By GREG MENGELT
New Albany enters the contest at 10-8. Not a bad season by any measure, but not what Bulldogs fans have gotten used to.
For Jeff, it’s been even stranger. The Red Devils started 2-8 before winning three of their last four. Having a complete roster available has been a rarity. It’s been together less than three weeks, in fact.
But this is Jeff-New Albany. Or New Albany-Jeff, depending on your geography. One of the most historic and competitive series in Indiana high school basketball history.
Neither team seems able to pull away in the series. The Devils won three in a row before New Albany ended the streak with a 49-37 win at Johnson Arena. Jeff won the sectional two months later.
“This game is always huge because it only comes around one time a year,” said New Albany coach Jim Shannon said, who has a 21-14 record all time vs. the Devils. “This one basically is the regular-season rivalry game that everybody looks forward to, for bragging rights, until maybe next year until we play in the sectional.
“Any time the Red Devils are playing Bulldogs, throw the records out the window,” said Jeff head coach Andrew Grantz, who’s 2-1 against the Bulldogs as the Red Devils head coach and 2-4 overall against Shannon.
The circumstances of this year’s rivalry game are odd. The postponement, the rare 15-17 combined record, playing in the middle of the week. It’s been a strange year in Southern Indiana basketball.
But this does seem like it’s going to be a good one. It has all the makings of being a classic.
“Both teams are going to bring their best, no matter what the circumstances are,” Grantz said. It’s going to be a hard-fought game to very end.”
“There’s no question that this being February — and really the middle of February — with the sectional two weeks away, that’s something neither of us is used to,” Shannon said. “We’re not used to playing arguably our biggest rival — one of the best rivalries in the state — this close to the tournament. Neither of us is vying for the Hoosier Hills championship, but both teams are trying to get ready for the tournament. We want to go into the tournament on a roll, playing our best basketball. Both of us want to do that.”
Jeff has won three of its last four games after finally getting some practices together as a complete unit.
“For us, right now where we’re at, it’s important have whole group together and just play,” Grantz said. “Last week was our first week with our entire team together since November.”
No conference team played championship Floyd Central (16-2) tougher than Jennings County (12-6) did. In fact, the Panthers went to overtime with Floyd in a 67-58 defeat in the Knobs on Jan. 21. In the last couple week, both Jeff and New Albany have lost to the Panthers, but both had a chance in 3-point losses on Jennings’ home court.
“My hope is we can put it together in hyper-speed to catch up with everyone else,” Grantz said. “I feel like we’re heading in right direction. We’re starting to come together as team. The effort has been better. It was a good effort at Jennings County.”
“They lost to Jennings by three (Saturday). We went to Jennings and got beat by three (on Feb. 2),” Shannon said. “I think both of us are starting to play pretty well.”
GAME OF THE NIGHT
JEFFERSONVILLE AT NEW ALBANY
• Time: 7:30 p.m.
• Location: The Doghouse, New Albany H.S. (1020 Vincennes Street, New Albany)
• Records:
Jeffersonville 5-9, 2-3 HHC. The Red Devils have won three of their last four games.
New Albany 10-8, 2-2 HHC. The Bulldogs have won two of their last three but has lost three of their last five.
• Coaches:
Jeffersonville — Andrew Grantz (20-16 in second season at Jeffersonville, 108-58 in seventh season overall)
New Albany — Jim Shannon (439-135 in 24th season at New Albany, 604-274 in 38th season overall)
• Computer-based Sagarin Ratings:
Jeffersonville — No. 102, No. 60 Class 4A
New Albany — No. 88, No. 54 Class 4A
• Most recent game:
Jeffersonville — Lost at Jennings County 91-88 (Feb. 12)
New Albany — Won at Silver Creek 69-58 (Feb. 12)
• Last 20 years: New Albany 20-10. Jeffersonville has won three of the last four rivalry games vs. the Bulldogs.
• Most recent meeting: Jan. 8, 2021 — New Albany 49, at Jeffersonville 37.
• News & notes: Jeffersonville leads the all-time series 82-80; The Bulldogs still have a chance to finish second to rival Floyd Central by beating Jeff on Wednesday,
• John Harrell prediction: New Albany 57, Jeffersonville 54.
• Sagarin projection: New Albany by 7.
• Outlook: I’m taking the Bulldogs at home, but I don’t feel comfortable with it. This could go either way. It’s that close. It’s one of those games that whichever team has the better night wins the game. This could be a classic.
• Greg’s pick: New Albany 61, Jeffersonville 60.
