We get into some boy/girl doubleheaders that should be fun this week, including Friday night in the SAC that includes a non-picked tradition of North Side versus South Side.
We get to see some area powers against non-Big 4 conference teams and on the boys side, we officially get fully into the season as the last area team to not yet play a game (East Noble) gets to show whether they can live up to preseason hype.
Lets get into it.
LAST WEEK: 16-4 (8-2 boys, 8-2 girls)
THIS SEASON: 45-15
GIRLS
Bluffton at Wabash, Tuesday
Two of the area’s best players square off with Bluffton’s Isabella Stout and Wabash’s Brookelynn Buzzard going head to head here; but keep in mind just how deep both of these squads are outside of their stars. This could easily be the best game we see in Northeast Indiana all season and that is saying alot. A great Tuesday special game. BOUNCE PICKS WABASH
Central Noble at Lakewood Park, Tuesday
Another high end opponent for the Panthers and Ava McGrade. She is one of the best pure scorers in the area and should be difficult to contain here. That said, Central Noble has been quietly flexing their strengths all season and Grace Swank is coming off a stellar 20 point performance. BOUNCE PICKS CENTRAL NOBLE
East Noble at Northrop, Tuesday
The East Noble girls have had a steady season and one that they should be happy with. That said, they are going to have to really take care of the ball against a Northrop team who has been so stout defensively. BOUNCE PICKS NORTHROP
Homestead at Columbia City, Tuesday
The Eagles have reloaded quite well and that may come as a surprise to some, but it is something that coach Amy Shearer has been able to do well for years. Addison Baxter versus Gabby Helsom and/or Myah Epps is worth the price of admission alone. But that is also Columbia City’s biggest issue: they have Addison Baxter and Homestead has two right there just as good as well as more depth. BOUNCE PICKS HOMESTEAD
Carroll at Concordia, Friday
Concordia has had some early season successes and letdowns. This opener of a girl-boy SAC double header will really help us see where the Cadets fit. Carroll’s record may not be fully indicative of how well they have played because of the quality of opponents. BOUNCE PICKS CARROLL
Columbia City at Norwell, Friday
Two of the four remaining teams at 1-0 in the NE8 battle here and these games have been nothing short of amazing the last few seasons. Do not expect any different here. Do expect an offensive showcase on both side. BOUNCE PICKS NORWELL
East Noble at Bellmont, Friday
Talk about NE8 implications. The other two 1-0 NE8 teams square off in a bit of an eliminator. You like where East Noble is at and their potential, but Bellmont has raced ahead early this season with being better than we expected (though I know coach Andy Heim expected it). BOUNCE PICKS BELLMONT
Woodlan at Bluffton, Friday
Could this decide the ACAC? Sure, Jay County is still in the equation but with Woodlan’s win over them, we have a contender game outside of the Patriots for the first time in a while. Alyssa Anderson is a real problem for anyone as arguably the best rebound in the area. But is Bluffton too top heavy for teams in the ACAC to keep pace with? BOUNCE PICKS BLUFFTON
South Adams at Adams Central, Saturday
A great in-county battle with two teams who have shown some flashes but really need a good win to propel them towards midseason and January’s ACAC Tournament. Winning a game against the other one is absolutely something to derive energy from. BOUNCE PICKS SOUTH ADAMS
Carmel at Snider, Saturday
The Panthers welcome in the perennial state power on Saturday and it is another step towards strengthening this lineup. Carmel is just 4-4 to start the season but their losses have come against pretty powerhouse programs. That said, their wins aren’t against the best competition, while Snider hasn’t had much of an off night at all. BOUNCE PICKS SNIDER
BOYS
East Noble at Northrop, Tuesday
The Knights will return to the court for the first time this season as they face off against a Bruins team who has already doubled last season’s wins. Football success can mean good things for basketball success and the Knights were already going to be favorites in a lot of games early this season. Nathan Bowker has done a great job leading the ship early in practices but getting football guys back is huge. That said, with Northrop’s early team and individual success, this isn’t a gimme. BOUNCE PICKS EAST NOBLE
Leo at South Side, Tuesday
The two biggest upsets of last week came from these teams with Leo over Wayne and South Side over Snider. The difference: South Side won their next game too while Leo was upset by Heritage. How do the Lions respond? How does South Side handle winning now at 3-0 for the first time since 2022? This is a much more intriguing game than it was seven days ago. BOUNCE PICKS LEO
Angola at Woodlan, Tuesday
Woodlan has a seen a lot of pressure defense early in this young season and has gone 0-2 against it. Angola has really surprised a lot of people with how intense they have been able to play through their 2-1 start. Has Woodlan figured out pressure better at this point? How does Angola bounce back from their first loss of the season Saturday opposite Concord? BOUNCE PICKS ANGOLA
Fairfield at Lakeland, Tuesday
This is a good early one with NECC implications as these are two of the best teams in the conference in many ways. Both sit 1-0 in the conference right now and Fairfield is going to continue to have success on all three levels while Lakeland’s perimeter is a bigger problem. BOUNCE PICKS LAKELAND
Wayne at New Haven, Wednesday
The Generals have their bounce back game done after their first loss last week. That is something that New Haven would probably prefer hadn’t happened. Wayne isn’t going to shoot as bad as they did against Leo much, but if New Haven can copy the Lions’ scheme a little bit and get the Generals frazzled, it helps their chances. But is Chase Barnes really going to allow that to happen again so soon? BOUNCE PICKS WAYNE
Westview at NorthWood, Thursday
The Panthers are 3-0 heading into the week, winning by around 13 points per game. Westview is similar at 3-1 but has NorthWood played a better field of competition? Westview has depth scoring and Daniel Yoder’s emergence has only helped that. BOUNCE PICKS NORTHWOOD
Garrett at Angola, Friday
Considered the game of the week within the NECC, these two teams are off to their best starts in a longtime each way. If they both win their Tuesday matchups, expect this game to be a rockin’ one on Friday night. Two scrappy teams going at it with solid depth both ways. You have to wonder if Garrett being more experienced is the cream that rises to the top? Expect a barn burner and if we picked a line here, it would be pretty even. But we don’t. BOUNCE PICKS GARRETT
Wayne at Snider, Friday
The Generals’ race to a SAC title means that they have to get through, early, the team considered next team up in the years to come. Snider’s tough loss last week was kind of lopsided and while Wayne will have their own loss deep in the rearview at this point, neither really can feel comfortable taking another loss so soon; especially Snider who absolutely doesn’t want a second SAC loss. This one comes down to this: don’t pick against the crown unless you know it’ll fall. BOUNCE PICKS WAYNE
Snider at Warsaw, Saturday
Quick turnaround from the last game and my last pick. Snider goes from one power to the next. Warsaw is one of the better teams in the state right now and heading to their place is not any kind of advantage after a Friday conference game. BOUNCE PICKS WARSAW
Carroll at East Noble, Saturday
East Noble opens at home in a fun afternoon tilt. Carroll has done a really good job of controlling tempo in their games and not getting too sped up, which helps their bigs take control when needed. East Noble is going to be much more perimeter oriented and their skill and speed is an important advantage in this one. BOUNCE PICKS EAST NOBLE
Leo at Woodlan, Saturday
Always a fun EACS battle that means nothing but momentum. Both have to take care of other non conference related business earlier in the week. The Lions will need to bring intensity to their defensive pressure because Woodlan has already seen some tough defenses this season. BOUNCE PICKS LEO
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Don’t underestimate the lady Bluffton Tigers!