm not taking anything for granted. I enjoy signing autographs and doing things around town to give back."

Scheyer will share the spotlight tonight when his team faces 7-foot senior center Greg Oden and Lawrence North in the second game (9 p.m. EST) of the McDonald's City-Suburban Showdown. The doubleheader at Northwestern's Welsh-Ryan Arena has been sold out for more than a week.

The game pits Illinois' most heralded player and defending big-school state champion against the nation's most heralded player and Indiana's defending big-school state champion.

Lawrence North (18-0 and on a 34-game winning streak) is ranked No. 1 in the nation by Sports Illustrated. Glenbrook North (20-1 prior to playing Friday night) is No. 12.

Scheyer has been a household name in Illinois for two years thanks to a closely followed recruiting battle and an amazing run to last year's Class AA state title.

Scheyer narrowed his choices to Illinois and Duke before choosing the latter. Even though Illinois coach Bruce Weber's brother, David, is Scheyer's head coach at Glenbrook North, Scheyer grew up a fan of Chris Collins, a Glenbrook North star who played for Duke and is now an assistant to Mike Krzyzewski.

"I had a great connection with coach Collins," Scheyer said.

Scheyer's performance in last year's state tournament cemented him in Illinois lore. He scored 134 points in four state tournament games as Glenbrook North won its final three games by double figures.

While Glenbrook North was good last year, most observers doubted a team from Northbrook, a wealthy suburb on Chicago's posh North Shore, could win a title.

The Scheyer buzz grew even louder this season when he scored 52 points -- including an eye-popping 21 in 75 seconds -- in his team's only loss, an 85-79 setback at Proviso West that snapped a 35-game winning streak.

Scheyer leads his team in scoring (32.1), assists (4.1), rebounds (5.8), steals (70) and blocked shots (21).

"He has such great intangibles," David Weber said. "He knows how much time is on the clock, knows what the score of the game is. He makes is teammates better and all of that is what makes him so special."

The talk in Chicago about this game, though, is about Oden. When Wednesday's news conference was opened up for one-on-one interviews, all of the two dozen or so Chicago television, print and radio reporters headed toward Oden.

Lawrence North coach Jack Keefer wasn't asked any questions for so long he struck up a conversation with Gurnee Warren guard Marcus Lewis, whose team plays Illinois-bound center Brian Carlwell and Proviso East in the first game.

Carlwell was humbled in a 72-59 loss to Lawrence North in December at Southport High School, finishing with nine points and eight rebounds to Oden's 31 and 16. He was asked if it would help Glenbrook North to borrow him for tonight's game. "I don't think so," said Carlwell, who called Oden "the best player I've ever faced."

"I've heard about him since seventh grade, but he's more than what you expect," Carlwell said. "When you hear about big men and hear they're good, you expect maybe he's got a good post move or he's good defensively.

"You don't think someone will put it all together and have a complete game. I think he has that."

Oden is coming off a 38-point, 17-rebound performance in Thursday's 81-71 victory over Ben Davis. Lawrence North led by just two points at halftime, but Oden had an 18-point third quarter, even making two technical foul free throws.

Still, he wasn't happy with his team's performance, and that may mean Glenbrook North is catching an angry opponent.

"It's not just about Saturday, it's about the rest of our season," Oden said. "Usually it takes a team a loss, but hopefully it just takes this game so we can wake up and start playing better."

Call Star reporter Jeff Rabjohns at (317)-444-6183.

Wildcats 18-0 and counting . . .

Lawrence North (18-0) is closing in on a perfect regular season, which would make the Wildcats unbeaten at home and in the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference in the Greg Oden-Mike Conley era. But their final four regular-season games present some tests. Here's a look:

TONIGHT
GLENBROOK NORTH
The defending Illinois big-school state champion is 20-1 (entering Friday's game) and has a prolific scorer in 6-6 Duke recruit Jon Scheyer. Northwestern University's Welsh-Ryan arena (capacity 8,117) is sold out and is certain to favor the home-state school.

FRIDAY
AT BLOOMINGTON SOUTH
The Panthers (15-3) have beaten Pike, and coach J.R. Holmes has won more than 500 games. Lawrence North lost 60-55 in its past trip to South on Feb. 17, 2004. The crowd in Indiana University's hometown likely isn't going to be kind to Ohio State-bound Oden and Conley.

Feb. 21
VS. PIKE
The Class 4A No. 2 Red Devils (14-2) played the Wildcats to their second-closest game, 73-60, in the Marion County Tournament and have a host of athletes. They're averaging 95 points over their past five games.

Feb. 24
VS. TERRE HAUTE NORTH
The Patriots (13-5) don't look like much of a threat because they haven't beaten the better teams they've faced. But coach Jim Jones has won more than 650 games.

The sectionals start Feb. 27.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

2/11/06

Tribune Staff Reporters Bob Sakamoto and Brian Hamilton Break Down the Big Game

By Bob Sakamoto and Brian Hamilton, Chicago Tribune

Feb. 11--The outlook

Look for Lawrence North, No. 1 in the nation, to dump the ball in early to 7-0 Greg Oden as he exploits the mismatch against 6-7 Spartans center Zach Kelly. If Glenbrook North collapses in to help Kelly, Mike Conley and Brandon McDonald can hit the three-pointer. The Spartans will look to establish a slower tempo and make the Wildcats work on defense by chasing Jon Scheyer through myriad screens. When Lawrence North overplays Scheyer, the Duke signee will set up Matt Shamis and Tyler Cullitan for threes.

The predictions
Final score: Lawrence North 75, Glenbrook North 70
Scheyer's total points: 47
Oden's total points: 24

Bob Sakamoto.

GLENBROOK NORTH

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

IndyStar

2/12/06

Lawrence North 79, Glenbrook North 61

Wildcats pounce on Illinois' best

Lawrence North holds 6-6 Scheyer in check; Conley's play leaves strong impression

EVANSTON, Ill. -- The anticipation for Saturday's showdown was all about Greg Oden vs. Jon Scheyer

The talk afterward was all about the Lawrence North duo of Oden and Mike Conley.

Oden had 31 points and 11 rebounds and Conley added 24 points and spearheaded a defense that held Scheyer in check in the Wildcats' 79-61 victory over Glenbrook North.

"Oden, obviously, his size is a factor, but Conley is the best player we've seen," Glenbrook North coach David Weber said after the marquee game in the McDonald's City-Suburban Showdown. "We had no answer for him. It was a show. We'd play off him, and he'd hit the 3. We'd go out, he'd penetrate.

"(Oden) is a lot like Chamberlain with the shot-blocking ability. I think he can play in the NBA right now. I really think he can. And I think Conley is making his steps."

The ballyhooed showdown between Oden, the reigning national high school Player of the Year, and Scheyer, a star 6-6 guard headed to Duke, drew 8,494 with standing-room-only admission -- more than the listed 8,117 seating capacity for Northwestern's Welsh-Ryan Arena.

The match-up created such a fervor people started lining up at 10 a.m. for the 80 standing-room-only tickets that remained. While the first game of the doubleheader was going on, scalpers were getting $100 for the $12 tickets.

After the game, it took a uniformed police officer and several event staff workers to escort Oden off the court through the throngs of autograph seekers.

Oden, who lost a contact lens in the second quarter and played a stretch with only one, shot 12-for-19 from the field and 7-for-9 from the free throw line. Conley was 10-for-18 from the field to go with four assists.

"You get a lot of pressure on you to score 40 points every night, but if you've got somebody else who can score 20 and you can score 20, it makes it that much better," Oden said.

Lawrence North, 19-0 and on a 35-game winning streak, was playing its first game outside of Indiana in the Oden-Conley era.

"Everyone was really excited to be in Chicago," Oden said. "I'm looking out the window of our hotel -- I never sleep with the window open -- but I'm just looking at the lights. Right before the game, Mike went up after coach talked and put 'have fun' on the board."

Scheyer scored the first 11 points for Glenbrook North (20-2) and Oden had 12 in the first quarter as Lawrence North jumped ahead 20-15 on the defending big-school state champion from Illinois.

The Wildcats used both Conley and Brandon McDonald on Scheyer the rest of the way, keeping him from taking over.

Scheyer, averaging 32 points, scored 33 but shot 9-for-21 from the field and was held in check for stretches. He had only one basket in the first 11 minutes of the second half as Lawrence North took over.

"That's us," Lawrence North coach Jack Keefer said. "We're a defensive team first. Greg's a great player, and we use him and he does a great job, but we try not to make it a one-guy team. He's one of five guys. That's the way we want it and that's the way he wants (it)."

Scheyer called Lawrence North the best team he's played against.

"I wasn't afraid. I wasn't going to back down," Scheyer said. "He blocks a few, but you just have to be smart, and we could have been smarter in a few areas."

The Lawrence North-Glenbrook North game will be replayed at 8 p.m. March 8 on INHD, a high-definition channel available on DirecTV and some cable systems, organizers said.
Lawrence North20212117--79Glenbrook North15121519--61
Lawrence North -- Owen 1-2 2-3 4, McDonald 3-11 0-0 7, Conley 10-18 2-2 24, Windham 5-7 1-6 11, Oden 12-19 7-9 31, Bibbs 0-0 0-0 0, L. Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Jones 0-0 0-0 0, Weigel 0-0 0-0 0, W. Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Thomas 0-1 0-0 0, Read 0-0 2-2 2, VanTreese 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 31-59 14-22 79.
Glenbrook North -- Cullitan 2-3 0-0 6, Scheyer 9-21 10-13 33, Shamis 4-6 0-0 9, Kelly 2-3 0-0 5, Radke 1-4 0-0 2 Karis 0-0 0-0 0, Bulwa 0-0 0-0 0, Jacobson 0-1 0-0 0, Lasky 0-0 0-0 0, Raming 0-0 0-0 0, Prosperi 0-0 0-0 0, Stamas 2-4 1-2 6, Rosen 0-0 0-0 0, Ponticelli 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 20-42 11-15 61.
3-point shooting -- Lawrence North 3-10 (Conley 2-6, McDonald 1-4), Glenbrook North 10-20 (Scheyer 5-9, Cullitan 2-3, Shamis 1-2, Stamas 1-3, Kelly 1-2, Radke 0-1). Rebounds -- Lawrence North 40 (Oden 11), Glenbrook North 15 (Shamis 5). Assists -- Lawrence North 19 (McDonald 7, Conley 4), Glenbrook North 13 (Shamis 3, Stamas 3). Turnovers -- Lawrence North 7, Glenbrook North 13. Total fouls -- Lawrence North 14, Glenbrook North 18. Fouled out -- Kelly. Officials -- Connie Pier, Paul Mosely, Chuck McNellis.

 

[bucknut11]

Still #1 according to SI.com

Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.) (19-0)
The Wildcats rolled past then-No. 11 Glenbrook North, 79-61, before an overflow crowd of 8,494 at Northwestern University. Seven-foot senior Greg Oden had 33 points (12-of-19 from the field), 11 rebounds and three blocks while drawing nine fouls against the two players who guarded him. Senior point guard Mike Conley had 24 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Senior guard Brandon McDonald paced the offense with seven assists. The Wildcats committed only seven turnovers in the pressure-filled game. Two days earlier Oden exploded for 38 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks in an 81-71 victory over Ben Davis. He made 14-of-17 from the field, including eight dunks, and 10-of-11 free throws. The Wildcats will take a 35-game winning streak into Friday's game against dangerous Bloomington South.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

IndyStar

2/18/06

Lawrence N. 60 Bloomington S. 50

Wildcats' Oden-less practice pays off

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Lawrence North basketball coach Jack Keefer had an inkling Greg Oden would get into foul trouble at Bloomington South.

Why? That's what happened the last time the Wildcats came to town.
So they spent time practicing this week without their star center, and it paid off.

Oden was whistled for his fourth foul on a charging call two minutes into the second half and went to the bench. Bloomington South pulled within three points, but senior point guard Mike Conley started a 13-2 run and the two-time defending state champions stayed unbeaten with a 60-50 victory.

Oden finished with 20 points and four assists but only four rebounds and no blocked shots as he tried to avoid any contact when he returned in the fourth quarter. Oden still managed to shoot 7-for-11 from the field, including a free throw-line jumper and a hook shot.

The Wildcats (20-0), ranked No. 1 in the nation by Sports Illustrated, pushed their winning streak to 36 games and avenged a 60-55 loss in their last trip to Bloomington South in 2004. They ended the 31-game home winning streak of the Panthers (15-5).

"Greg's been down here twice and hardly played five minutes," Keefer said, explaining why he anticipated foul problems for his 7-0 Ohio State-bound center. "He probably played a little more tonight than he did as a sophomore.

"I thought maybe this would happen and it did, but our kids did very well. They blocked out, rebounded well and defended well."

It was the closest margin of victory for Lawrence North, matching its 81-71 win over Ben Davis on Feb. 9.

Conley had 16 points and three assists as South spent part of the game in a gimmick defense focused on both Ohio State-bound players.

The Wildcats got strong contributions from junior forward Damian Windham (nine points, nine rebounds), junior guard Qadr Owen (nine points, five rebounds) and senior guard Brandon McDonald (six points, five rebounds, four assists) as the starters scored all 60 points.

Indiana State-bound senior guard Cole Holmstrom had 19 points and junior Jordan Forney added 14 to lead South.

Oden was called for his fourth foul with 6:02 left in the third quarter when 6-3 Jordan Root appeared to exaggerate the contact.

"It's frustrating," Oden said. "The refs know they're going to flop and they still call it."

Keefer was called for a technical foul two minutes later.

Lawrence North led 32-21 when Oden went to the bench with his fourth foul, and South quickly pulled within 32-29. Conley scored twice as the Wildcats pushed the lead back to 10 before the start of the fourth quarter.

With Oden back at the start of the final period, Conley hit two free throws and converted a perfect back-door pass from Oden as the Wildcats managed a 47-33 lead with 5:33 to play.

The gymnasium, which seats nearly 3,000, was full for the start of a junior varsity game between two unbeaten squads.

Lawrence North13151319--60Bloomington South7111319--50
Lawrence North -- Owen 3-5 2-2 9, McDonald 3-6 0-2 6, Conley 6-8 4-8 16, Windham 3-5 3-6 9, Oden 7-11 6-6 20, Read 0-2 0-0 0, Jones 0-0 0-0 0, Van Treese 0-1 0-0 0, W. Smith 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 22-38 15-24 60.
Bloomington South -- Holmstrom 5-14 5-5 19, Root 0-4 0-0 0, Chappell 3-8 0-0 6, Forney 5-11 3-5 14, Brown 3-4 0-0 6, Walters 0-2 0-0 0, Deinlein 0-2 0-0 0, Sutor 2-6 0-0 5. Totals: 18-51 8-10 50.
3-point shooting -- Lawrence North 1-2 (Owen 1-1, Conley 0-1), Bloomington South 6-23 (Holmstrom 4-11, Forney 1-1, Sutor 1-3, Walters 0-2, Brown 0-1, Deinlein 0-1, Root 0-4). Rebounds -- Lawrence North 34 (Windham 9), Bloomington South 21 (Holmstrom). Assists -- Lawrence North 15 (Windham 4, Oden 4, McDonald 4), Bloomington South 7 (Deinlein 2, Forney 2). Turnovers -- Lawrence North 11, Bloomington South 8. Total fouls -- Lawrence North 10, Bloomington South 19. Fouled out -- Brown. Technical foul -- Lawrence North bench. Officials -- Shawn Turner, Scott Weaver, David Christian.

Call Star reporter Jeff Rabjohns at (317) 444-6183.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

IndyStar

2/20/06

Lawrence North to open with Arlington
Game looms as intriguing rematch

A year ago, Lawrence North met undefeated and top-ranked Arlington in a much-anticipated high school boys basketball sectional game.

The roles could be reversed this year in a Sectional 10 opener if the two-time Class 4A defending state champion Wildcats prevail in final regular-season games Tuesday against Pike and Friday against Terre Haute North.

Pairings for the 96th annual Indiana High School Athletic Association boys basketball tournament were drawn Sunday, and the Lawrence North-Arlington matchup -- set for 7 p.m. Feb. 28 at Tech -- is one of a number of interesting encounters in sectionals that run through March 4. Regionals are March 11, and semistates follow March 18. The four state championship games are March 25.

"It's just the opposite this year from the ranking and record standpoint, so from that perspective I hope we don't have the same result," said Lawrence North coach Jack Keefer, whose Wildcats (20-0) are led by Ohio State recruits Greg Oden and Mike Conley. "We know that Arlington is a capable opponent and has improved its game during the course of the year. But while they're better, we hope we are, too."

Golden Knights coach Larry Nicks, whose 16-5 crew is paced by senior Dah-Sheen Smith and junior John Freeman, expressed confidence in his team's chances.

"We have to play them sooner or later, so we might as well go right at them," Nicks said. "There definitely won't be any pressure on us and we're playing pretty good basketball. If we play like we're capable of playing, we can hang with them."

In a sectional full of capable teams, Warren Central (15-5) drew Cathedral (15-5) in another opener while Lawrence Central (10-8) looms as a sleeper.

Other key 4A games include No. 2 Pike (16-2) against Northwest (12-5) in 4A Sectional 12 at Brownsburg, No. 7 North Central (17-3) facing Noblesville (15-3) in Sectional 9 at Carmel, and a potential championship pairing between No. 5 Shelbyville (20-0) and Bloomington South (16-5) in Sectional 14 at Columbus North.

"It's a challenging draw for us," said Pike coach Larry Bullington, who added that Ben Davis (12-6) is another team to watch. "We've got to take the long route (with a Tuesday game), but the good thing is we've just recently played Northwest and we've played Ben Davis. We've also won eight in a row, and I think we're playing our best basketball of the year."

North Central and Noblesville each drew a bye directly into the semifinals. Considering the quality of a field that also includes Carmel (13-7), Westfield (13-7), Hamilton Southeastern (12-7) and Broad Ripple (9-11), that could be key, according to Panthers coach Doug Mitchell.

"When you look at this group, you have to play well to have success," Mitchell said. "We played Noblesville in our (preseason) scrimmage, so we know it is a good team. We'll prepare for them like we do every team with offensive keys and defensive keys."

A possible Shelbyville-Bloomington South game is generating buzz, but coach Harry Larrabee said his Golden Bears will not look beyond Bloomington North (4-15), their first-round opponent. South, which has a bye to the semifinals, also must get past Columbus East (13-5), a team it fell to earlier.

"I'm a big believer that your focus has to be on the game at hand," Larrabee said.

Keefer, whose Wildcats could match the state record of 45 consecutive wins set by Crispus Attucks in 1955-56 if the Wildcats run the table for a 29-0 season, echoed that approach.

"We avoid it because we don't talk about it," Keefer said of any pressure that accompanies historic marks. "We just go game to game and keep ourselves enthralled with the present, not with what could be or what was."

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

IndyStar

2/21/06

Fast-breaking Pike to test Wildcats

By Jeff Rabjohns
[email protected]


Lawrence North coach Jack Keefer knows his top-ranked Wildcats will face a different Pike team this time around.

Since midseason, Pike coach Larry Bullington has switched to a run-and-gun attack that has led to eight consecutive victories.

Pike leads the state in scoring at 77.9 points per game; Lawrence North is holding opponents to 50.2.

The Class 4A No. 2 Red Devils (16-2) throw their fast-break offense at the Wildcats (20-0 and on a 36-game winning streak) tonight at Lawrence North. The Wildcats are led by 7-foot center Greg Oden and point guard Mike Conley.

Pike, whose last loss was 73-60 to Lawrence North on Jan. 11 in the Marion County Tournament, is averaging 89.6 points over its past seven games.

"That's a lot of points," Keefer said. "I'm sure teams they've played have tried to slow them down and couldn't. We have to turn the game into one where we rebound it, and they can't fast break. But we're a running team, too, so it'll be an interesting outcome. The rebounds will make the difference."

"A team in high school that averages in the 70s, you consider them a pretty fast running team," Keefer said. "Since (Bullington) has kind of changed his thoughts and gone with five guys with the ability to be a guard, he's sold himself on how quickly they can get down the court.

"He's got his considerations in dealing with us being bigger, and we've got to deal with them."

Call Star reporter Jeff Rabjohns at (317) 444-6183.

 

[BuckWrestler141]

Indy Star

Lawrence Norths closest game of the season so far tonight in their rematch vs. Pike.

LWN 74 Pike 67

Lawrence north 74, pike 67
Pike's challenge falls short
No. 1 Lawrence North stays unbeaten, but No. 2 Red Devils keep it relatively close
By Jeff Rabjohns
[email protected]
Whether anyone will beat Lawrence North is still a question.
After Tuesday's battle with Pike, it's clear there are legitimate challengers.
The Class 4A second-ranked Red Devils were within a point with two minutes to play before Greg Oden and Mike Conley led a surge that carried the top-ranked Wildcats to a 74-67 victory at the Lawrence North gymnasium.
The Wildcats scored the first 10 points of the game, but Pike's tenacious press and effective shooting allowed them to continually cut into Lawrence North's lead.
The Red Devils never led but were close several times.
The seven-point margin is as close as any team has come this season against Lawrence North (21-0), which entered the game winning by an average of 22.4 points. It's the closest victory for the Wildcats during their 36-game winning streak since a 53-49 victory over Josh McRoberts-led Carmel on Feb. 4, 2005.
"Hopefully it's good for us," Oden said. "Usually it takes teams a loss. Hopefully we can take this and use it as a positive."
The Ohio State-bound duo of Oden and Conley scored the first 14 of Lawrence North's 15 fourth-quarter points, including all six in a 6-0 run that turned a 65-64 edge into a 71-64 advantage with 49.8 seconds left.
Oden finished with 35 points, three short of his career high, shooting 12-for-12 from the floor and 11-for-13 from the foul line to go with five rebounds and one blocked shot.
Conley added 17 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Senior guard Brandon McDonald added 10 points.
Pike forced Lawrence North into 15 turnovers, five by Oden, while making only 10.
Pike got 15 points from junior Jeff Teague, 10 each from sophomore Jared Holmes and sophomore Cordell Passley and nine each from senior Curtis White and senior Reece Cheatham.
Pike, with no starter taller than 6-4, shot 52 percent from the floor, including 7-for-16 from 3-point range.
"They had some nice jump shots. People were moving. We weren't talking, weren't moving with it, weren't hedging," Lawrence North coach Jack Keefer said. "We didn't play very well in the half court defensively, and that has been a major plus for us."
The Wildcats struggled at times against the press, and that helped Pike stay close after falling behind 10-0.
"We started competing a little bit and had some determination at the defensive end," Pike coach Larry Bullington said. "I had no doubt we could score on them. They played man to man and switched a lot, and our guys did a good job of reading that.
"We had a couple of runs. We just couldn't quite get over the hump. Oden and Conley made plays when they had to be made, and that's why they're the best team in the nation."
The Red Devils (16-3) had won eight in a row and were scoring nearly 90 points per game in that stretch. Lawrence North was holding teams to 50.2 on the season.
If the teams play again, it won't be until the final of the Hinkle Fieldhouse regional March 11.
Pike was within 65-64 when James hit a 3-pointer with 2:01 to play. Conley converted two free throws and scored on a drive, and Oden added two foul shots with 49.8 seconds left, putting Lawrence North up 71-64. After Teague made two free throws, with 17 seconds to play Oden scored on an offensive rebound.
Lawrence North 74, Pike 67

Pike11182117--67Lawrence North24142115--74
PIKE -- James 2-4 0-0 6, Jordan 1-3 0-0 2, Cheatham 3-5 2-2 9, White 4-7 0-0 9, Teague 4-11 5-6 15, Passley 4-6 1-2 10, Collins 2-4 2-2 6, Holmes 4-6 2-2 10. Totals: 24-46 12-14 67.
LAWRENCE NORTH -- Owen 2-4 3-6 7, McDonald 4-7 1-4 10, Conley 7-12 2-4 17, Windham 2-5 1-2 5, Oden 12-12 11-13 35, Jones 0-0 0-0 0, Van Treese 0-0 0-0 0, Read 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 27-40 18-29 74.
3-Point Shooting -- Pike 7-16 (James 2-3, Jordan 0-2, Cheatham 1-3, Passley 1-1, White 1-2, Teague 2-5), Lawrence North 2-10 (McDonald 1-4, Conley 1-5, Owen 0-1). Rebounds -- Pike 13 (Teague 5), Lawrence North 30 (Windham 8, Conley 6, McDonald 6). Assists -- Pike 11 (Teague 4), Lawrence North 17 (Conley 7). Turnovers -- Pike 10, Lawrence North 15. Total fouls -- Pike 19, Lawrence North 10. Fouled out -- None.

Christ when it comes to game summaries and Oden, you nearly bold the article :tongue2:

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

IndyStar

2/25/06

Lawrence North 46, Terre haute North 32

Wildcats give school 1st unbeaten regular season

LN perfect in MIC, at home in Oden's, Conley's 4 years

A perfect regular season, the first one in school history.

A No. 1 state and national ranking.

As Greg Oden sat in the Lawrence North locker room, the 7-foot senior center saw no reason to celebrate yet. Instead, he pointed to the marker board where a green numeral "7" had been written and circled.

"You can't feel so happy about it, because there's so much left and I want to get it done," Oden said after the host Wildcats survived Terre Haute North's slow-down game for a 46-32 victory Friday night. "You can't have one mistake. One mistake and it's over."

Seven is the number of postseason games the Wildcats need to win for their third consecutive Class 4A state title and become the 10th unbeaten champion since the tournament began in 1911. Their postseason trail begins Tuesday against Arlington in the sectional at Tech.

Lawrence North, which has won its past 38 games over two seasons, finished off the first perfect regular season in the school's 30-year history.

During the four-year high school career of Oden and point guard Mike Conley, Lawrence North went unbeaten in the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference (28-0) and never lost at home (34-0).

"I never really noticed it until a couple of weeks ago when the coaches mentioned we hadn't lost at home and hadn't lost a MIC game," Conley said.

"I'm sure it'll sink in when we're older, but right now it's just an add-on to everything because we've got to get ready for the tournament."

In going unbeaten this year, the Wildcats had the highest average margin of victory in the state (21.6 entering Friday's action) against a schedule ranked the toughest in the state by the Sagarin computer rankings. The Wildcats are 96-7 in the Oden-Conley era.

"You just don't find that kind of player, and you just don't see two of them," Jack Keefer, Lawrence North's only coach, said as his Ohio State-bound duo were mobbed by autograph seekers.

"When the game's tight, Mike steps up and Greg steps up. Our juniors and sophomores and freshmen all learned from those two guys, learned how to play in tight situations, how to play defense, how to play hard."

The Wildcats have won 14 straight postseason games. Their last postseason loss was 55-47 to Pike in the 2003 regional when the Red Devils were on the way to a 29-0 record and a 4A state title.

"It's good that while we were here, we were strong," Oden said, after spending 23 minutes standing on the court signing autographs and posing for pictures after the game.

"Hopefully it'll carry over into the postseason."

Oden had 15 points, five rebounds and a blocked shot. He went 6-for-6 from the field, including a jumper from just inside the top of the key. He's made 21 consecutive shots and has been perfect from the floor in the past two games.

Conley added 10 points, five steals and three assists, and senior Brandon McDonald had nine points, four steals, four rebounds and three assists.

Terre Haute North (14-8, 1-6 MIC) slowed the game to a crawl at times and was within seven in the fourth quarter. The Patriots shot 10-for-23 from the field, including 8-for-16 from 3-point range. They were 5-for-8 from the field in the second half with five 3-pointers.

Lawrence North's pressure was a factor in forcing 18 turnovers while the Wildcats made just five.

Terre Haute North510125--32Lawrence North14101012--46
Terre Haute North -- Myers 2-4 3-4 9, Stephens 0-0 1-2 1, Blank 2-5 0-0 6, Jeffers 4-9 0-0 11, Gilmore 2-5 0-1 5, Mazeqie 0-0 0-0 0, Conner 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 10-23 4-7 32.
Lawrence North -- Owen 2-6 0-0 5, McDonald 4-8 0-0 9, Conley 5-11 0-0 10, Windham 2-5 0-0 4, Oden 6-6 3-6 15, Van Treese 0-0 0-0 0, Jones 1-1 0-0 3, K. Thomas 0-0 0-0 0, Read 0-0 0-0 0, Weigel 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 20-38 3-6 46.
3-point shooting -- Terre Haute North 8-16 (Myers 2-4, Blank 2-2, Jeffers 3-7, Gilmore 1-3), Lawrence North 3-6 (Owen 1-2, McDonald 1-2, Jones 1-1). Rebounds -- Terre Haute North 16 (Gilmore 5), Lawrence North 19 (Oden 5). Assists -- Terre Haute North 9 (Stephens 3), Lawrence North 9 (Conley 3, McDonald 3). Turnovers -- Terre Haute North 18, Lawrence North 5. Total fouls -- Terre Haute North 10, Lawrence North 10.

Lawrence north's perfect regular season
• Nov. 23 -- Lawrence Central, 62-33
• Nov. 26 -- Brebeuf Jesuit, 72-49
• Dec. 2 -- Terre Haute South, 74-45
• Dec. 3 -- Marion, 75-49
• Dec. 8 -- Dayton Dunbar (Ohio), 69-54
• Dec. 10 -- Fort Wayne Snider, 89-45
• Dec. 14 -- Arlington, 81-55
• Dec. 17 -- Proviso East (Ill.), 72-59
• Jan. 3 -- Franklin Central, 57-38
• Jan. 10 -- Ben Davis, 81-40
• Jan. 11 -- Pike, 73-60
• Jan. 13 -- Franklin Central, 56-38
• Jan. 14 -- North Central, 78-55
• Jan. 19 -- North Central, 78-59
• Jan. 24 -- Warren Central, 69-38
• Jan. 28 -- Center Grove, 76-55
• Feb. 3 -- Carmel, 68-49
• Feb. 9 -- Ben Davis, 81-71
• Feb. 11 -- Glenbrook North (Ill.), 79-61
• Feb. 17 -- Bloomington South, 60-50
• Feb. 21 -- Pike, 74-67
• Feb. 24 -- Terre Haute North, 46-32

 

[hoopsfan]

I talked to Greg after their last game of the season (he was triple teamed the whole game, by the way) -- the thing he was most excited about was that, in his words, he hit a jump shot about a step pinside the three point line -- not sure how big one of his steps is, but he has definitely been working to improve his perimeter game and it is beginning to show. One thing for sure about him is he will never stop working to improve.

 

[GrizzlyBuck]

Thanks for the inside info Hoopsfan, from all I've seen (just TV) and read about Greg, he is a great kid who will be a pleasure to be involved with (albeit only as a fan) for 1 (or hope, hope, hope more) year(s) as a B-ball Buckeye.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Indystar

3/1/06

at tech
No. 1 Lawrence North overcomes slow start

Arlington holds Wildcats to fewest 1st-half points but falters in the 2nd half

The postseason started ugly for the team widely considered the best in the nation.

Lawrence North scored a season-low 20 first-half points and had as many turnovers (eight) as baskets in leading Arlington by just six points at halftime.

To complicate matters, Ohio State-bound point guard Mike Conley picked up his third foul with 5:11 left in the second quarter and went to the bench for the rest of the half.

The Wildcats have made their mark on defense this year, and even with foul trouble and offensive struggles, it was enough. Lawrence North, which even used a zone, kept the defensive screws tight enough for a 51-35 victory over Arlington in the first game of the Class 4A Tech Sectional.

"We didn't really have any energy coming out in the first half, and hopefully going through that half, you get some energy," said Ohio State-bound center Greg Oden, who had 19 points, including six dunks.

"We came out in the second half and played better defense. The zone, (assistant) coach (Jim Etherington) didn't have any faith in it all year. He won't allow us to play it, but coach (Jack) Keefer, he made an administrative call and said we're going to play it, and it did well for us."

Oden shot 8-for-9 from the field. Oden, who also had 10 rebounds and four blocked shots, is 26-for-27 from the field in his past three games. One of his dunks came on a spectacular off-the-backboard alley-oop from junior guard Qadr Owen.

The two-time defending Class 4A state champion Wildcats (23-0) have won 39 consecutive games overall and 15 in a row in the postseason. They are attempting to match Marion (1985-87) and Franklin (1920-22) as the only teams to win three consecutive Indiana titles.

The Wildcats beat the Knights 81-55 on Dec. 14, but Lawrence North held only a single-digit lead until an Oden dunk started a 13-2 fourth-quarter run that increased the advantage to 50-30. The Wildcats' 51 points were the second-fewest of the season. The 35 marked the season low for Arlington (17-6), which was scoring 72.4 per game.

The Knights, who alternated between the occasional press on defense and stall on offense, finished with more turnovers (22) than baskets (14).

"Arlington came at us," Keefer said. "They had a little more pizzazz in the first half than we had and played well. We can say our offense didn't do this and our defense didn't do that -- and it's true -- but I think Arlington caused that. I thought the second half, our kids came out and did their job."

Conley, who didn't pick up another foul while playing most of the second half, finished with nine points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Senior guard Brandon McDonald added 10 points and Owen had eight points, five rebounds and two assists.

Playing without Conley for an extended period was something Lawrence North hasn't experienced much the past three seasons.

"I thought Kamal (Thomas) and (Evar) Jones did a good job maintaining the offense, keeping it running, and I thought McDonald really stepped up," Keefer said. "It was a real team effort. It wasn't the sharpest game we've played, but there's a reason for that."

Lawrence North 51, Arlington 35
Arlington59129--35Lawrence North9111318--51
Arlington -- Smith 1-3 0-0 2, Beaseley 1-4 0-0 3, Jackson 2-3 0-0 6, Hoke 1-2 0-0 2, Freeman 3-6 3-4 9, Squires 4-8 0-2 9, Weeden 1-2 0-2 2, Keeylen 1-4 0-0 2, Berryhill 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 14-32 3-8 35.
Lawrence North -- Owen 4-6 0-0 8, McDonald 4-6 1-2 10, Conley 3-9 2-2 9, Windham 2-7 0-2 4, Oden 8-9 3-3 19, Jones 0-1 0-0 0, Van Treese 0-0 0-0 0, K. Thomas 0-0 0-0 0, Weigel 0-0 1-2 1, Bibbs 0-0 0-0 0, Read 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 21-38 7-11 51.
3-point shooting -- Arlington 4-7 (Beaseley 1-2, Jackson 2-2, Squires 1-2, Berryhill 0-1), Lawrence North 2-4 (McDonald 1-1, Conley 1-2). Rebounds -- Lawrence North 27 (Oden 10), Arlington 17 (Beaseley 5). Assists -- Lawrence North 7 (Owen 3), Arlington 6 (Jackson 2, Smith 2). Turnovers -- Arlington 22, Lawrence North 14. Total fouls -- Arlington 12, Lawrence North 10. Fouled out -- None. Officials -- Tracy Black, Doug Coddington.