The new year started on a sour note as I went 17-10 (63 percent) last week. Heading into the first full week of 2026, my overall record is now 86-33, which leaves me at 72 percent.
TUESDAY
Adams (8-0) at Edwardsburg (4-2): The Eddies squeezed by Adams, 62-60, a year ago. Dion Taylor had a pair of free throws in the Eagles’ 53-21 win over Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger. Reed Gates accounted for 14 points in Edwardsburg’s 49-43 loss to Ostego. Matt’s pick: Adams 66, Edwardsburg 56.
Fairfield (6-0) at Goshen (7-0): The No. 9 (Class 4A) RedHawks downed No. 8 (Class 3A) Fairfield, 55-43, last year. Ben Kio’s 12 points paced the Falcons in their 62-47 win over Concord. Nathan Corbin knocked down a three-pointer in Goshen’s 65-42 win over East Noble. Matt’s pick: Goshen 57, Fairfield 52.
LaPorte (9-1) at Elkhart (4-4): The Slicers carved up Elkhart, 65-47, a season ago. Frankie Willis notched 18 points in the Lions’ 74-70 overtime loss to Fort Wayne North. Griffin Ott-Large finished with 17 points in LaPorte’s 45-42 win over Michigan City. Matt’s pick: LaPorte 69, Elkhart 64.
Marian (5-4) at Concord (1-5): The Knights crowned Concord, 74-35, during the 2018-19 campaign. Gavin Cronmiller tallied two points in Marian’s 60-38 loss to No. 4 (Class 3A) Columbia City. Dylan Miller’s 11 points were not enough for the Minutemen against Fairfield. Matt’s pick: Marian 61, Concord 53.
NorthWood (4-7) at Columbia City (8-1): The No. 3 Eagles edged NorthWood, 46-45, in the 2025 Class 3A sectional quarterfinals. Collin Deatsman mustered just two points in the Panthers’ 41-29 loss to Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger. Owen Marshall registered 11 points in Columbia City’s 69-40 win over Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger. Matt’s pick: Columbia City 58, NorthWood 51.
Plymouth (2-7) at Tippecanoe Valley (3-6): The Vikings got past Plymouth, 54-47, in their previous meeting. Kyleb Ellery totaled 10 points in the Pilgrims’ 53-48 loss to Twin Lakes. Wes Parker racked up 16 points in Tippecanoe Valley’s 45-43 win over Tipton. Matt’s pick: Tippecanoe Valley 46, Plymouth 41.
Riley (7-1) at Michigan City (5-4): The No. 10 (Class 4A) Wildcats cruised past Michigan City, 83-53, in their previous meeting. Tree Johnson amassed five points in Riley’s 43-38 loss to No. 10 (Class 4A) Northridge. Jaron Upshaw had six points in the Wolves’ 69-45 win over Mishawaka. Matt’s pick: Riley 79, Michigan City 60.
WEDNESDAY
Mishawaka (2-4) at Buchanan (4-3): The Bucks suffered a 67-64 loss to Mishawaka during the 2010-11 season. Landon Snyder racked up 11 points in the Cavemen’s 59-43 loss to Niles. Buchanan got over the .500 mark with a 47-42 decision over Michigan Lutheran. Matt’s pick: Buchanan 41, Mishawaka 38.
FRIDAY
Goshen (8-0, 1-0 NLC) at Concord (1-6, 0-1 NLC): The No. 9 (Class 4A) RedHawks tallied a 59-53 win over Concord a season ago. Ryen Diaz added two points in Goshen’s 66-63 win over No. 8 (Class 3A) Fairfield. Kolton McCloughen knocked down three points for the Minutemen in their 68-49 loss to Marian. Matt’s pick: Goshen 53, Concord 43.
Marian (6-4) at New Prairie (3-5): The Knights rolled to a 76-35 win over New Prairie a year ago. Elijah Maust came up with two points for Marian against Concord. Gabriel Banicki ended with three points in the Cougars’ 70-40 loss to Huntington North. Matt’s pick: Marian 71, New Prairie 50.
NorthWood (4-8, 1-0 NLC) at Wawasee (8-3, 1-0 NLC): The Warriors are looking to make amends for a 69-33 loss to NorthWood last season. Davis Everingham closed with nine points in the Panthers’ 69-47 loss to No. 3 (Class 3A) Columbia City. Davis Cowan totaled three points in Wawasee’s 64-37 win over Career Academy. Matt’s pick: Wawasee 47, NorthWood 42/
Penn (6-2) at Elkhart (5-4): The Kingsmen posted a 54-41 win over Elkhart last year. Cody Evans contributed 10 points in Penn’s 56-46 win over Zionsville. Semarcus Gipson’s free throw was the difference in the Lions’ 35-34 win over LaPorte. Matt’s pick: Penn 64, Elkhart 56.
Plymouth (2-8, 0-1 NLC) at Mishawaka (3-4, 1-0 NLC): The Pilgrims claimed a 61-39 win over Mishawaka in their last meeting. Parker Wolfe tallied 14 points in Plymouth’s 56-54 loss to Tippecanoe Valley. The Cavemen got back in the win column with a 35-29 overtime triumph at Buchanan. Matt’s pick: Mishawaka 36, Plymouth 35.
Riley (7-2) at Saint Joseph (6-3): The defending Class 3A state champion Huskies were a 77-75 winner over No. 10 (Class 4A) Riley during the 2024-25 campaign. Isaiah Packer’s 16 points and 11 rebounds were not enough in the Wildcats’ 45-44 loss to Michigan City. Ryder Place’s six points lifted Saint Joseph to a 75-58 win over Carroll (Fort Wayne). Matt’s pick: Saint Joseph 77, Riley 70.
Washington (1-6) at Adams (9-0): The Panthers roared past Adams, 72-52, last season. Quentin Bridgeman had two points in Washington’s 81-44 loss to Portage. BJ Neal tossed in 12 points in the Eagles’ 83-53 win over Edwardsburg. Matt’s pick: Adams 73, Washington 55.
Warsaw (5-5, 0-1 NLC) at Northridge (9-1, 0-1 NLC): The Tigers needed overtime to secure a Class 4A sectional crown with a 78-74 win over No. 8 Northridge. Sam Lara amassed 13 points in Warsaw’s 56-45 win over Providence. Thaddeus Campbell scored five points in the Raiders’ 76-61 win over Kokomo. Matt’s pick: Northridge 45, Warsaw 41.
SATURDAY
Career Academy (5-7) at Mishawaka (4-4): The Trailblazers dropped a 45-29 decision to Mishawaka last year. Career Academy outscored South Newton, 17-6, in the second quarter in its 45-40 victory. Landon Johns netted seven points in the Cavemen’s 59-56 double-overtime win over Plymouth. Matt’s pick: Mishawaka 57, Career Academy 48.
New Prairie (3-6) at Concord (1-7): The Minutemen captured a 39-30 win over New Prairie last season. Miles McSurley amassed two points in the Cougars’ 41-36 win over Plymouth. Carson Weirich added eight points in Concord’s 83-44 loss to Penn. Matt’s pick: New Prairie 39, Concord 38.
Penn (7-2) at Valparaiso (7-5): The Kingsmen cruised to a 65-36 win over Valparaiso a year ago. Caleb Coolman’s 22 points lifted Penn to 65-38 win at Elkhart. JJ Jankowski came up with 12 points in the Vikings’ 40-37 win over NorthWood. Matt’s pick: Penn 58, Valparaiso 51.
Plymouth (2-9) at Argos (1-8): The Pilgrims cruised to a 58-28 win over Argos a season ago. Kylen Ellery’s 24 points were not enough for Plymouth against Mishawaka. Mack Calhoun chipped in seven points and eight rebounds in the Dragons’ 66-60 win over Pioneer. Matt’s pick: Plymouth 44, Argos 42.
Prairie Heights (6-3) at Wawasee (8-4): The Warriors were a 54-39 winner over Prairie Heights during the 2024-25 season. Caston Day’s 14 points lifted the Panthers to a 44-43 win over West Noble. Stephen Akase totaled nine points in Wawasee’s 32-30 double-overtime loss to NorthWood. Matt’s pick: Wawasee 41, Prairie Heights 36.
Saint Joseph (7-3) vs. Silver Creek (13-1) (Southport): Elijah King canned 19 points in the defending Class 3A state champion Huskies’ 70-58 win over No. 10 (Class 4A) Riley. Dane Caldwell poured in 14 points in the top-ranked (Class 3A) Dragons’ 79-67 win over No. 7 (Class 4A) Plainfield. Matt’s pick: Silver Creek 74, Saint Joseph 69.