Friday's Finest Faceoffs - A Sweet Sixteen for 1/23

Hey hoops fans, and good Friday morning! Will the Indianapolis City Tournament in full swing and a bevy of other unbelievable games on the docket, Friday, January 23rd could go down as one of the best days of hoops for this whole regular season. There are some awesome matchups of highly ranked teams, including a face off of a number one versus a number two, as well as the most highly anticipated rematch of the year! Let's take a look, starting with the huge rematch for Indianapolis bragging rights!

1. North Central (14-0) at Lawrence North (12-2) - The Wildcats of LN will have revenge on their minds as they square off against North Central, who recently embarrassed them, leading by as many as 21 points, in the finals of the Marion County Tournament. Home court advantage could be a huge factor in this game, but the 4A number two ranked Panthers are an experienced bunch who don't get rattled easily. They are led by high scoring junior guard Terone Johnson, a Purdue recruit averaging nearly 25 points per game. They also feature one of, if not the top freshmen in the state (according to the poll to the right) in guard D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera. They also have two potential D1 seniors in wing Damon Ellison and post player Justin Reid. The Wildcats have a stable full of bigs, led by 6'9 senior Stephan Van Treese, a Louisville signee. Juniors Dominique Ferguson and Justin Martin, and sophomore Ryan Taylor add more size and scoring, and 6'9 senior Jeff Robinson is a great sixth man. I expect LN to even the season series at one apiece in this one, but it won't be easy!

2. Princeton (13-0) at Washington (10-1) - This game pits the 3A number one ranked Princeton Tigers against the 3A number two ranked Washington Hatchets in what is sure to be an old-fashioned barn burner. Princeton is led by a trio of sensational sophomores in point guard Jalen Packer and twin wing players Dontray and Rontray Chavis. Washington is led by 6'7 junior post player Cody Zeller, a familiar surname for Indiana hoops fans. Older brother Luke is a senior at Notre Dame and middle brother Tyler is a freshman at North Carolina. Cody is playing some of his best basketball to date, despite coming off a fractured hand. I like the Tigers to stay undefeated in this clash of 3A titans!

3. Batesville (8-2) at Lawrenceburg (7-1) - Another revenge game is going down as Batesville looks to avenge their early season home loss to the Lawrenceburg Tigers. The Bulldogs have won four in a row and are the seventh ranked team in 3A. Six-four senior shooting guard Colt Ryan, and Evansville signee, leads the way for Batesville. Lawrenceburg has split their last two games, with one win and one loss against South Dearborn. They are number five in 2A. I'll take the Bulldogs on the road.

4. Terre Haute South (11-1) at Carmel (7-4) - The Greyhounds are looking to bounce back after two devastating losses, one to Cathedral and one to Pike, in their last three games. Terre Haute South is one of two teams to hand Lawrence North a loss this season, with North Central obviously being the other. Carmel is led by senior forward Morgan Newton and junior forward Scott Laskowski, and also feature one of the state's best freshmen in 6'10 center AJ Hammons. The Braves have a stable full of great guards, most notably 6'2 senior and Indiana State commit Jake Odum. I think the Braves, the number four team in 4A, will keep it rolling against the Greyhounds.

5. Anderson (8-1) at Marion (9-1) - This game features two top-ten ranked teams in 4A, with Anderson being number ten and Marion checking in a number six. Marion has a legit Mr. Basketball candidate in 6'6 senior wing Scott Wood, who is headed to play in the ACC for NC State next year. He will rejoin former teammate Julius Mays to play for the Wolfpack and coach Sidney Lowe. I like the home team in this one.

6. Zionsville (10-1) at Fishers (8-5) - Zionsville is one of the big surprise teams in the Indy area this year, led by 6'5 sophomore guard Jack Isenbarger, a kid who can create a lot of mismatches based on his size, speed, and great shooting. Fishers is on a tear, winning five of their last six games, with their only loss being a double-OT loss to Lafayette Jeff and high-scoring guard Jesse Berry. Fishers is led by another high-scoring guard in Matt Lenz, a great outside shooter. I expect the Eagles to get a big Crossroads Conference road win tonight.

7. Terre Haute North (7-5) at Warren Central (7-7) - The Patriots are a tough team, led by a great young talent in 6'9 sophomore Justin Gant, who has a video posted below. He is one of the many recruits who will be in Bloomington on Sunday to watch IU take on Minnesota. The Warriors were at the top of their game, making all the way to the Marion County finals before losing to North Central, and then turning around to lose a one-point stunner to Southport. They will look to rebound at home in this one, and will likely try to counter Gant's size with size of their own in 6'9 senior Ed Hazelett, a Western Kentucky football recruit. I think Warren Central's overall athleticism will prove to be too much for the Patriots.

8. Tipton (10-1) at Benton Central (5-3) - The Blue Devils are looking for some solid competition! Their only loss came this year at the Hall of Fame Classic by one point to 4A powerhouse Franklin Central. Tipton 6'9 senior and IU signee Derek Elston will look to solidify his candidacy as a top choice for Mr. Basketball. The Bison are no slouch, playing a tough 3A schedule and winning four of their last five games. Look for Tipton to stay atop 2A with another win.

9. Muncie Central (6-5) vs. Muncie South (6-4) - This rivalry game is being played on a neutral court at the Muncie Fieldhouse in front of what should be a packed gym. The Rebels have won three in a row and four of five, with their only loss in that stretch coming to 4A standout Cathedral. The Bearcats are led by a solid guard duo in 6'2 senior and Ball State signee Jauwan Scaife and super-sophomore Jeremiah Davis, another 2011 product who will be on campus at IU this weekend. I'll take the Bearcats in a tight one.

10. Jay County (8-0) at Winchester (8-3) - The Patriots are another big state surprise, going undefeated so far and having the number 14 ranking in 4A. They look to keep rolling against Winchester, who has won four in a row and are currently ranked number 11 in 2A. The Golden Falcons are bolstered by the return of 6'4 senior wing Tyler Koch, a Wright State signee. He has played in only four of their eleven games this year due to suspension by the team and an ankle injury after that. If he gets going, they are tough to stop. I'll take the "upset" here, and go with Winchester at home.

11. Hamilton Southeastern (6-6) at Avon (7-5) - The Royals are reeling. They started the season at 4-0, but have since lost six of their last eight. They have, however, won two of their last three. Avon's play has been inconsistent, but they are loaded with young talent, including sophomore guards Kendall Griffin and JuJuan Sarver, and freshman 6'7 wing Austin Burgett. Griffin is another 2011 stud who'll be at the IU game on Sunday. Give me the Orioles at home.

12. Guerin Catholic (9-4) at Brebeuf Jesuit (6-5) - The Golden Eagles are the surprise team of 2A, coming in at number 15 in the class. They are currently stumbling a bit, losing three out of their last four games. They are led by sharpshooting guard Ryan Nowicki and do-it-all combo forward Michael McMahon. Brebeuf has a stable of talented guards in Evan Kroot and Jack Dillon, and they also have size in 6'9 senior Michael Barton. I'll take the home team in this one. I really like what coach Andy Fagan is doing at Brebeuf.

13. Ft. Wayne South Side (2-9) at Ft. Wayne North Side (8-2) - The game may not be that close, but it is a rivalry game, and there are some top prospects of note in this one. The South Side Archers have one of the best freshmen in the state in 6'5 scoring guard Raphael Davis, who is averaging right around 15 points per game. North Side has senior Justin Jordan, a 5'10 point guard who is an Indiana All-Star candidate and is going to be a great late signee for some lucky D1 team. The home team should run away with this one.

14. Gary West (8-2) at Gary Wallace (10-4) - This game matches up two of the best teams in the Gary area. West Side features 2010 standout shooting guard Xavier Jones who is fast becoming a hot prospect in the state. Lew Wallace has one of the state's top sophomores in forward Brandon Dawson. This game is for bragging rights in the area, and I'll take West in this one.

City Tournament Games

15. Heritage Christian (9-1) vs. Northwest (8-5) - Both teams won their first round games to advance to the quarterfinals. Northwest is an athletic, pressing team led by senior guard Eric Prather (13 ppg) and junior forward Ronald Ross (13 ppg), a transfer from Indianapolis Washington. The Eagles, the number four team in 2A, are coming off a decisive win over Manual in which they got 29 points from 6'5 senior guard Tommy Eggleston (15 ppg) and 16 from senior forward Morgan Cook (11.5 ppg). Heritage also has one of the best in the class of 2012 in 6'6 wing Joel Smith (7 ppg, 5 rpg). This game will feature contrasting styles, as the Space Pioneers like to press full court and get easy layups, while the Eagles play solid half court man-to-man (25th in the state in scoring defense) and run a more disciplined offense. I like Heritage to move on and face the winner of.....

16. Cathedral (9-1) vs. Indianapolis Washington (4-8) - Washington is the underdog in this game, but they have the players to be able to pull off an upset of the 4A number seven Irish. The Continentals are led by junior point guard Brandon Demmings, one of the quickest players in the state. They also have a solid defensive presence in the paint in 6'6 junior center Tony Tolliver. Cathedral counters with 6'6 senior and Purdue signee Kelsey Barlow and 6'6 senior post player Errick Peck. I think the Irish will roll in this one, however, as they are the three-time defending City Champs.

So there you have it, a Sweet Sixteen of games to pay attention to on Friday the 23rd of January! Check back tomorrow for the results of these games, as well as any other noteworthy team or individual performances. Go out and catch one of these fantastic games, hoops fans!