The Birmingham News prep sports staff selects five high school basketball games, boys or girls, to watch over the next week.

The selections below feature some traditional rivalries and key area contests along with top 10 matchups.

See the top five Birmingham area games Jan. 9-15.

HOOVER (14-4) at VESTAVIA HILLS (19-3) — GIRLS

Day/Time: Tuesday, 5:30 p.m.

The skinny: Class 7A, Area 5 game. Fifth-ranked Hoover beat area foe Thompson 55-22 then downed previously unbeaten Hancock (Miss.) 44-41, ranked among the top big-school teams in the state. Khloe Ford, a 6-foot-3 sophomore, is key for the defending class champion Bucs along with Kaitlyn Gipson, Aaliyah Blanchard and Ariana Peagler. Fourth-ranked Vestavia Hills fell to Class 4A second ranked Good Hope 48-42 last week then beat area opponent Tuscaloosa County 56-29 on Friday. The Rebels are led by 6-foot junior Sarah Gordon, Jill Gaylard and Grayson Hudgens.

HOMEWOOD (17-3) at MINOR (12-7) — GIRLS

Day/Time: Tuesday, 6 p.m.

The skinny: Class 6A, Area 9 game. Homewood has won eight straight games, including beating Calera 77-21 and Jackson-Olin 54-14 to start area play. Seniors Mira McCool and Kayla Warren are key for the Patriots, but 10 different players scored in the previous two games. Minor ended the holidays with a 58-19 win over Sumter Central, but lost 46-42 to third-ranked Mortimer Jordan on Friday. Key Minor players are Ava Cameron, Quantrese Washington and Kaelyn Gowdy.

HOOVER (18-2) at VESTAVIA HILLS (16-3) — BOYS

Day/Time: Tuesday, 7 p.m.

The skinny: Class 7A, Area 5 game. Second-ranked Hoover beat Montgomery Bell Academy (Tenn.) 68-25 to win its Big Orange Classic then downed Thompson 74-51 on Friday to open area play. Defending class champion Hoover is led by a trio of juniors in 6-4 guard Salim London, 6-9 post DeWayne Brown and 6-1 guard Jarett Fairley along with senior guard Elijah Thomas. Unranked Vestavia Hills has won 10 straight, including beating Oxford 54-52 last week and Tuscaloosa County 50-44 in its first area game. Hot-shooting guards Jackson Weaver, Ben Evans and Adam Barksdale provide the long-range attack while 6-5 Tennessee football signee Jordan Ross is a force inside.

MIDFIELD (11-7) vs. SHADES VALLEY (11-8)— BOYS

Day/Time: Monday, 5:30 p.m.

The skinny: MLK Classic at Fairfield. Class 3A second ranked Midfield won two games at the Calhoun Community College Christmas Classic, beating Danville 71-47 and Priceville 55-51, then downed Indian Springs 83-61 to start Area 9 play. Last season’s class runnerup, Midfield is led by Armonie Franklin, Aaron Adams-Martin and Dujuan McKinney. Class 6A Shades Valley fell to fifth-ranked Paul Bryant 51-45 and beat Woodlawn 39-34 in the Area 10 opener. The Mounties are led by sophomores Jeremiah Williams and Jeremy Chatman and juniors Rashad Bryant and Raymon McCants.

PINSON VALLEY (12-8) at FAIRFIELD (16-2) — BOYS

Day/Time: Monday, 7 p.m.

The skinny: It’s the final of five games — Jackson-Olin vs. Central Phenix City, 1p.m.; Woodlawn vs. Center Point, 2:30; Carver-Birmingham vs. Parker, 4; Midfield vs. Shades Valley, 5:30 — in Fairfield’s MLK Classic. Class 6A fourth-ranked Pinson Valley beat Parker 53-37 last week, but fell to Clay-Chalkville 59-45 in the Area 10 opener. The Indians are led by Clyde Walters, Austin Coner, Camron Frost and Jamaricus Thomas. Class 5A top-ranked Fairfield has won seven straight games, including beating area 9 opponents John Carroll 56-30 and Pleasant Grove 55-47 last week. Josiah Jones and Demarcus Williams lead the Tigers,