The Crosstown Motors Division Division IV Tournament Preview
2016-02-29
Sedrick McKinnon and Colebrook host Newmarket in Round 1
By Dave Haley
So here we are…as we have every year for the past eight seasons we will preview every single tournament game from the 1 vs. 16 match-up in Division IV all the way to the championship preview for Division I.
We will tell you what players to watch for, the defenses & looks each team are going to give you, how one team is likely to attack the other and where the upsets may lurk.
Our semifinal previews will feature scouting reports from opposing coaches within the division using blind quotes in what has become one of our most popular features.
Division IV players, parents & coaches; to avoid being shut out of the website in the near future take one minute to register for a one time cost of $50 and you are set through next (2017) season.
Register for full access
Putting it off will cost you triple the cost after March 10th ($150) or if you do not register at all, you will not have access to any of columns, highlight videos or statistics. So players let your parents know now while you can save them money!
(16) Lisbon at (1) Littleton
You get the sense the Panthers would have rather hit the road and taken a chance against a Portsmouth Christian team they haven’t already faced twice. What they get is an undefeated Littleton team that beat them 91-40 and 87-42 this season.
Let’s focus on Sam Natti’s team because we are going to have plenty of time to break down the Crusaders.
It was important for the program to get back to the post-season for the first time since winning the Division IV title three years ago.
As great as it is to get in nobody enjoys the 16/1 slot. It’s a very quick path to baseball season. To climb the ladder next season and get to double digit wins sophomore guard Josh Woods (16.1) needs to embrace the fact that this is his team now. Natti is losing two very good leaders in Gaige Pequeno and Zach Smith so it falls upon Woods to get the underclassman in line.
Parker Thornton (7.0 ppg.) has shown flashes and if point guard Josh Brooks can prove he can stay on the court Lisbon has the pieces in place to fight for a Top 12 seed a year from now. Natti understands the landscape of Division IV as well as anyone and he’s won a championship. He knows exactly where this group stands and where it can get to behind Woods, and possibly Brooks, in the next two years.
That process begins this summer.
(9) Newmarket at (8) Colebrook Academy
Colebrook wins the tie-breaker of 12-6 teams based on a pair of wins over Division III White Mountains (2-16).
The match-up to watch in this one is how Buddy Trask’s team is able to defend Newmarket center Ian Bentley (15.5). Colebrook wants to beat you with pressure and by turning you over. Jose Alvarado (9.4) has the quickest hands of any guard in Division IV and that is something Newmarket ballhandlers are going to have to be aware of. The fact that Jamie Hayes has three players that can bring the ball up the floor is a huge asset with Alvarado roaming the floor.
When Newmarket breaks pressure they need everything to go through Bentley in the post, which opens up driving lanes and open shots on the perimeter for Anthony Senesombath (12.0) and Matt Wilson (10.4).
Colebrook doesn’t have a true ‘big’ but they are going to need Garrett Purrington to play like one. Purrington has shown that ability in flashes, if he doesn’t knock Bentley off of the low block Tuesday night it is going to make for one very long night.
Does Newmarket attempt to break pressure by throwing full court passes to Bentley on the smaller floor? Jamie Hayes’ team has been playing their home games at Exeter high school after their floor was ruined by burst pipes so this is going to feel like playing in a phone booth when they get to Colebrook. Over/under on times Newmarket steps out of bounds when they feel like they are five feet off the line is 5.
Defensively the Mules have to know where Sedrick McKinnon (18.0) is at all times. McKinnon is one of the best guards in the entire division and his step back jumper creates enough space to get his shot off. Jon Sherer has been able to take advantage of all the attention paid to McKinnon at times (he had 21 points in a season ending win over Canaan-Pittsburg) on the perimeter. His ability to knock down open looks will only allow more space for Mike Hastings and Purrington on the baseline.
Newmarket is the favorite on the neutral floor but that drive (three plus hours….trust me I know), the officiating up north (they call it much closer than down south) and the smaller floor shaves their advantage down to a nearly even game. Exactly what you’d expect from your 8/9 game.
(12) Derryfield at (5) Groveton
At some point, before warm-ups even begin Groveton head coach Mark Collins is going to pull Lucas Simpson aside , point at Derryfield all-state center Sam Anderson and say ‘You see that guy? If he kills us tonight they win. If he doesn’t, we win. It’s your job to make sure that doesn’t happen.’
If you’re looking at the scoring numbers on Anderson (12.4 ppg.) you’re missing the bigger picture. He isn’t Jordan Litts, a player who somewhere around the 3rd quarter would say ‘Well looks like I’m going to have to go win this thing myself.’ Anderson averages about 13 rebounds a game and sets up shooters like Burton Owen (13.3) for open looks on second chance attempts.
Simpson along with Dylan Rogers and Daegan Lurvey (the best rebounding guard in the division) need to keep Anderson from turning Derryfield possessions into a three shot exercise.
Rob Bradley’s team does not want to suffer the same fate that Sunapee did in the first round a year ago. Their young backcourt led by Andrew Dubreuil needs to take care of the basketball and stay away from early foul trouble. Groveton cannot leave Owen alone on the perimeter just as Derryfield must do the same with Austin Lesperance (12.0).
Groveton wants an up tempo game where Corey Gadwah (17.1) is able to finish in transition and Derryfield is playing from behind while facing full court pressure. Derryfield wants this game in the 50’s and to force someone other than Gadwah to create in the half court.
All of this goes back to Daegan Lurvey. The junior point guard is one of the smartest players in the division and a very tough defender as well. Lurvey needs to feed touches to Gadwah and Lesperance to keep Derryfield chasing.
The team that gets out to a 8 plus point lead first will initiate the pace with a trip to the quarterfinals on the line.
(13) Lin-Wood at (4) Sunapee
Lin-Wood has four scorers that averaged in double digits this season (Olle Dovholuk, Andrew Harrington, Devon Rivera and Brandon Harrington) but a track meet is the last thing they want to get into tomorrow night in Sunapee.
Lin-Wood ranked in the bottom half of the division in defense this season and in Sunapee they face the best backcourt in Division IV and a group that likes to get out and go in transition.
Ben Robinson (9.1) and Austin Leblanc have formed a nice chemistry with point guard Matt Tenney (18.4). Tenney is able to break down opposing defenses to find his big men for easy scores and that is where you have to focus when you are playing the Lakers. Issaiah Chappell (20.3) is back among the scoring leaders in the division. He is doing most of his damage getting to the paint where a year ago defenses forced him to shoot it from deep. That is where the production of Robinson, Leblanc and glue guy Mike Platt (8.3) becomes such a huge asset.
Lin-Wood needs to attack the post either with the pass or off the dribble. Rivera, when healthy, may be their biggest weapon while Dovholuk has been their most consistent performer. Lin-Wood, after falling to Derryfield in back to back first round appearances, wanted a shot to shock the division in Round 1. What they get is a Sunapee team playing well with a very large chip on their shoulder.
This is championship or bust in Ed Tenney’s final season and Lin-Wood is first on their list.
(11) Gorham at (6) Wilton-Lyndeborough
For weeks Gorham has been the lower seeded team coaches were looking to avoid in Round one. Bryson Raymond is a bull on the low block, Matt Ruehl is an all-state performer in his own right and the size of their frontcourt kept them in games against #2 seed Portsmouth Christian (a pair of 5 point losses).
That being said this was the absolute worst match-up they could have drawn.
Wilton-Lyndeborough boasts the biggest frontcourt in the Division and 6’4 center Trey Carrier (19.4 ppg.) is a no-brainer first team selection. Ken Garnham feels like his team is coming together at the right time, and he would know. Sunapee, Woodsville, Groveton, Epping & Littleton may get all the attention but this is still your defending champion.
6’3 forwards Sean McClure and Duncan Rae give Wilton-Lyndeborough enough size to keep Gorham from wreaking havoc in the paint. In the backcourt neither Ty Carrier (14.6) or Casey Lane (9.2) are natural point guards but each can handle the ball under pressure where Ty’s obvious chemistry with his younger brother (I’m going to admit it, I thought Trey was the older brother..) gives this offense a good flow. This is a team that shares the basketball and understands how critical their team defense will be to winning a second straight title.
Gorham is a team to be wary of but it is a bad match-up where their size won’t be of any advantage. For the defending champs it’s the bigger picture in front of them and the fact that they are two wins away from getting back to the floor four of their five starters won the championship on a year ago.
(14) Pittsfield at (3) Woodsville
Engineers head coach Jamie Walker said back in the pre-season that the goal was a pair of home tournament games. After a 16-2 regular season someone is going to have to come into the cozy confines of the John Bagonzi Community Building to keep Woodsville from a trip to Plymouth.
Pittsfield’s Cam Darrah (21.7) has been a first team all-state performer for his father Jay Darrah but when you are the only player averaging more than 7 points a game, you’re going to get a lot of attention.
You may see Walker rotate different players on to Darrah but expect fellow all-state guard Derek Maccini to get the starting assignment. Help will come in the form of Nick Stokes (a future member of my annual all-glue guy team) and Garrett Olsen but whoever has the assignment at the moment, all the attention of the rest of the Engineers will be on Darrah and his whereabouts. Jesse Slater (6.6) & Gabe Anthony have played well for the Panthers but neither is going to go off for 20 points and flip the script.
On the other end of the floor Woodsville will run their own all-state guard Jaret Bemis (17.8) through a series of screens along the baseline and try to find Sam Pushee (13.1) on the low block. Stokes can penetrate the middle while Olsen spreads you out on the wings with his ability to knock down shots. If Pittsfield goes zone Maccini has enough patience at the top of the key to find his teammates in spots they are comfortable in.
This is a team with excellent chemistry and when Bemis is shooting in rhythm this becomes a very good offense.
(10) Hinsdale at (7) Epping
Hinsdale picked up a win over Derryfield in the last week of the season that gave them a signature win and shook up the middle of the tournament bracket.
Matt Boggio (15.2) is a 1,000 point scorer while Kyle Rideout (14.2) and Ryan Boggio (8.2) give the Racers three players who can keep you in games like this one. When you’re playing a team as tournament tested as Epping the first half becomes critical. In games like this a 10-0 run swings the balance of the game and dissolves all the confidence from one side of the room. Hinsdale needs to stay in this game long enough for Epping to let doubt creep into their heads.
Was Epping’s 65-64 win at Portsmouth Christian on the final night of the regular season a sign of a turnaround or one final tease?
Dylan Derosier was active early in that game and his performance over the next two weeks has to be at an all-state level. Jackson Rivers (14.3) has been terrific offensively over the last month but he is going to have to prove he can protect the paint in the post-season.
Hinsdale will sit in a zone at their own peril with My Man Colby Wilson happy to knock down looks from 25 feet. Cam Osgood, Glen Hagan, Tommy Bullock, Nick Padgett…these are all players that have been on the big stage before. Sean Young has pushed every button he can and this feels like a team that has had more team meetings than the ‘Chicken & Beer’ Red Sox of 2012.
Epping has been to consecutive title games and with Dylan Derosier & My Man Colby Wilson now officially to the win or go home stage of their senior seasons it’s a question of how they will go out?
That question makes Epping the most interesting story of the tournament.
(15) Canaan-Pittsburg at (2) Portsmouth Christian
How does a six hour round trip to Dover sound? For the third consecutive year Canaan-Pittsburg is headed south…way south…….no I mean really, really south, for the first round. PCA lost two of their last three games but held on to the 2 seed by winning a tie-breaker with Woodsville.
The Yellow Jackets will attack the glass behind brothers Justin and Josh Lindor while younger brother Matthew serves as one of the team’s best rebounders. PCA needs to control the glass and get Kylani LaFleur (13.8), Paul Staude (10.0), Drew McCormick (8.3) and Shaun Bradley out in transition. The Eagles are at their best when they are pushing the tempo and the ability of Devon Smart (8.6) to knock down three’s gives them a weapon in their secondary fast break. Joe Yoon and Caleb Gendron have produced all season long and this is a group that is disciplined in what they run defensively under The Big Smooth Lewis Atkins.
The way that Canaan-Pittsburg stays in this one is by beating PCA up on the boards. If Smooth’s troops protect the paint and get their rhythm going in transition it will be on to the quarterfinals for the first time in nearly 10 years for PCA.
We will tell you what players to watch for, the defenses & looks each team are going to give you, how one team is likely to attack the other and where the upsets may lurk.
Our semifinal previews will feature scouting reports from opposing coaches within the division using blind quotes in what has become one of our most popular features.
Division IV players, parents & coaches; to avoid being shut out of the website in the near future take one minute to register for a one time cost of $50 and you are set through next (2017) season.
Register for full access
Putting it off will cost you triple the cost after March 10th ($150) or if you do not register at all, you will not have access to any of columns, highlight videos or statistics. So players let your parents know now while you can save them money!
(16) Lisbon at (1) Littleton
You get the sense the Panthers would have rather hit the road and taken a chance against a Portsmouth Christian team they haven’t already faced twice. What they get is an undefeated Littleton team that beat them 91-40 and 87-42 this season.
Let’s focus on Sam Natti’s team because we are going to have plenty of time to break down the Crusaders.
It was important for the program to get back to the post-season for the first time since winning the Division IV title three years ago.
As great as it is to get in nobody enjoys the 16/1 slot. It’s a very quick path to baseball season. To climb the ladder next season and get to double digit wins sophomore guard Josh Woods (16.1) needs to embrace the fact that this is his team now. Natti is losing two very good leaders in Gaige Pequeno and Zach Smith so it falls upon Woods to get the underclassman in line.
Parker Thornton (7.0 ppg.) has shown flashes and if point guard Josh Brooks can prove he can stay on the court Lisbon has the pieces in place to fight for a Top 12 seed a year from now. Natti understands the landscape of Division IV as well as anyone and he’s won a championship. He knows exactly where this group stands and where it can get to behind Woods, and possibly Brooks, in the next two years.
That process begins this summer.
(9) Newmarket at (8) Colebrook Academy
Colebrook wins the tie-breaker of 12-6 teams based on a pair of wins over Division III White Mountains (2-16).
The match-up to watch in this one is how Buddy Trask’s team is able to defend Newmarket center Ian Bentley (15.5). Colebrook wants to beat you with pressure and by turning you over. Jose Alvarado (9.4) has the quickest hands of any guard in Division IV and that is something Newmarket ballhandlers are going to have to be aware of. The fact that Jamie Hayes has three players that can bring the ball up the floor is a huge asset with Alvarado roaming the floor.
When Newmarket breaks pressure they need everything to go through Bentley in the post, which opens up driving lanes and open shots on the perimeter for Anthony Senesombath (12.0) and Matt Wilson (10.4).
Colebrook doesn’t have a true ‘big’ but they are going to need Garrett Purrington to play like one. Purrington has shown that ability in flashes, if he doesn’t knock Bentley off of the low block Tuesday night it is going to make for one very long night.
Does Newmarket attempt to break pressure by throwing full court passes to Bentley on the smaller floor? Jamie Hayes’ team has been playing their home games at Exeter high school after their floor was ruined by burst pipes so this is going to feel like playing in a phone booth when they get to Colebrook. Over/under on times Newmarket steps out of bounds when they feel like they are five feet off the line is 5.
Defensively the Mules have to know where Sedrick McKinnon (18.0) is at all times. McKinnon is one of the best guards in the entire division and his step back jumper creates enough space to get his shot off. Jon Sherer has been able to take advantage of all the attention paid to McKinnon at times (he had 21 points in a season ending win over Canaan-Pittsburg) on the perimeter. His ability to knock down open looks will only allow more space for Mike Hastings and Purrington on the baseline.
Newmarket is the favorite on the neutral floor but that drive (three plus hours….trust me I know), the officiating up north (they call it much closer than down south) and the smaller floor shaves their advantage down to a nearly even game. Exactly what you’d expect from your 8/9 game.
(12) Derryfield at (5) Groveton
At some point, before warm-ups even begin Groveton head coach Mark Collins is going to pull Lucas Simpson aside , point at Derryfield all-state center Sam Anderson and say ‘You see that guy? If he kills us tonight they win. If he doesn’t, we win. It’s your job to make sure that doesn’t happen.’
If you’re looking at the scoring numbers on Anderson (12.4 ppg.) you’re missing the bigger picture. He isn’t Jordan Litts, a player who somewhere around the 3rd quarter would say ‘Well looks like I’m going to have to go win this thing myself.’ Anderson averages about 13 rebounds a game and sets up shooters like Burton Owen (13.3) for open looks on second chance attempts.
Simpson along with Dylan Rogers and Daegan Lurvey (the best rebounding guard in the division) need to keep Anderson from turning Derryfield possessions into a three shot exercise.
Rob Bradley’s team does not want to suffer the same fate that Sunapee did in the first round a year ago. Their young backcourt led by Andrew Dubreuil needs to take care of the basketball and stay away from early foul trouble. Groveton cannot leave Owen alone on the perimeter just as Derryfield must do the same with Austin Lesperance (12.0).
Groveton wants an up tempo game where Corey Gadwah (17.1) is able to finish in transition and Derryfield is playing from behind while facing full court pressure. Derryfield wants this game in the 50’s and to force someone other than Gadwah to create in the half court.
All of this goes back to Daegan Lurvey. The junior point guard is one of the smartest players in the division and a very tough defender as well. Lurvey needs to feed touches to Gadwah and Lesperance to keep Derryfield chasing.
The team that gets out to a 8 plus point lead first will initiate the pace with a trip to the quarterfinals on the line.
(13) Lin-Wood at (4) Sunapee
Lin-Wood has four scorers that averaged in double digits this season (Olle Dovholuk, Andrew Harrington, Devon Rivera and Brandon Harrington) but a track meet is the last thing they want to get into tomorrow night in Sunapee.
Lin-Wood ranked in the bottom half of the division in defense this season and in Sunapee they face the best backcourt in Division IV and a group that likes to get out and go in transition.
Ben Robinson (9.1) and Austin Leblanc have formed a nice chemistry with point guard Matt Tenney (18.4). Tenney is able to break down opposing defenses to find his big men for easy scores and that is where you have to focus when you are playing the Lakers. Issaiah Chappell (20.3) is back among the scoring leaders in the division. He is doing most of his damage getting to the paint where a year ago defenses forced him to shoot it from deep. That is where the production of Robinson, Leblanc and glue guy Mike Platt (8.3) becomes such a huge asset.
Lin-Wood needs to attack the post either with the pass or off the dribble. Rivera, when healthy, may be their biggest weapon while Dovholuk has been their most consistent performer. Lin-Wood, after falling to Derryfield in back to back first round appearances, wanted a shot to shock the division in Round 1. What they get is a Sunapee team playing well with a very large chip on their shoulder.
This is championship or bust in Ed Tenney’s final season and Lin-Wood is first on their list.
(11) Gorham at (6) Wilton-Lyndeborough
For weeks Gorham has been the lower seeded team coaches were looking to avoid in Round one. Bryson Raymond is a bull on the low block, Matt Ruehl is an all-state performer in his own right and the size of their frontcourt kept them in games against #2 seed Portsmouth Christian (a pair of 5 point losses).
That being said this was the absolute worst match-up they could have drawn.
Wilton-Lyndeborough boasts the biggest frontcourt in the Division and 6’4 center Trey Carrier (19.4 ppg.) is a no-brainer first team selection. Ken Garnham feels like his team is coming together at the right time, and he would know. Sunapee, Woodsville, Groveton, Epping & Littleton may get all the attention but this is still your defending champion.
6’3 forwards Sean McClure and Duncan Rae give Wilton-Lyndeborough enough size to keep Gorham from wreaking havoc in the paint. In the backcourt neither Ty Carrier (14.6) or Casey Lane (9.2) are natural point guards but each can handle the ball under pressure where Ty’s obvious chemistry with his younger brother (I’m going to admit it, I thought Trey was the older brother..) gives this offense a good flow. This is a team that shares the basketball and understands how critical their team defense will be to winning a second straight title.
Gorham is a team to be wary of but it is a bad match-up where their size won’t be of any advantage. For the defending champs it’s the bigger picture in front of them and the fact that they are two wins away from getting back to the floor four of their five starters won the championship on a year ago.
(14) Pittsfield at (3) Woodsville
Engineers head coach Jamie Walker said back in the pre-season that the goal was a pair of home tournament games. After a 16-2 regular season someone is going to have to come into the cozy confines of the John Bagonzi Community Building to keep Woodsville from a trip to Plymouth.
Pittsfield’s Cam Darrah (21.7) has been a first team all-state performer for his father Jay Darrah but when you are the only player averaging more than 7 points a game, you’re going to get a lot of attention.
You may see Walker rotate different players on to Darrah but expect fellow all-state guard Derek Maccini to get the starting assignment. Help will come in the form of Nick Stokes (a future member of my annual all-glue guy team) and Garrett Olsen but whoever has the assignment at the moment, all the attention of the rest of the Engineers will be on Darrah and his whereabouts. Jesse Slater (6.6) & Gabe Anthony have played well for the Panthers but neither is going to go off for 20 points and flip the script.
On the other end of the floor Woodsville will run their own all-state guard Jaret Bemis (17.8) through a series of screens along the baseline and try to find Sam Pushee (13.1) on the low block. Stokes can penetrate the middle while Olsen spreads you out on the wings with his ability to knock down shots. If Pittsfield goes zone Maccini has enough patience at the top of the key to find his teammates in spots they are comfortable in.
This is a team with excellent chemistry and when Bemis is shooting in rhythm this becomes a very good offense.
(10) Hinsdale at (7) Epping
Hinsdale picked up a win over Derryfield in the last week of the season that gave them a signature win and shook up the middle of the tournament bracket.
Matt Boggio (15.2) is a 1,000 point scorer while Kyle Rideout (14.2) and Ryan Boggio (8.2) give the Racers three players who can keep you in games like this one. When you’re playing a team as tournament tested as Epping the first half becomes critical. In games like this a 10-0 run swings the balance of the game and dissolves all the confidence from one side of the room. Hinsdale needs to stay in this game long enough for Epping to let doubt creep into their heads.
Was Epping’s 65-64 win at Portsmouth Christian on the final night of the regular season a sign of a turnaround or one final tease?
Dylan Derosier was active early in that game and his performance over the next two weeks has to be at an all-state level. Jackson Rivers (14.3) has been terrific offensively over the last month but he is going to have to prove he can protect the paint in the post-season.
Hinsdale will sit in a zone at their own peril with My Man Colby Wilson happy to knock down looks from 25 feet. Cam Osgood, Glen Hagan, Tommy Bullock, Nick Padgett…these are all players that have been on the big stage before. Sean Young has pushed every button he can and this feels like a team that has had more team meetings than the ‘Chicken & Beer’ Red Sox of 2012.
Epping has been to consecutive title games and with Dylan Derosier & My Man Colby Wilson now officially to the win or go home stage of their senior seasons it’s a question of how they will go out?
That question makes Epping the most interesting story of the tournament.
(15) Canaan-Pittsburg at (2) Portsmouth Christian
How does a six hour round trip to Dover sound? For the third consecutive year Canaan-Pittsburg is headed south…way south…….no I mean really, really south, for the first round. PCA lost two of their last three games but held on to the 2 seed by winning a tie-breaker with Woodsville.
The Yellow Jackets will attack the glass behind brothers Justin and Josh Lindor while younger brother Matthew serves as one of the team’s best rebounders. PCA needs to control the glass and get Kylani LaFleur (13.8), Paul Staude (10.0), Drew McCormick (8.3) and Shaun Bradley out in transition. The Eagles are at their best when they are pushing the tempo and the ability of Devon Smart (8.6) to knock down three’s gives them a weapon in their secondary fast break. Joe Yoon and Caleb Gendron have produced all season long and this is a group that is disciplined in what they run defensively under The Big Smooth Lewis Atkins.
The way that Canaan-Pittsburg stays in this one is by beating PCA up on the boards. If Smooth’s troops protect the paint and get their rhythm going in transition it will be on to the quarterfinals for the first time in nearly 10 years for PCA.