(Tae Johnson looks to push North Side to new heads as a sophomore)

 

Indiana high school basketball is upon us once again. We here at Indiana Basketball Source aim to highlight the best teams and players from all 92 counties in the Hoosier state. We also want to help the fans enjoy the fantastic action taking place in gyms around the state. To do that, we present our weekly Week In Preview feature, which spotlights ten of the best games taking place during the coming week in Indiana.

 

All times listed here are Eastern via JohnHarrell.net. Without further ado - our first installment of Week In Preview for the 2021-2022 high school basketball season.

Monday, November 22nd

Warren Central at Tech 7:30 pm

Louisville signee Tae Davis leads his dad's Warren Central team downtown to face the emerging Tech Titans. The latter welcome talented transfers Reggie Bass and Rasheed Jones to their backcourt this season. Both teams are part of the toughest sectional in the state, 4A's vaunted Sectional 10.

 

Tuesday, November 23rd

Carmel at Zionsville 7:30 pm

An opening week tradition, last year's 4A champion Greyhounds, led by the senior duo of Pete Suder and Charlie Williams, head west to take on one of the state's best junior pairings, point guard Logan Imes and forward Nick Richart of Zionsville. Suder is the top uncommitted 2022 player in the state. Imes is a fast-rising high-major 2023 prospect.

 

Fishers at Ben Davis 7:30 pm

Zane Doughty, Jesse Faires, Clay Butler, Sheridan Sharp, and KJ Windham look to bring Ben Davis back to statewide prominence despite the graduation of talented guard Jayden Brewer. An early test could let us know where the Giants stand, as they battle a physical Fishers group led by four-year starter and Miami (OH) football commit Jeff Simmons and do everything guards Charlie Smith and Bryce Williams. Fishers freshman Jalen Haralson will be a statewide attraction sooner rather than later.

 

North Daviess at Loogootee 7:30 pm

These two teams combined for a 39-8 record last year and look to start this season off on the right foot. Talented 2023 guard Jaylen Mullen leads North Daviess against the Lions and junior guard Peyton Bledsoe, who were victorious in this matchup last year, 42-40 in overtime.

 

Wednesday, November 24th

Avon at Plainfield 7:30 pm

A Hendricks County matchup between these fierce rivals kicks off Thanksgiving break. Crishon McCray and new head coach Drew Schauss look to help the Orioles bounce back from a disappointing 2021 season. Sophomore Jordan Lomax is a scorer that could make noise this season for Avon. Plainfield was one of the better teams in the state last year, going 24-3, but lost a ton to graduation. Cael Vanderbush is the lone returning starter back for the Quakers.

 

Dekalb at Northrop 7:30 pm

Cole Richmond went out with a bang, dropping 38 points in a sectional loss to Snider. New Baron boss Marty Beasley comes over from Carroll, and he'll instill a defensive mindset that will challenge opponents. There's a new face at Northrop too as UIC commit Jalen Jackson comes over from Carroll for his senior year. Maybe the most physical guard in the state, Jackson's game too a big jump over the spring and summer, and he looks to help the Bruins rebound from a 6-14 campaign a year ago.

 

Woodlan at New Haven 7:30 pm

EACS bragging rights are on the line in this matchup of two teams that return much of their rosters from last season. Nightly 20-10 production from Joe Reidy is what we can expect from the Warriors. At the same time, New Haven looks to a couple of talented frontcourt performers in Jakar Williams and Darrion Brooks to get the Bulldogs rolling this season.

 

Friday, November 26th

Our first highlighted inter-regional matchup as Tindley, a 1A semistate team a year ago, heads up I-65 to face off against Gary 21st Century. Tindley will hope for a big season from forward Aaron Humphrey to get ready for another March run. One of the state's most athletic guards, Ashton Williamson, headlines a 21st Century roster that could make some noise in the Region. Quentin Floyd posted huge numbers for 21st Century last year as a sophomore.

 

Saturday, November 27th

North Side at Lawrence North 4:30 pm

North Side finished strong last season, winning nine of their last 11 games, with the lone two losses coming to sectional champ Carroll. This squad remains mostly intact, which is good news when you have the best sophomore in the state in Tae Johnson to go along with Rodney Woods, Ryan Collins, and Brashawn Bassett. Last year, Lawrence North finished their season strong, making it to the state finals before falling in overtime to Carmel. Much of last season's production graduated, and Indiana signee CJ Gunn is out for the first month of the season due to a toe injury. Youngsters like Myles Baker and Azavier Robinson will need to step up.

 

Pike at Hamilton Southeastern 7:30 pm

No one helped themselves more during the grassroots season than Ryan Conwell, who turned a productive junior season into a commitment to South Florida. The combo guard can score in bunches and leads the Red Devils to Fishers, where an HSE squad lost their head coach, Brian Satterfield, to the girls' program and most of their production from a year ago. Sam Jacobs returns for his third year in the starting lineup, and he'll need new faces to emerge quickly for the Royals to maintain their winning ways.