The Neighborhood Fundraising Thursday Thoughts for 1/15/2015
2015-01-15
Derek Maccini is leading Woodsville into the Top 10
By Dave Haley
Quick programming note: I will be in Jamaica on vacation next week but still have every intention of writing next week’s thoughts column over intentional waters…Justin McIsaac will be handling stats and the rest of the team will be out and about covering our games of the week.
Division I
Pinkerton Academy (5-0) at Manchester Central (4-0)
The coverage of Manchester Central is sponsored by 900 Degrees Pizzaria
Two very good teams with a lot of curiosity around their early performances.
The questions that have dogged (fairly I would say..) Pinkerton in the past concerns their defense, their level of discipline and their ability to get better as the season goes along. What this team has today is a very good mix of guard play combined with a frontline that goes 6’8, 6’7, 6’7. When head coach Peter Rosinski sets up his 2-1-2 three quarter court trap the Astros have the ability to use their length and athleticism (trademark: Jay Bilas) to deflect passes and cause turnovers. Geo Baker and Drew Green do a really nice job of converting those opportunities and in fact Baker is the best point guard in the state of New Hampshire today. I’m handing him that belt..
David Faulks is a difference maker in the post if he can stay out of foul trouble (he picked up his 4th foul against Pembroke mid-way through the third quarter and never returned). He combines with Caleb Godin & the Olsen’s (no not those Olsen’s) for a very strong frontcourt. Matt Rizzo is a facilitator with his ability to beat you off the dribble and get to his spot defensively. If Rosinski tightness the rotation later in the season to 8 players (he played 12 against Pembroke) this is a team capable of winning a championship.
With Central it is about who is going to be there night to night. Nate Guillermo has already missed several starts as has Oumaru Kante. What Doc Wheeler can depend on is Joey Martin and Jaylen Leeroy. Right now this team has enough skill players and is well coached enough to get by. They are going to make Pinkerton defend them in space and that is where Central has an advantage.
One statistic doesn’t seem to get enough attention around the state:
Last season Joey Martin arrived with his brother Jon from Florida and played 18 regular season games, winning every one of them. That Central team also won the Queen City Holiday tournament (3-0) and went on to defeat Memorial and Merrimack in Durham for the Division I Championship (4-0).
Martin was then a part of the NHsportspage Seacoast tournament team that won their second consecutive title by going undefeated against teams that included a seacoast all-star team, an all-star team from Maine and in the finals, a team that included Patrick Welch, Kafani Williams, Cody Ball and the Bell brothers (6-0).
Central this season is off to a 4-0 start and again won the Queen City Holiday tournament (3-0).
Folks Joey Martin has played 38 games that count in the state of New Hampshire is 38-0.
That is a fact that doesn’t get nearly enough attention.
Alvirne (4-1) at Spaulding (5-0)
Brian Lynch’s Broncos may have learned more about themselves in their first loss of the season than they did in their previous four wins. Alvirne went toe to toe with Pinkerton and easily could have won that game. This is a confident bunch and while you would think the loss of point guard Danny Brown to injury would sink them it hasn’t. Players like Sam Bonney-Liles provide very good leadership and this is just a good, disciplined basketball team. Which is exactly what they will face Friday night.
The Fighting McIsaac’s picked up a very good win at Pembroke Academy (when is the last time the Spartans have lost two in a row?) Tuesday night. Darian Berry has been fantastic, as good as advertised, early in the season and has gotten support from Chris States, Brock Paquette and the emerging Cal Connelly. Berry is the focus of every defense that goes up against him but Spaulding head coach Tim Cronin runs enough good sets to shake him loose on the perimeter. Alvirne will need to communicate on screens and limit the second shots Anthony Ciccotelli and Spaulding get.
The New Hampshire High school Hoop Show returns Saturday at 8 am with Pete Tarrier joined in studio by former Trinity head coach Dave Keefe & former Alvirne head coach and Jamboree architect Kevin Bonney.
Pelham head coach Matt Regan joins them in studio as well as our guest.
Listen live on 96.7 FM on the seacoast, WGIR 610 AM in Manchester or listen all over the state online at http://www.iheart.com/live/WGIR-AM-610-2752/ starting at 8 o’clock Saturday morning.
Division II
Bishop Brady (5-0) at Manchester West (4-1)
The coverage of Manchester West is sponsored by 900 Degrees Pizzaria
Division II seems to be separating itself as we hit the mid-way point of January and it is four teams that seem to be moving away from the pack.
Bishop Brady and Portsmouth are the class of the division today, we expected that. Lebanon suffered a hiccup against Goffstown but still appears headed back to Durham in March while Danny Bryson’s Manchester West team is overwhelming people with their height and ability to control the backboard early on. Coe-Brown, Goffstown, Merrimack Valley, Windham & Kennett all are still very much in that mix but today there seems to be a clear Top 4.
Whether West can contain Jourdain Bell is the key Friday night, as is the health of Joe Bell who suffered a lower back injury Tuesday night against Con Val. Look for Bryson to try several different defenders on Bell (Zach Jones may be the team’s best defender & likely gets the first shot) and to stay man to man. Last season Portsmouth head coach Jim Mulvey disrupted Brady power forward Brendan Johnson by putting the bigger Devvon Wilson-Miles on him to affect his ability to get good looks on jump shots. Bryson has that kind of defender in 6’7 Monytung Maker and several other players with the ability to keep Brady center Aaron Svendsen off the glass.
Joe Bell would likely get the assignment on Jones, the current leading scorer in Division II, so his availability Friday night is a key.
Pete Tarrier and The Great Jon Kesty will be in Manchester Friday night for our Game of the Week coverage.
Division III
Conant (4-2) at Newport (6-0)
After getting shutout in the first quarter of our jamboree against Pembroke Eric Saucier's team decided they weren’t going to get embarrassed on that stage and proceeded to fight & claw their way back for the next three quarters. Conant walked off that floor having outplayed the Spartans in the second half and newly assured that they could compete when they are all in effort-wise. The issue since that night has been finding that same level of ‘compete’ as they say. Saucier knows it’s there, he just needs his kids to find it.
Expect them to get there Friday night. Newport took Conant off their schedule three years ago and that did not go unnoticed over in Jaffrey. Friday night a packed house will await a young Conant team forced to grow up in a hurry and no one will care if the Orioles roll in with a lot of underclassman and four new starters. It says Conant on their shirts and Newport will be ready, on the floor and in the stands.
How Conant defends Andrew Houde (23.3 ppg) will be at the top of the blackboard. Saucier likely wants to force Houde to put the ball on the floor and then instruct his defenders to stay home on Spencer Coronis and Jesse Stiffler out on the perimeter. Stiffler can hurt you mainly from deep and he is a player the Orioles likely won’t leave alone.
Newport has gotten nice play in the post from undersized big man C.J Lawrence, who makes up for his lack of height with toughness and athletic ability. Nate Wheeler and Brandon Ford are charged with holding Newport to one shot per possession and if Conant is going to get into a shootout they’ll need a big night out of Josh Degrenier (12.8 ppg).
Newport is a finished product at this point, a good mix of all-state ability and veterans who have been in these types of games the past three years. Conant is not there yet but improving and learning by the week. Their ability to play with Newport Friday night tells you how far along in that process they are.
Division IV
Pittsburg-Canaan (3-3) at Woodsville (4-3)
The Engineers win at Littleton last Friday night was only a shocker to those who haven’t been paying attention to what Jamie Walker is doing at Woodsville. After losing to a good Rivendell team (a Vermont team and much to Pete Tarrier’s disappointment not a colony of elves) on a 23 foot shot at the buzzer Walker’s team seemed to find themselves in the narrow defeat. When the bigger Rivendell (the size of a NH Division III team) got physical the Engineers responded and came into Littleton a different team than the one that had dropped a tight opener to Groveton back in December.
Jaret Bemis scored the first five points of the game and ended up with 26 in the upset win but the story was point guard Derek Maccini. Walker started Maccini as a freshman, and way before he was ready. Walker had little choice in the matter at the time and paid for it with a few turnover filled nights but now he has an experienced/heady point guard who handled Littleton’s pressure and consistently found Bemis in rhythm. Woodsville’s Sam Pushee and Mike Lloyd provide rebounding while teammates Ryan Olsen and Dan Abrahamson know their roles.
What it leaves you with is a team that knows A) who needs to have the ball in his hands most often B) who their #1 scoring option is C) who should concentrate on rebounding & defending. They’re also really well coached and that in 2015 will get you a lot of wins in any division. Littleton is still the best team in the North Country, Groveton has a young emerging nucleus and one of the best coaches in the state. Those were thought to be the only two North Country teams that could make noise in March (don’t count Colebrook out yet..).
Add Woodsville to that list..
Portsmouth Christian (4-1) at Epping (4-1)
Any combination of PCA/Derryfield/Wilton/Epping/Derryfield/Sunapee is a must see game so clearly this qualifies.
Epping has been hit with a rash of injuries that has cut back on their depth. They are getting steady scoring from My Man Colby Wilson and Brett Couture but haven’t gotten consistency yet out of big man Jackson Rivers. We start with the frontcourt because that is where Portsmouth Christian will attack the Blue Devils.
Sean Young’s team needs to limit Paul Staude and make Eric Bontemps beat you from the outside. The defending champs have the guard play to slow Jake Holden and Shaun Bradley but struggled to finish down low against Derryfield’s Sam Anderson. How they are able to attack Epping in the paint and the Blue Devils ability to get out in transition will determine who gets out of this one with a win.
Division I
Pinkerton Academy (5-0) at Manchester Central (4-0)
The coverage of Manchester Central is sponsored by 900 Degrees Pizzaria
Two very good teams with a lot of curiosity around their early performances.
The questions that have dogged (fairly I would say..) Pinkerton in the past concerns their defense, their level of discipline and their ability to get better as the season goes along. What this team has today is a very good mix of guard play combined with a frontline that goes 6’8, 6’7, 6’7. When head coach Peter Rosinski sets up his 2-1-2 three quarter court trap the Astros have the ability to use their length and athleticism (trademark: Jay Bilas) to deflect passes and cause turnovers. Geo Baker and Drew Green do a really nice job of converting those opportunities and in fact Baker is the best point guard in the state of New Hampshire today. I’m handing him that belt..
David Faulks is a difference maker in the post if he can stay out of foul trouble (he picked up his 4th foul against Pembroke mid-way through the third quarter and never returned). He combines with Caleb Godin & the Olsen’s (no not those Olsen’s) for a very strong frontcourt. Matt Rizzo is a facilitator with his ability to beat you off the dribble and get to his spot defensively. If Rosinski tightness the rotation later in the season to 8 players (he played 12 against Pembroke) this is a team capable of winning a championship.
With Central it is about who is going to be there night to night. Nate Guillermo has already missed several starts as has Oumaru Kante. What Doc Wheeler can depend on is Joey Martin and Jaylen Leeroy. Right now this team has enough skill players and is well coached enough to get by. They are going to make Pinkerton defend them in space and that is where Central has an advantage.
One statistic doesn’t seem to get enough attention around the state:
Last season Joey Martin arrived with his brother Jon from Florida and played 18 regular season games, winning every one of them. That Central team also won the Queen City Holiday tournament (3-0) and went on to defeat Memorial and Merrimack in Durham for the Division I Championship (4-0).
Martin was then a part of the NHsportspage Seacoast tournament team that won their second consecutive title by going undefeated against teams that included a seacoast all-star team, an all-star team from Maine and in the finals, a team that included Patrick Welch, Kafani Williams, Cody Ball and the Bell brothers (6-0).
Central this season is off to a 4-0 start and again won the Queen City Holiday tournament (3-0).
Folks Joey Martin has played 38 games that count in the state of New Hampshire is 38-0.
That is a fact that doesn’t get nearly enough attention.
Alvirne (4-1) at Spaulding (5-0)
Brian Lynch’s Broncos may have learned more about themselves in their first loss of the season than they did in their previous four wins. Alvirne went toe to toe with Pinkerton and easily could have won that game. This is a confident bunch and while you would think the loss of point guard Danny Brown to injury would sink them it hasn’t. Players like Sam Bonney-Liles provide very good leadership and this is just a good, disciplined basketball team. Which is exactly what they will face Friday night.
The Fighting McIsaac’s picked up a very good win at Pembroke Academy (when is the last time the Spartans have lost two in a row?) Tuesday night. Darian Berry has been fantastic, as good as advertised, early in the season and has gotten support from Chris States, Brock Paquette and the emerging Cal Connelly. Berry is the focus of every defense that goes up against him but Spaulding head coach Tim Cronin runs enough good sets to shake him loose on the perimeter. Alvirne will need to communicate on screens and limit the second shots Anthony Ciccotelli and Spaulding get.
The New Hampshire High school Hoop Show returns Saturday at 8 am with Pete Tarrier joined in studio by former Trinity head coach Dave Keefe & former Alvirne head coach and Jamboree architect Kevin Bonney.
Pelham head coach Matt Regan joins them in studio as well as our guest.
Listen live on 96.7 FM on the seacoast, WGIR 610 AM in Manchester or listen all over the state online at http://www.iheart.com/live/WGIR-AM-610-2752/ starting at 8 o’clock Saturday morning.
Division II
Bishop Brady (5-0) at Manchester West (4-1)
The coverage of Manchester West is sponsored by 900 Degrees Pizzaria
Division II seems to be separating itself as we hit the mid-way point of January and it is four teams that seem to be moving away from the pack.
Bishop Brady and Portsmouth are the class of the division today, we expected that. Lebanon suffered a hiccup against Goffstown but still appears headed back to Durham in March while Danny Bryson’s Manchester West team is overwhelming people with their height and ability to control the backboard early on. Coe-Brown, Goffstown, Merrimack Valley, Windham & Kennett all are still very much in that mix but today there seems to be a clear Top 4.
Whether West can contain Jourdain Bell is the key Friday night, as is the health of Joe Bell who suffered a lower back injury Tuesday night against Con Val. Look for Bryson to try several different defenders on Bell (Zach Jones may be the team’s best defender & likely gets the first shot) and to stay man to man. Last season Portsmouth head coach Jim Mulvey disrupted Brady power forward Brendan Johnson by putting the bigger Devvon Wilson-Miles on him to affect his ability to get good looks on jump shots. Bryson has that kind of defender in 6’7 Monytung Maker and several other players with the ability to keep Brady center Aaron Svendsen off the glass.
Joe Bell would likely get the assignment on Jones, the current leading scorer in Division II, so his availability Friday night is a key.
Pete Tarrier and The Great Jon Kesty will be in Manchester Friday night for our Game of the Week coverage.
Division III
Conant (4-2) at Newport (6-0)
After getting shutout in the first quarter of our jamboree against Pembroke Eric Saucier's team decided they weren’t going to get embarrassed on that stage and proceeded to fight & claw their way back for the next three quarters. Conant walked off that floor having outplayed the Spartans in the second half and newly assured that they could compete when they are all in effort-wise. The issue since that night has been finding that same level of ‘compete’ as they say. Saucier knows it’s there, he just needs his kids to find it.
Expect them to get there Friday night. Newport took Conant off their schedule three years ago and that did not go unnoticed over in Jaffrey. Friday night a packed house will await a young Conant team forced to grow up in a hurry and no one will care if the Orioles roll in with a lot of underclassman and four new starters. It says Conant on their shirts and Newport will be ready, on the floor and in the stands.
How Conant defends Andrew Houde (23.3 ppg) will be at the top of the blackboard. Saucier likely wants to force Houde to put the ball on the floor and then instruct his defenders to stay home on Spencer Coronis and Jesse Stiffler out on the perimeter. Stiffler can hurt you mainly from deep and he is a player the Orioles likely won’t leave alone.
Newport has gotten nice play in the post from undersized big man C.J Lawrence, who makes up for his lack of height with toughness and athletic ability. Nate Wheeler and Brandon Ford are charged with holding Newport to one shot per possession and if Conant is going to get into a shootout they’ll need a big night out of Josh Degrenier (12.8 ppg).
Newport is a finished product at this point, a good mix of all-state ability and veterans who have been in these types of games the past three years. Conant is not there yet but improving and learning by the week. Their ability to play with Newport Friday night tells you how far along in that process they are.
Division IV
Pittsburg-Canaan (3-3) at Woodsville (4-3)
The Engineers win at Littleton last Friday night was only a shocker to those who haven’t been paying attention to what Jamie Walker is doing at Woodsville. After losing to a good Rivendell team (a Vermont team and much to Pete Tarrier’s disappointment not a colony of elves) on a 23 foot shot at the buzzer Walker’s team seemed to find themselves in the narrow defeat. When the bigger Rivendell (the size of a NH Division III team) got physical the Engineers responded and came into Littleton a different team than the one that had dropped a tight opener to Groveton back in December.
Jaret Bemis scored the first five points of the game and ended up with 26 in the upset win but the story was point guard Derek Maccini. Walker started Maccini as a freshman, and way before he was ready. Walker had little choice in the matter at the time and paid for it with a few turnover filled nights but now he has an experienced/heady point guard who handled Littleton’s pressure and consistently found Bemis in rhythm. Woodsville’s Sam Pushee and Mike Lloyd provide rebounding while teammates Ryan Olsen and Dan Abrahamson know their roles.
What it leaves you with is a team that knows A) who needs to have the ball in his hands most often B) who their #1 scoring option is C) who should concentrate on rebounding & defending. They’re also really well coached and that in 2015 will get you a lot of wins in any division. Littleton is still the best team in the North Country, Groveton has a young emerging nucleus and one of the best coaches in the state. Those were thought to be the only two North Country teams that could make noise in March (don’t count Colebrook out yet..).
Add Woodsville to that list..
Portsmouth Christian (4-1) at Epping (4-1)
Any combination of PCA/Derryfield/Wilton/Epping/Derryfield/Sunapee is a must see game so clearly this qualifies.
Epping has been hit with a rash of injuries that has cut back on their depth. They are getting steady scoring from My Man Colby Wilson and Brett Couture but haven’t gotten consistency yet out of big man Jackson Rivers. We start with the frontcourt because that is where Portsmouth Christian will attack the Blue Devils.
Sean Young’s team needs to limit Paul Staude and make Eric Bontemps beat you from the outside. The defending champs have the guard play to slow Jake Holden and Shaun Bradley but struggled to finish down low against Derryfield’s Sam Anderson. How they are able to attack Epping in the paint and the Blue Devils ability to get out in transition will determine who gets out of this one with a win.