BeantownHoops Blog

Game reports

Twice as nice - Harvard beats BC for the second straight year
Lin and Wright carry Harvard in the second half
by beantownhoops.com  December 9, 2009

Senior Jeremy Lin’s 25 points and Sophomore big man Keith Wright’s 21 points (a career high) led Harvard to their second win in as many years against the Eagles.  BC had no answer for Lin and Wright as the two ran pick and roll after pick and roll in the second half to overcome a four point halftime deficit in the 74-67 win. 

"We were just trying to drag their bigs out and spread the floor and it worked out," said Lin about the success of his two-man game with Wright.

"Their bigs just didn’t hedge out very hard on the ball screen and Jeremy told me in the huddle if you roll I’ll find you and that’s what we did," added Wright.

BC was able to take control of the first half with a 14-0 run that gave them 24-15 lead until Lin’s three-pointer ended the run.  Lin would score with two seconds remaining to trim the Eagle lead going into the break.  While Lin and Wright were able to execute for Harvard down the stretch, the Eagles just couldn’t find an offensive rhythm and missed three key free-throws that would have cut in to the Harvard lead.

"They just executed better than us down the stretch and played harder than us," said BC head coach Al Skinner.

Jeremy Lin’s 25 points follows his 30 point effort from Sunday against #12 UConn.  He is averaging 18 ppg this season and is beginning to get noticed outside the Ivy League with his stellar play against two power conference opponents.

"I know I sound like a broken record but I like sounding like a broken record when talking about him.  He is one of the better players in the country and he’s proven it.  It’s not like I’m just saying it to say it.  He is a tremendous player and our playmaker," said Harvard head coach Tommy Amaker about his senior captain.

BC was led by Joe Trapani’s 21 points and Corey Raji’s 11 points and 11 rebounds.  Next for Harvard will be a date with #15 Georgtown while BC will host Rhode Island this Sunday.

Harvard rolls over Rice
Wright and Casey spark the Crimson in the non-league victory
by beantownhoops.com  December 2, 2009

A backdoor lob from Oliver McNally to Freshman Kyle Casey ignited a big first half run for Harvard in the Crimson’s easy 85-64 victory over visiting Rice.  Casey’s emphatic dunk gave Harvard a 6-3 lead early, but more importantly gave the Crimson a much needed boost after turning the ball over in their first two possessions.

"My role is to be a high energy guy, get on the glass, run the floor and do all the things to help us win.  I just tried to play my role tonight and it worked out well," said Casey. 

"We love that about Kyle, the energy he gave us off the bench gave us a shot in the arm and we expect it from him," added Harvard head coach Tommy Amaker. 

The Crimson would take a fourteen point lead going into the break 40-26 on the strength of a 9-2 run in the last two and a half minutes.  The second half belonged to Sophomore big man Keith Wright.  His twelve points on a variety of post moves, short jumpers, and dunks paced Harvard as they extended their lead to as many as twenty-four points in the final frame.

"Keith was very efficient tonight around the basket and we play much better when we can get the ball inside first and then to the outside," added Coach Amaker.

Harvard shot an astounding 60.8% from the field while holding Rice to 38.9%.  The win improves the Crimson record to 6-1 as they head into a tough stretch of three games starting with #13 UConn Sunday and followed by Boston College and Georgetown all on the road.

"We got an opportunity against some great teams and great programs and we’ll see if we can come up with a few things to help us compete," said Coach Amaker.

Harvard scoring: Miller 4, Wright 16, Webster 10, Lin 14, McNally 13, Curry 7, Van Nest 3, Giger, 2, Casey 6, Magnarelli 8, deMars 2

Rice scoring:  Braimoh 4, Ghoram 14, Stanton 13, Jackson 7, Frizzelle 7, Herndon 13, Beasley 1, Kuipers 5

Paladino carries #21 Arlington Catholic to victory
by beantownhoops.com 1/2/10

Arlington Catholic Senior forward Cara Paladino picked a good day to be at the top of her game. In a game in which both teams struggled offensively, it was Paladino that kept the scoreboard moving. Her 23 points and 7 rebounds led #21 Arlington Catholic in a 51-37 win over #23 ranked Needham.

The Top 25 game featured an intriguing match-up between Paladino and Needham center Christine Ganser, a Holy Cross recruit. Ganser was solid, but not spectacular, with 14 points and 8 rebounds, while Paladino had 14 points in the first half alone.

“She’s very strong (Ganser), but I thought Teresa (Busiek) did a great job on her defensively and I just wanted to play her tough when we were on offense,” said Paladino.

Both teams played with high intensity on defense to start the game as they had a combined 29 turnovers in the first half, most of them forced. As a result of the stellar defense, not much scoring by both teams and an AC lead of 19-14 at the break.

“It was a real muck and grind game in the first half. I thought we didn’t move the ball that well offensively, but we played real good defense,” said AC Head Coach Dave Brady.

Needham would keep the game close, but too many turnovers did them in. They had 34 for the game and during a decisive 13-0 run in the fourth quarter by AC, Needham coughed the ball up four times. The run came with five minutes left in the game and AC leading 36-33. Paladino would score 7 points during the run and Nicole Catizone added 4 points to break the game wide open. Needham would not score until 1:30 left in the game on a Ganser lay-up to make the score 49-35.

Ganser’s 14 points and Coleen Rizzo’s 9 points led Needham. Arlington Catholic improves to 4-1 while Needham falls to 4-3.

Notes:
The win gives Arlington Catholic some nice momentum heading into league play next week when they face a tough Bishop Fenwick team on Tuesday.

“Our league is a lot of fun. The brand of basketball changes with each team, so you have to get ready differently for each one. “I love playing in this league, it’s a challenge every day,” added Coach Brady about life in the Catholic Central.

Needham has lost three games all to ranked teams….One of the questions I had before the game was if Paladino could carry AC when Needham made a run. I think her 7 points in the 13-0 run answered that question….The AC gym may be one of the toughest gyms to play in for opposing teams: very compact, fans right on top of you, and playing against a team that likes to press.

Scoring:
Needham (NHS): M. Ganser 2, Mahoney 5, Rizzo 9, C. Ganser 14, Menchin 7
Arlington Catholic (AC): Busiek 4, Roberson 7, Roche 10, Catizone 7, Paladino 23

Scoring by quarters:
NHS: 8 6 12 9 = 37
AC: 10 9 11 21 = 51

Rebounds:
Needham: 34
Arlington Catholic: 20
Turnovers:
Needham: 34
Arlington Catholic: 19

3 pt. Shooting:
Needham: 0/4 .000
Arlington Catholic: 1/8 .125
Free-throws:
Needham: 9/14 .642
Arlington Catholic: 16/21 .761

Carbone and Doherty rally #5 St. John’s Prep to victory
by beantownhoops.com 12/28/09

Things were looking pretty bleak for #5 SJP in the third quarter of their first round game of the BABC Holiday Classic.  They were playing a feisty Wareham team from the Southcoast conference and after Wareham’s Jordan Rezendes hit a three and a Jules Tavares thundering dunk, St. John’s was down sixteen points.  Wareham was able to control SJP star Pat Connaughton all night and someone had to carry the load if they were going to come from behind.  Guards Michael Carbone and James Doherty obliged by combining for 23 points in the fourth quarter to help the Eagles avoid the upset and win 75-63.
SJP started the game on a 7-0 run, but Wareham wouldn’t back down and tied the game at 14 behind the shooting of Rezendes.  Wareham kept their momentum in the second quarter and took a seven point lead going into the break.  Wareham kept the pressure on in the third quarter as point guard Darren Gray was able to score on a variety of shots to extend the lead to eleven before Rezendes and Tavares capped off the 11-2 run with their three and dunk to lead 46-30.
With Connaughton being hounded by two and three defenders every time he touched the ball, Carbone and Doherty stepped up.  Doherty’s three with 5:45 left in the game cut the lead to two, 55-53.  He would later tie the game at 63 with another three while Carbone hit two himself in the quarter to make the comeback complete.  Both SJP guards hit all seven of their free-throws down the stretch to keep any chance of a Wareham victory at bay.
More impressive than the play of Carbone and Doherty was the Eagle defense which limited Wareham to only two field goals in the fourth quarter.
"We just dug in defensively and that was the only way we were going to win this game," said SJP Head Coach Sean Connolly.
The loss was a big blow for Wareham, a Division 3 team looking for some respect, as they let this one slip away.
"We shouldn’t have given up a sixteen point lead in the second half.  Our goal was to let someone other than Connaughton beat us and they did.  We just didn’t run our sets and play as well down the stretch," said Wareham Head Coach Kevin Brogioli.
Wareham was led by Rezendes’ 18 points and Tavares’ 13.  St. John’s Prep improves to 4-0 and Wareham goes to 2-1.

Notes:
Jules Tavares fouled out with 4:20 left in the game on his third offensive foul with Wareham leading 62-60.  They would only score one point for the rest of the game….SJP big man Mackenzie Burt had two key three-point plays in the third quarter that began their rally….The loss ends a 12 game regular season winning streak for Wareham….Wareham plays Brookline at 2:15 p.m. Tuesday.  Brookline lost their opening game to Everett 40-37…..SJP will play Everett at 6:00 p.m.

Scoring:
Wareham: Gray 10, Murphy 7, Pina 11, Tavares 13, Rezendes 18, Mendes 1, Gomes 2, Fernandez 1
St. John’s Prep (SJP):  Haladyna 10, Macomber 6, Connaughton 17, Doherty 16, Carbone 12, Sessoms 3, Burt 11

Scoring by quarters:
Wareham:   14   21  17   11 = 63
SJP:              14  14  16   31 = 75

Rebounds:
Wareham:  32
SJP:  31
Turnovers:
Wareham: 16
SJP: 17
3 pt. Shooting:
Wareham: 5/21 .238
SJP: 6/16 .375
Free-throws:
Wareham:  11/21  .523
SJP: 19/26 .730

#17 St. Mary’s dominates #25 Cambridge
by beantownhoops.com 12/23/09

#17 St. Mary’s put on an impressive offensive and defensive display Wednesday night in their non-league match-up versus #25 Cambridge.  The Lady Spartans jumped out to a 15-0 lead in the first quarter and didn’t look back in their 69-44 victory.  Defensively, they held Cambridge to seven points in the first and fourth quarters and limited Cambridge to 26% shooting for the game. 

"We were ready from the beginning to defend tonight.  We slacked a little bit in the second quarter, but we really picked up our intensity again in the 3rd quarter," said Senior guard Bria Tiro of their defensive effort.

On the offensive end, Cassi Amenta had 16, Tiro had 17, and center Tori Faieta had a game high 20 for St. Mary’s.  The Lady Spartans were able to get what they wanted most of the night and were able to wear down Cambridge as the lead ballooned to 27 points with two minutes left in the game.

"It all starts with Tori and she had a good game and we got the shots we wanted and were able to get to the line as well," said St. Mary’s Coach Jeff Newhall.

The win improves St. Mary’s record to 4-0 overall and 3-0 in the Catholic Central.  More importantly, the program has made a complete turnaround under Coach Newhall and a once struggling team finds itself alone in first place and ranked in the polls in the Boston Area.

"I can’t even put into words what this means.  We’ve worked really hard for it.  Last year was a stepping stone and it just feels awesome right now," added Bria Tiro.

"We had won eight games total in the league the last four years and were able to win seven last season.  I think we’re up to the challenge, but a lot of this is still new to us," said Coach Newhall.

Cambridge was led by Deneesha Barrett’s 16 points and Kiara Gomes and Georgia Pingue’s 7 points a piece. 

Notes:
Cambridge star guard Dyamond Gardner did not play due to a knee injury but will be back in a couple of weeks…Cambridge coach Dana Ellcock added that the team is still not at 100%, but should be fully ready by the start of GBL league play….Give credit to Cambridge for playing strong opponents in their non-league schedule.  They will be a tough team once healthy and can only get better from this point forward….In the JV game Cambridge defeated St. Mary’s 54-44.

Scoring:
Campbridge:  Gomes 7, Vital 5, Pingue 7, Amanuel 2, Andres 2, Barrett 16, Kostopoulos 5, Best 0
St. Mary’s:   Anderson 0, Amenta 16, Ferrari 9, Stueve 3, Faieta 20, Carey 2, Tiro 17, Idusuyi 2

Scoring by quarters:
Cambridge:  7    15  15   7 = 44
St. Mary’s:   21  10  26  12= 69

Rebounds:
Cambridge:  32
St. Mary’s:  33
Turnovers:
Cambridge: 23
St. Mary’s: 17
3 pt. Shooting:
Cambridge: 5/19 .263
St. Mary’s: 3/8 .375
Free-throws:
Cambridge:  7/13  .538
St. Mary’s: 12/17 .705

Belmont’s big three shines in the second half
by beantownhoops.com 12/21/09

Nothing seemed to be going right for the Belmont Marauders in the first half of their game against #16 Woburn.  They gave up forty points, struggled from the field offensively, and star player Andrew Musler had only eight points and missed five free-throws.  The second half turned out to be a different story as Belmont erased an eleven point halftime defecit behind their big three of Musler, Luca Ladan and John Dillon to defeat Woburn 72-61.

Woburn is known around the Middlesex league for having their own three key players in Randy Parker, Mickel Simpson and Nick Lund.  However, Parker did not play, Lund fouled out, and Simpson was shut down in the second half after scoring 14 in the first.  Belmont countered with Musler’s 18 points, Ladan’s 16 points and sophomore Dillon’s game high 19.

Dillon was the key player for Belmont as he gave them a lift in the first half  with  7 points when they couldn’t make a basket and his three pointer with 5:41 in the 4th quarter gave Belmont the lead for good.

"My job coming off the bench is to give a team a spark and get them going.  I went down low a lot in the first half and I hit that three which was pretty big, but I don’t do that alot," said a modest Dillon on his contribution for the game.

The win improves Belmont’s record to 3-0 in the league and drops a talented Woburn team to 1-2.

"It feels great to win this game.  I love playing with these guys, a lot of passion and a lot of fun," said Dillon.

Woburn was lead by Bill Claflin’s 22 points and Mickel Simpson’s 17.  Woburn hosts Melrose Wednesday and Belmont visits Wakefield.

Notes: The game was played without a 30 second clock after it malfunctioned in the girls game…..Looking over each possession in the game, it doesn’t seem that the clock would not have come into play….The turning point in the game was Woburn big man Nick Lund fouling out at the 7 min. mark in the 4th quarter.  Woburn had the lead at that point and relinquished it on the next play….The Woburn Girls beat Belmont 45-31 in the opening game.

Scoring
Woburn: Daughtrey 10, Mari 2, Lacosta 2, Simpson 17, Claflin 22, Lund 8
Belmont:  Wynott 4, Papas 2, Cortina 12, Musler 18, Ladan 16, Dillon 19 Stratford 1

Scoring by quarters:
Woburn:  22  18  11  10 = 61
Belmont: 14  15  19  24 = 72

Rebounds:
Woburn:  25
Belmont:  30
Turnovers:
Woburn:  19
Belmont:  6
3 pt. Shooting:
Woburn:  2/9 .222
Belmont:  4/15 .266
Free-throws:
Woburn:  9/16 .562
Belmont:  17/31 .548

Central Catholic shuts down Lowell
by beantownhoops.com 12/18/09

#1 Central Catholic played three quarters of dominating defense, where they gave up just sixteen points, en route to a big victory over MVC rival Lowell, 61-33.  The game was shaping up to be a back and forth affair in the first quarter when Central took a five point lead 10-5 and Lowell responded with a 9-1 run capped by Kaitlyn Bryan’s three pointer to take a 14-11 lead.  The quarter ended with Lowell up 17-15 and that’s when Central turned up it’s defensive pressure.  Lowell would only score six points in the quarter, but CC Head Coach Sue Downer still wasn’t pleased with the effort.

"We were out hustled and out toughened and mentally not in the right place and we had a pretty hardcore halftime talk about that," said Coach Downer.

The motivation worked as Central’s defense forced Lowell into seven turnovers and at one point Central had five consecutive fast break lay-ups four by Brianna Martin and one by Courtney Williams to cap off a 22-3 run that put the game away.  Central stars Katie Zenevitch and Gabie Polce were steady as Zenevitch had 11 points and 10 rebounds and Polce had 12 points and a couple of steals, but it was an overall team effort in that quarter that finished off Lowell.

"We just wanted to do a better job of contesting shots and containing their drives in the second half.  We are an extremely athletic group and it was pretty evident in the third quarter," added Coach Downer.

Lowell was led by Junior Tess Cigliano’s 10 points and Sophomore Bridgett Ravagli’s 8 points.  Next up for #1 Central will be Tewksbury on Sunday and Lowell will face Dracut on Monday.

Notes: Lowell had five three’s in the first half and none in the second….The only sore spot for Central was their free-throw shooting where they were 7 of 19….Lowell Soph Bridgett Ravagli had a solid first half and showed some impressive moves for an underclassmen…..In the JV game Central defeated Lowell 40-31

Scoring
Lowell:  Ravagli 8, McQuaid 2, C. Luis 3, T. Luis 3, Desmond 4, Cigliano 10, Bryan 3
Central Catholic:  Williams 8, Borrelli 7, Miller 7, Polce 12, Brillaud 6, Martin 8, McLaughlin 2, Zenevitch 11

Scoring by quarters:
Lowell:                     17    6   6    4    = 33
Central Catholic:     15   12  24  10 = 61

Rebounds:
Lowell - 29, Central Catholic - 43
Turnovers:
Lowell - 19, Central Catholic - 13
3 pt. Shooting:
Lowell - 5/21 .238, Central Catholic - 4/12 .333
Free-throws:
Lowell - 2/8 .400, Central Catholic - 7/19 .368
Boys Game of the Week:  Melrose at Watertown
Coppola and Stockdale too much for Melrose
by beantownhoops.com 12/15/09

Marco Coppola scored 29 points and Connor Stockdale had a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds to lead Watertown over Melrose, 52-40.  Coppola was able to get to the basket all night on a variety of drives and hit a couple of threes for good measure, while Stockdale was solid on the interior and added three blocks to his stat line. 

"We graduated a lot last year and now I have to step up and carry the load a lot more this season.  We know that every game in our league is going to be a dogfight and that people will be gunning for us.  We’ll have to get Connor even more involved because he is one of the best bigs in our league and one of our top scorers," said Coppola.

The two stars for Watertown did not have to contend with Melrose big man Andy Scocca.  Scocca was on crutches after injuring his leg in practice and he will be out awhile according to Melrose coach Mike Kasprzak.  The void in the middle left Melrose with little size down low and it forced them to play a more spread out offense.  Yet they scrapped and clawed all night and were able to outrebound Watertown 24 to 19.

"I tip my hat to Watertown they’re one of the best teams in the state and they are very well coached.  We’re not at their level yet, but we’ll continue to work and we have confidence that we will be able to compete with them next time we play," said Coach Kasprzak.

Watertown had a seven point lead at the half 25-18 and Melrose was able to get the lead down to four with three minutes left in the third.  They would get no closer as Watertown answered with a 16-6 run which would put the game away for good.

"We have a lot of guys who are getting major minutes for the first time, so it’s important that we get them some confidence and off to a good start with a win.  We did some good things and there are some things that we need to work on, so we’ll see where we are, we’re just glad to be 1-0 right now,"said Watertown Coach Steve Harrington.

Melrose was led by Jim Fluellen’s 15 points and Ryan Sherlock’s 8 points.

Notes: The game was originally scheduled to be played at Melrose, but a problem with their 30 second clock forced the game to be moved to Watertown…..Rumors before the game was that Scocca might be out for an extended amount of time, but he will return soon for Melrose…..Melrose falls to 0-2 and 0-1 in league.

Scoring
Melrose:  Sherlock 4, Fluellen 15, Sinto 4, Runge 1, Jones 2, Larsson 6, Sherlock 8
Watertown:  Barba 3, Romanelli 2, Coppola 29, Bagdasarian 5, Donahue 3, Stockdale 10

Scoring by quarters:
Melrose:          10    8   14    8 = 40
Watertown:     15   10  14  13 = 52

Rebounds:
Melrose - 24, Watertown - 19
Turnovers:
Melrose - 19, Watertown - 15
3 pt. Shooting:
Melrose - 0/7 .000, Watertown - 5/22 .227
Free-throws:
Melrose - 4/10 .400, Watertown - 7/12 .583

#3 Newton North impressive in thirty-point blowout of Framingham
by beantownhoops.com 12/11/09
Yale-bound Greg Kelley had 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks for Newton North in an easy 71-41 win against Framingham.  The Tigers were just too much inside for the undersized Flyers and outrebounded them 35 to 20 for the game.  Framingham hung in there early down three points at the end of the first quarter.  But that was the closest they would get for the rest of the contest as Newton North held them to seven points for the quarter while also committing no turnovers to take a 34 - 18 lead going into the intermission.
In the second half, Junior Tevin Falzon and Sophomore guard Michael Thorpe helped stretch the lead with their inside/outside play.  Falzon finished with 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks while Thorpe shook off a slow start to finish with 16 points, most of them coming in the third quarter.
It was the league and season opener for both teams and Newton North Coach Paul Connolly knows there is still a long way to go in the season.
"For us to come in here, on the road, against a well-coached team, and win, I’ll take it. We have to get better defensively and it’s my job to make sure we get there, but I’m very excited and pleased with our guys tonight," said Coach Connolly.
Framingham was led by Senior guard Nomso Emetarom and Junior guard Sam Searcy who both scored thirteen points. 
Notes:  Senior Kourtney Wornum-Parker of Newton North gave the Tigers solid minutes off the bench with his defense and energy….Newton North started two sophomores in Luke Westman and Michael Thorpe…..The Newton North student section gets my early vote for best student section of the year…..In the JV game, Newton North won 46 to 29.
Scoring
Newton North:  Donegan 2, Westman 2, Cohen 5, Thorpe 16, Wornum-Parker 7, Stanton 2, Tucker 2, Kelley 22, Falzon 13
Framingham:  Emetarom 13, Jones 3, Sedewitz 3, Druker 5, Riley 1, Hulme 2, Searcy 13, Downey 1
Scoring by quarters:
Newton North:  14  20  22  15 = 71
Framingham:     11    7   13  10 = 41
Rebounds:
Newton North - 35, Framingham - 20
Turnovers:
Newton North - 11, Framingham - 26
3 pt. Shooting:
Newton North - 5/16 .312, Framingham - 4/11 .363
Free-throws:
Newton North - 11/16 .687, Framingham - 11/17 .647

Note: the leagues previewed had significant input from coaches and people who follow high school basketball closely.  If a league is not shown, there was not enough input for each team in a conference to make an accurate preview.

Girls Merrimack Valley Conference (Large)

Outlook: Central Catholic is the best team in the conference and the state, but Andover and Lowell are not far behind.  Methuen will be a tough team to beat as well.

Keep and eye on: Katie Zenevitch of Central Catholic, Natalie Gomez-Martinez and Nicole Boudreau of Andover, Rashidat Agboola of Methuen

Predicted finish: Central Catholic, Andover, Lowell, Methuen, Billerica

Girls Merrimack Valley Conference (Small)
Outlook:  A down year overall on this side of the conference.  Look for Tewskbury to be the early favorite, but it will be a wide open race for the top spot

Keep and eye on: Yulissa Nunez of Lawrence, Moriah Nutter of Haverhill
Predicted finish:  Tewksbury, Chelmsford, Lawrence, Haverhill, Dracut, Notre Dame

Boys Catholic Central (Large)

Outlook: The Large division looks to be a wide open race with Cathedral being the early favorite.  Look for Cardinal Spellman and Fenwick to be right there as well.

Keep and eye on: Peter Mattera of Arlington Catholic can score in bunches

Predicted finish:  Cathedral, Cardinal Spellman, Fenwick, St. Mary’s, North Cambridge, Arlington Catholic, Archbishop Williams, Austin Prep

Boys Bay State (Carey Division)

Outlook: Newton North is the favorite with  Needham, Braintree, and a solid Brookline team not far behind.  Lots of talent will be on display this season in this side of the conference.

Keep and eye on:  Newton North’s Greg Kelley and Tevin Falzon, P.J. Douglas of Braintree, Brookline’s Drew Levey, Weymouth freshman Jarred Terrell

Predicted finish: Newton North, Needham, Braintree, Brookline, Framingham, Weymouth
Boys Bay State (Herget Division)

Outlook: Milton are the defending D2 champs and look to continue their dominance on this side of the Bay State, Natick and Wellesley have improved.

Keep and eye on:  Manny Hutcherson of Milton, Scott McCummings of Natick, Wellesley’s Evan Kulak

Predicted finish:  Milton, Walpole, Natick, Wellesley, Norwood, Dedham

Boys Northeastern Conference (North Division)

Outlook: Lynn English is hands down the best in the division and the conference. Lynn Classical will challenge, but everyone is playing for second in this half of the NEC.

Keep and eye on:  Lynn English’s Ryan Woumn and Jarell Byrd, Lynn Classical’s Jasper Grassa, Mike Clayton of Beverly

Predicted finish: Lynn English, Lynn Classical, Salem, Beverly, Peabody, Revere

Boys Northeastern Conference (South Division)

Outlook: The South will not be as strong as the North this year.  Winthrop returns their core group of players and are the favorite to win this division.

Keep and eye on:  Dino Mallios of Winthrop

Predicted finish: Winthrop, Marblehead, Gloucester, Danvers, Swampscott, Saugus

Boys Dual County League (Small)

Outlook: Arlington returns a lot from last season, Wayland and Bedford are very talented.

Keep and eye on:  Weston’s Alex Levine, Bedford’s Mike Ingram-Rubin, Brima Rogers of Concord-Carlisle

Predicted finish: Bedford, Arlington, Wayland, Concord-Carlisle, Weston, Tyngsboro

Boys Hockomock League

Outlook: Frankiln and Stoughton are the class of the league and will be dueling all year for the title.  They will play twice this season, Jan. 5th at Franklin and Feb. 2nd at Stoughton.

Keep and eye on:  Kris Joyce of Stoughton, Franklin’s Matt Palazini and Matt Dean

Predicted finish: Franklin, Stoughton, Mansfield, North Attleboro, Oliver Ames, Foxboro, Canton, Sharon, King Philip

Boys Dual County League (Large)

Outlook: Westford looks to repeat, but they are going to face stiff competition from Acton-Boxborough and Boston Latin.  Waltham will be better than their 0-9 record last year.

Keep and eye on:  A-B’s Sam Longwell, Waltham’s AJ Prince, TJ Jann of Westford

Predicted finish: Westford, Acton-Boxborough, Boston Latin, Newton South, Waltham, Lincoln-Sudbury

Boys Boston City North and South
Outlook: The conference is loaded in both divisions with  Madison Park, East Boston, and a strong Charlestown team in the North and  New Mission, O’Bryant, and West Roxbury in the South.  It will be an exciting year for the conference.
Keep an eye on: Samir McDaniels of New Mission, Marco Banegas of O’Bryant, Jeff Amazon of East Boston
Predicted finish:  (North)  Madison Park, East Boston, Charlestown, Fenway, Latin Academy, Snowden, South Boston
(South) New Mission, O’Bryant, West Roxbury, Boston English, Brighton, Dorchester, Burke, Hyde Park

Boys Catholic Conference
Outlook:  St. John’s Prep had a solid Fall, but Catholic Memorial will challenge them all season for the league title
Keep an eye on: Pat Connaughton of St. John’s Prep, new coaching regime at Xaverian, Dan Brooks of Catholic Memorial
Predicted finish:  St. John’s Prep, Catholic Memorial, BC High,  Malden Catholic, Xaverian
Boys Merrimack Valley (Large)
Outlook:  Central Catholic is the class of this division, but Andover and Lowell are strong and could overtake CC at the end
Keep an eye on:  Wake Forest signee Carson Desrosiers of Central, the speed and athleticism of Lawrence, interim coach at Lowell
Predicted finish:  Central Catholic, Andover, Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill
Boys Greater Boston League
Outlook:  Cambridge will win the league with their depth and athleticism, it will be a three way battle for second with Everett, Somerville, and Medford
Keep an eye on:  Nerlins Noel of Everett, Andrew White of Medford, Franklin Salvador of Somerville
Predictied Finish:  Cambridge, Everett, Somerville, Medford, Malden
Boys Middlesex League
Outlook:  - Lexington is the early favorite, but they will have to fight off Woburn to repeat as league champs.
Keep an eye on:  Woburn’s big three Randy Parker, Mikel Simpson, and Nick Lund, Belmont’s Andrew Musler, Melrose big man Andrew Scocca, the size and length of Lexington
Predicted Finish:  Lexington, Woburn, Watertown, Belmont, Reading, Melrose, Burlington, Wakefield, Stoneham, Winchester

I am a high school basketball junkie. I’ve played in high school, been a head coach in two programs, and have followed the high school basketball scene since I watched my brother play when I was little. Now, I get to watch the best teams in the country play in one weekend where the game was invented. Hallelujah!!!! On January 15th to 18th in Springfield, Massachusetts the #1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 16, 18, 19 nationally ranked teams will compete head-to-head along with some top local teams going at each other. The spotlight game will be on Monday at 3:00 p.m. where #1 St. Patrick will be playing #2 Findlay College Prep. I don’t know of any showcase tournament in the country that will have the biggest names in high school basketball along with a mixture of prep, private, and public schools coming together.
Without great players you won’t have great teams. Here is a brief list of the super talent on display at the Hoophall:
• Jared Sullinger of Northland H.S. (OH) – Ohio State recruit
• Kyrie Irving of St. Patrick (NJ) – Duke recruit
• Tobias Harris of Half Hollow Hills West (NY ) – undecided
• Josh Smith of Kentwood H.S. (WA) – UCLA recruit
• Tristan Thompson of Findlay College Prep (NV) – Texas recruit
• Reggie Bullock of Kingston H.S. (NC) – North Carolina recruit
• Roscoe Smith of Oak Hill Academy (VA) – undecided
• Kendall Marshall of Bishop O’Connell H.S. (NC) – North Carolina recruit
I can’t wait for this weekend of hoops. If for some reason I get bored, which I know I won’t, I can always head over to the Hall of Fame to kill some time. A great four days for any basketball fan. More information plus a full schedule of games can be found on the Hoophall website at thehoophallclassic.com.

George Washington (Atlantic 10) 69 - Boston U. (America East) 59

In the home opener for new BU coach Patrick Chambers, the Terriers couldn’t find consistent shooting from the 3 pt. line all night and fell to GW 69-59.  BU finished the game shooting 5-27 from the arc and only shooting 64% from the free-throw line.  Both teams showed early season jitters as they combined for twenty-four turnovers and 30% shooting in the first half.  The Colonials also outrebounded the Terriers twenty-three to seventeen  and took a six point lead into the break on Freshman guard Lasan Kromah’s three-pointer at the buzzer.  GW was able to get inside the BU defensive interior all night and they took what looked like a commanding 48-35 lead on Tim Johnson’s lay-up with 10:14 left in the game.  The Terriers would respond with an 8-1 run to close the gap to six on Senior Corey Lowe’s strong drive to the hoop.  However, the Colonials would execute down the stretch and make their free-throws to post the ten point victory. 

The loss dropped BU to 0-2 on the season while GW improved to 2-0.  Jake O’Brien of BC High finished with 5 pts., 6 rebs., and 5 blks., while Newton North’s Corey Lowe had 21 pts.  John Holland had a double double with 24 pts. and 11 rebs. to finish as the high scorer for the Terriers.  The Colonials were led by Lasan Kromah’s 17 pts.  Next up for Boston U. will be a trip to Puerto Rico to play in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tipoff where they will face Kansas State of the Big 12.  The next home game will be November 25th versus city rival Northeastern.  Tip-off is at 4 p.m.

Take this quiz and find out.

Answers will appear at the bottom of this page.  You either get it right or wrong, no partial credit here.  Give yourself a point for every correct answer.

1.  Can you name every team and mascot in your favorite high school team’s league?

2.  What is the difference in length between a standard high school court and college court?

3.  Name the colleges of the five current starters on the Celtics.

4.  Name the state champions in all boys divisions last year.

5. Name the state champions in all girls divisions last year.

6. What is the NFHS?

7. Who invented the game of basketball?  In what city?

8. How many retired numbers are there for the Celtics?

9. Name the basketball conferences of Boston U, Northeastern, Boston College, and Harvard

10. What does AAU stand for?

Scale

9 - 10 points:  Starting Varsity

7 - 8 points:  Varsity player

5 - 6 points:  JV player

3 - 4 points:  Freshmen team

1 - 2 points:  Still learning the game

 

Quiz answers
1.  You are going to have to look this one up and be honest with yourself!
2.  10  feet.  The standard high school court is 84 feet and the standard college court is 94 feet.
3.  Ray Allen - UConn, Rajon Rondo - Kentucky, Paul Pierce - Kansas, Kendrick Perkins - did not attend college, Kevin Garnett - did not attend college
4.  Division I - St. John’s, Division 2 - Milton, Division 3 - Watertown, Division 4 - Cathedral
5.  Division I - Central Catholic, Division 2 - Notre Dame Academy, Division 3 - Swampscott, Division 4 - Millis
6.  National Federation of High Schools
7.  Dr. James Naismith, Springfield, Mass.
8.  22
9.  BU - America East, Northeastern - CAA, B.C. - ACC, Harvard - Ivy
10. Amateur Athletic Union