Chesterton has proven to be the best team in northern Indiana, and while they have a signature win over Homestead, their schedule the rest of the way gets tougher. Travis Grayson, Chris Mullen and Justin Sims are the gotos, but they have plenty of options and depth. Keeping AJ Lux and Drew Adzia from getting clean looks is vital.

These two teams met a week ago for the NECC tournament championship. Central Noble rolled out with an 18 points win, and Conner Essegian scored a ridiculous 39 points. Gabe Trevino finished that game with 8 points, well below his season average. Being at home might help, but even if Essegian and Trevino's totals get more aligend, Central Noble still has Logan Gard.

North Daviess has one of the top two or three back courts at the 1A level. The Wilson twins are crafty and tough, and Jaylen Mullins really makes them go. They'll have a hard time with Linton's length. Joey Hart is a dynamic scorer, and at 6'5" is a very difficult matchup. Lump in that Braden Walters can guard most anyone at the HS level, Linton can find matchup advantages on either end of the floor.

Penn has entrenched itself so far as a 4A contender, and Marian, a 3A favorite, is a big rival. Markus Burton is going to have to solve Marian's defense, which will likely be in a zone as much as they can. Marian has a size/length advantage, especially with Kaleo Kakalia's versatility. For Penn, stopping RIchard Brooks will be a group effort, as they don't have an ideal matchup.

Pike was popped pretty good by Ben Davis last week, and Carmel, despite the recent loss to Westfield, has been playing good basketball and developing deeper rotations. Carmel had everyone back vs. Cathedral and controlled the whole game. Improved production from Dante Porch and Cam Caskey has aided Ryan Conwell and Devon Woods. When in doubt, Carmel's length is a weapon on both ends, and they have multiple +defenders to throw at Conwell.

Both these 2A teams have battled bigger schools and won. It's the Spaulding brothers vs. the Ullom brothers. Each team coached by their father. Eastern Hancock has struggled with quickness. The older Ullom can really score it and gets downhill.

North Central had a great week last week, running the table to win the Marion County Tournament. LN took a serious beating vs. Ben Davis in the opening round. North Central brings a lot of pressure to the court, and they get quicker as they go to their bench. CJ Gunn has worked to keep his teammates involved since his return from a foot injury, but they haven't really found their stride yet.