TWIBB - This Week in Boys Basketball

Only the best of the best for the coming week ...

TWIBB
WEDNESDAY
Minnechaug at Chicopee Comp — Key game for the Colts if they want to qualify.
Putnam at West Springfield — The Beavers are playing well now and lost by seven the first time they played the Terriers. Putnam needs one win to qualify.
Easthampton at Hampshire — Branden vs. Brendan.

THURSDAY
Holyoke at Commerce — Purple Knights need two wins to qualify.
Northampton at Westfield — Bombers have lost four of five and need one win to qualify. Hamp is coming off a win over East Longmeadow.
Cathedral at Sci-Tech — The Cybercats beat Central on Monday and despite being under .500, they are tied for first in the Valley League.
Palmer at Belchertown — Both teams are in. Palmer is one-game back of Hampshire for first in the Bi-County North. Belchertown is two back of Hampshire.

FRIDAY
Lenox at St. Joseph — St. Joe’s holds a one-game lead on Lenox in the Berkshire South.

SATURDAY
Frontier Regional at Hopkins Academy — Hopkins looks to end their 21-game losing streak to the Red Hawks.

MONDAY
Chicopee at Putnam — The Pacers are fading having lost four straight prior to Thursday’s game against Sabis. At 7-8 their playoff hopes are dimming.
East Longmeadow at Westfield — The Spartans won by two the first time.

TWIBB - This Week in Boys Basketball

Only the best of the best for the coming week ...

TWIBB
TUESDAY
Lenox at Hoosac Valley — After losing two straight, Kevin Carpenter (18.2 ppg) and Lenox bounced back with a two-game win streak to qualify for the postseason. Lenox will need all of its defense (48.3 ppg) to slow Robbie Burke (24.5 ppg) and Hoosac (64.4 ppg).
Taconic at St. Joseph’s — The Braves won 71-54 back in December when both teams were only a handful of games into their season. St. Joe’s has since gone 8-1 with a big win over Drury. Taconic has gone 5-4 behind inconsistent play and a loss to Drury.

THURSDAY
Amherst Regional at Northampton — It’s the first meeting of the season between these two rivals. Sean Cunningham is having a great year for the Hurricanes and Hamp will certainly look to contain him. Amherst needs production from other players.
Belchertown at Holyoke Catholic — The Gaels won 67-56 in both teams’ season opener. Catholic’s entered the week having lost two straight. The Orioles have won three straight after losing four of five.
Easthampton at Mahar — When the Eagles won 56-50 in December it served as their first big win of the season. They haven’t stopped winning since as their streak is at 11 entering the week. With a game against Hampshire looming (Feb. 3), a second big win will solidify their standing in Division 2. The Senators entered the week having won three straight. This game features two 1,000-point scorers in Brendan Rios and Dane Jobst.

MONDAY
East Longmeadow at Northampton — Hamp didn’t play well in its six-point loss to the Spartans at the HoopHall Classic. Will playing at home make a difference? If these two meet again, it will likely be at AIC in the sectional semifinals, or at the Curry Hicks Cage in the finals.
Sabis at New Leadership — Depending on who you ask, this is either the second best game of the day, or the best. Sabis has had NLCS’s number. The Bulldogs have won at least 11 straight dating back to 2005-06 season. Last season Sabis beat NLCS in the Division 3 final. The year before it won in the semifinal round. The stage doesn’t matter. The place doesn’t matter. NLCS can’t match Sabis’ top two in Andre King and Kamali Bey. But, the Wildcats have four really good players Devonte Vanderpool, Phil Warrick, Eric Brown and Tyrell Springer.
Chicopee at West Springfield — The Pacers won five straight then lost by one to Northampton. Are they for real? They play Comp and Minnechaug this week, two very winnable games, setting up this tilt against the league-favorite Terriers.
Central at Sci-Tech — This game means more for Sci-Tech, which has had a roller coaster of a season.
Monson at Holyoke Catholic —  The Mustangs enter the week one game back of the Gaels in the Bi-County South.
Dean Tech at Renaissance — Now that Josue Figueroa appears to be back for Dean, lets see if the Golden Hawks can rebound against the Phoenix, which won by five the last time.

TWIBB - This Week in Boys Basketball

It's a light week but here are the top/interesting games through Monday.

TWIBB
THURSDAY
Westfield at East Longmeadow — After a strong start the Bombers have lost three straight. They will need to turn back the clock to earlier in the season if they want to beat the undefeated Spartans on the road.
Hoosac Valley at Drury — This is one of the best rivalries in western Mass.
Holyoke Catholic at Palmer — The Gaels saw their six-game winning streak come to en end against Hampshire on Monday. After a 3-4 start, Palmer is picking up steam with five straight wins. Catholic won 59-58 the first time.
New Leadership at South Hadley — South Hadley can qualify for the postseason via the 70 percent rule but qualifying this way is about as difficult as qualifying the normal way. The Tigers need to go 4-3 against their seven non-Division 1 opponents. This is game two and the Tigers are already 0-1. Left on the schedule is Sabis (twice), NLCS, Holyoke Catholic and Pathfinder.
Hopkins at Frontier Regional — The Golden Hawks have lost 20 in a row to the Red Hawks. They have not won since winning both games during the 1998-99 season.
Lee at Lenox — It’s rivalry week in Berkshire County.

MONDAY
Sci-Tech at West Springfield — The Cibercats have lost four straight entering this week. They need to turn it around or they will miss the postseason.

TWIBB - This Week in Boys Basketball

TWIBB
TUESDAY 12
New Leadership at East Longmeadow — This is the middle game of a difficult three-game stretch for the Spartans. They beat Sci-Tech by 19 last Friday. They face Northampton this Friday in the HoopHall. More on that one later in the week.

WEDNESDAY 13
West Springfield at Central — The Terriers took down Taconic and Northampton. Central is riding a three-game losing streak.
Sci-Tech at Northampton — These two teams have played each of the last two years with the Cybercats winning by one each time.

THURSDAY 14
Drury at Taconic — Great guard play all around in this one.

FRIDAY 15
Hopkins Academy at Smith Academy — In the Falcons’ three wins they have allowed less than 58 points per game. In their four losses, they have allowed over 60. Hopkins has scored at least 60 points once.
Easthampton at Pioneer Regional — The Eagles have Athol on Monday and Brendan Rios enters the week needing 70 points for 1,000.

MONDAY 18
Westfield at Northampton — This concludes a four-game stretch in which Hamp played Sabis, Sci-Tech, East Longmeadow and Westfield. All four teams entered the week among the top 10 in the Power Poll.
Lenox at Drury — Is Lenox for real? The Millionaires have two wins against teams over .500: Hopkins and St. Joseph.
Hampshire at Holyoke Catholic — The last time these two met the Red Raiders won by two at the buzzer when Branden Labrie stole the ball and went coast-to-coast for the layup. Round 2 should be just as entertaining.

HOOPHALL CLASSIC
Check back Wednesday for a look into the HoopHall Classic.

TWIBB - This Week in Boys Basketball

TUESDAY
Central at East Longmeadow — The Golden Eagles (5-2) will give the Spartans (6-0) their stiffest test this season.
Frontier Regional at Easthampton — The Eagles (5-1) face an offensively challenged Red Hawks (2-3) team. Frontier though can still play defense. Look for Erik Abramson to defend Brendan Rios. If Matt Chamberlin can control the paint, Frontier will have a shot.
New Leadership at Amherst Regional — The Hurricanes (1-3) lost by 14 to Central, four to Sci-Tech and beat Commerce. NLCS (7-0) is 5-0 against Division 1 teams.

THURSDAY
Drury at Wahconah — The Blue Devils (4-2) will look to bounce back from their disappointing loss to St. Joseph over the weekend. Drury is getting production but not on defense where it allows 58 ppg. Wahconah (4-3) has been inconsistent: win loss win loss win loss win ...... ?
Taconic at Hoosac Valley — Chris Bush and the Braves (4-1) vs. Robbie Burke and the Hurricanes (6-1). No. 7 vs. No. 1 in my Division 2 Top 10.
St. Joseph at Lenox — The Surprising Hawks (6-1) have a freshman guard in Taverick Roberson who is making some noise. The Millionaires (6-0) are outscoring their opponents by nearly 20 a game. Then again so are the Hawks.

FRIDAY
Central at Westfield — The Bombers (5-1) are off to a great start. Their lone loss came without leading scorer Alex Garstka.
East Longmeadow at Sci-Tech — Rematch of last season’s D1 semifinal won by Sci-Tech.
Belchertown at Palmer — The Orioles (4-2) have been scoring in bunches. Palmer (3-4) has yet to beat someone with a winning record.
Easthampton at Hopkins Academy — The Golden Hawks (4-2, 4-1 Hampshire West) and Eagles (5-1, 4-0 East) are your league leaders. This is a big test for Hopkins.

MONDAY
Sabis at Northampton — This one should be good. Andre King and Kamali Bey face Jesse Coulon and Ellis Cooper. Sabis is 7-0 with seven D1 victories. The Bulldogs have played in state finals and against big time opponents so there should be no fear factor. The Blue Devils (6-1) have also played in big games and against quality opponents.

TWIBB - This Week in Boys Basketball

TUESDAY
Central at East Longmeadow — The Golden Eagles (5-2) will give the Spartans (6-0) their stiffest test this season.
Frontier Regional at Easthampton — The Eagles (5-1) face an offensively challenged Red Hawks (2-3) team. Frontier though can still play defense. Look for Erik Abramson to defend Brendan Rios. If Matt Chamberlin can control the paint, Frontier will have a shot.
New Leadership at Amherst Regional — The Hurricanes (1-3) lost by 14 to Central, four to Sci-Tech and beat Commerce. NLCS (7-0) is 5-0 against Division 1 teams.

THURSDAY
Drury at Wahconah — The Blue Devils (4-2) will look to bounce back from their disappointing loss to St. Joseph over the weekend. Drury is getting production but not on defense where it allows 58 ppg. Wahconah (4-3) has been inconsistent: win loss win loss win loss win ...... ?
Taconic at Hoosac Valley — Chris Bush and the Braves (4-1) vs. Robbie Burke and the Hurricanes (6-1). No. 7 vs. No. 1 in my Division 2 Top 10.
St. Joseph at Lenox — The Surprising Hawks (6-1) have a freshman guard in Taverick Roberson who is making some noise. The Millionaires (6-0) are outscoring their opponents by nearly 20 a game. Then again so are the Hawks.

FRIDAY
Central at Westfield — The Bombers (5-1) are off to a great start. Their lone loss came without leading scorer Alex Garstka.
East Longmeadow at Sci-Tech — Rematch of last season’s D1 semifinal won by Sci-Tech.
Belchertown at Palmer — The Orioles (4-2) have been scoring in bunches. Palmer (3-4) has yet to beat someone with a winning record.
Easthampton at Hopkins Academy — The Golden Hawks (4-2, 4-1 Hampshire West) and Eagles (5-1, 4-0 East) are your league leaders. This is a big test for Hopkins.

MONDAY
Sabis at Northampton — This one should be good. Andre King and Kamali Bey face Jesse Coulon and Ellis Cooper. Sabis is 7-0 with seven D1 victories. The Bulldogs have played in state finals and against big time opponents so there should be no fear factor. The Blue Devils (6-1) have also played in big games and against quality opponents.

TWIBB - This Week in Boys Basketball

This will be a short TWIBB as it gets kind of busy at the end of the year. Here are the best games or most interesting ones in the upcoming week.

Tuesday, Dec. 15

Chicopee Comp at New Leadership - The Colts are coming off a win over Commerce. This week they face the top two teams from Division 3 over the last few years. The Wildcats on Tursday. Sabis on Friday.

Holyoke at Northampton - Good home opener for the Blue Devils.

Friday, Dec. 18

East Longmeadow at Holyoke - Eddie Rodriguez and the Purple Knights host the top team in D1.

St. Mary at Lee - Battle of the bigs in Jon Ference vs. Trey Morin.

Monday, Dec. 21

Northampton at Central - FANTASTIC early season matchup. Central beat Hamp in the sectional semis last year. Hamp beat Central in the Jack Troy Summer League title game.

Westfield at Holyoke - Alex Garstka and Aaron Rogers took down Sci-Tech on Monday. So far so good for the Bombers.

Holyoke Catholic at Hampshire Regional - Nick Bryda vs. Branden Labrie.

Holiday Break Highlights

Northampton faces Weaver (Conn.) at Commerce on Dec. 29.

East Longmeadow hosts South Hadley and Sci-Tech hosts Mt. Pleasent (R.I.) on Dec. 30.

As far as tournaments go the BABC always attracts good teams. 

Central faces BC High and Sabis plays Cambridge Rindge & Latin in the BABC Tournament at Chelsea High on Dec. 28.

The Boston Herald blogged the tournament back in October:

NEW ENGLAND DIVISION

Cambridge

Bishop Guertin (NH)

LaSalle (RI)

Sabis

METRO DIVISION

St. John’s Prep

Brookline

Everett

Wareham

CLASS A

Boston College High

Springfield Central

Lexington

Windsor (CT)

MONDAY, DECEMBER 28

(New England Division)

GAME 1 - Bishop Guertin (NH) vs. LaSalle (RI), 1:00

GAME 2 - Cambridge vs. Sabis, 2:15

(Metro Division)

GAME 3 - Everett vs. Brookline, 3:30

GAME 4 - St. John’s Prep vs. Wareham, 4:45

(Class A Division)

GAME 5 - BC High vs. Springfield Central, 6:00

GAME 6 - Lexington vs. Windsor (CT), 7:15

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29

GAME 7 - (BG/LA loser vs. Cambridge/Sabis loser), 1:00

GAME 8 - (Everett/Brookline loser vs. SJ Prep/Wareham loser), 2:15

GAME 9 - (BCH/SC loser vs. Lexington/Windsor loser), 3:30

GAME 10 - (BG/LA winner vs. Cambridge/Sabis winner), 4:45

GAME 11 - (Everett/Brookline winner vs. SJ Prep/Wareham winner), 6:00

GAME 12 - (BCH/SC winner vs. Lexington/Windsor winner), 7:15

TWIBB - This Week in Boys Basketball (early edition)

Six teams still have a chance at the postseason: Westfield, Longmeadow, Monson, Mahar, Hopkins Academy and Monument Mountain. I broke down what they have to do to qualify this week in TWIBB.
This is through Friday’s results.

Monday
Valley Wheel
Westfield (8-10, 4-4) at Longmeadow (8-10, 4-4), 5:30 — The Lancers beat Chicopee Comp on Friday while Westfield beat Chicopee. One of these teams will have their bubble popped here.
Suburban
West Springfield (11-7, 6-2) at Northampton (16-2, 7-1), 7 — Just another solid game in the Suburban. The Blue Devils can clinch at least a share of the league title with a win here.

Tuesday
Bi-County
Palmer (15-4, 13-2 East) at Belchertown (13-6, 12-3 East), 7 — The Orioles need to knock off the Panthers for a share of the league title.
Granby (11-8, 7-8 East) at Monson (9-10, 5-10 East), 7 — It’s do-or-die for the Mustangs in their season finale. Granby won 60-45 in December.
Hampshire
Smith Academy (4-14, 4-13) at Mahar (9-9, 7-9), 7:30 — A win for the Senators and they are in.
Hopkins (9-10, 7-10 West) at Turners Falls (14-4, 13-3 West), 7:30 — This is the last chance for the Golden Hawks to qualify.
Berkshire
Drury (15-4, 9-3 North) at Taconic (13-5, 8-3 North), 7 — This should be a fantastic game between the current No. 2 and No. 3 seeded teams in Division 2.
Lenox (8-11, 2-10 South) at Monument (7-11, 5-7 South), 7 — The ball is in Monument’s court. St. Joe’s has Taconic and Hoosac left and is only percentage points ahead of the Spartans for second place in the South. A win all but guarantees second-place to Monument.

Wednesday
Valley League
Central (12-6, 7-1) at Sci-Tech (15-3, 7-1), 7 — League title on the line here.
Valley Wheel
Chicopee (13-5, 5-3) at Minnechaug (14-4, 7-1), 7 — Pacers can’t catch the Falcons but this is a good tournament preview.
Chicopee Comp (7-11, 2-6) at Westfield (8-10, 4-4), 7 — If Westfield wins on Monday, the Bombers will qualify with a win over the Colts.
Longmeadow (8-10, 4-4) at Putnam (5-13, 2-6), 7 — If the Lancers win on Monday, a win over the Beavers will qualify them for the postseason.

Thursday (End of regular season)
Hampshire
Easthampton (13-5, 12-5 East) at Pioneer Regional (13-5, 13-3 West), 7:30 — Both teams are fighting with Turners Falls and Frontier for seeding. A win for either could help in more ways than one. All four are heading to the postseason.

TWIBB - This Week in Boys Basketball

Monday
Berkshire
St. Joseph (11-5, 5-4 South) at Lee (11-6, 4-6 South), 7 - After leading the South for the first half of the season, Lee fell behind St. Joe's in the chase for the title. For the Wildcats to have a chance, they need to win out.

Tuesday
Valley Wheel
Chicopee Comp (7-9, 2-4) at Chicopee (12-4, 4-2), 7 - Colts won last time and need this to help their playoff cause.
Longmeadow (7-8, 3-3) at Minnechaug (12-4, 5-1), 7 - Falcons have won five straight and eight of nine. Lancers are hanging on.
Bi-County
Hampshire (9-8, 8-5) at Gateway (2-12, 0-11), 7 - Red Raiders win and they are in.
Hampshire
Frontier (12-4, 10-4 West) at Easthampton (11-5, 10-5 North), 7:30 - Playoff preview. Red Hawks won at home the first time around. Eagles have dropped three of five.
Greenfield (5-11, 3-11 East) at Hopkins (8-9, 6-9 West), 7:30 - Golden Hawks need to win two of three to get in.
Turners Falls (12-4, 11-3 West) at Mahar (8-7, 7-7 East), 7:30 - Mahar beat Pioneer and Easthampton and lost a close one to Easthampton on Friday. Indians better watch themselves.
Berkshire
Wahconah (10-7, 6-4 North) at Taconic (11-5, 6-e North), 7:30 - Wahconah’s defense stumbled last Friday in a 16-point loss to Drury. The Braves lost to Hoosac Friday 67-48. They can pile up points so the Warriors D needs to play well.

Wednesday
Independent
New Leadership (14-2) at Pioneer Regional (11-4), 7:30 - Tournament preview.

Friday
Suburban
East Longmeadow (11-4, 4-1) at West Springfield (9-7, 4-2), 7 - Spartans won 67-59 the first time. West Side has won five of seven.
Bi-County
Sabis (16-1, 13-0 West) at Hampshire (9-8, 8-5 West), 7 - Hampshire always makes it interesting with Sabis, which won by 12 the first time.
Hampshire
Mahar (8-7, 7-7 East) at Mohawk (10-6, 10-4 East), 7:30 - Mohawk has dropped two straight entering this week.
Frontier (12-4, 10-4 West) at Turners (12-4, 11-3 West), 7:30 - Tournament preview here with a lot on the line. Division 3 is tight after Sabis and NLCS.
Easthampton (11-5, 10-5 East) at Hopkins (8-9, 6-9 West), 7:30 - Hopkins' last two are against Easthampton and Turners. They will need at least one, maybe both, to qualify.
Berkshire
Lee (11-6, 4-6 South) at Lenox (7-10, 1-9 South), 7 - Good rivalry here.
Hoosac (14-3, 9-1 North) at Drury (14-3, 8-2 North), 7 - Hoosac won 47-43 the first time. This will be a classic with tournament implications. If both teams win earlier in the week, Hoosac can clinch at least a tie for the North with a victory.

TWIBB - This Week in Boys Basketball

Monday
Independent
Holyoke (4-9) at Northampton (12-2), 7 - The Blue Devils beat Holyoke 75-57
back on Dec. 19. A win would make them 4-1 against the Valley League with
only Central and Cathedral the lone teams they didn't play.
Holyoke Catholic (5-8) at South Hadley (5-7), 7 - If the Tigers win they are
in. The Gaels have more work to do but with their schedule this is a game
they need. Michael Prattico and Nick Bryda have each scored at least 20
points in the same game three times this season.

Tuesday
Valley League
Sci-Tech (11-3, 3-1) at Central (9-5, 4-0), 7 - This is the game of the
week. Great guard play on both sides with Jared Johnson and Jordan Smith for
Central and Chrys Malone and Johnson Ward for Sci-Tech. Not sure Sci-Tech
has anyone who could match up with Jarel Njiiri but Kedar Lynch and Theo
Robinson will try.
Valley Wheel
Minnechaug (9-4, 3-1) at Chicopee (11-3, 3-1), 7 - Teams are tied for first
in the league. This would be a great win for the Falcons but I'm not sure
they have the experience at guard to contend with the Pacers' pressure.
Suburban
South Hadley (5-7, 0-4) at East Longmeadow (11-3, 4-0), 7 - The Spartans are
playing well on both sides and the Tigers have struggled on the road,
dropping three straight and 5-of-7. Overall South Hadley has lost five
straight.
Hampshire
Mahar (7-6, 6-6 East) at Easthampton (10-4, 9-4 East), 7 - The Senators
upset Pioneer Regional last week. Was it a sign of things to come or just
that, an upset?
Turners Falls (11-3, 10-2 West) at Pioneer Regional (9-4, 9-3 West), 7:30 -
The Pioneers are a game back of the first-place Indians. Turners won 67-60
on Dec. 29.
Bi-County
Granby (8-6, 6-6 East) at Belchertown (10-6, 9-3 East), 7 - It's mini-rival
week in the Bi-County. The Rams have won 5-of-6. The O's have dropped
4-of-6. Belchertown won 57-52 in overtime on Dec. 22.
Hampshire (9-6, 8-4 West) at Gateway (2-11, 0-10 West), 7 - The Red Raiders
are too deep for their neighbors. Hampshire won 71-55 on Dec. 22. That was
both team's season opener.
Berkshire
Lee (11-4, 4-4 South) at Hoosac (12-3, 7-1 North), 7 - The Wildcats are 1-3
against the North. They won't get that second win but this is the top game
in the Berkshires on this day.

Wednesday
Independent
New Leadership (12-2) at Pioneer Regional (9-4), 7:30 - Interesting game.
NLCS doesn't have the size to contend with Pioneer but they also didn't
against Belchertown and beat the O's by 20. Could be a preview of a future
tournament game.

Friday
Suburban
Northampton (12-2, 4-1) at East Longmeadow (11-3, 4-0), 7 - Hamp lost 58-55
the first time. E.L. is a tough place to play but the Blue Devils are 5-0 on
the road. Outcome has first place in the league on the line as well as
tournament seeding.
Valley Wheel
Chicopee (11-3, 3-1) at Longmeadow (6-7, 2-2), 7 - Pacers won 50-41 the
first time.
Hampshire
Pioneer Regional (9-4, 9-3 West) at Mohawk (10-4, 10-2 East), 7:30 - Pioneer
won 44-42 the first time but playing in Buckland will be different. A second
win for Pioneer would help come seeding time. The Warriors are playing well.
Devin Reid and Tory Buck are a tough inside-out combo.
Bi-County
New Leadership (12-2, 9-2 West) at Hampshire (9-6, 8-4 West), 7:30 - The Red
Raiders fell 75-66 on Jan. 19. That was Branden Labrie's first game back
after missing two due to an illness. Hampshire also played without Mike
Seklecki. Both are back and playing well. Hampshire has won three straight
and will be ready for NLCS's uptempo style.
Berkshire
Drury (11-3, 6-2 North) at Wahconah (9-6, 5-3 North), 7 - Drury won 61-59 in
overtime on Jan. 8.
Taconic (10-4, 5-2 North) at Hoosac (12-3, 7-1 North), 7 - Hoosac won 59-55
on Jan. 8.
These two Berkshire matchups will mean a lot come tournament seeding time.
Drury, Hoosac and Taconic are stating their case for top 5 seeds. Wahconah
is not too far off. This will be a good time to mention that later this
week, or early next week, I will have the first tournament seeding picture
results up. It isn't official, but I was close last year.

Here were my final results then the actual results.
Division 1
Mine Actual
1. Central Central
2. Northampton Northampton
3. Longmeadow Longmeadow
4. Sci-Tech Sci-Tech
5. West Springfield West Springfield
6. East Longmeadow East Longmeadow
7. Cathedral Cathedral
8. Putnam Putnam

Division 2
1.Taconic Taconic
2. Drury Palmer
3. Palmer Drury
4. Mohawk Mohawk
5. Hoosac Hoosac
6. Wahconah Mount Greylock
7. Belchertown Wahconah
8. Greylock Belchertown
9. Monument Monument Mountain
10. South Hadley South Hadley

Division 3
1. Sabis Sabis
2. Frontier Frontier Regional
3. Pioneer Pioneer
4. New Leadership New Leadership
5. Monson Monson
6. Granby Granby
7. Turners Turners Falls
8. Pathfinder Pathfinder
9. St. Joseph St. Joseph
10. Easthampton Lenox
11. Lenox Easthampton
12. Lee Lee
13. St. Mary St. Mary
14. McCann McCann

TWIBB - This Week in Boys Basketball

There are some big games this week including West Side-East Longmeadow on Tuesday, Drury-Hampshire on Wednesday and NLCS-Sabis as well as Mohawk-Frontier on Friday. Records are through Saturday except for teams from Berkshire County.

Monday
Nonleague
Taconic (8-4) at Belchertown (9-4), 7 - Ben McCullough and Joe Courtney are
back for the Orioles, who are one game away from qualifying for the
postseason. The Braves have won four straight with victories over Drury and
Boston English. Could be a possible matchup in the Cage.
New Leadership (10-1) at Westfield Voke (3-7), 7:30 - This game is
happening. I don't know why. I don't know who scheduled it.

Tuesday
Bi-County
New Leadership (10-1, 8-1 West) at Belchertown (9-4, 8-2 East), 7 - If the
Orioles want to win the league outright they have to run the table. Palmer
(9-4, 8-2) is last on the schedule and the Panthers have already played NLCS
and Sabis. B'town needs an upset to stay in the chase.
Suburban
West Springfield (7-5, 2-0) at East Longmeadow (9-3, 2-0), 7 - Just another
fantastic Suburban League matchup. The Terriers (three straight wins) might
be finding themselves. The Spartans (three straight wins) aren't stylish but
they scrap, play defense and get big plays.
Berkshire County
Lee (10-2, 3-2 South) at Drury(9-2, 4-1 North), 7 - Lee is 1-2 against
North this year.

Wednesday
Nonleague
Drury (9-2) at Hampshire (7-6), 7 - Drury is 3-0 against the PVIAC with
wins over Dean Tech, Mohawk and Pioneer Regional. Hampshire beat Monument.
The Red Raiders are getting healthier.

Friday
Suburban
Northampton (9-2, 2-1) at West Springfield (7-5, 2-0), 7 - The Blue Devils
fell to East Longmeadow and beat an undermaned South Hadley team. West Side
will be a test. The Terriers have the No. 1 ranked defense in Division 1.
Bi-County
New Leadership (10-1, 8-1 West) at Sabis (12-1, 9-0 West), 7 - This is the
game of the week. Sabis' Andre King reached 1,000 for his career last
Friday. NLCS's only loss was to Sabis, 82-61 on Dec. 30. The Wildcats have
averaged 75.3 points per game since that loss and have won eight straight.
Hampshire
Mohawk (8-4, 8-2 East) at Frontier Regional (9-3, 7-3 West), 7:30 - Frontier
puts its 33-game home winning streak on the line.
Easthampton (9-3, 8-3 East) at Turners Falls (8-3, 8-2), 7:30 - The Eagles
beat the Indians 79-59 in Easthampton on Dec. 22.
Berkshire
Hoosac (10-2, 5-0 North) at Wahconah (7-5, 3-3 North), 7 - Hoosac beat
Wahconah by three the last time.

TWIBB - This Week in Boys Basketball

Here are the best games this week.

Tuesday
Valley Wheel
Longmeadow (4-4, 0-0) at Chicopee (8-2, 0-0), 7 — The Pacers are coming off an overtime win over Sci-Tech. They don’t have the size to matchup with the Lancers in the post but their quickness and speed should be enough.
Suburban
East Longmeadow (7-3, 0-0) at Northampton (8-1, 1-0), 7 — The Spartans have two wins over Central this season. Hamp has won five straight. During that run the Blue Devils have beaten Commerce and Chicopee.
Hampshire
Pioneer Regional (7-2, 7-1 West) at Easthampton (8-2, 7-2 East), 7:30 — The Eagles’ two losses were to Frontier and Mohawk. They have two wins over teams with a winning records. They don’t have size in the post so Tyler Lennox could have his way.
Smith Academy (2-8, 2-7 West) at Hopkins (4-7, 2-7 West), 7:30 — Both teams are struggling. But this is rivalry game so that doesn’t matter.
Turners Falls (6-2, 6-2 West) at Mohawk (7-3, 7-1 East), 7:30 — First matchup on the season between these two teams. Can the Indians slow down Devin Reid (21.0 ppg)?
Bi-County
Belchertown (8-2, 7-1 East) at Sabis (10-1, 7-0), 7 — The Orioles have won four straight but playing at Sabis is tough.
Palmer (7-3, 6-2 East) at Hampshire (6-5, 5-3 West), 7:30 — Hampshire is hurting. Branden Labrie and Mike Saklecki have missed the last three games. The Red Raiders should still have enough to beat the Panthers.
Berkshire County
Taconic (5-4, 2-2 North) at Lee (10-1, 3-1 South), 7 — The Wildcats are 1-1 vs. the North.

Wednesday
Valley League
Commerce (6-5, 0-1) at Sci-Tech (8-2, 0-0), 7 — The Cybercats shouldn’t have a problem against the Red Raiders, who have one win over a team with a winning record.
Suburban
South Hadley (5-3, 0-0) at West Springfield (5-5, 0-0), 7 — The Tigers hit the road for their first two league games. First the Terriers then Northampton on Friday.

Thursday
Nonleague
Turners Falls (6-2) at Northampton (8-1), 7 — The Division 3 Indians have a huge challenge.

Friday
Valley Wheel
Chicopee (8-2, 0-0) at Chicopee Comp (4-6, 0-1), 7 — City rivals meet for the first time.
Suburban
South Hadley (5-3, 0-0) at Northampton (8-1, 1-0), 7 — Back-to-back games for the Blue Devils, who need two wins this week to qualify for the postseason.
Hampshire
Greenfield (3-7, 1-7 East) at Frontier (7-3, 5-3 West), 7:30 — The Red Hawks go for their 33rd straight win at home.
Easthampton (8-2, 7-2 East) at Mohawk (7-3, 7-1 East), 7 — The Warriors defeated the Eagles 57-43 in the first game of the year. It’s never easy playing in Buckland though.
Berkshire
Drury (8-2, 3-1 North) at Hoosac (9-2, 4-0 North), 7 — Game of the week easy. Hoosac probably has the best fan base in western Mass. Bold prediction: This game goes into overtime.
Lenox (5-4, 1-3 South) at Lee (10-1, 3-1 South), 7 — Easily one of the best rivalries out there.

TWIBB - This Weekend in Boys Basketball

Check back late Monday for the remainder of next week.

Spalding Hoophall Classic
At Springfield College

Friday
New Leadership vs. Holyoke, 4 — Nice game to start the weekend. Following this one are four girls games highlighted by Northampton and Mater Dei. Jim has preview on that game in Friday's paper. NLCS should control this game. The Wildcats feature the No. 2 ranked offense while their defense is holding teams to 52 points per. The Purple Knights won’t be able to keep up on either end.

Saturday
Cathedral vs. Lexington, 10:30 a.m. — Lexington is the No. 7 ranked team in Massachusetts according to maxpreps. Cathedral boasts a nice win over West Side but they might be overwhelmed here.
Sabis vs. Watertown, noon — Sabis is 10-0. Watertown is 6-0 and No. 3 by maxpreps. This is a rematch of the 2007 state final which Watertown won by one, 62-61. Andre King and Co. will finally have a challenge.
Central Catholic vs. American Heritage (Fla.), 1:30 — C.C. is 7-0 and ranked No. 1 in Mass. and No. 13 in the nation by maxpreps. Is that enough to stop Florida-bound Kenny Boynton?
Mt. Vernon (N.Y.) vs. Montverde Academy (Fla.), 3 — Neither team has a player ranked in ESPNU’s top 100 for the class of 2009. Still, Montverde has four players headed to D-1 lead by junior James Bell who is headed to Villanova. Mount Vernon is ranked 20th by USA Today.
Oak Hill Academy (Va.) vs. South Atlanta (Ga.), 4:30 — South Atlanta’s Derrick Favors, the No. 2 ranked player by ESPNU, just announced he is headed to Georgia Tech. South Atlanta is ranked 15th. Fourth ranked Oak Hill just announced its starting five will represent the U.S. in the FIBA U19 World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand in July. (Kidding of course)
Springfield Central vs. Hillhouse, 6 — Central faces perennial Connecticut power Hillhouse. Jarel Njiiri can take over games like Isiah Wallace. Sophomore Jared Johnson is real good.

Sunday
Tilton School (N.H.) vs. Hotchkiss School (Conn.), 10:30 a.m. — Great early matchup between two teams with excellent shooting guards. Tilton’s Gerald Coleman (6-3) faces Jason Morris (6-5) of Hotchkiss. Tilton’s Alex Oriakhi (6-8) is ranked 20th while Jamal Coombs-McDaniel is 38th by ESPNU. Both players are off to UConn.
Winchendon School vs. The Patterson School (N.C.), noon — UMass-bound Sampson Carter, a 6-7 small forward, leads Winchendon against 6-7 power forward Clarence Trent. Former Amherst Regional and Central star Preye Preboye is at Winchendon.
Gonzaga College (D.C.) vs. St. Mark’s, 2 — Tyler Thornton (Duke) and Ian Hummer (Princeton) lead Gonzaga. St. Mark’s features No. 24 ranked senior Erik Murphy (Florida), the tallest player in the field at 6-10, and No. 21 junior Nate Lubick (Georgetown).
DeMatha Catholic (Md.) vs. St. John Neumann-Maria Goretti (Penn.), 4 — Naji Hibbert (Texas A&M) and junior Josh Selby (Tennessee) shine for No. 24 DeMatha. SJNMG’s Tony Chenault is off to Wake Forest.
Brewster Academy (N.H.) vs. Hargrave Military Academy (Va.), 6 — UMass-bound 6-5 small forward Freddie Riley and Hargrave attempt to stop 6-8 power forward Thomas Robinson (Kansas) and Brewster.
St. Benedict’s Prep (N.J.) vs. Worcester Academy, 8 — St. Benedict’s is ranked third by USA Today and led by senior Lamar Patterson (Pitt), junior Tristan Thompson (Texas) and sophomore Myck Kabongo (Texas). Blake McLimans (Michigan) paces Worcester.

Monday
St. Anthony (N.J.) vs. Putnam City (Okla.), 10 a.m. — St. Anthony’s coach Bob Hurley should find a way to slow down 6-6 shooting guard Xavier Henry (Memphis), ranked No. 1 by ESPNU. Shooting guard Dominic Cheek (Villanova) is ranked No. 11 for St. Anthony’s.
St. Benedict’s Prep (N.J.) vs. Wheeler (Ga.), noon — Wheeler is represented by Richard Howell (N.C. State) and Ari Stewart (Wake Forest).
Lincoln (N.Y.) vs. LeFlore (Ala.), 2 — Lance Stephenson of Lincoln has yet to declare. The 6-5 shooting guard played last year in the event. No. 19 LeFlore is led by No. 4 ranked DeMarcus Cousins, a 6-9 260 pound center.
Whitney Young (Ill.) vs. Mater Dei (Calif.), 4 — MJ’s kid Marcus plays for Whitney Young, which recently fell out of the USA Today’s Super 25. No. 1 ranked Mater Dei might be just too tough with 6-9 North Carolina-bound twins David and Travis Wear, Tyler Lamb (UCLA), Andy Brown (Stanford) and Gary Franklin (USC).
Sci-Tech vs. Putnam, 6 — The day closes with the four city schools. Sci-Tech is too strong for Putnam.
Commerce vs. Springfield Central, 8 — Central should handle Commerce.

TWIBB - This Week in Boys Basketball

There are some pretty big games across the board this week. The ones in bold are the games to keep an eye on. (updated)

Monday
Independent
Sci-Tech (7-0) at Longmeadow (4-3), 7 - Should be an interesting matchup between Meadows size and strength vs. Techs quickness and athleticism.
Holyoke (3-4) at Chicopee Comp (3-5), 7 - Neither team has been able to put it together for stretches.
Agawam (1-7) at Minnechaug (3-3), 7 - The Brownies can't seal the deal. They've lost three games by seven or less points.
Commerce (4-4) at Putnam (3-4), 7 - Putnam's offense (42.4 ppg) has been terrible.
Northampton (6-1) at Westfield (3-5), 7 - After beating Chicopee by almost 20, Hamp needs to avoid a letdown. On the road is where they tend to happen.
Amherst (1-7) at West Springfield (4-3), 7 - Terriers have lost three straight, the last two by eight or less.
Ludlow (1-7) at Chicopee (6-2), 7 - The Pacers are coming off their loss to Hamp but should bounce back here.
Dean Tech (2-3) at Drury (7-1) - Drury should be up by 25 at halftime.
Monument Mountain (1-7) at Mount Everett (1-9), 7 - One Mountain will win No. 2.
Bi-County
Gateway (2-5, 0-4 West) at Belchertown (5-2, 3-1 East), 7 - Gateway had four players in double digits but still lost to Ware. The Gators need that and a whole lot more to beat the Orioles.
Hampshire (4-4, 3-1 West) at Granby (3-3, 3-3 East), 7 - Hampshire has lost four straight and this is the first of three games this week. Granby has won two in a row.
New Leadership (4-1, 3-1 West) at Palmer (6-2, 5-1 East), 7 - NLCS is averaging 71.6 points per game. Palmer needs to find a way to slow down the Wildcats' uptempo offense. Phil Warrick and Eric Brown have been on fire for NLCS.
Sabis (7-0, 4-0 West) at Pioneer Christian (1-5, 1-5 East), 7 - Sabis beat Hampshire by 12 and Palmer by nine. Are the Bulldogs coasting? Expect a big output against PVCS, who will have trouble stopping Andre King and Kamali Bey.
Southwick (4-4, 2-3 West) at Ware (4-4, 3-3 East), 7 - The Rams have won three straight and four of five.
Hampshire
Hopkins (4-4, 2-4 West) at Easthampton (6-2, 5-2 East), 7:30 - Big matchup but more so for Hopkins, which lost to Pioneer Regional, Frontier and Mohawk. The Golden Hawks need a quality win and the Eagles are a quality team.
Turners Falls (5-1, 5-1 East) at Frontier (6-2, 4-2 West), 7:30 - The Field twins take their show on the road to South Deerfield, which is always a tough place to play. Gary Grandonico is starting to understand what its like to be the guy while the supporting cast is getting better and better each game.
Greenfield (3-5, 1-5 East) at Pioneer Regional (5-2, 5-1 West), 7:30 - Tyler Lennox is a monster inside for Pioneer.
Athol (1-8, 1-6 East) at Smith Academy (1-7, 1-6 West), 7:30 - The Falcons defense (65.9 to 71.5) is better than what it was last year but they still have a long way go. Athol meanwhile has trouble scoring (46.4 ppg).
Mohawk (5-3, 5-1 East) at Mahar (2-3, 2-3 East), 7:30 - Mohawk should bounce back from its loss to Drury.
Berkshire County
Hoosac (7-0, 2-0 North) at Pittsfield (1-5, 1-1 North), 7 - Pittsfield is down and Hoosac is really good. Robbie Burke is playing like the best player in Division 2, maybe even western Mass. (which one coach told me).
Mt. Greylock (3-4, 1-1 South) at Lenox (4-3, 0-2 South), 7 - Lenox has three wins over Tri-County teams and one over one-win Mt. Everett. Look for Greylock to control this one.
Taconic (4-2, 1-0 North) at Wahconah (5-4, 1-2 North), 7 - Wahconah falls by three to Hoosac, nine to Frontier and two to Drury in OT. Nick Anastasio and Craig Lennon are playing well. Taconic has been balanced behind Chris Bush and Mitch Scace.
Tri-County
Franklin (5-3, 2-1) at Dean Tech (2-2, 1-1), 7 - Franklin and McCann are the top TCL dogs.
Pathfinder (1-6, 0-3) at Westfield Voke (1-4, 1-1), 7 - Pathfinder has lost five straight.
St. Mary (2-4, 1-1) at McCann Tech (3-5, 2-0), 7 - McCann should remain unbeaten in the league.

Tuesday
Hampshire
Belchertown (5-2, 3-1 East) at Hampshire (4-4, 3-1 West), 7:30 - Ben McCullough missed both games last week and the O's need him if they are going to beat Hampshire. The Red Raiders will be playing the second game of a back-to-back.
Berkshire County
Lee (8-1, 1-1 South) at St. Joseph (5-3, 1-1 South), 7 - Lee beat St. Mary. Can they go 2-for-2 against the clergy.
Tri-County
Franklin Tech (5-3, 2-1) at Smith Voke (2-4, 1-1), 6:30 - Vikings need to play D to beat Franklin.

Wednesday
Independent
Northampton (6-1) at Amherst (1-7), 7 - Jesse Coulon and Ellis Cooper face Jonah Herscu and Ben Brassord. Hamp is deeper. Amherst needs Charles White to get on track.
Central (4-4) at South Hadley (5-2), 7 - The Tigers can win this game. Home court advantage is huge here. Because the coaches work together, do they lock their offices when they leave?
East Longmeadow (6-2) at Minnechaug (3-3), 7 - The Spartans might be the top team in D1 right now.
Bi-County
Sabis (7-0, 4-0 West) at Gateway (2-5, 0-4 West), 7 - Sabis is too strong.
Hampshire
Mahar (2-3, 2-3 East) at Hopkins (4-4, 2-4 West), 7:30 - Hopkins is 2-2 at home. Mahar is 1-1 on the road.

Thursday
Independent
Hoosac Valley (7-1) at Commerce (4-4), 7 - Hoosac is 3-1 against PVIAC.
Cathedral (3-5) at East Longmeadow (6-2), 7 - When Cathedral beat West Side last week did they right the wrongs? If so, East Longmeadow could have a battle on its hands.
Chicopee (6-2) at Sci-Tech (7-0), 7 - Great matchup between two similar teams. Nice battle between Robert Jones and Chrys Malone. Aaron West vs. Theo Robinson should be good as well.
Bi-County
Holyoke Catholic (3-4, 2-4 West) at Belchertown (5-2, 3-1 East), 7 - Can anybody stop Nick Bryda of Catholic? Joe Courtney will try.
Sabis (7-0, 4-0 West) at Monson (2-5, 1-5 East), 7 - Sabis should have nine wins entering this game. They will be the first to qualify for the postseason.
Southwick (4-4, 2-3 West) at Palmer (6-2, 5-1 East), 7 - Palmer is 4-0 at home.
Hampshire (4-4, 3-1 West) at Ware (4-4, 3-3 East), 7 - After two tough games, it gets a little easier for Hampshire here.
New Leadership (4-1, 3-1 West) at Granby (3-3, 3-3 East), 7 - Granby is 1-2 at home.
Hampshire
Athol (1-8, 1-6 East) at Easthampton (6-2, 5-2 East), 7 - Eagles should get this one.
Mohawk (5-3, 5-1) at Greenfield (3-5, 1-5 East), 7:30 - Mohawk easily.
Turners Falls (5-1, 5-1 West) at Hopkins (4-4, 2-4 West), 7 - Turners shouldn't have a problem.
Frontier (6-2, 4-2 West) at Pioneer Regional (5-2, 5-1 West), 7:30 - The first matchup of the season between these two. Should be an interesting matchup between Jon Pepyne and Tyler Lennox. Pepyne needs to stay out of foul trouble.
Mahar (2-3, 2-3 East) at Smith Academy (1-7, 1-6 West), 7:30 - After playing six of their first eight on the road, the Falcons are home both times this week and have a chance to go 2-0.
Berkshire County
Wahconah (5-4, 1-2 North) at Pittsfield (1-5, 1-1 North), 7 - It's not Pittsfield's year.
Taconic (4-2, 1-0 North) at Drury (7-1, 3-0 North), 7 - Blue Devils too tough at home.
Lee (8-1, 1-1 South) at Mt. Greylock (3-4, 1-1 South), 7 - Lee could be the second team to qualify this season if it goes 2-0 this week.

Friday
Independent
Ludlow (1-7) at Dean Tech (2-3), 7 - Ludlow gets No. 2.
Minnechaug (3-3) at West Springfield (4-3), 7:30 - Good test for Chaug.

Friday-Monday
Hoophall Classic
Check back later this week for a breakdown of the Hoophall Classic.