Top 5 High School Basketball Matchups of the Week: Jan. 20

Prep Girls Hoops

With several county tournaments in the books, we’re at the unofficial halfway point of the boys’ basketball regular season. Meanwhile, girls’ basketball enters the closing weeks of the regular season with the sectional draw coming up on Sunday.

Here are this week’s top five high school basketball matchups.

INDIANAPOLIS CITY TOURNAMENT (BOYS) – Jan. 21 – Jan. 25

Okay, this isn’t one game per se, but this tournament could feature an intriguing championship matchup between Crispus Attucks (9-3) and Cathedral (10-2). Both teams have a leg up in the 14-team field by earning first-round byes.

If Attucks and Cathedral do advance to Saturday’s championship game, fans would be treated to a matchup between two of the most prolific scoring guards in the state. Attucks is led Western Illinois commit Sincere McMahon (24.4 points per game) while Cathedral features sophomore stud Tayshaun Comer (17.8 points per game).

Some other sleeper picks to watch in the field are Howe (9-3) and Covenant Christian (8-4). Howe (9-3) has gotten off to a solid start under first-year head coach DeAndre Brock. Covenant Christian is led by senior F Noah Hedrick, who has averaged over 20 points per game this season.

CARMEL vs FISHERS (GIRLS) – Jan. 21

This is a fun matchup between a pair of Sectional 8 teams. In year’s past, this matchup has been dominated by Carmel – Fishers’ last win over Carmel came back in December 2013 – but this could the year Fishers ends the drought.

Fishers (17-1) bounced back from their first loss of the season with a 52-43 win over Brownsburg. Carmel (12-6) is peaking at the right time after winning their ninth in a row. Both teams are led by talented underclassmen. Fishers features leading scorer Katie Burton while Carmel is led by sophomore G Kate Clarke. Depending on how this weekend’s sectional draw plays out, this could be the first of two matchups within a span of three weeks.

HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN vs LAWRENCE NORTH (GIRLS) – Jan. 21

Lawrence North (20-1) has been waiting for this game for 333 days. The Lady Wildcats get their chance for payback after falling short to HSE in last year’s 4A state title game.

HSE (17-2) hasn’t been as dominant as last year’s state champion team, but they still feature likely Miss Basketball Sydney Parrish. The Oregon commit has torched the nets this season, averaging 26.7 points per game. Parrish will need to be at her best against a balanced Lawrence North team that features experienced veterans Katie Davidson, Jayla Smith, Kristian Young and Lauren Gunn.

Both teams are stingy on defense – HSE has allowed 40.1 points per game and Lawrence North is not too far behind allowing 41.9 points per game. This game could be a defensive struggle.

WARREN CENTRAL vs LAWRENCE CENTRAL (BOYS) – Jan. 24

Both teams are looking for a bounce-back win after tough losses in the Marion County tournament. Warren Central (8-3) was eliminated in a first-round loss at Pike and has now lost three in a row. Lawrence Central (14-2) is looking to get the sour taste of finishing as the runner-up out of their mouths.

Nijel Pack and Dre Davis combined for 38 points last Saturday against Lawrence North, but the rest of the team only combined to score eight. The rest of the starting five needs to do their share on a consistent basis. This will be a big point of emphasis especially against a tough, physical Warren Central team that prides themselves on defense.

NORTHWESTERN vs NORTH CENTRAL (GIRLS) – Jan. 25

The new top dog in Class 4A comes to Marion Co. this weekend to take on a surging North Central team. North Central (14-7) has begun to gel at the right time after losing four straight in the latter half of December. Since that losing streak, the Lady Panthers have won five of their last six, including impressive wins at Fishers and against Center Grove.

Northwestern (20-0) is led by dynamic duo Madison Layden and Kendall Bostic. Layden, a Purdue commit, has put together her own argument for this year’s Miss Basketball averaging 26.7 points and 5.8 assists per game. Northwestern has played against three central Indiana teams this season, defeating Noblesville, Carmel and Westfield.