The new season started on a decent note as I went 15-4 (79 percent) last week. Here are my thoughts for the early week contests.
NOVEMBER 27
Elkhart Central (0-1) at Goshen (0-1): The RedHawks claimed a 48-36 win against Elkhart Central last season. Ryan Charles tallied 14 points in the Blazers’ 73-57 loss at Northridge. Porter Revoir netted 10 points in Goshen’s 55-38 loss to Fairfield. Matt’s pick: Goshen 51, Elkhart Central 46.
Elkhart Christian (0-1) at Elkhart Memorial (0-0): The Chargers slipped past Elkhart Christian, 39-37, a year ago. Luke Burns scored 16 points in the Eagles’ 66-50 loss to Clinton Christian. Hank Smith averaged 12.8 points a contest for Elkhart Memorial (15-13) last year. Chad Hibbard replaces Ryan Culp as Elkhart Christian’s leader. Matt’s pick: Elkhart Memorial 58, Elkhart Christian 45.
Glenn (0-1) at South Central (0-2): The Satellites suffered a 66-32 loss to Glenn a season ago. Carter Yung managed 16 points in the Falcons’ 57-52 loss to Plymouth. Zack Christy recorded 12 points in South Central’s 71-36 loss to Hanover Central. Matt’s pick: Glenn 60, South Central 47.
Saint Joseph (0-0) at Concord (0-1): The Indians cruised to a 69-44 loss to Concord in their last meeting. J.R. Konieczny is one of the leaders for Saint Joseph (15-9). Luke Shoemaker racked up nine points for the Minutemen in a 57-39 loss at Michigan City. Mark Johnson takes over for Mike Bauer at Saint Joe. Matt’s pick: Saint Joseph 64, Concord 56.
South Bend Career Academy (0-2) at Clay (0-1): The Trailblazers take on Clay for the first time on the hardwood. Ayden Clark mustered nine points in Career Academy’s 83-55 loss to LaVille. Nate Sanders had 16 points in the Colonials’ 67-62 loss to LaPorte. Matt’s pick: Clay 62, Career Academy 52.
Triton (1-0) at Plymouth (2-0): The Pilgrims rolled to a 59-27 win over Triton during the 2017-18 campaign. Jared Bules poured in 11 points in the Trojans’ 60-37 victory against Oregon-Davis. Jake Reichard’s 18 points helped Plymouth to a 56-52 win over New Prairie. Matt’s pick: Plymouth 53, Triton 44.
NOVEMBER 29
LaVille (1-0) at Bremen (0-0): The No. 5 (Class 2A) Lancers claimed a 59-41 triumph over Bremen a season ago. Jared Beehler netted a career-high 28 points for LaVille against Career Academy. Justin Zumbrun had a 9.5 point per game average for the Lions (6-18). Matt’s pick: LaVille 55, Bremen 49.