Prep Boys Basketball Previews

TONIGHT'S GAMES

SOUTHWOOD AT MANCHESTER (TRC)

Tipoff - 7:30 p.m. in North Manchester

Coaches - Steve McClure (Southwood), Gary Goshert (Manchester)

Records - Southwood 1-3, 0-0 TRC; Manchester 1-5, 0-0 TRC

Last Game - Eastern Howard 69, Southwood 50; Huntington North 63, Manchester 52

Last Year - Southwood 49, Manchester 46

Matchup - Six-foot-six Sergey Struck leads the Knights into North Manchester tonight. A junior, Struck returns as the team's leading scorer from last year's 5-16 squad. Struck averaged 9.2 points per game and 9.3 rebounds for Southwood last year. Squire Nick Poe exploded for 25 points in Manchester's last game against Huntington North.

WHITKO AT T. VALLEY (TRC)

Tipoff - 7:45 p.m. in Akron

Coaches - Larry Lael (Whitko), Bill Patrick (Valley)

Records - Whitko 0-5, 0-0 TRC; Valley 4-1, 0-0 TRC

Last Game - West Noble 65, Whitko 57; Valley 63, Peru 53

Last Year - Valley 43, Whitko 42

Matchup - Throw away the records when Valley and Whitko square. Last year, Valley escaped South Whitley with a 43-42 win and can't overlook this year's winless Wildcat squad. Shane Denny has proven to be a pleasant surprise for Bill Patrick's Viking squad. Denny, a senior, is averaging 15 points per game to go along with six rebounds.

NEW PRAIRIE AT TRITON (NSC)

Tipoff - 8:30 p.m. in Bourbon

Coaches - Mike Babcock (New Prairie), Mike McBride (Triton)

Records - New Prairie 0-4, 0-0 NSC; Triton 0-6, 0-0 NSC

Last Game - Mishawaka Marian 67, New Prairie 60; Culver Academy 56, Triton 42

Last Year - New Prairie 75, Triton 70

Matchup - One team will pick up its first win of the season when New Prairie travels to Triton tonight. The Trojans fell to New Prairie 75-70 last year and will need to slow down six-foot-four center John Haggard who averaged 10.4 points per game last year and is New Prairie's top scorer from last year's team.

WARSAW AT WAWASEE (NLC)

Tipoff - 7:45 p.m. in Syracuse

Coaches - Doug Ogle (Warsaw), Phil Mishler (Wawasee)

Records - Warsaw 4-1, 0-0 NLC; Wawasee 2-0, 0-0 NLC

Last Game - Penn 43, Warsaw 38; Wawasee 74, Bremen 54

Last Year - Warsaw 60, Wawasee 49

Matchup - Wawasee looks to beat the Tigers for just the third time in 18 meetings tonight. Warsaw is coming off a 38-point performance against Penn and will need more offensive explosion against a Warrior squad that is averaging 71 points per game. Before their loss to the Kingsmen last Saturday, the Tigers were off to their best start since the 2000 season. While Warsaw beat the Warriors 60-49 in the regular season, they also dispatched Wawasee in the NLC tournament, 59-55.

SATURDAY'S GAMES

MANCHESTER AT BLUFFTON

Tipoff - 7:30 p.m. in Bluffton

Coaches - Gary Goshert (Manchester), Wayne Barker (Bluffton)

Records - Manchester 1-4, Bluffton 3-0

Last Game - Huntington North 63, Manchester 52; Bluffton 42, Northfield 34

Last Year - N/A

Matchup - Manchester will have to deal with an experienced senior backcourt in Spencer Harris and Bill Leising. Harris is averaging 20.7 points per game, while Leising is at 15.3. The Tigers are 67-11 over the last three years with three straight sectional championships. This is the first matchup between the two teams in over 10 years.

T. VALLEY AT SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH'S

Tipoff - 7:45 p.m. in South Bend

Coaches - Bill Patrick (Valley), Keith Kurowski (South Bend St. Joseph's)

Records - Valley 4-1, South Bend St. Joseph's 2-2

Last Year - Valley 53, South Bend St. Joseph's 50

Matchup - Due to bad weather, Valley and St. Joe's season opener scheduled for November 24th was pushed to Saturday night. The Indians and coach Keith Kurowski welcome a Valley squad that has developed four legitimate scoring threats in Shane Denny, John Gibson, David Lash and Shane Drudge. The Vikings struggled to beat St. Joe's at home last year and will need a solid performance from their four horsemen when they travel to the school across the street from the University of Notre Dame. Kurowski is a 1996 Notre Dame graduate and played for the Fighting Irish men's basketball team.

WARSAW AT ELKHART CENTRAL

Tipoff - 7:45 p.m. in Elkhart

Coaches - Doug Ogle (Warsaw), Mike Drews (Elkhart Central)

Records - Warsaw 4-1, Elkhart Central 2-1

Last Game - Penn 43, Warsaw 28; Elkhart Central 57, Goshen 42

Last Year - Elkhart Central 60, Warsaw 56

Matchup - Western Michigan recruit Derek Drews welcomes the Tigers to North Side gym Saturday night. Drews, an Indiana all-star candidate is averaging 24.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. This game will be Warsaw's fourth in eight days and its last until the start of the NLC tournament, December 28th. The Blue Blazers have won the last two meetings including last year's 60-56 win in the Tiger Den.

WAWASEE AT ANGOLA

Tipoff - 7:30 p.m. in Angola

Coaches - Phil Mishler (Wawasee), Greg Holmes (Angola)

Records - Wawasee 2-0, Angola 3-2

Last Game - Wawasee 74, Bremen 54; Angola 65, New Haven 49

Last Year - Wawasee 68, Angola 43

Matchup - Due to Wawasee's extended football playoff run, the Warriors contest against Angola scheduled for November 27th was moved to Saturday night. While Wawasee defeated the Hornets 68-43 last year in the regular season, Angola ended the Warriors season with a 73-65 win in last year's sectional at NorthWood. This will be the second game of the weekend for both teams as Wawasee hosts Warsaw tonight while Angola travels to Westview. Cody Monroe, who averaged nine points per game last year, is the only returning starter for the Hornets.