5 Takeaways from South Vermillion vs. Covington
Covington and South Vermillion faced off for the Wabash River Conference Championship and Covington came away with a 46-36 win in a game that wasn’t ever all that close. South Vermillion did a good job of not letting it slip completely away but Covington was in control the entire game.
Is this the year that Covington makes a deep run into the tournament?
Ranked #1 in 2A currently, Covington only has one loss on the year. That was to a very good 3A West Lafayette team. They have the team that can do it as they have all the parts necessary to make a deep run. They have won the last two years and made it to the regional championship last year. This team is very fundamental and they can shoot the ball. They will run into a buzzsaw in regionals with a likely meeting with three other top ten teams but I think this could be the year.
Could South Vermillion escape the year with a sectional title after going 9-14 last year?
South Vermillion isn’t a team that will blow you away but at 13-9 currently they could surprise some people in the tournament. Their sectional isn’t overly tough but Edgewood sits at 18-4 and have beaten some very good teams. They lost to Owen Valley his year already by nine, but Owen Valley isn’t that great of a team. I could see South vermillion playing for a sectional title, but to win it would take something special.
How will Spencer Pettit and Braden Kalber impact at the next level?
Pettit has an offer from Bethel and a host of other schools interested in him. He’s a lean, strong forward who can really go and get a basket. Pettit plays strong and will be a huge asset to a team at the NAIA level. Although he may not play right away, he will be a very solid college player. Kalber is a bit of a project piece. He’s a good defender and get in good position for blocks but he needs to add aggressiveness and strength. He’s listed as 6’10 but is more like 6’7 maybe 6’8.
Is Covington a legit #1?
Covington hasn’t really played super tough competition this year but they have pretty much rolled over ever team they have played with the exception of one team. Covington is deserving of their number one seed that they have earned. They only have one loss, to a great 3A team who will most likely win their sectional. Covington has all the bases covered in terms of players for their positions and a depthful bench as they play seven or eight guys a night.
Who’s going to have the better future?
Both teams are losing some key players, and probably their best players but I would have to give the edge to Covington. Both of their guards come back for next year and Colton Brown is going to be one of the best shooters in the conference starting next year. Covington has a good system in place. South Vermillion is also going to be solid in the years going forward but may struggle due to losing some guards and their big next year.