Friday's Finest Faceoffs - 1/30

There are a boatload of great games scheduled for today, and barring weather cancellations, here are some of the best. There are matchups of highly ranked teams, rivalry games, and many individual players of note to watch out for, so let's take a look at a lucky thirteen great games for today!

Zionsville (12-1) at Avon (7-7) - The Eagles are having one of the best seasons in school history. They are led by a pair of great juniors in 6'4 guard Jack Isenbarger and 6'5 forward Chris Welker, both of who are potential D1 recruits. They also have a great sophomore guard in Demetrius Lawson. Avon is led by two sophomore guards, Kendall Griffin and JuJuan Sarver, and 6'7 freshman forward Austin Burgett. Griffin and Burgett were recently on campus at IU for the Minnesota game. I think Zionsville will continue to roll in this one.

Terre Haute North (7-7) at Terre Haute South (12-2) - This cross-town rivalry game is always a good one, even though the team from South is likely highly favored at home. The visiting Patriots feature 6'8 sophomore big man Justin Gant, who is becoming a highly coveted recruit, already collecting a few scholarship offers including one from Iowa. The Braves have a stable full of great guards, none better than senior Mr. Basketball candidate and Indiana State recruit Jake Odum, who is putting up ridiculous numbers this season. I'll go with the home team in this one.

Plainfield (8-4) at Decatur Central (11-3) - Plainfield is having an excellent season thus far, including their unexpected championship in the Hendricks County Tournament. They are led by 6'9 center and Albany signee Blake Metcalf and guard Brian Mucho. The Quakers are hot, and have won five straight. The Hawks are a big surprise story this season, posting an impressive 11-3 record thus far. They are led by likely Indiana All-Star 6'5 forward Blake Beasley. Despite recent struggles, losing two of their last four, I expect Decatur to come away with a win in this one.

Noblesville (8-3) at Brownsburg (9-4) - The Millers have had an up and down season.They have had big wins over schools such as Carmel and Lafayette Jeff, but have also had some close losses in which they could have come away on top. They are led by junior forward Leland Brown, who can do a little bit of everything. Brownsburg struggled out of the gates as the defending State Champs, but they are righting the ship. Since starting 0-3 on their championship hangover, the Bulldogs have won nine of ten, with their one loss to Plainfield in the Hendricks County Tournament. They are led by 6'10 junior center Enique Mason, and they have several great guards, including Austin Fish and sophomore sensation Torrey Nibbs. I expect the Bulldogs to continue their hot streak.

Lafayette Central Catholic (8-5) vs. Lafayette Jeff (9-7) - This matchup of Lafayette teams should be a good one. LCC is one of the top teams in 1A and are prepared to take on bigger schools because of the brutal schedule they play. They are led by senior guard Dru Anthrop, who has had some huge games this season, including a 38-point outing against Cathedral. Jeff has been up and down also, starting 5-0, then going 4-7 since. They are led by high-scoring junior guard Jesse Berry, who has exceeded 40 points in a game more than once this year. Despite their uneven play, I expect the Bronchos to win at home.

Kokomo (7-6) at Anderson (8-3) - The WildKats are coming off a huge win, handing the former number one team in 2A, Tipton, their second loss of the season, and knocking them down from number one. They are led by 6'7 senior forward Patrick Hopkins, who is headed to Indiana Wesleyan. Anderson is reeling a bit. After starting the season 8-1, they have lost two straight decisions against tough foes Marion and New Albany. It was not so surprising that the Indians lost, but the manner in which they did, losing both by more than 12 points. Despite the consecutive losses, I think being at home should aid Anderson in getting back in the win column.

Jay County (9-1) at Anderson Highland (9-5) - The Patriots are struggling a bit after starting 8-0. First, they lost to 2A power Winchester on the road, and they followed that up with another sub par performance, needing overtime to escape with a win against 2A Centerville. The Scots are hot, winning six of their last seven, including impressive victories over Guerin, Anderson, Lapel, and Hamilton Southeastern. They are led by an intriguing prospect in 6'10 senior center Asauhn Tatum. I think Highland will continue their strong play and get another win.

Hamilton Heights (8-5) at Tipton (11-2) - Heights is playing strong basketball right now, winners of five in a row. The Huskies will need that same strong play to upset Tipton, the number two team in 2A. The Blue Devils lost their last game at home to Kokomo in heartbreaking fashion, 52-51. They will look to rebound behind the strong play of Derek Elston, a 6'9 forward and IU signee, and of Greg Dickey, a heady point guard who is deadly from deep. Give me the Blue Devils in this one.

Guerin Catholic (9-5) at Heritage Christian (10-2) - This game pits two of the best 2A teams in Indianapolis, and possibly the state, against each other. Guerin likes to play an up-tempo game, shooting tons of threes and going for easy put-backs. They are led by senior guard Ryan Nowicki, averaging over 20 points a game, and senior forward Michael McMahon, a double-double machine who is shooting nearly 60% from deep. Heritage boasts one of the top team defenses in the state, holding teams to an average of 47 points per game. They are led by 6'5 senior guard Tommy Eggleston, who is putting up around 15 points per game for the defensive-minded Eagles. He is becoming a hot commodity in the recruiting scene and should be a quality late signee for a D1 school. They also feature 6'4 senior forward Morgan Cook, a football standout who is averaging 11.5 points a game. Look for Heritage, the number four team in 2A, to get a home win.

Ft. Wayne Snider (11-1) at Ft. Wayne Dwenger (9-3) - Snider is a top 4A team who is playing great basketball behind 6'6 senior forward Bradley Sneary and coaches son Jonathon Sims. Their only loss came to 2A number one ranked Bishop Luers. Dwenger is the number seven ranked team in 3A. They feature some great post play in Notre Dame football recruit Tyler Eifert and 6'8 sophomore Tony Springmann, who Matt Painter has been to see already this season. I like Dwenger in this one.

Evansville Memorial (11-1) at Princeton (14-0) - In a second consecutive one-versus-two matchup, the Princeton Tigers will face Memorial a week after facing former number two, Washington. Memorial's only loss came unexpectedly to Mater Dei in the SIAC Tournament. Strangely, all of their last three wins were overtime games! Princeton is led by a trio of stud sophomores in point guard Jalen Packer and twin forwards Dontray and Rontray Chavis. There is some talk that this game will be rescheduled due to weather for next Tuesday. If it is played tonight, IU coach Tom Crean is expected to be in attendance. Give me the Tigers to stay unbeaten.

Bloomington South (13-0) at Pike (8-4) - This game is huge because on conference implications. Both team are 4-0 in Conference Indiana play. The Panthers, the number one team in 4A, look almost invincible, recently dismantling a worthy opponent in Franklin Central, 77-45. They are led by a trio of fantastic guards: senior Jordan Hulls (an IU signee), and sophomores Spencer Turner and Dee Davis (both D1 level recruits). They also get strong post play from junior forward Eric Fromm. Pike is heating up after a slow start, winning five of their last six. They feature one of the best sophomores in the nation in point guard Marquis Teague, who is being courted by teams like Purdue and Louisville, and recently visited IU for the Minnesota game. Pike also gets great production from junior forward Khristian Smith and sophomore guard Chandler Thomas. Despite being on the road, I'll take the Panthers.

Bloomington North (7-5) at Franklin Central (13-3) - In another big Conference Indiana matchup, the Cougars and the Flashes try to keep pace with the two teams above. North is led by the great play of junior point guard Julian Boatner, a likely D1 recruit. The Flashes are faltering a bit, losing two of three, with one in embarrassing fashion to Bloomington South. Franklin Central has a great leader in senior point guard Casey Coons, a Taylor recruit, and they get strong play from 6'8 versatile forward Patrick Bade, a Purdue signee.

Players such as Tyler Koch (Winchester), Cody Zeller (Washington), Justin Jordan (Ft. Wayne North), Raphael Davis (Ft. Wayne South), and Deshaun Thomas (Luers) are also in action tonight. Check back tomorrow for results to these games!