Three Indiana high school girls' basketball teams ended their season with nary a win to show for the floor burns, endless layup drills and excruciating halftime motivational speeches they endured this year.
Before we look at those three, a special mention of two teams:
First-year program Seton Catholic also went winless this season, but at 0-13, they did not play a full schedule (defined for the purposes of Winless Watch as 15 or more games plus the tournament). WW's super-double-top-secret formula had them ranked at the top for much of the season; they lost by nearly 40 points per game against the weakest schedule in the state as defined by Sagarin. But it was the Cardinals' first season of girls' basketball, and as I did with Indianapolis Tindley's boys last year, I will cut them some slack.
If it weren't for their season-opening win against Fall Creek 21st Century, Medora would have been a lock for Girls Team of the Year. Counting that 26-point win, the Hornets still averaged over 42 points per game less than their opponents. They scored fewer than 20 points on 14 separate occasions, and didn't break the 20-point mark offensively after Christmas. All of this futility was capped by a 62-2 defeat at the hands of Edinburgh in the last game of the regular season. After that dismal showing against the Lancers, I had predicted that they would go scoreless in their sectional tilt against Northeast Dubois. The Jeeps actually won, 82-9, and used the momentum of that tournament-opening win to advance deep in the tournament, falling just a game shy of the Class A state championship game.
With that, the final WW rundown for the girls' basketball season:
Fort Wayne Northrop checks in at #3. The Bruins wrapped up their season at 0-19, but were probably the best 19-loss team in the state; six of their losses came by 10 points or less, and their strength of schedule was 56th strongest in the state, says Sagarin, which is commensurate with their 4A classification. A couple of breaks their way, and Northrop isn't even mentioned in the same breath as …
#2 Wes-Del actually had a winning season last year, but struggled to an 0-20 campaign this year. Six of their defeats were by 10 points or less, including a three-game stretch where they lost by 5, 3 and 4 points. Sure, there were a handful of blowouts, but they are a Class A school playing a Class A-level strength of schedule (yet still played 8 teams above their class), and so Wes-Del has landed in the runner-up slot for WW Girls Team of the Year "honors." A couple of breaks their way, and the Warriors aren't even mentioned in the same breath as …
Our WW Girls Team of the Year had only two losses by less than 10 points, but still showed improvement in some areas over last year, when they went 1-15 and lost by an average of over 43 points per game. While Gary Wirt didn't post a win this year, there were only two real embarrassing outcomes on their schedule, a 93-11 defeat against Hammond and a 73-19 blowout against South Bend Adams. Still, the Troopers' strength of schedule was only 358th in the state according to Sagarin, which is a ranking far below what a Class 3A school should have.
Taking all of this into consideration, Gary Wirt is the 2007-08 WW Girls' Team of the Year, following in the footsteps of two-time defending TotY Indianapolis Howe (who played their way out of a possible threepeat with a resounding 5 wins this season).
We close the books on the girls' basketball season, and Winless Watch for the girls will return next winter.
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