The Crosstown Motors Thursday Thoughts for 1/22/2015
2015-01-22
Hopkinton faces Conant Friday night
By Dave Haley
Live from the NHsportspage international office in Jamaica:
Division I
Manchester Central (5-0) at Spaulding (6-0)
The coverage of Manchester Central is sponsored by 900 Degrees Pizzaria
Spaulding might be the surprise team of the season to this point. This is a well coached outfit with a very clear identity: Darian Berry is their #1 option, Brock Paquette and Chris States are very willing to do the dirty work and they will spend 45 seconds on a possession until they get the look they want. Box out, move the basketball, defend your man and take good shots…you ‘ll be amazed how far those simple principles can take you.
In Manchester Central they face a team that goes to the rhythm of their best player. When Joey Martin passes up open looks to make the extra pass it becomes contagious. Doc Wheeler is as good a coach as there is in the state and his specialty is teaching defense. Friday night Central has to be disciplined on screens and communicate on when to switch and when to stay with their man. Spaulding head coach Tim Cronin runs a very sophisticated offense that makes you think while you work. The Fighting McIsaac's are winning because of their ability to make fewer mistakes than their opponent and take better shots. Central needs to get them out of their comfort zone and make someone other than Berry beat them.
These are two teams who look like they are headed to Durham in March. Winner here earns a big tie-breaker that might come into play in March.
Londonderry (5-0) at Merrimack (4-2)
Tim Goodridge has been to two of the last three Division I championship games so no one needs to point out how good of a coach he is but this season he is doing some of his best work. A year ago Merrimack wanted to win games in the 70’s, knowing their defense was too good for you to follow them there. In 2015 the Tomahawks are hovering around 55 points a game, and they are beating good teams (like Bishop Guertin & Bedford) by controlling the pace.
That ability will be tested Friday night by a Londonderry team that dares you to outscore them. Head coach Nate Stanton has done an excellent job playing to his players strengths: the Lancers run the Roy Williams North Carolina fast break that encourages you to push the ball up the wings with the pass and kill you if you ignore the trailer (usually Marc Corey), They will look to get Merrimack to play at their pace, a pace they know they are better suited for, while Goodridge will try to make Londonderry defend for 45 seconds at a time and turn it into a 55-51 kind of game. Does Merrimack have enough firepower to beat Londonderry 78-74? No, but the Tomahawks have no intention of finding out. The team that controls the tempo wins here.
Division II
Coe-Brown Academy (5-1) at Kennett (6-2)
These are two teams fighting for a top 8 seed and a home playoff game. Head coach David Smith’s Bears (they’ll always be the Comanches to me..) survived some early season suspensions and have played very good basketball the past three weeks. Steve Cote’s Eagles are in the same position and will run their offense through all-state point guard Brandon DiLucchio
Spencer Nowland likely gets the assignment on DiLucchio but expect Coach Smith to have a lot of help behind him. Kennett is getting good production from Will Pollard down low and Nick Graziano on the perimeter. This is a smart team with a good coach and an experienced floor general. Kennett has the size to contain players like McCormick Struthers and Sam Langdon, the team that takes care of the basketball earns a very big win that moves them closer to a home playoff game in March.
Division III
Hopkinton (6-2) at Conant (5-3)
Conant found out how close they are to the elite in Division III Monday night and Hopkinton gets their measuring stick game here.
Conant head coach Eric Saucier laid out the blue print for how to hang with Pelham; slow the game down to a crawl and attack Pelham down low. This is not your typical Orioles team that beats you the moment you roll out to balls, they have to win by effort and execution. When paired up against teams like Pembroke (in our jamboree), Newport and Pelham this team always seems to answer the bell, it’s against lesser teams where they tend to fall into bad habits. Hopkinton will not be an opponent taken lightly.
The match-up between Luke Luneau (15.8 ppg) and Brandon Ford is one to watch because Hopkinton only has one player averaging double figures a night (last year they had four ) and if you shut Luneau down this becomes a very pedestrian offense. A year ago Conant overwhelmed the Hawks with their pressure defense and it falls on Riley McNicholas to be sure that doesn’t repeat itself. Hopkinton lost seven of their top eight players from a year ago but this was a very good JV team last year and Dave Chase is one of the best, and certainly well prepared, coaches in the state. Friday night they face their second elite team of the season (Hopkinton lost a close one to Newport back in December) and get a good sense of whether they are a contender to get back to the final four for the third time in four years.
Division IV
Groveton (6-1) at Colebrook Academy (3-4)
Sometimes it isn’t the 18-0 seasons that confirm great coaching but the 10-8 years. With an ordinary coach Colebrook is a six win basketball team, I’ve seen them enough to call it what it is, but with Buddy Trask you’re talking about a team that will compete for a home playoff game. The return of point guard Sedrick McKinnon has been crucial to Colebrook’s recent stretch but what happened while he was out with a head injury also is now paying dividends.
When McKinnon was sidelined it forced senior forward Creed Cooney to be more assertive offensively. What he came to realize is he has the ability to score in the paint with his jump hop move (a lost art..). Cooney has good size and an ability to get himself to the basket with the dribble. Colebrook needed a second scorer to step up behind McKinnon and Cooney looks like he is taking on that role (Bryce Hicks will be that guy from time to time but his jump shot isn’t consistent enough to count on).
Buddy’s team was able to beat Mark Collins’ Groveton team a year ago because of their ability to guard Corey Gadwah man to man and limit his open looks. Point guard Daegan Lurvey is a year older and a year wiser than the last match-up and his ability to get Gadwah the ball in rhythm will be a key Friday night. Groveton measures themselves against Littleton but this is a rivalry game on the road and Colebrook comes in playing very good basketball.
Wilton-Lyndeborough (7-1) at Sunapee (3-4)
There is no debate about the pace of this one…both teams want to push the ball and allow their playmakers to make plays. Our pre-season player of the year Jordan Litts finds his equal in Matt Tenney and Isaiah Chappell. The Lakers were forced to play four games without their top two scorers to open the season and those bumps should now pay dividends.
Wilton is getting very good production from Trey (14.3 ppg) and Ty Carrier (11.3) as well as freshman Casey Lane. This is no longer a ‘Give the ball to Litts ad get out of the way ‘ offense, although everything still runs through him. Sunapee can score all night with you but can they rebound well enough to beat Wilton? Tenney has been terrific as always but if you are counting on him for five rebounds a night you’re not giving him enough help. Wilton hopes to get multiple shots per possession and double Chappell anytime you set a high ball screen for him (make the screener finish at the rim..). How Wilton defends Sunapee’s two all-state guards and the ability of Ed Tenney’s team to hold Wilton to one shot per possession will tell you how this game goes Friday night.
Division I
Manchester Central (5-0) at Spaulding (6-0)
The coverage of Manchester Central is sponsored by 900 Degrees Pizzaria
Spaulding might be the surprise team of the season to this point. This is a well coached outfit with a very clear identity: Darian Berry is their #1 option, Brock Paquette and Chris States are very willing to do the dirty work and they will spend 45 seconds on a possession until they get the look they want. Box out, move the basketball, defend your man and take good shots…you ‘ll be amazed how far those simple principles can take you.
In Manchester Central they face a team that goes to the rhythm of their best player. When Joey Martin passes up open looks to make the extra pass it becomes contagious. Doc Wheeler is as good a coach as there is in the state and his specialty is teaching defense. Friday night Central has to be disciplined on screens and communicate on when to switch and when to stay with their man. Spaulding head coach Tim Cronin runs a very sophisticated offense that makes you think while you work. The Fighting McIsaac's are winning because of their ability to make fewer mistakes than their opponent and take better shots. Central needs to get them out of their comfort zone and make someone other than Berry beat them.
These are two teams who look like they are headed to Durham in March. Winner here earns a big tie-breaker that might come into play in March.
Londonderry (5-0) at Merrimack (4-2)
Tim Goodridge has been to two of the last three Division I championship games so no one needs to point out how good of a coach he is but this season he is doing some of his best work. A year ago Merrimack wanted to win games in the 70’s, knowing their defense was too good for you to follow them there. In 2015 the Tomahawks are hovering around 55 points a game, and they are beating good teams (like Bishop Guertin & Bedford) by controlling the pace.
That ability will be tested Friday night by a Londonderry team that dares you to outscore them. Head coach Nate Stanton has done an excellent job playing to his players strengths: the Lancers run the Roy Williams North Carolina fast break that encourages you to push the ball up the wings with the pass and kill you if you ignore the trailer (usually Marc Corey), They will look to get Merrimack to play at their pace, a pace they know they are better suited for, while Goodridge will try to make Londonderry defend for 45 seconds at a time and turn it into a 55-51 kind of game. Does Merrimack have enough firepower to beat Londonderry 78-74? No, but the Tomahawks have no intention of finding out. The team that controls the tempo wins here.
Division II
Coe-Brown Academy (5-1) at Kennett (6-2)
These are two teams fighting for a top 8 seed and a home playoff game. Head coach David Smith’s Bears (they’ll always be the Comanches to me..) survived some early season suspensions and have played very good basketball the past three weeks. Steve Cote’s Eagles are in the same position and will run their offense through all-state point guard Brandon DiLucchio
Spencer Nowland likely gets the assignment on DiLucchio but expect Coach Smith to have a lot of help behind him. Kennett is getting good production from Will Pollard down low and Nick Graziano on the perimeter. This is a smart team with a good coach and an experienced floor general. Kennett has the size to contain players like McCormick Struthers and Sam Langdon, the team that takes care of the basketball earns a very big win that moves them closer to a home playoff game in March.
Division III
Hopkinton (6-2) at Conant (5-3)
Conant found out how close they are to the elite in Division III Monday night and Hopkinton gets their measuring stick game here.
Conant head coach Eric Saucier laid out the blue print for how to hang with Pelham; slow the game down to a crawl and attack Pelham down low. This is not your typical Orioles team that beats you the moment you roll out to balls, they have to win by effort and execution. When paired up against teams like Pembroke (in our jamboree), Newport and Pelham this team always seems to answer the bell, it’s against lesser teams where they tend to fall into bad habits. Hopkinton will not be an opponent taken lightly.
The match-up between Luke Luneau (15.8 ppg) and Brandon Ford is one to watch because Hopkinton only has one player averaging double figures a night (last year they had four ) and if you shut Luneau down this becomes a very pedestrian offense. A year ago Conant overwhelmed the Hawks with their pressure defense and it falls on Riley McNicholas to be sure that doesn’t repeat itself. Hopkinton lost seven of their top eight players from a year ago but this was a very good JV team last year and Dave Chase is one of the best, and certainly well prepared, coaches in the state. Friday night they face their second elite team of the season (Hopkinton lost a close one to Newport back in December) and get a good sense of whether they are a contender to get back to the final four for the third time in four years.
Division IV
Groveton (6-1) at Colebrook Academy (3-4)
Sometimes it isn’t the 18-0 seasons that confirm great coaching but the 10-8 years. With an ordinary coach Colebrook is a six win basketball team, I’ve seen them enough to call it what it is, but with Buddy Trask you’re talking about a team that will compete for a home playoff game. The return of point guard Sedrick McKinnon has been crucial to Colebrook’s recent stretch but what happened while he was out with a head injury also is now paying dividends.
When McKinnon was sidelined it forced senior forward Creed Cooney to be more assertive offensively. What he came to realize is he has the ability to score in the paint with his jump hop move (a lost art..). Cooney has good size and an ability to get himself to the basket with the dribble. Colebrook needed a second scorer to step up behind McKinnon and Cooney looks like he is taking on that role (Bryce Hicks will be that guy from time to time but his jump shot isn’t consistent enough to count on).
Buddy’s team was able to beat Mark Collins’ Groveton team a year ago because of their ability to guard Corey Gadwah man to man and limit his open looks. Point guard Daegan Lurvey is a year older and a year wiser than the last match-up and his ability to get Gadwah the ball in rhythm will be a key Friday night. Groveton measures themselves against Littleton but this is a rivalry game on the road and Colebrook comes in playing very good basketball.
Wilton-Lyndeborough (7-1) at Sunapee (3-4)
There is no debate about the pace of this one…both teams want to push the ball and allow their playmakers to make plays. Our pre-season player of the year Jordan Litts finds his equal in Matt Tenney and Isaiah Chappell. The Lakers were forced to play four games without their top two scorers to open the season and those bumps should now pay dividends.
Wilton is getting very good production from Trey (14.3 ppg) and Ty Carrier (11.3) as well as freshman Casey Lane. This is no longer a ‘Give the ball to Litts ad get out of the way ‘ offense, although everything still runs through him. Sunapee can score all night with you but can they rebound well enough to beat Wilton? Tenney has been terrific as always but if you are counting on him for five rebounds a night you’re not giving him enough help. Wilton hopes to get multiple shots per possession and double Chappell anytime you set a high ball screen for him (make the screener finish at the rim..). How Wilton defends Sunapee’s two all-state guards and the ability of Ed Tenney’s team to hold Wilton to one shot per possession will tell you how this game goes Friday night.