Oh, the drama!

Martinsville, at 15-2, is enjoying its best season since the 2001-02 squad went 19-7 and made it to the regional title game. That was the third of five sectional championships for Artesians head coach Tim Wolf, but he won’t be around to chase a sixth postseason title. Wolf, in charge at Martinsville for 25 years, resigned Monday after being found naked by police in his car with a 17-year-old girl in an Indianapolis park Sunday.

Wolf was 457-348 in 37 years overall as a head coach and he had ranked 10th among active coaches for wins.

The girl, who was released without arrest, reportedly worked at a restaurant that Wolf owns. A school employee told WRTV-6 that the girl is a recent graduate and that alleged inappropriate behavior between her and Wolf had been part of a yearlong conversation among teachers and coaches at the school.

Martinsville superintendent Dr. Ron Furniss told the Martinsville Reporter-Times that assistant coach Jason Gorrell was a candidate to take over for Wolf. Gorrell went 18-44 in three years as head coach at Waldron from 2004-07.

If John Wooden was still alive, he might demand that his name be taken off the Martinsville hardwood. Wooden, the former coaching legend at UCLA, was a three-time all-state selection for the Artesians, leading the squad to the 1927 Indiana state championship. He was eventually inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame as a player, and Martinsville later named its basketball court after him.

Now, onto less slimy basketball news. Here’s my ballot in this week’s Associated Press state basketball poll (listed in order 1-10 for each class):

4A — Hamilton Southeastern, Homestead, Pendleton Heights, Carmel, North Central, Kokomo, Cathedral, Lawrence Central, Ben Davis, Indianapolis Tech.

Warren Central slips from the No. 4 spot last week all the way out of the Top 10 after back-to-back losses to 3A Mt. Vernon (12-5) and Lawrence Central (12-5). … Adding to the Waldron mention above, Indianapolis Tech is 13-4 under first-year coach Jason Delaney, who guided Waldron to a 27-0 record and the 2004 Class A state title. Delaney resigned shortly after the state championship and took the head job at Southport. He was succeeded at Waldron by Gorrell. And when Gorrell left, his brother, Jason Gorrell, took over, and he remains the Mohawks’ coach. Delaney resigned from Southport in November, 2009, just as he was about to begin his fifth season at Southport. Perry Township School District officials also suspended him without pay as a social studies teacher “for inappropriate behavior with a colleague in the workplace,” according to a district news release at the time.

Wow. Someone should film a reality show about Indiana high school basketball coaches. Plenty of drama to go around.

Sort of got off track on the “less slimy” basketball news pledge, didn’t I?

At any rate, Delaney has done a commendable job in his first go-round with the Tech Titans. Prior to this season, the Titans had posted just one winning season in the last 10 years. Tech has played the state’s 20th toughest schedule, according to Sagarin, and it will take a five-game win streak into a battle at 2A No. 4 Broad Ripple (13-4) Friday.

3A — Greensburg, Muncie Central, Andrean, Brownstown, Evansville Bosse, Norwell, Fort Wayne Concordia, Mt. Vernon, Mishawaka Marian, Lebanon.

FW Concordia (13-4), winner of eight of its last nine games, moves into the poll, replacing Guerin. The Golden Eagles (15-5) have lost two straight. … Greensburg (18-0) and 4A No. 2 Homestead (18-0) are the state’s only remaining undefeated teams.

2A — Park Tudor, Hammond Noll, North Judson, Broad Ripple, Bowman Academy, Providence, Eastern (Greene), Sullivan, Tipton, Clarksville.

Park Tudor (16-2) took care of Broad Ripple 53-48 Saturday to cement its No. 1 status. … Providence has won six straight on the strength of the state’s third best defense, allowing only 38.8 points per game (tops in 2A).

1A — Barr-Reeve, Edinburgh, Triton, Orleans, University, Rockville, Lafayette Catholic, Loogootee, Fort Wayne Canterbury, Greenwood Christian.

Borden landed at No. 3 in the final poll after all the votes were tallied, but the Braves (16-1) have only three victories against teams with winning records. Their Sagarin strength of schedule is 374 (out of 414). Borden will get a legitimate test Friday when it visits 2A No. 6 Clarksville (16-1).

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