I’m back for the first of two previews this week as the Battle of Noble County renews yet again. The Cougars (12-2) are coming into this game as NECC Tourney champs for the first time since 1970 and winners of 8 straight, the longest such winning streak since the 1997-98 team got off to a 8-0 start.
This is only the 4th time in program history that they have had a winning streak of 8 or more. The longest winning streak in program history is 11 back in the 1976-77 season which lasted from their 60-50 win over Leo and through the Elkhart Regional where they lost to Plymouth in the regional championship game. But, there’s another streak they would like to end tomorrow night: the 17-game losing streak at the Big Blue Pitt. The longest losing streak at one building in school history.
Do you want to know the last time CN won a boys basketball game at the Big Blue Pitt? You can’t find it from John Harrell. 1975. Yes, the last time they beat EN at their gym was during the 1975-76 season when CN won 61-57 on the road but have since lost 17 straight games at the Big Blue Pitt which includes losses in the single class EN sectional, which they had never beaten EN in.
East Noble (5-6) is currently in a retooling season after graduating Ali Ali, Brent Cox, and Micheal Bender. In spite of that, this is still a competitive team led by Nate Dickson and Hayden Jones, who’s the programs career assists leader and the newest member of the 1,000 point club at the school.
In the all time series, East Noble has dominated the head to head series 36-7, which included a series hiatus from 2000-2010. At one point, East Noble had beaten Central Noble in 19 straight games before it was snapped in the Cougars 49-36 home win back in 1997-98.
3 keys for each team to win
Central Noble
1. Build off Momentum from NECC Tourney
It’s nice that the Cougars won an NECC Tournament, but they know better than I do that there’s plenty of big games to be played that will have an impact on their season and conference schedule. How they respond from winning this tournament will be one of keen interest as the NECC conference is still up for grabs and there’s uncertainty on who truly is the favorite in that brutal Westview sectional.
For me, playing East Noble is a measuring stick game regardless of record and talent. But, doing it at their place is a whole another discussion. This isn’t the giant powerhouse that Randy Johnson once coached the program into accolades only a few still achieved to this day. However, this is still East Noble, and competing and beating the Knights requires a masterful effort.
2. Move the ball well and find scoring balance
You want to know how the Cougars won the tournament? It wasn’t just the fact they shot 65% from the triple.
Notice that they were moving the ball very well for the most part and they were contributing in the paint and from the perimeter. When this team plays at the level they were playing for most of this tournament, results do tend to go their way.
Maybe we’re finally starting to see the rest of the guys gel with the system they have because improvements have most definitely been made since that Westview game. Logan Gard is starting to find some confidence on offense and is gradually improving with his rebounding and defense, and Ryan Schroeder is starting to see his production go up a bit in addition to leading the team in scoring.
3. Watch out for EN’s Perimeter offense
One of the things CN’s defense will have to be careful of is East Noble’s perimeter offense. Ok, it’s not as dangerous as Prairie Heights’s but it’s a team that can make you pay with the guards they have. Knights shoot 35% from the triple with 46 of their 67 made 3’s coming their two starting guards. 4 guys shoot 30% or higher and are 4-0 when they shoot 40% from distance. Knights are 4-1 when they shoot 45% or better compare to their 1-5 record when they shoot less than that from two point range.
East Noble
1. Limit CN’s Scoring Chances
Chances are CN will not shoot 65% from the triple every single night, but for the Knights to better their chances at winning, they got to keep the ball away from the Cougars as much as possible. That means they will probably need to control the clock and time of possession. When you’re facing a team as hot as CN is, you want to avoid giving them high percentage shots especially from the triple.
One thing they’ll have to do is slow down the duo of Connor Essegian and Sawyer Yoder that’s been scorching hot. In their last 7 games, Connor Essegian is averaging 25.9 points while Sawyer Yoder is averaging 19.1 and that’s after Connor (34) and Sawyer (29) posted some of the best performances we’ve seen in recent tourney title games. I expect Jones will be guarding Essegian, which leaves Dickson with Myles Smith. The Knights also cannot afford to turn the ball over as that is one of the things that sparks this CN offense is when opposing teams are too sloppy with the basketball. East Noble is 0-4 when they turn the ball over 11 or more times They’re probably even more dangerous in transition offense now that this team is on a roll.
2. Must compete in the glass; protect the paint
One of the biggest challenges I emphasized going into this season is how will this front court do against top-end competition. Last season, this became one of their biggest strengths as they had current Trine basketball player Brent Cox averaging 10, Micheal Bender averaging 6, and Ali Ali averaging 4. That team was 9-1 when they had 28 or more boards in a game.
But, this year’s team is averaging slightly more boards than last season thanks to the 6’7 sophomore Chris Hood and his 6.8 boards, Gage Ernsberger and his 6 boards, and Hayden Jones having 5 boards a game as well. But, so far this season they’re 3-2 in these games. While there are still guys getting the boards, they do lack some of the athleticism that last year’s team brought. But, CN does have some size and talent that can compete and put up points in the paint if they’re not careful. Look for the Hood-Gard matchup as well as Ernsberger getting either Sawyer Yoder or Ryan Schroeder.
3. Play till the buzzer
An area East Noble has struggled for most of this season is playing consistent basketball..That wasn’t as big of a concern over the past couple seasons, but with them having a more inexperienced roster, it’s almost vital that they play well from start to finish. The Knights have trailed in 7 of their 11 games at halftime including slow starts in 8 of their 11 first quarters. Luckily for the Knights, they’re 2-5, and while it’s not the best mark it could have been worst.
But, the Knights simply cannot afford a slow start when facing a CN team that is averaging nearly 65 points a game. Since the start of that winning streak, the Cougars have only trailed at the half once and that was in the NECC tourney title game. CN has held their opponents to under 55 points in 5 of their last 7 games. EN has only reached that mark 3 times this season. The Knights are 4-3 when they hold their opponents to 55 or less compare to their 19-2 record last season.
Player to watch for each team
CN
Logan Gard
Look no further than their 6’5 sophomore that has seen his production go up in the recent games as he has posted at least 6 points in each of their last 5 games including 13 critical points vs Heights. A good night from him could be the difference.
EN
Nate Dickson
This is a guy that if he can have a very good game on both sides of the court, he’s going to give EN a chance to beat Central Noble. Dickson in his previous meeting vs the Cougars shot 70% from the field and recorded 20 critical points at the Jungle. EN is 4-1 this season when Dickson shoots 40% or higher and when he plays really well that number tends to go up to 60-80%. Central Noble better be prepared to face him and Hayden tomorrow night.
Conclusion: these two schools are only separated by 11 miles from each other by typically going through state roads 8 and 3 and onto S. Main St. and Henry St. But, this has been anything but a competitive rivalry, which lacks what DeKalb can provide for EN and what WN and Busco provide for CN. However, this is probably the most anticipated EN-CN game in over 20 years, so there’s a chance we may have ourselves one of those rare weeknights where we see a good size crowd for a Wednesday. At the end of day, this game is for bragging rights, but it gets them prepared for their upcoming slate of games. EN’s next 4 games consist of a road trip to Leo, a makeup away game vs West Noble, a big home match against highly ranked Norwell, and a tough away game vs Bellmont. For the Cougars, they’ll be playing @ Eastside for the 2nd time in the last 10 days, then travel to Busco the following Friday where the Eagles will be motivated from the NECC semifinal game, and two home games vs a 2-win Bethany Christian team and a rematch with 2A state powerhouse Prairie Heights, who is in the driver’s seat of the conference race.
Around the NorthEast Corner 