As the MIAA State Tournament gets set to go, the Division 1 field is wide open.
Top seed Franklin, No. 3 Newton North, and No. 4 Central Catholic all have their eyes on the state championship prize and with good reason. Franklin not only holds Caden Sullivan but saw itself in the state championship game a year ago and went undefeated in Hockomock League play for a second straight season this winter. The Tigers have superstar Teegan Swint to go with veteran guard Nicky Spinelli while the Raiders are spearheaded by junior Javi Lopez, perhaps the top scorer in the tournament.
“It’s almost like a brand new team,” Franklin coach CJ Neely said of his group. “Other than Caden and Justice Samuels we are looking at a totally different squad from last year. That said, I don’t worry about Caden regardless of the opponent, he is a fearless competitor. Justice has that experience. I think we just take it one game at a time but those two have a calming influence on the team.”
Getting to the final for any of the three will not be easy. Lowell has a star-studded backcourt in Tzar Powell-Aparicio and Jason Kamau. A rematch with Central Catholic in the quarterfinals may be in order. Bridgewater-Raynham closed its regular season with a statement road win over No. 2 Attleboro. The Blue Bombardiers had a strong regular season, but are facing a potential quarter final showdown with a No. 10 Newton South team that has won 11 straight.
A second round matchup between No. 11 Braintree and No. 6 Andover would have the makings of a classic between two of the state’s premier coaches in Bob Crook and Dave Fazio.
If Division 1 has no clear favorite, then Division 2 most certainly does. Malden Catholic is the three-time defending Div. 2 state champion and has all the pieces to make a run at an unprecedented fourth consecutive title.
The premier challenger to the Lancers is up for grabs. Second-seeded Mansfield closed the season on a high and has veteran guards Nate Creeedon and Riley Sigman. Oliver Ames captured the Hockomock Davenport and has all the makings of a contender led by guards Jacob Lok, Cole Craffey, and Justin Grimaldi.
The Patriot League has a trio of potential contenders in Keenan champion No. 5 Whitman-Hanson, Fisher winner No. 10 North Quincy, as well as No. 12 Plymouth South.
Somerset Berkley reached the state semifinals last year before losing to the Lancers by two and has the firepower back to make a run. On the heels of Finn Bjork’s (14 PPG, 10 REB) return from injury, the Blue Raiders won 16 consecutive games to close the regular season and enter as the tournament’s No. 6 seed. A final eight matchup between the Blue Raiders and No. 3 Pope Francis would be one of the top games of the tournament.
“I think our kids know what we have to do and hold each other accountable,” Somerset Berkley coach Bob Slater said. “They want to win a state championship. They’re so unselfish they do not care who scores.”
Tewksbury’s 17-3 mark included a notable win over Andover. The Redmen are led by Jonny Sullivan and Phil Lombardi and have scoring depth. Masconomet is a potent No. 7 seed.
The Division 3 bracket is headlined by perennial contender St. Mary’s and unbeaten No. 2 Norwell. Norwell will have no cakewalk to the final four as a showdown with a dangerous No. 10 seed, Hanover, looms in the quarterfinal. If chalk holds, No. 9 Watertown and 6-foot-10 forward Will Carty will meet No. 8 Abington and its high-powered offense in the Round of 16.
Fourth-seeded Shawsheen Valley Tech and No. 5 Greater Lawrence Tech split their regular season meetings and a third showdown in the state quarterfinal seems fitting. Wilmington and Lynnfield present the top game of the opening round.
Bourne reached the Div. 4 title game a year ago before coming up short and is looking to finish the job this time around. The No. 2 Canalemen’s most likely state semifinal opponent, should they win their first three games, is poised to be No. 3 Clinton. The Gaels went 19-1 with all but three of their wins coming by double figures. Clinton’s stiffest challenge in getting to the state semifinals may come from No. 6 Georgetown in the quarterfinal who raised eyeballs by defeating Brookline in the regular season’s final week. The division’s top seed, Albert D. Holland School of Technology, is loaded in the backcourt with Ian Piper, Jasaad Fenton, and Yassine Amghar and has size in the front court in Gerald Adams.
Fifth-seeded Monument Mountain and No. 4 Millbury are always dangerous.
In Division 5, No. 1 Pioneer Valley Regional fell in last year’s state semifinals and is the clear favorite to take home the crown this winter. The top game of the bracket may come in the Round of 8 if defending champion, No. 7 New Mission and No. 2 Hopedale are able to win their first two round games.
Boston English, who fell to Holland Tech. in the Boston City League Finals, is the tournament’s number five seed.
CHAMPION: Lowell
RUNNER-UP: Newton North
SLEEPER: Braintree
FINAL FOUR: Franklin, Newton North, Lowell, Springfield Central
BEST FIRST-ROUND MATCH: Xaverian at Marshfield
POTENTIAL UPSET: New Bedford over North Andover
CHAMPION: Malden Catholic
RUNNER-UP: Somerset Berkley
SLEEPER: Plymouth South
FINAL FOUR: Malden Catholic, Mansfield, Oliver Ames, Somerset Berkley
BEST FIRST-ROUND MATCH: Stoughton at Plymouth South
POTENTIAL UPSET: Wakefield over Holyoke
CHAMPION: Norwell
RUNNER-UP: St. Mary’s
SLEEPER: Lynnfield
FINAL FOUR: St. Mary’s, Norwell, Newburyport, Greater Lawrence Tech
BEST FIRST-ROUND MATCH: Wilmington at Lynnfield
POTENTIAL UPSET: Old Rochester over Tantasqua
CHAMPION: Clinton
RUNNER-UP: Albert D. Holland School of Technology
SLEEPER: Hamilton-Wenham
FINAL FOUR: Albert D. Holland School of Technology, Bourne, Clinton, Monument Mountain
BEST FIRST-ROUND MATCH: Cathedral at Hamilton-Wenham
POTENTIAL UPSET: Wareham over Tech Boston
CHAMPION: Pioneer Valley Regional
RUNNER-UP: New Mission
SLEEPER: Hoosac Valley
FINAL FOUR: Pioneer Valley Regional, Granby, New Mission, Hoosac Valley
BEST FIRST-ROUND MATCH: Muniz Academy at Monson
POTENTIAL UPSET: None