Huge conference games, one matchup between state champs, highlight busy week

Top high school basketball games in the Charlotte area this week:

No. 2 Charlotte Christian (15-1, 0-0 CISAA) at Charlotte Latin (9-5, 0-0), Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.: Christian won nine straight games and is the preseason league favorite. Latin has won three straight games and has traditionally been really tough in home league games.

Concord Cannon School (12-7, 0-0 CISAA) at Charlotte Country Day (13-5, 0-0), Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.: Cannon, led by D.J. Nix and Jaden Bradley, has handled a tough non-conference schedule fairly well. Country Day, enjoying one of the best starts in school history, has won four of its past five.

No. 3 Concord Cox Mill (12-1, 0-0 South Piedmont 3A) at Concord (9-4, 0-0), Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.: Cox Mill faces a pair of tough league games this week. Concord has already beaten reigning N.C. 2A state champ Marshville Forest Hills at home and is a dangerous team. On Friday, Cox Mill is at Kannapolis Brown, which has won 11 straight.

No. 6 Independence (8-3, 3-0 Southwestern 4A) at No. 12 Butler (9-3, 2-1), Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.: The two preseason conference favorites, and arch rivals, meet in a huge game. Butler was upset by Myers Park Friday and can’t afford another home league loss.

No. 4 Vance (11-1, 2-1 I-MECK 4A) at No. 10 West Charlotte (7-4, 2-1), Tuesday, 7 p.m.: Both teams are tied with Mallard Creek (8-5, 2-1) for second place behind North Mecklenburg (10-1, 3-0).

No. 1 Carmel Christian (21-1) at Greensboro Day (15-4), Thursday, 6 p.m.: Two teams that were ranked nationally in preseason meet in the week’s top matchup. Both teams won N.C Independent Schools state championships last season.

This week’s schedule

Monday, January 7

Ashe County at Avery County

Buford at Indian Land

Community School of Davidson at Lake Norman

Covenant Classical at Franklin Prep

Crest at Shelby

Forsyth Home Educators at Statesville Christian

Mountain Island Charter at SouthLake Christian

York Prep at Arborbrook (Girls’ only)

Tuesday, January 8

A.L. Brown at Central Cabarrus

Alexander Central at St. Stephens

Andrew Jackson at Lewisville

Anson County at East Montgomery

Ashbrook at Kings Mountain

Avery County at Polk County

Berry at South Mecklenburg

Bunker Hill at Patton

Cannon School at Charlotte Country Day

Carolina International at Union Academy

Central Pageland at Chesterfield

Charlotte Catholic at Sun Valley

Charlotte Christian at Charlotte Latin

Charlotte Elite Academy at Charlotte Learning Center

Cheraw at Loris

Cherryville at Piedmont Charter

Clover at Northwestern

Comenius at Northside Christian

Community School of Davidson at Bradford Prep

Covenant Day at Providence Day

Cox Mill at Concord

Crest at Hunter Huss

Cuthbertson at Monroe

East Lincoln at Bandys

East Rowan at West Rowan

Forest Hills at West Stanly

Forestview at Burns

Fort Mill at Olympic (Girls’ only)

Fred T. Foard at East Burke

Garinger at Porter Ridge

Gaston Christian at Hickory Grove

Grace Academy at Charlotte Secondary (Boys’ only)

Greater Cabarrus Stallions at Sugar Creek Charter

Harding at Ardrey Kell

Hibriten at West Iredell

Hoke County at Richmond Senior

Hough at North Mecklenburg

Independence at Butler

Jay M. Robinson at Northwest Cabarrus

Keenan at Chester

Lake Norman Charter at Newton Conover

Lamar at Great Falls

Langtree Charter at Mountain Island Charter

Lincoln Charter at Bessemer City

Mallard Creek at Hopewell

Marvin Ridge at Weddington

McBee at Timmonsville

Metrolina Christian at Concord First Assembly

Mooresville at Lake Norman

Mount Pleasant at Central Academy

Myers Park at Hickory Ridge

Nation Ford at Rock Hill

North Davidson at Salisbury

North Iredell at Carson

North Lincoln at Maiden

North Rowan at Gray Stone Day

North Stanly at North Moore

Piedmont at Parkwood

Ridge View at Lancaster

Rocky River at East Mecklenburg

South Caldwell at Hickory

South Davidson at Albemarle

South Iredell at Statesville

SouthLake Christian at Arborbrook Christian

South Pointe (SC) at Richland Northeast

South Rowan at Central Davidson

Stuart Cramer at North Gaston

Thomas Jefferson Academy at Highland Tech

University Christian at Victory Christian

Vance at West Charlotte

Watauga at McDowell

West Caldwell at Freedom

West Lincoln at Lincolnton

West Mecklenburg at Providence

Westminster Catawba at Gaston Day

Westwood at York

Woodlawn School at Hickory Christian

York Prep at Elevation Prep (Boys’ only)

Wednesday, January 9

Chase at Patton

Cheraw at Purnell Swett

Davie County at A.L. Brown

Draughn at Freedom

East Burke at Mountain Heritage

East Gaston at North Gaston

Franklin Prep at Lewisville

Hibriten at North Lincoln

Monroe at Central Pageland

Mountain Island Charter at Central Academy (Boys’ only)

North Moore at North Rowan

Pine Lake Prep at Christ the King

Shelby at Burns

West Iredell at Statesville

West Rowan at South Rowan

Thursday, January 10

Arborbrook Christian at Northwestern (Girls’ only)

Carmel Christian at Greensboro Day

Carolina Christian at Grace Academy

Metrolina Christian at Covenant Day

Page at Hopewell

Polk County at Piedmont Charter

Sugar Creek Charter at Lincoln Charter

United Faith at Hickory Christian

University Christian at Westminster Catawba

Watauga at Ashe County

West Charlotte at West Mecklenburg

West Stanly at South Stanly

Friday, January 11

Andrew Jackson at Central Pageland

Ardrey Kell at Berry

Aynor at Cheraw

Bandys at West Lincoln

Bessemer City at Cherryville

Bradford Prep at Mountain Island Charter

Butler at Hickory Ridge

Cannon School at Charlotte Latin

Central Academy at West Stanly

Central Cabarrus at Northwest Cabarrus

Charles D. Owen at Avery County

Charlotte Catholic at Monroe

Charlotte Learning Academy at Northside Christian (Boys’ only)

Chester at Camden

Christ the King at Cabarrus Charter

Comenius at York Prep

Concord at Jay M. Robinson

Concord First Assembly at Metrolina Christian

Covenant Day at Charlotte Christian

Cox Mill at A.L. Brown

East Burke at Draughn

East Gaston at Chase

East Mecklenburg at Myers Park

East Montgomery at Forest Hills

East Rowan at Carson

Elevation Prep at Northwestern

First Assembly of Monroe at Arborbrook Christian

Forestview at Hunter Huss

Freedom at South Caldwell

Gaston Christian at Gaston Day

Great Falls at McBee

Highland Tech at Lincoln Charter

Hopewell at Mooresville

Independence at Garinger

Indian Land at Keenan

Kings Mountain at Burns

Lake Norman at Vance

Lancaster at Westwood

Langtree Charter at Community School of Davidson

Lee Central at Buford

Lewisville at North Central

Liberty Prep at Sugar Creek Charter

Lincolnton at Lake Norman Charter

Maiden at East Lincoln

McDowell at Alexander Central

Mount Pleasant at Anson County

Nation Ford at Clover

Newton Conover at North Lincoln

North Gaston at Crest

North Mecklenburg at Mallard Creek

North Moore at South Stanly

O’Neal School at Davidson Day

Parkwood at Cuthbertson

Patton at Hibriten

Piedmont Charter at Thomas Jefferson Academy

Pine Lake Prep at Union Academy

Porter Ridge at Rocky River

Providence at Olympic

Providence Day at Charlotte Country Day

Queens Grant at Carolina International

Richmond Senior at Lumberton

Rock Hill at Fort Mill

Salisbury at South Rowan

Shelby at R.S. Central

South Davidson at North Rowan

SouthLake Christian at Hickory Grove

South Mecklenburg at Harding

South Point at East Rutherford

Statesville at North Iredell

Stuart Cramer at Ashbrook

Sun Valley at Marvin Ridge

United Faith at Statesville Christian

Uwharrie Charter at Gray Stone Day

Watauga at St. Stephens

Weddington at Piedmont

West Caldwell at Hickory

West Charlotte at Hough

West Iredell at Fred T. Foard

West Montgomery at North Stanly

West Wilkes at Ashe County

West Rowan at South Iredell

Woodlawn School at Victory Christian

York at South Pointe (SC)

Saturday, January 12

Carolina Day at Carmel Christian (Girls, 12:30; Boys, 2:30)

Comenius at Mount Zion (Girls, 3:30; Boys, 5)

Mount Pleasant at Concord, 5:30

York Prep at First Baptist Charleston