Friday Night Games to Watch (1/9)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There were several games moved from Friday night to Thursday night so fans could enjoy Indiana's College Football Semifinal matchup with Oregon. However, we still have a very busy slate of games to cover on Friday evening. Let's dive into five of the top matchups that we will be keeping an eye on.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Center Grove @ Southport</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Down on the south side of Indianapolis this game will tip-off early at 6:00 p.m. Southport features double-double machine [player_tooltip player_id='2252551' first='James' last='Kalala']. The 6'7" left-handed forward is one of the top unsigned senior prospects in the state. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2470624' first='Zavier' last='Laney'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2470620' first='Klinton' last='South'] lead the Trojans of Center Grove averaging 12.6 points and 11.0 points per game respectively. Braden Goodpastor is a senior to watch as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Crown Point @ Michigan City</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Prep Hoops Indiana #1 team in the state, Crown Point, will put their undefeated 8-0 record to the test at Michigan City. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2812791' first='Brian' last='Jackson'] leads a very balanced scoring attack for the Michigan City Wolves. [player_tooltip player_id='2446856' first='Isaiah' last='Smoot'], [player_tooltip player_id='1561100' first='Colson' last='Dobre'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2892547' first='Terrance' last='McCray'] are other seniors to know for the Wolves while freshman standout [player_tooltip player_id='3033288' first='Larry' last='Upshaw Jr.'] is a young prospect to watch. Crown Point is led by Illinois-Chicago signee [player_tooltip player_id='1561617' first='Dikembe' last='Shaw'] and Bellarmine signee [player_tooltip player_id='1561445' first='Mason' last='Darrell']. If you are in The Region this is the game for you this evening.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Forest Park @ Mt. Vernon (Posey)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These two teams are better than their 5-5 records suggest. Mt. Vernon (Posey) has beaten Evansville Reitz and Class 1A Top 5 Hauser along with competitive games against Gibson Southern and Heritage Hills. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2213017' first='Meyer' last='Robb'] is the player to watch for the Wildcats. Forest Park has lost four straight games, but they have been against good competition. 6'8" junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2140403' first='Kamdon' last='Partenheimer'] is a prospect to watch for the Rangers. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Homestead @ Fort Wayne South Side</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This could be a battle between the two best teams in the Fort Wayne area. South Side remains undefeated at 12-0 led by talented junior guards [player_tooltip player_id='2414963' first='Jayvon' last='Irby'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2140445' first='Terrance' last='Jordan']. Homestead is also led by a pair of juniors in 6'7" forward [player_tooltip player_id='2932419' first='Mack' last='Welker'] and guard [player_tooltip player_id='2054869' first='Jake' last='Coolman']. The Archers of South Side will look to push the tempo in this one while the Spartans of Homestead likely would prefer a bit more deliberate pace. Which ever side is able to control the style of play may have the upper hand on the scoreboard as well. This will be the game to watch in the Fort Wayne area this evening.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">South Bend Riley @ South Bend St. Joseph</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The battle for South Bend supremacy takes place this evening. South Bend St. Joseph's point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1560973' first='Ethan' last='Roseman'] has battled injury issues this season that have had him in and out of the lineup. At full strength, this team can beat anyone in the state of Indiana. However, they have also shown vulnerability at times. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2140359' first='Elijah' last='King'] and Notre Dame signee [player_tooltip player_id='2024513' first='Nick' last='Shrewsberry'] give them plenty of fire power. As for Riley, Da'Kori Parker missed the championship game of the Phil Cox Memorial Tournament when they fell to Northridge. Tyrese Johnson has been having an excellent season for the Wildcats. Indiana Tech bound [player_tooltip player_id='1561093' first='Isaiah' last='Packer'] is one to watch as well. This will be a fun matchup in South Bend this evening.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->