The 'meat and potatoes' part of the boys basketball season is upon us -- the time when the quality teams have been identified and strong bases are formed for the upcoming postseason.

Tuesday's game featuring Edmondson at City is a prime example. Two words: Buckle up.

The visiting Red Storm feature a 10-0 record and four players averaging double figures, led by junior guard Rodney Pratcher (23 points per game) and senior forward Stanton Kidd (21 points per game).

The Black Knights are 8-0 and headlined by the one-two punch of senior center Jordan Latham (17 points per game) and John Carroll transfer guard Nick Faust (16 points per game).

"The key is defense," City coach Mike Daniel said. "When we play solid defense, we can play with anybody. They're a very aggressive team, a good team, so we'll also need to be patient."

Edmondson coach Darnell Dantzler was quick to agree that defense will be critical, along with controlling the boards and doing the little things that often prove to be the difference when two quality teams are playing.

Game time is 5:15 p.m., but anybody planning to attend should arrive early.