By GREG MENGELT
Seven months after winning a sectional championship, the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association ranked Jeffersonville No. 10 to start the 2021-22 basketball season.
The Red Devils, who went 15-7 last season, are the top-ranked team in the region. Rivals New Albany and Floyd Central both received votes from the coaches. The Bulldogs went 16-7 and won at Jeffersonville last January. The Highlanders were upset by the Red Devils in the sectional semifinals after going 13-5 in the regular season and beating Jeff 54-44 on Jan. 15.
Jeff, which should feature a strong mix of veterans and youth, is tied for 10th with Zionsville.
Four different teams received first-place votes from the coaches. Defending 4A state champion Carmel got six first-place votes and is No. 1, while Cathedral got the top vote from 10 pollsters and is No. 2. Homestead is No. 3 and got 3 first-place votes, Westfield is No. 4 (zero first-place votes) and Lawrence North, which comes in at No. 5, got the other top vote. Warren Central, Crispus Attucks, Fishers and Indianapolis Tech complete the top 9.
According to the pollsters, Jeff’s top competition in the region will be No. 15 Bloomington North and No. 19 Bloomington South. The other 4A regional teams that received votes were Center Grove and Evansville Reitz.
Defending Class 3A champion Silver Creek earned votes in the poll. Leo, which the Dragons beat for last year’s title, also received votes.
Semi-locally, Barr-Reeve, Evansville Bosse, Evansville Memorial, Heritage Hills, Linton-Stockton and Loogootee received votes.
The 2021-22 season officially begins Monday.
INDIANA BASKETBALL COACHES POLL
Rank, School (1st place votes)
1. Carmel (6), 2. Cathedral (10), 3. Homestead (3), 4. Westfield, 5. Lawrence North (1), 6. Warren Central, 7. Crispus Attucks, 8. Fishers, 9. Indianapolis Tech, 10t. Jeffersonville, 10t. Zionsville, 12. Brebeuf, 13. Ben Davis, 14. Gary West, 15. Bloomington North, 16. North Central, 17. Mishawaka Marian, 18. Mt. Vernon (Fortville), 19. Bloomington South, 20. Lawrence Central.
Others receiving votes: Barr-Reeve, Brownsburg, Center Grove, Central Noble, Chesterton, Connersville, Crown Point, Danville, Decatur Central, Eastside, Elkhart Central, Evansville Bosse, Evansville Reitz, Evansville Memorial, Floyd Central, Fort Wayne Blackhawk, Fort Wayne North, Fort Wayne Northrop, Fort Wayne Snider, Gary 21st Century, Hammond, Heritage Hills, Huntington North, Kokomo, Lafayette Harrison, Lafayette Jeff, Leo, Linton-Stockton, Loogootee, McCutcheon, Michigan City, Munster, New Albany, Noblesville, NorthWood, Park Tudor, Penn, Pike, Plainfield, Silver Creek, South Bend Adams, South Bend Riley, South Bend St. Joseph’s, Southport, Sullivan, Tindley, Valparaiso.
