Tuesday's Top Tips: 1/13

There are several great games going on all across the state this Tuesday, January the 13th. There are also two big-time tournaments of note occurring right here in Indianapolis and with our neighbors down south in Evansville. Let's take a look at some of the best individual games followed by a look at some of the top tournament matchups for the day!

Ft. Wayne Blackhawk (5-2) vs. Ft. Wayne South Side (1-6) - The record of South Side may not paint the full picture of why this game is so appealing. It will feature two of the best guards in the Ft. Wayne area with 6'7" junior sharpshooter Russell Byrd of Blackhawk, a Michigan State recruit, squaring off with 6'5" freshman athlete Raphael Davis. Davis is said to be on the verge of an IU offer and is one of the top players in the state in the 2012 class.

Ft. Wayne Snider (5-1) vs. Bishop Luers (9-2) - This may be the biggest test of the year for the Knights, led by Ohio State recruit, junior DeShaun Thomas. He is looking to become the top scorer in Allen County history, needing 38 points to set the all-time mark. Snider is the number-12 ranked team in 4A, led by senior big man Brad Sneary.

Marion County Tournament

Lawrence Central (4-4) vs. Warren Central (5-4) - This game should be a tough, grind-it-out style of game. Lawrence Central is led by LN transfer Marcus Jackson, who is liable to score 25-plus on any given night. The Warriors use their size to their advantage, boasting 6'9" Ed Hazelett in the middle.

North Central (10-0) vs. Beech Grove (6-3) - This should be another win for the visiting Panthers, led by junior Purdue recruit Terone Johnson, who is averaging around 25 points per game. North Central also boasts seniors Damon Ellison and Justin Reid as well as freshman standout D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera, who has early scholarship offers from IU and Purdue.

Ben Davis (1-7) vs. Lawrence North (10-1) - Another one that should be won by the ranked team. Ben Davis is playing well, however, recently giving North Central all they could handle at home. The Giants are led by senior guard and IUPUI recruit Greg Rice while LN counters with several D1 recruits including Stephan Van Treese, Justin Martin, Ryan Taylor (all Louisville), and Dominique Ferguson (Kentucky).

Franklin Central (11-1) vs. Pike (6-3) - This is the best early round matchup in the tournament as the number eight ranked Flashes take on Marquis Teague and the rising Red Devils. Teague, a sophomore, is averaging well over twenty points a game and is lightning-quick. He has offers from many big-time schools, including IU, Purdue, Louisville, and Wake Forest, where his brother Jeff plays. The Flashes will counter with 6'8" Patrick Bade, a Purdue recruit, and point guard Casey Coons (Taylor), who recently had nine three-pointers in a game. This match up of contrasting styles should be fun to see, and P-Hoops will be in attendance. The winner of this game will face the winner of Ben Davis - LN, which should make for a great second round tourney game.

Southern Indiana Conference Tournament

The games are finally drawn and set in this one, and there are four pretty good ones. Here are the matchups.

* Evansville Harrison (6-3) vs. Evansville Mater Dei (5-3)
* Evansville Central (4-5) vs. Evansville Memorial (7-0)
* Castle (5-4) vs. Evansville North (2-5)
* Evansville Reitz (5-5) vs. Evansville Bosse (5-5)

Check back tomorrow to see the results and top performers from these great games!