Basketball Game Preview: Valor College Prep Wildcats vs. Smyrna Bulldogs

The Valor College Prep Wildcats will take on the Smyrna Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Valor College Prep knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past five matches -- so hopefully Smyrna likes a good challenge.

While Valor College Prep didn't have the best season last year (they finished 6-14), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They walked away with a 65-55 victory over Knowledge Academies on Tuesday. That's two games straight that the Wildcats have won by exactly ten points.

Meanwhile, Smyrna entered their tilt with Riverdale on Tuesday with three consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with four. They came out on top against the Warriors by a score of 72-61. While the Bulldogs didn't have the best season last year (they finished 7-20), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.

Smyrna's win came from a few key players Valor College Prep will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Tyreque Mccarver, who went 8 for 11 on his way to 19 points and seven rebounds. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Elliyon Kinzer, who went 8 of 14 on his way to 20 points.

Valor College Prep's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-2. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 62.0 points per game. As for Smyrna, their victory ended a five-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 5-2.

Valor College Prep took a serious blow against Smyrna in their previous matchup back in November of 2023, falling 68-34. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Kinzer, who went 6 of 13 on his way to 18 points and three steals. Now that Valor College Prep knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.