Full basketball tourney seeds

Western Massachusetts Tournaments
Boys Basketball
Division 1
1. Northampton (18-2)
2. Westfield (18-2)
3. West Springfield (17-3)
4. Cathedral (12-8)
5. Chicopee (13-7)
6. Putnam (13-8)
7. Central (11-9)
8. Longmeadow (11-9)
9. Amherst (11-9)
10. Agawam (12-8)
11. Pittsfield (11-9)
12. Commerce (10-10)
First round
Monday, Feb. 28
Game 1: Amherst at Longmeadow, 7
Game 2: Commerce at Chicopee, 7
Game 3: Agawam at Central, 7
Game 4: Pittsfield at Putnam, 7
Quarterfinals
Thursday, March 3
Game 5: Game 1 winner at Northampton, 7
Game 6: Game 2 winner at Cathedral, 7
Game 7: Game 3 winner at Westfield, 7
Game 8: Game 4 winner at West Springfield, 7
Semifinals
March 8-9
At AIC
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner
Game 10: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner
Finals
Saturday, March 12
At Curry Hicks Cage
Game 11: Game 10 winner vs. Game 9 winner

Division 2
1. Mahar (19-1)
2. Belchertown (19-1)
3. Hoosac (15-5)
4. Sabis (12-8)
5. Hampshire (14-6)
6. Taconic (13-7)
7. Easthampton (15-7)
8. Greenfield (13-7)
9. Southwick (10-10)
10. South Hadley (8-12)
First round
Monday, Feb. 28
Game 1: Southwick at Greenfield, 7
Game 2: South Hadley at Easthampton, 7
Quarterfinals
Thursday, March 3
Game 3: Hampshire at Sabis, 7
Game 4: Taconic at Hoosac, 7
Game 5: Game 1 winner at Mahar, 7
Game 6: Game 2 winner at Belchertown, 7
Semifinals
March 8-9-10
At Curry Hicks Cage
Game 7: Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner
Game 8: Game 4 winner vs. Game 6 winner
Finals
Saturday, March 12
At Curry Hicks Cage
Game 9: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner

Division 3
1. Lenox (17-3)
2. Turners Falls (15-5)
3. Granby (15-5)
4. Saint Joseph (14-6)
5. Monson (13-7)
6. New Leadership (10-10)
7. Smith Academy (13-7)
8. Lee (11-9)
9. Frontier (10-10)
10. Holyoke Catholic (10-10)
11. Dean Tech (15-5)
12. Renaissance (11-9)
13. McCann Tech (11-9)
14. Westfield Voc (10-8)
15. Pathfinder (10-10)
First round
Monday, Feb. 28
Game 1: Frontier at Lee, 7
Game 2: McCann at St. Joseph, 7
Game 3: Renaissance at Monson, 7
Game 4: Pathfinder at Turners Falls, 7
Game 5: Holyoke Catholic at Smith Academy, 7
Game 6: Westfield Voke at Granby, 7
Game 7: Dean Tech at New Leadership, 7
Quarterfinals
Thursday, March 3
At higher seed
Game 8: Game 1 winner at Lenox, 7
Game 9: Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 7
Game 10: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 7
Game 11: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 7
Semifinals
March 8-9-10
At Curry Hicks Cage
Game 12: Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner
Game 13: Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner
Finals
Saturday, March 12
At Curry Hicks Cage
Game 14: Game 12 winner vs. Game 13 winner

Girls basketball
Division 1
1. West Springfield (18-2)
2. Holyoke (18-2)
3. Amherst (18-2)
4. Longmeadow (13-7)
5. Pittsfield (13-7)
6. Northampton (12-8)
7. Chicopee Comp (12-8)
8. East Longmeadow (11-9)
Quarterfinals
Friday
East Longmeadow at West Springfield, 7
Chicopee Comp at Holyoke, 7
Northampton at Amherst, 7
Pittsfield at Longmeado, 7

Division 2
1. Frontier (19-1)
2. Hampshire (16-4)
3. Wahconah (14-6)
4. Belchertown (14-6)
5. Athol (15-5)
6. Drury (13-7)
7. Monument (12-7)
8. Mahar (14-6)
9. Palmer (12-8)
10. Hoosac (13-7)
11. South Hadley (12-8)
12. Cathedral (12-8)
First Round
Tuesday
Cathedral at Athol, 7
South Hadley at Drury, 7
Hoosac at Monument, 7
Palmer at Mahar, 7
Quarterfinals
Friday
Cathedral/Athol at Belchertown, 7
South Hadley/Drury at Wahconah, 7
Hoosac/Monument at Hampshire, 7
Palmer/Mahar at Frontier, 7

Division 3
1. Lee (10-1)
2. Sabis (20-1)
3. Monson (13-7)
4. Ware (12-8)
5. Lenox (12-8)
6. Smith Academy (11-9)
7. Hopkins Academy (11-9)
8. Gateway (18-2)
9. Granby (10-10)
10. Holyoke Catholic (10-10)
11. Pioneer Regional (10-10)
12. McCann (7-13)
13. New Leadership (13-7)
14. Westfield Voke (12-8)
15. Franklin Tech (11-9)
16. Pathfinder (11-9)
First Round
Tuesday
Pathfinder at Lee, 7
Franklin Tech at Sabis, 7
Westfield Voke at Monson, 7
New Leadership at Ware, 7
McCann at Lenox, 7
Pioneer Regional at Smith Academy, 7
Holyoke Catholic at Hopkins, 7
Granby at Gateway, 7
Quarterfinals
Friday - at higher seeds
Pathfinder/Lee vs. Granby/Gateway
Franklin Tech/Sabis vs. Holyoke Catholic/Hopkins
Westfield Voke/Monson vs. Pioneer/Smith
New Leadership/Ware vs. McCann/Lenox

Boys, Girls Basketball Tournament Seeds

Western Massachusetts Tournaments
Boys Basketball
Division 1
1. Northampton (18-2)
2. Westfield (18-2)
3. West Springfield (17-3)
4. Cathedral (12-8)
5. Chicopee (13-7)
6. Putnam (13-8)
7. Central (11-9)
8. Longmeadow (11-9)
9. Amherst (11-9)
10. Agawam (12-8)
11. Pittsfield (11-9)
12. Commerce (10-10)
First round
Monday, Feb. 28
Game 1: Amherst at Longmeadow, 7
Game 2: Commerce at Chicopee, 7
Game 3: Agawam at Central, 7
Game 4: Pittsfield at Putnam, 7
Quarterfinals
Thursday, March 3
Game 5: Game 1 winner at Northampton, 7
Game 6: Game 2 winner at Cathedral, 7
Game 7: Game 3 winner at Westfield, 7
Game 8: Game 4 winner at West Springfield, 7
Semifinals
March 8-9
At AIC
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner
Game 10: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner
Finals
Saturday, March 12
At Curry Hicks Cage
Game 11: Game 10 winner vs. Game 9 winner

Division 2
1. Mahar (19-1)
2. Belchertown (19-1)
3. Hoosac (15-5)
4. Sabis (12-8)
5. Hampshire (14-6)
6. Taconic (13-7)
7. Easthampton (15-7)
8. Greenfield (13-7)
9. Southwick (10-10)
10. South Hadley (8-12)
First round
Monday, Feb. 28
Game 1: Southwick at Greenfield, 7
Game 2: South Hadley at Easthampton, 7
Quarterfinals
Thursday, March 3
Game 3: Hampshire at Sabis, 7
Game 4: Taconic at Hoosac, 7
Game 5: Game 1 winner at Mahar, 7
Game 6: Game 2 winner at Belchertown, 7
Semifinals
March 8-9-10
At Curry Hicks Cage
Game 7: Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner
Game 8: Game 4 winner vs. Game 6 winner
Finals
Saturday, March 12
At Curry Hicks Cage
Game 9: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner

Division 3
1. Lenox (17-3)
2. Turners Falls (15-5)
3. Granby (15-5)
4. Saint Joseph (14-6)
5. Monson (13-7)
6. New Leadership (10-10)
7. Smith Academy (13-7)
8. Lee (11-9)
9. Frontier (10-10)
10. Holyoke Catholic (10-10)
11. Dean Tech (15-5)
12. Renaissance (11-9)
13. McCann Tech (11-9)
14. Westfield Voc (10-8)
15. Pathfinder (10-10)
First round
Monday, Feb. 28
Game 1: Frontier at Lee, 7
Game 2: McCann at St. Joseph, 7
Game 3: Renaissance at Monson, 7
Game 4: Pathfinder at Turners Falls, 7
Game 5: Holyoke Catholic at Smith Academy, 7
Game 6: Westfield Voke at Granby, 7
Game 7: Dean Tech at New Leadership, 7
Quarterfinals
Thursday, March 3
At higher seed
Game 8: Game 1 winner at Lenox, 7
Game 9: Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 7
Game 10: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 7
Game 11: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 7
Semifinals
March 8-9-10
At Curry Hicks Cage
Game 12: Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner
Game 13: Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner
Finals
Saturday, March 12
At Curry Hicks Cage
Game 14: Game 12 winner vs. Game 13 winner

Girls basketball
Division 1
1. West Springfield (18-2)
2. Holyoke (18-2)
3. Amherst (18-2)
4. Longmeadow (13-7)
5. Pittsfield (13-7)
6. Northampton (12-8)
7. Chicopee Comp (12-8)
8. East Longmeadow (11-9)
Quarterfinals
Friday
East Longmeadow at West Springfield, 7
Chicopee Comp at Holyoke, 7
Northampton at Amherst, 7
Pittsfield at Longmeado, 7

Division 2
1. Frontier (19-1)
2. Hampshire (16-4)
3. Wahconah (14-6)
4. Belchertown (14-6)
5. Athol (15-5)
6. Drury (13-7)
7. Monument (12-7)
8. Mahar (14-6)
9. Palmer (12-8)
10. Hoosac (13-7)
11. South Hadley (12-8)
12. Cathedral (12-8)
First Round
Tuesday
Cathedral at Athol, 7
South Hadley at Drury, 7
Hoosac at Monument, 7
Palmer at Mahar, 7
Quarterfinals
Friday
Cathedral/Athol at Belchertown, 7
South Hadley/Drury at Wahconah, 7
Hoosac/Monument at Hampshire, 7
Palmer/Mahar at Frontier, 7

Division 3
1. Lee (10-1)
2. Sabis (20-1)
3. Monson (13-7)
4. Ware (12-8)
5. Lenox (12-8)
6. Smith Academy (11-9)
7. Hopkins Academy (11-9)
8. Gateway (18-2)
9. Granby (10-10)
10. Holyoke Catholic (10-10)
11. Pioneer Regional (10-10)
12. McCann (7-13)
13. New Leadership (13-7)
14. Westfield Voke (12-8)
15. Franklin Tech (11-9)
16. Pathfinder (11-9)
First Round
Tuesday
Pathfinder at Lee, 7
Franklin Tech at Sabis, 7
Westfield Voke at Monson, 7
New Leadership at Ware, 7
McCann at Lenox, 7
Pioneer Regional at Smith Academy, 7
Holyoke Catholic at Hopkins, 7
Granby at Gateway, 7
Quarterfinals
Friday - at higher seeds
Pathfinder/Lee vs. Granby/Gateway
Franklin Tech/Sabis vs. Holyoke Catholic/Hopkins
Westfield Voke/Monson vs. Pioneer/Smith
New Leadership/Ware vs. McCann/Lenox

FINAL Girls Hoop Walkertology

This edition of the Walker always feels like a final exam or a term paper. If you see me slack-jawed and drooling in the front of the auditorium Saturday, that's because Lou Conte announced an order that is far different from mine and I'm wondering why I wasted all that time putting these together. ... I'm actually feeling pretty good about these though.

Here's what you'll see below: Each team has three numbers after it:
First number = Overall Winning Percentage
Second number = Strength of schedule (Wins vs. Valley League teams = 5 points, other D1 teams = 4 points, D2 = 3 points, D3 = 2 points; Losses = 0, then divide total by total number of games played)
Third number = Performance vs. WMass Tourney teams (Same format as second number, but only vs. teams that are in the postseason and only divide by number of games played vs. tournament teams)
Each team's number is its ranking in each category. Add up the three numbers for each team and rank them based on the total, with the lowest being the best.

One mistake in any team's record, value, etc., messes up everything.

Here we go:
Division 1
T1. Holyoke (1-1-1)
T1. West Springfield (1-1-1) - COIN FLIP!
3. Amherst (1-3-3)
4. Longmeadow (4-4-4)
T5. Pittsfield (4-8-5)
T5. Northampton (6-5-6) --- Pittsfield wins two categories
7. Chicopee Comp (6-6-7)
8. East Longmeadow (8-7-8)
Quarterfinal matchups (likely Friday)
EL at Holyoke/West Side
Chicopee Comp at Holyoke/West Side
Northampton at Amherst
Pittsfield at Longmeadow

Division 2
1. Frontier (1-1-1)
2. Hampshire (2-3-2)
3. Wahconah (4-2-2)
4. Belchertown (4-4-4)
5. Athol (3-6-6)
6. Drury (7-7-5)
7. Monument (9-5-6)
8. Mahar (4-9-11)
9. Palmer (10-8-9)
10. Hoosac (7-9-12)
11. South Hadley (10-11-8)
12. Cathedral (10-12-10)
First Round matchups (likely Tuesday)
Cathedral at Athol
South Hadley at Drury
Hoosac at Monument
Palmer at Mahar
Quarterfinals (likely Friday)
Cathedral/Athol at Belchertown
South Hadley/Drury at Wahconah
Hoosac/Monument at Hampshire
Palmer/Mahar at Frontier

Division 3
1. Lee (2-1-1)
2. Sabis (1-2-2)
3. Monson (3-3-4)
4. Ware (4-4-3)
5. Lenox (4-5-5)
T6. Smith Academy (6-6-8)
T6. Hopkins Academy (6-7-7) - Smith gets tiebreaker for beating Hopkins twice
8. Gateway (Tri-County Champion) - Expecting this to be the case.
9. Granby (8-9-6)
10. Holyoke Catholic (8-7-9)
11. Pioneer Regional (8-10-10)
12. McCann (11-11-11)
13. New Leadership (TCL)
14. Westfield Voke (TCL)
15. Franklin Tech (TCL)
16. Pathfinder (TCL)
First Round matchups (likely Tuesday)
Pathfinder at Lee
Franklin Tech at Sabis
Westfield Voke at Monson
New Leadership at Ware
McCann at Lenox
Pioneer Regional at Smith Academy
Holyoke Catholic at Hopkins
Granby at Gateway
Quarterfinals (likely Friday) - at higher seeds
Pathfinder/Lee vs. Granby/Gateway
Franklin Tech/Sabis vs. Holyoke Catholic/Hopkins
Westfield Voke/Monson vs. Pioneer/Smith
New Leadership/Ware vs. McCann/Lenox

Final (updated) Boys Hoop Walkertology

Ok, so I missed a new part of the Walker. The third category (record vs. tournament teams) used to include all teams that made the tournament, whether they made the tournament in eastern Mass., Connecticut or New York. This year, the category only takes into account teams that made the western Mass. tournament.

With that said, I've reworked the numbers and for the most part Division 2 and 3 remained the same. Division 1 is where this change mixed things up. Here are my final standings (as of right now). This time I projected where the Tri-County teamswill fall.

Updated: In projecting, I gave Taconic points for Holyoke qualifying and forgot to take them away when they didn't. It's fixed below.

DIVISION 1
1. Northampton 1-1-1
2. Westfield 1-2-2
3. West Springfield 3-3-3
4. Cathedral 6-4-4
5. Chicopee 4-6-5
6. Central 8-5-6
7. Putnam 5-8-9
8. Agawam 6-7-11
9. Amherst 8-9-7
10. Longmeadow 8-10-8
11. Pittsfield 8-12-12
12. Commerce 12-11-10

DIVISION 2
1. Mahar 1-1-1
2. Belchertown 1-2-2
3. Hoosac 3-3-4
4. Sabis 8-4-3
5. Hampshire 4-6-5
6. Taconic 6-5-6
7. Easthampton 4-7-6
8. Greenfield 6-8-8
9. Southwick 9-10-9
10. South Hadley 10-9-10

DIVISION 3
1. Lenox 1-1-1
2. Turners Falls 2-3-2
3. St. Joseph 4-3-2
4. Granby 2-3-4
5. New Leadership 8-2-5
6. Monson 5-6-5
7. Smith Academy 5-6-7
8. Dean Tech 1-1-1 TCL
9. Lee 7-8-9
10. Frontier 9-10-8
11. Holyoke Catholic 9-9-10
12. Westfield Voke 2-2-4 TCL
13. Renaissance 3-3-2 TCL
14. McCann 3-3-3 TCL
15. Pathfinder 5-5-4 TCL

Revised D2 Boys Walker

A computing error was pointed out. Here are the updated standings for Boys Division 2.

DIVISION 2
1 Mahar 1-1-1
2 Belchertown 2-2-2
3 Hoosac 3-3-4
4 Sabis 8-4-3
5 Hampshire 4-6-5
6 Taconic 6-5-6
7 Easthampton 5-7-7
8 Greenfield 6-8-8
9 South Hadley 10-9-9
10 Southwick 9-10-10

Boys Hoop Walkertology

Here's where we stand heading into the final day. Division 1 could have the most movement on the final day if one, none or both of Commerce and Holyoke qualify. The Division 2 and 3 fields are set. Mahar took the top seed away from Belchertown based on Frontier qualifying and its victory over Hampshire on Wednesday. The outcome of Easthampto-Granby shouldn't effect either standings. If Holyoke gets in, Taconic would jump Hampshire for the fourth seed.

DIVISION 1
1 Northampton 1-1-1
2 Westfield 2-2-2
3 West Springfield 3-3-3
4 Chicopee 4-4-4
5 Amherst 6-6-5
6 Putnam 5-9-7
7 Cathedral 6-5-10
8 Agawam 6-8-8
9 Longmeadow 9-9-6
10 Central 11-6-9
11 Pittsfield 9-11-11

DIVISION 2
1 Mahar 1-1-1
2 Belchertown 1-2-2
3 Hoosac 3-3-3
4 Hampshire 4-6-4
5 Taconic 6-5-5
6 Easthampton 5-7-6
7 Greenfield 6-8-7
8 Sabis 8-4-9
9 Southwick 9-10-8
10 South Hadley 10-9-9

DIVISION 3
1 Lenox 1-1-1
2 Granby 2-2-2
3 St. Joseph's 4-3-3
4 Turners 3-3-4
5 Monson 5-6-5
6 Smith Academy 5-6-7
7 New Leadership 8-5-6
8 Lee 7-8-9
9 Frontier 8-10-8
10 Holyoke Catholic 8-9-10
Dean 1-1-1 TCL
Renaissance 2-2-2 TCL
Westfield Voke 3-3-4 TCL
McCann 4-4-3 TCL
Pathfinder 5-5-4 TCL

Girls Hoop Walkertology (Through Wed.)

I had to do a new one today after Chicopee Comp's win over Amherst and East Longmeadow qualifying. I'll post my final one either late tomorrow night or at some point Friday evening. ... As always, you can email me at jpignatiello@gazettenet.com.

Here's what you'll see below: Each team has three numbers after it:
First number = Overall Winning Percentage
Second number = Strength of schedule (Wins vs. Valley League teams = 5 points, other D1 teams = 4 points, D2 = 3 points, D3 = 2 points; Losses = 0, then divide total by total number of games played)
Third number = Performance vs. WMass Tourney teams (Same format as second number, but only vs. teams that are in the postseason and only divide by number of games played vs. tournament teams)
Each team's number is its ranking in each category. Add up the three numbers for each team and rank them based on the total, with the lowest being the best.

One mistake in any team's record, value, etc., messes up everything.

Here we go:

Division 1
T1. Holyoke (2-1-1)
T1. West Side (2-1-1) - Coin flip? ... I'm hoping we can get coaches Tom Brassil and Paul Taylor to the front of the room, nose-to-nose to call it.
3. Amherst (1-3-3) - Loss to Comp cost Hurricanes two spots.
4. Northampton (5-4-4) - This isn't close to locked up. See NOTES.
5. Longmeadow (5-5-4) - Lancers will either be at Northampton or hosting Pittsfield.
6. Pittsfield (4-8-6)
7. Chicopee Comp (7-6-7)
8. East Longmeadow (8-7-8) -- Do Holyoke/West Side even WANT to win the coin flip?
NOTES: As far as I can tell, Thursday's Northampton-East Longmeadow match can shake things up pretty seriously. The rankings above stay the same if Northampton wins. If EL wins, Northampton falls to No. 6, Longmeadow gets. No. 4 and Pittsfield gets No. 5. EL is No. 8 regardless. So, yeah, big game.

Division 2
1. Frontier (1-1-1)
2. Hampshire (2-3-2)
3. Wahconah (4-2-2)
4. Belchertown (4-4-4)
5. Athol (3-6-6)
6. Drury (7-7-5)
7. Monument (9-5-6)
8. Mahar (4-9-11)
9. Palmer (10-8-9)
10. Hoosac (7-9-12)
11. South Hadley (10-11-8)
12. Cathedral (10-12-10)
NOTES: This looks set, as I believe everyone's schedule is done. Hampshire overcomes and late three-game losing streak to get the No. 2 seed, but gets a tough reward with Monument potentially coming to Westhampton in the quarterfinals if it can beat Hoosac for the second time this season. ...
Early round matchups would be:
First round
Game 1: Palmer at Mahar
Game 2: Hoosac at Monument
Game 3: South Hadley at Drury
Game 4: Cathedral at Athol
Quarterfinals
Palmer/Mahar at Frontier
Hoosac/Monument at Hampshire
South Hadley/Drury at Wahconah
Cathedral/Athol at Belchertown

Division 3
1. Lee (2-1-1)
2. Sabis (1-2-2)
3. Monson (3-3-4)
4. Ware (4-4-3)
5. Lenox (4-5-5)
T6. Smith Academy (6-6-8)
T6. Hopkins (6-7-7) -- Split categories. Assume Smith gets No. 6 as it swept season series
8. Granby (8-9-6)
9. Holyoke Catholic (8-7-9)
10. Pioneer Regional (8-10-10)
11. McCann (11-11-11)
Tri-County Teams: Gateway, Westfield Voke, New Leadership, Franklin Tech, Pathfinder
NOTES: I believe everyone is done, so this should stand, however, I'm still not sure about Gateway and the No. 8 seed. Will make an official guess when I do the final full Walker either late Thursday night or Friday evening.

Girls Hoop Walkertology

NOTE: These rankings are not my own opinions. This is the way the Walker System would currently look if the season ended today. ... As more teams qualify, there could be major swings in the system, especially in the third category. ... This always gives me a headache.

One addition to the formula below is in bold.

Here's what you'll see below: Each team has three numbers after it:
First number = Overall Winning Percentage
Second number = Strength of schedule (Wins vs. Valley League teams = 5 points, other D1 teams = 4 points, D2 = 3 points, D3 = 2 points; Losses = 0, then divide total by total number of games played)
Third number = Performance vs. WMass Tourney teams (Same format as second number, but only vs. teams that are in the postseason and only divide by number of games played vs. tournament teams)
Each team's number is its ranking in each category. Add up the three numbers for each team and rank them based on the total, with the lowest being the best.

One mistake in any team's record, value, etc., messes up everything.

I'll post the next Walker if/when East Longmeadow qualifies on Wednesday or Thursday. Otherwise, my final one will be up some time either late Thursday night or at some point Friday afternoon.

Division 1
1. Amherst (1-1-1) --- (.950-4.053-3.67)
T2. West Springfield (2-1-2) --- (.895-4.053-3.250)
T2. Holyoke (2-1-2) --- (.895-4.053-3.250) ---> Still no clue on a tiebreaker here.
4. Longmeadow (4-4-5) --- (.667-2.889-1.0)
T5. Pittsfield (5-7-4) --- (.650-2.050-1.385)
T5. Northampton (6-5-5) --- (.632-2.842-1.0) ---> Pittsfield wins 2 categories
7. Chicopee Comp (7-6-5) --- (.580-2.53-1.0)
NOTE: Northampton will likely take over fifth if East Longmeadow qualifies, but a win over the Spartans later this week would help as well.

Division 2
1. Frontier (1-1-1) --- (.950-2.4-2.25)
T2. Wahconah (4-2-2) --- (.700-2.25-1.923)
T2. Hampshire (2-3-3) --- (.789-2.105-1.833) ---> Wahconah wins 2 categories
4. Belchertown (4-5-4) --- (.700-1.9-1.533)
5. Athol (3-6-7) --- (.750-1.85-1.25)
6. Monument (7-4-6) --- (.667-2.0-1.364)
7. Drury (8-8-5) --- (.650-1.8-1.4)
8. Mahar (4-9-11) -- (.700-1.7-1.0)
9. Palmer (10-7-8) -- (.632-1.842-1.167)
10. Hoosac (8-9-12) --- (.650-1.7-0.8)
11. South Hadley (11-11-9) --- (.600-1.6-1.133)
12. Cathedral (11-12-10) --- (.600-1.550-1.067)
NOTES: Looks to me like Palmer will get the No. 8 spot if it beats Hampshire on Wednesday.

Division 3
1. Lee (2-1-1) --- (.947-2.842-3.154)
2. Sabis (1-2-2) --- (.950-2.5-2.333)
3. Monson (3-3-4) --- (.632-1.579-1.2)
4. Ware (5-4-3) --- (.579-1.526-1.250)
5. Lenox (4-5-5) --- (.600-1.4-1.0)
6. Smith Acad. (6-6-8) --- (.550-1.350-.583)
7. Hopkins (7-8-7) --- (.526-1.263-0.636)
*8. Granby (8-9-6) --- (.500-1.250-7.33)
9. Holyoke Catholic (8-7-9) --- (.500-1.3-.500)
10. Pioneer Regional (8-10-10) --- (.500-1.2-3.64)
11. McCann (11-11-11) --- (.350-0.9-0.182)
Tri-County teams: Gateway*, Westfield Voke, New Leadership, Franklin Tech, Pathfinder.
NOTE: It's definitely possible that Gateway, the Tri-County League winner, will get the No. 8 seed and slide everyone else down one spot. ... 16-team field? Excellent.

Boys Hoop - Walker Projections

Here are the unofficial Walker Standings if the tournament started now. It's through Friday's games. First number is overall record, second is strength of schedule, third in record vs. tournament teams. Division 3 is up in the air as far as placement for Tri-County teams. TCL teams are not included with the other tournament teams in the Walker formula. I put them through the Walker to see where they stack up against each other.

DIVISION 1
1 Northampton 1-1-1
2 Westfield 2-2-2
3 West Springfield 3-3-3
4 Chicopee 4-4-4
5 Amherst 5-4-5
6 Agawam 5-7-8
7 Central 8-4-9
8 Putnam 7-9-7
9 Cathedral 8-7-10
10 Longmeadow 10-10-6
11 Pittsfield 10-11-11
Who can still qualify: Commerce (9-9), Holyoke (8-10)

DIVISION 2
1 Belchertown 1-1-2
2 Mahar 2-2-1
3 Hoosac 3-3-4
4 Sabis 8-4-3
5 Hampshire 4-6-5
6 Taconic 7-5-6
7 Greenfield 5-7-8
8 Easthampton 6-8-7
9 South Hadley 9-9-9
Who can still qualify: Southwick (9-10)

DIVISION 3
1 Lenox 1-1-1
2 Granby 2-2-4
3 Turners Falls 3-3-2
4 St. Joseph 4-3-3
5 Monson 5-6-5
6 Smith Academy 6-7-7
7 New Leadership 9-5-6
8 Lee 7-8-8
9 Holyoke Catholic 7-8-8
Dean 1-1-1 TCL
McCann 2-2-3 TCL
Renaissance 3-3-2 TCL
Pathfinder 3-3-4 TCL
Westfield Voke 5-5-5 TCL
Who can still qualify: Frontier (9-10)

Girls Hoop Walkertology

NOTES: These rankings are not my own opinions. This is the way the Walker System would currently look if the season ended today. ... As more teams qualify, there could be major swings in the system, especially in the third category. ... This always gives me a headache.

Here's what you'll see below:
Each team has three numbers after it:
First number = Overall Winning Percentage
Second number = Strength of schedule (Wins vs. D1 = 4 points, D2 = 3 points, D3 = 2 points; Losses = 0, then divide total by total number of games played)
Third number = Performance vs. WMass Tourney teams (Same format as second number, but only vs. teams that are in the postseason and only divide by number of games played vs. tournament teams)
Each team's number is its ranking in each category. Add up the three numbers for each team and rank them based on the total, with the lowest being the best.

One mistake in any team's record, value, etc., messes up everything. Here's what I have as of right now. This will change when the Bi-County West's craziness is worked out as between one and three more teams could qualify.

I've included the actual numbers after the rankings this time. Here we go:

Division 1
1. Amherst (1-1-1) --- (.940-3.67-3.33)
T2. West Springfield (2-2-2) --- (.889-3.50-2.875)
T2. Holyoke (2-2-2) --- (.889-3.50-2.875) --- No clue on the tiebreaker here. More in NOTES below
4. Longmeadow (4-4-4) --- (.667-2.611-1.0)
T5. Pittsfield (5-7-4) --- (.632-2.0-1.385)
T5. Northampton (6-5-5) --- (.611-2.44-1.0) -- Assume Pittsfield gets No. 5 because of winning two categories, but more in NOTES below
7. Chicopee Comp (7-6-7) --- (.560-2.22-0.89)
NOTES: I have West Springfield and Holyoke exactly even across the board. Both teams are 16-2 overall. Both teams have 63 strength of schedule points in those 18 games and both teams have 23 tournament strength points in 8 games. They've both got two games left against non-tournament teams and East Longmeadow qualifying won't change anything because they both beat the Spartans twice. They split their head-to-head matchups (both teams lost to Amherst once and each other once), so this looks very much like a coin flip for the No. 2 seed. ... Northampton, meanwhile, is currently tied, but could move up to fifth on its own if East Longmeadow qualified for the tournament with a win against Minnechaug Monday and then the Blue Devils must beat the Spartans in the regular season finale on Thursday. There's also the chance that the committee would reward the team from the "power" conference over the team that plays a mostly D-2 schedule, but I think they would lean more on the two-out-of-three categories at this point.

Division 2
1. Frontier (1-1-1) --- (.947-2.368-2.222)
T2. Wahconah (4-2-2) --- (.737-2.316-2.083)
T2. Hampshire (2-3-3) --- (.789-2.105-1.8) -- Wahconah wins 2 of 3 categories
4. Belchertown (4-4-4) --- (.737-2.0-1.583)
5. Athol (2-6-7) --- (.789-1.947-1.222)
6. Monument (7-4-5) --- (.667-2.0-1.364)
7. Drury (9-8-6) --- (.632-1.737-1.231)
8. Mahar (6-9-11) --- (.700-1.7-.778)
9. Hoosac (8-9-10) --- (.650-1.7-.800)
10. Palmer (10-7-11) --- (.611-1.778-0.778)
11. South Hadley (11-11-9) --- (.600-1.6-0.917)
12. Cathedral (12-12-8) --- (.579-1.474-0.923)
NOTES: Palmer could really shake things up with wins at Belchertown and vs. Hampshire to end the season. ... Wahconah and Hampshire both have games against D-2 tourney teams left, so the tie at No. 2 could change. ... Drury at Wahconah in the quarters? For the fourth time this year? Crazy.

Division 3
1. Lee (1-1-1) --- (1.000-3.059-3.154)
2. Sabis (2-2-2) --- (.959-2.5-2.417) -- These two teams have INCREDIBLE numbers for D-3 squads.
3. Monson (3-3-3) --- (.667-1.667-1.273)
4. Ware (4-4-4) --- (.611-1.611-1.231)
5. Lenox (5-5-5) --- (.579-.1.368-1.0)
6. Hopkins (6-6-7) --- (.556-1.333-0.429)
7. Smith Academy (7-7-6) --- (.526-1.316-.556)
8. Holyoke Catholic (8-8-8) --- (.474-1.211-.222)
9. Gateway - Tri-County
10. Westfield Voke - Tri-County
11. New Leadership - Tri-County
12. Franklin Tech - Tri-County
13. Pathfinder - Tri-County
NOTES: Hopkins and Smith play on Monday in a game that could shift some things and Holyoke Catholic has a chance to move up off that potential Tri-County bubble with another win and having a few Bi-County West-mates clinch. ... Would hate to see a league champ get dropped down to reward another lower-league champ.

Girls Hoop Walkertology

NOTES: Had it exactly right on last year for the first time, so there's nowhere to go but down this year. ... These rankings are not my own opinions. This is the way the Walker System would currently look if the season ended today. ... As more teams qualify, there could be major swings in the system, especially in the third category. ... I'll have the Week Guide up at some point Monday.

Tournament Director Lou Conte, who I always feel for this time of year as I plug in the Walker over and over again, confirmed that there is a change this year in the way the system is being implemented. In the past, when a team played an out-of-state opponent, there would be an educated decision made by the tourney director as to which division that out-of-state belonged to and they'd be treated accordingly. Now, the team is automatically considered the same division as the WMass team. For example, if D-2 Monument plays Brattleboro, Brattleboro is considered a Division 2 team. If D-1 Pittsfield plays Brattleboro, Brattleboro is considered a Division 1 team. Again, this is for out-of-state only.

Also, as with last year, the tournament category only includes tournament teams from WMass.

OK, so here's what you'll see below: Each team has three numbers after it:
First number = Overall Winning Percentage
Second number = Strength of schedule (Wins vs. D1 = 4 points, D2 = 3 points, D3 = 2 points; Losses = 0, then divide total by total number of games played)
Third number = Performance vs. WMass Tourney teams (Same format as second number, but only vs. teams that are in the postseason and only divide by number of games played vs. tournament teams)
Each team's number is its ranking in each category. Add up the three numbers for each team and rank them based on the total, with the lowest being the best.

One mistake in any team's record, value, etc., could gum up everything.

Here we go:

Division 1
1. Amherst (1-1-1)
2. West Side (2-2-2)
3. Holyoke (3-3-3)
4. Longmeadow (4-4-4)
5. Pitsfield (5-5-4)

Division 2
1. Frontier (1-1-1)
2. Hampshire (2-2-2)
3. Wahconah (4-3-3)
4. Drury (5-5-4)
T5. Monument Mountain (8-4-5)
T5. Belchertown (5-6-6) --- Assume MM gets tie breaker for winning two categories
7. Athol (3-6-10)
T8. South Hadley (9-8-7)
T8. Mahar (5-9-10) --- Assume SH gets tiebreaker for winning two categories
10. Hoosac (10-10-8)
11. Cathedral (11-11-8)

Division 3
1. Lee (1-1-1)
2. Sabis (2-2-2)
3. Ware (3-3-3)
4. Monson (4-4-4)
5. Lenox (5-5-5)
6. Holyoke Catholic (6-6-6)
7. Gateway - Tri-County winner
8. Westfield Voke - Tri-County

Girls Hoop Seeds/Schedule

Here are the official seedings. Be sure to double check the times at the MIAA website or in Monday's Gazette as some of the first round games may be moved to 7:30.

Girls basketball
Division 1
1. Amherst Regional (20-0)
2. Holyoke (18-2)
3. East Longmeadow (15-4)
4. Pittsfield (15-5)
5. Chicopee Comp (12-8)
6. Minnechaug Regional (10-10)
7. Ludlow (11-9)

Quarterfinals
Thursday, Feb. 25
Game 1: Chicopee Comp at Pittsfield, 7
Game 2: Minnechaug at East Longmeadow, 7
Game 3: Ludlow at Holyoke, 7

Semifinals
Tuesday, March 2
At American International College
Game 4: Game 1 winner vs. Amherst
Game 5: Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner

Finals
Saturday, March 6
At Curry Hicks Cage
Semifinal winners

Division 2
1. Palmer (20-0)
2. Frontier (18-2)
3. Monument Mountain (14-6)
4. Wahconah (14-6)
5. Cathedral (14-6)
6. Drury (14-6)
7. Belchertown (13-7)
8. Hampshire (12-8)
9. Mahar (12-8)
10. Mount Greylock (12-8)
11. Athol (11-9)

First round
Monday, Feb. 22
Game 1: Mahar at Hampshire, 7
Game 2: Mount Greylock at Belchertown, 7
Game 3: Athol at Drury, 7

Quarterfinals
Thursday, Feb. 25
Game 4: Game 1 winner at Palmer, 7
Game 5: Game 2 winner at Frontier, 7
Game 6: Game 3 winner at Monument Mountain, 7
Game 7: Cathedral at Wahconah, 7

Semifinals
At Curry Hicks Cage
Date TBA
Game 8: Game 4 winner vs. Game 7 winner
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner

Finals
Saturday, March 6
At Curry Hicks Cage
Semifinal winners

Division 3
1. Lee (19-1)
2. Smith (18-2)
3. Sabis (17-3)
4. Hopkins Academy (15-5)
5. Ware (15-5)
6. Monson (14-6)
7. McCann (12-8)
8. Gateway (16-2)
9. Holyoke Catholic (11-9)
10. Pathfinder (14-6)
11. Franklin Tech (12-8)
12. New Leadership (11-9)
13. Dean Tech (8-8)

First round
Monday, Feb. 22
Game 1: Holyoke Catholic at Gateway Regional, 7
Game 2: Pathfinder at McCann Tech, 7
Game 3: Franklin Tech at Monson, 7
Game 4: New Leadership at Ware, 7
Game 5: Dean Tech at Hopkins Academy, 7

Quarterfinals
Thursday, Feb. 25
Game 6: Game 1 winner at Lee, 7
Game 7: Game 2 winner at Smith Academy, 7
Game 8: Game 3 winner at Sabis, 7
Game 9: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner

Semifinals
At Curry Hicks Cage
Date TBA
Game 10: Game 6 winner vs. Game 9 winner
Game 11: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner

Finals
Saturday, March 6
At Curry Hicks Cage
Semifinal winners

FINAL Boys Hoop Walkertology

Here are my final projected Walker Standings. In the case of a tie, I went with the team which had the higher ranking in the third category. Projected matchups follow the seeds. I could be way off with the matchups in Division 3. It all depends on what the committee does with the Tri-County teams. For this, I gave Dean Tech a home game with the eighth seed and dropped the remaining TCL teams at the end.

The numbers after the records represent overall record-strength of schedule-record vs. tournament teams

Division 1
1. Northampton (16-4) 1-1-1
2. East Longmeadow (16-4) 2-2-2
3. West Springfield (15-5) 3-3-2
4. Sci-Tech (12-8) 4-4-6
5. Westfield (12-8) 4-6-5
6. Central (12-8) 4-5-7
7. Amherst (11-9) 7-9-7
8. Holyoke (11-9) 7-7-9
9. Putnam (11-9) 7-7-10
10. Chicopee (10-10) 10-10-4
First Round
Chicopee at Amherst
Putnam at Holyoke
Quarterfinals
Central at West Springfield
Chicopee/Amherst at East Longmeadow
Putnam/Holyoke at Northampton
Westfield at Sci-Tech
Semifinals
Westfield/Sci-Tech vs. Putnam/Holyoke at Northampton
Central/West Springfield vs. Chicopee/Amherst at East Longmeadow

DIVISION 2
1. Sabis (19-2) 1-1-1
2. Hoosac (17-3) 2-2-2
3. Hampshire (17-3) 2-6-3
4. Mahar (17-3) 2-5-4
5. Drury (15-5) 6-3-5
6. Taconic (14-6) 8-4-6
7. Easthampton (17-5) 5-7-7
8. Belchertown (15-5) 6-8-8
9. Palmer (13-7) 9-9-9
10. Wahconah (10-10) 10-10-10
First round
Wahconah at Easthampton
Palmer at Belchertown
Quarterfinals
Taconic at Hampshire
Drury at Mahar
Wahconah/Easthampton at Hoosac
Palmer/Belchertown at Sabis
Semifinals
Taconic/Hampshire vs. Wahconah/Easthampton at Hoosac
Drury/Mahar vs. Palmer/Belchertown at Sabis

DIVISION 3
1. New Leadership (17-3) 1-1-1
2. St. Joseph (14-6) 2-2-3
3. Pioneer Regional (14-6) 2-3-4
4. Holyoke Catholic (12-8) 4-4-2
5. Lenox (12-8) 4-5-5
6. Frontier (11-9) 6-5-7
7. Lee (11-9) 6-7-6
8. Dean Tech (17-3 TCL champs)
9. Monson (8-12) 8-8-8
10. Franklin Tech (13-7 TCL)
11. Renaissance (12-8 TCL)
12. McCann Tech (11-9 TCL)
First round
Monson at Dean Tech
McCann at Holyoke Catholic
Franklin at Lee
Renaissance at Frontier
Quarterfinals
Monson/Dean at New Leadership
McCann/Holyoke Catholic at Lenox
Franklin/Lee at St. Joseph
Renaissance/Frontier at Pioneer Regional
Semifinals
Renaissance/Frontier at Pioneer Regional vs. Franklin/Lee at St. Joseph
Monson/Dean at New Leadership vs. McCann/Holyoke Catholic at Lenox

FINAL Girls Hoop Walkertology

Here's my final try at the Walker for this season. I'll be interested to see how the official ones play out on Saturday. We'll have the seeds and matchups posted soon after they are announced at noon on Saturday.

Also, be on the lookout for full previews of every girls basketball game beginning with the first round games. Finally, we'll have a basketball notebook and full GazetteLand tourney teams capsules on Saturday to preview the seeding meeting and then we'll have stories from the meeting in Monday's papers.

Division 1
1. Amherst (1-1-1)
2. Holyoke (2-2-2)
3. East Longmeadow (3-3-2)
4. Pittsfield (4-5-4)
5. Chicopee Comp (5-4-6)
T6. Ludlow (6-6-7)
T6. Minnechaug (7-7-5) - Interesting tie as Ludlow wins two categories, but Minnechaug swept two-game series this season.

Division 2
1. Palmer (1-1-1)
2. Frontier (2-2-2)
T3. Monument Mountain (3-4-3)
T3. Wahconah (3-3-4) - No clear tiebreaker. Could go to either second or third category or something else. Hopefully not coin flip.
5. Cathedral (3-5-5)
6. Drury (3-6-7)
7. Belchertown (7-6-6)
8. Hampshire (8-8-8)
9. Mahar (8-9-10)
10. Mount Greylock (10-10-8)
11. Athol (10-11-11)

Division 3
1. Lee (1-1-1)
2. Smith Academy (2-2-2)
3. Sabis (3-2-3)
T4. Hopkins Academy (4-5-4)
T4. Ware (4-4-5) - Another tie with no clear tiebreakder
6. Monson (6-6-6)
7. McCann Tech (7-7-8)
8. Holyoke Catholic (8-8-7) -McCann is one spot ahead of HC, but HC swept two-game series AND won league title. May be a swap coming from the tournament committee there.
9. Gateway (TCL champs)
10. Pathfinder (TCL)
11. Franklin Tech (TCL)
12. Dean Tech (TCL)

Girls Hoop Walkertology through Wednesday

Here are the latest seedings through all of Wednesday's games. There are a few changes from yesterday.

Also, the Division 2 rankings do not include Cathedral's schedule game vs. Sci-Tech on Monday, as I STILL can't find a result anywhere.

Drop me a line at jpignatiello@gazettenet.com.

Division 1
1. Amherst (1-1-1)
2. Holyoke (2-2-3)
3. East Longmeadow (3-3-2)
4. Pittsfield (4-5-4)
5. Chicopee Comp (5-4-6)
6. Minnechaug (7-7-4)
7. Ludlow (6-6-7)
NOTE: There was an error in the third category last night, which is why Minnechaug flips with Ludlow after we caught it. It's that easy to have something completely destroy your brackets. ... West Side gets in with a win over Central Thursday.

Division 2
1. Palmer (1-1-1)
2. Frontier (2-2-2)
T3. Monument Mountain (3-4-3)
T3. Wahconah (3-3-4) - No obvious tiebreaker here
T5. Cathedral (6-5-5)
T5. Drury (3-6-7)
7. Belchertown (7-6-6)
8. Hampshire (8-8-8)
9. Mahar (8-9-10)
10. Mount Greylock (11-11-8)
11. Athol (10-10-11)
NOTE: If Athol beats Frontier on Thursday, Frontier and Monument tie for second with eigh points each and there's no obvious tiebreaker. ... Cathedral moves to clear No. 5 with win over Sci-Tech (which I'm still unclear on).

Division 3
1. Lee (1-1-1)
2. Smith Academy (2-2-2)
3. Sabis (3-2-3)
T4. Hopkins Academy (4-5-4)
T4. Ware (4-4-5) - Another tie with no clear tiebreakder
6. Monson (6-6-6)
7. McCann Tech (7-7-8)
8. Holyoke Catholic (8-8-7)
9. Gateway (TCL champs)
10. Pathfinder (TCL)
11. Franklin Tech (TCL)
12. Dean Tech (TCL)
NOTE: Non-Tri County teams are done, so the numbers shouldn't change unless I find an error somewhere. ... McCann is one spot ahead of HC, but HC swept two-game series AND won league title. May be a swap coming from the tournament committee there.

Girls Hoop Walkertology

Here's the latest, if the season ended today. I have some what-ifs posted in the notes, as well as a playoff picture update or two. Also, this accounts for all of Central's forfeits and their losing status as a tourney team.

Also, the Division 2 rankings do not include Cathedral's schedule game vs. Sci-Tech on Monday, as I can't find a result anywhere.

Drop me a line at jpignatiello@gazettenet.com.

Division 1
1. Amherst (1-1-1)
2. Holyoke (2-2-3)
3. East Longmeadow (3-3-2)
4. Pittsfield (4-5-5)
5. Chicopee Comp (5-4-7)
T6. Ludlow (6-6-6)
T6. Minnechaug (7-7-4) - Ludlow gets No. 6 seed because it wins two categories.
NOTES: If Minnechaug beats Holyoke Thursday it gets the No. 6 seed. ... Holyoke seems to have the No. 2 seed clinched even if it loses to Minnechaug and EL beats Hamp. ... Longmeadow was eliminated Tuesday with its loss to Agawam and Comp's win over Westfield, clinching second in the Suburban for the Colts.

Division 2
1. Palmer (1-1-1)
T2. Frontier (2-2-3)
T2. Monument (3-2-2)
4. Wahconah (5-4-4)
5. Drury (3-5-6)
6. Cathedral (6-6-5)
7. Belchertown (7-7-7)
8. Hampshire (8-8-8)
9. Mahar (8-9-10)
10. Mount Greylock (11-11-8)
11. Athol (10-10-11)
NOTES: Greylock got in with wins over Drury and St. Joseph's on Sunday and Monday. ... Lots of craziness here with what-ifs. ... If Cathedral beat(s) Sci-Tech and Commerce and Drury loses to Pittsfield, it looks like Cathedral moves to No. 5 and Drury is No. 6. ... It also looks like the Wahconah-Monument game on Wednesday is for the third seed, but there could be some outside forces that I'm missing there. ... I'm also seeing a chance for Monument (and maybe even Wahconah) to catch Frontier if the Red Hawks lose to Athol on Thursday.

Division 3
1. Lee (1-1-1)
2. Smith Academy (2-2-2)
3. Sabis (3-2-3)
T4. Ware (4-4-5)
T4. Hopkins (4-5-4)
6. Monson (6-6-6)
7. McCann (7-7-7)
8. Holyoke Catholic (8-8-8)
9. Gateway (TCL winner)
10. Pathfinder (TCL)
11. Franklin Tech (TCL)
12. Dean Tech (TCL)
NOTES: Looks like if both Ware (vs. Granby) and Hopkins (vs. St. Joe) have the same results in their final games (both win or both lose), it will come down to a tiebreaker for the fourth spot. It won't be by categories as that is tied, so it could be the third category, which the committee has used before or it could be something else. ... Lee, Smith and Sabis have wrapped up top three spots. ... Also of interest is that it looks like even if Catholic beats McCann on Wednesday, sweeping the season series and winning the league title, it won't be enough for the Gaels to catch the Hornets in the Walker. So does the tourney committee flip them? I know they've done it before.

Girls Hoop Walkertology

Before we get started, I'll have the playoff picture updated late Friday night.

Here are the new Walker System rankings of the season, updated including Thursday's games. This marks what the seedings would look like if the season ended today. Things can change quickly as more teams qualify. These are not the official rankings. Those will be released on Saturday, Feb. 20 at the Basketball Hall of Fame. Also, these are not based on my opinion. It's just math.

First category = winning percentage
Second category = strength of schedule
Third category = performance vs. tourney teams

Division 1
1. Amherst (1-1-1)
2. Holyoke (2-2-2)
3. East Longmeadow (3-3-3)
4. Central (4-4-4)
5. Pittsfield (5-5-5)
NOTE: Interesting thought: Amherst's players have never reached the semifinals. This year, they'll get a bye there.

Division 2
1. Palmer (1-1-1)
2. Frontier (2-3-2)
3. Monument (3-2-3)
4. Belchertown (5-5-4)
5. Wahconah (6-4-5)
6. Drury (3-6-7)
7. Cathedral (7-7-6)
8. Hampshire (8-8-8)
9. Mahar (9-9-9)
10. Athol (10-10-10)
NOTE: Monument and Frontier were actually tied with eight points each before Wahconah's loss to Lee on Thursday. Wahconah then dropped one below Frontier in second category after being one ahead of them before the loss. ... Belchertown is the big mover up from seventh after a win over Hampshire, which plummeted from fifth to eight, and the Wahconah loss.

Division 3
1. Lee (1-1-1)
2. Sabis (2-2-2)
3. Smith Academy (3-3-3)
4. Hopkins Academy (4-5-4)
5. Ware (5-4-5)
6. Monson (5-6-6)
7. McCann Tech (7-7-7)
8. Holyoke Catholic (8-8-8)
9. Gateway Regional (Tri-County)
10. Franklin Tech (TCL)
11. Pathfinder (TCL)
NOTE: Would be tough to put Gateway in the No. 8 spot in this situation because it would be displacing another league champion in Holyoke Catholic, which plays in a better league than the Tri-County.

Girls Hoop Walkertology & Week Guide

Key games for the week are posted below the rankings.

Here are the first Walker System rankings of the season. This marks what the seedings would look like if the season ended today and include games through Monday night. Things can change quickly as more teams qualify. These are not the official rankings. Those will be released on Saturday, Feb. 20 at the Basketball Hall of Fame. Also, these are not based on my opinion. It's just math.

First category = winning percentage
Second category = strength of schedule
Third category = performance vs. tourney teams

Division 1
1. Amherst (1-1-1)
2. Holyoke (2-2-2)
3. East Longmeadow (3-3-3)
4. Central (4-4-4)
5. Pittsfield (5-5-5)
NOTE: We'll get at least one more team in for second place in the Suburban, but it's too bad that the field might end there. No team should get a bye to the semifinals, especially in Division 1.

Division 2
1. Palmer (1-1-1)
2. Frontier (2-3-2)
3. Monument Mountain (3-2-3)
4. Wahconah (5-3-4)
5. Hampshire (5-5-5)
6. Drury (3-6-8)
7. Belchertown (7-6-7)
8. Cathedral (8-8-6)
NOTE: The hardest thing about doing these is deciding how to compute the out-of-state teams. For instance, if Monument's win over Schenectedy Christian is a Division 2 tournament team (which is what I have, they are third. If SC counts as a D1, Monument jumps Frontier. Complete judgment call for the committee.

Division 3
1. Lee (1-1-1)
2. Sabis (1-2-2)
3. Smith Academy (3-3-3)
4. Hopkins (4-5-4)
5. Ware (5-4-5)
6. Monson (5-6-6)
7. Holyoke Catholic (7-7-7)
8. Gateway Regional (Tri-County champ)
NOTE: Interesting the way Ware-Monson played out. I checked deeper after the initial numbers and the big difference is the results vs. Cathedral and Belchertown, two D2 tourney teams. Ware beat both, while Monson lost to both. Would the committee flip them in this situation since Monson swept the regular-season series?

Key games this week
Tuesday, Feb. 9
Chicopee Comp at Longmeadow - Big game for second place in the Suburban League, especially for the Lancers, who would fall below .500 with a loss. Longmeadow won first matchup.
East Longmeadow at Ludlow - Lions need just one more win to reach postseason, but it could come down to the wire with remaining schedule.
Smith Academy at Athol - Franklin South and North leaders square off. Falcons won by 17 in first meeting in Hatfield.
Hampshire at Belchertown - A nice double GazetteLand local between two D2 tourney teams.
Easthampton at Hopkins - Eagles must win out with three games left to get into tournament, starting here. Eagles won first meeting.
McCann at Southwick - Hornets can clinch postseason bid with a win.

Wednesday, Feb. 10
Chicopee Comp at Minnechaug - Falcons must win out with four games left to get into tournament, starting here.
West Springfield at Agawam - Terriers must win all of their final three games to get into tournament, starting here.
Monument at Hoosac Valley - Hurricanes on the bubble and need a win. Tough time to have to face the Spartans.
Athol at Pioneer Regional - Panthers in must-win situation for final four games. Lost to Athol by six last time.

Thursday, Feb. 11
Ludlow at Holyoke - Another tough one for the Lions. That Valley Wheel League is ridiculous.
Palmer at Hampshire - Red Raiders hope to prove that last time, a 28-point loss, was not indicative of their ability.
Lee at Wahconah - Can anyone (minus upbeaten Amherst) play with the Wildcats? Here's the Warriors' last shot.

Friday, Feb. 12
East Longmeadow at Central - The Golden Eagles get another shot at the Spartans, this time with standout Bri Malone on the court.
Belchertown at Monument - A good pre-tourney test for a pair of teams that reached the Cage last year.
Ware at Sabis - Justine King against Alexis Chappell? Worth the price of admission, easily.

Saturday, Feb. 13
Belchertown at Holyoke Catholic - Orioles backcourt will be tested by Kaitlyn Veit

Monday, Feb. 15
Drury at Hoosac - Blue Devils can drastically harm the Hurricanes' postseason hopes with a win here.

CORRECTED - Official Girls Hoop Tourney Seeds

I'll have previews for each game posted on Sunday night along with some thoughts on what was a strange seeding meeting, as you will see in some spots below.

Girls basketball
Division 1
1. Minnechaug (17-2)
2. East Longmeadow (18-2)
3. Northampton (15-5)
**4. Ludlow (15-5)
**5. Central (14-6)
6. Holyoke (14-6)
7. Agawam (12-8)
8. West Springfield (11-9)
9. Amherst Regional (10-10)
10. Chicopee Comp (10-10)
First Round
Monday
Game 1: Amherst Regional at West Springfield, 7
Game 2: Chicopee Comp at Agawam, 7
Quarterfinals
Thursday
Game 3: Game 1 winner at Minnechaug, 7
Game 4: Central at Ludlolw, 7
Game 5: Game 2 winner at East Longmeadow, 7
Game 6: Holyoke at Northampton, 7
Semifinals
Wednesday, March 4 at AIC
Game 7: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, TBA
Game 8: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, TBA
Finals
Saturday at Curry Hicks Cage
Semifinal winners

Division 2
1. Palmer (20-0)
2. Commerce (18-2)
3. Mohawk (18-2)
4. Monument Mountain (16-4)
5. Mahar (17-3)
6. Wahconah (14-6)
7. Athol (16-4)
8. Drury (14-6)
9. Hoosac Valley (12-8)
10. Belchertown (12-8)
11. Mount Greylock (10-8)
12. Frontier (11-9)
13. Hampshire Regional (5-15)
14. Gateway Regional (11-7)
First round
Monday
Game 1: Hoosac Valley at Drury, 7
Game 2: Belchertown at Athol, 7
Game 3: Mount Greylock at Wahconah, 7
Game 4: Frontier Regional at Mahar Regional, 7
Game 5: Hampshire Regional at Monument Mountain, 7
Game 6: Gateway Regional at Mohawk Trail, 7
Quarterfinals
Date TBA
Game 7: Game 1 winner at Palmer, 7
Game 8: Game 2 winner at Commerce, 7
Game 9: Game 3 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 7
Game 10: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 7
Semifinals
Date TBA at Curry Hicks Cage
Game 11: Game 7 winner vs. Game 10 winner
Game 12: Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner
Finals
Saturday, March 7 at Curry Hicks Cage
Semifinal winners

Division 3
1. Lee (15-5)
2. Monson (16-4)
3. Ware (14-4)
4. Sabis (14-6)
5. New Leadership (14-6)
6. Smith Academy (13-7)
7. McCann Tech (11-9)
8. Putnam (18-2)
9. Lenox
10. Franklin Tech (15-5)
11. Pathfinder (10-10)
First round
Monday
Game 1: Pathfinder at Smith Academy, 7
Game 2: Franklin Tech at McCann Tech, 7
Game 3: Lenox at Putnam, 7
Quarterfinals
Date TBA
Game 4: Game 3 winner at Lee, 7
Game 5: New Leadership at Sabis, 7
Game 6: Game 1 winner at Ware, 7
Game 7: Game 2 winner at Monson, 7
Semifinals
Date TBA at Curry Hicks Cage
Game 8: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, TBA
Game 9: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner, TBA
Finals
Saturday, March 7 at Curry Hicks Cage
Semifinal winners

Girls Hoop Walkertology - FINAL

FINAL WALKERTOLOGY
This is the third year we've been doing this and I'm certainly not
recommending that any coaches start putting in gameplans just yet. One
bad calculation can mess up an entire bracket. One typo, either in my
records or in another newspaper's results can do the same. And yes,
this is all my way of saying not to blame me when official seeds are
announced Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Before breaking out the results, let me run down what you're looking
at below. There are three numbers after each team. These numbers
reflect how that teams ranks within its division in the three
categories used by the Walker.

First number: Winning percentage
Second number: Strength of schedule. You get four points for a D1 win,
three for a D2 win and two for a D3 win. Take the total and divide it
by the total number of games played.
Third number: Performance vs. tournament teams. This is the same
mathematical equation as the second number, but its only for games
against teams in the postseason.

You then rank each team in each category and add up the rankings, so
a team that is first, third, first has a total of 5. You then rank the
teams based on that total number and there are your Walker rankings.

DIVISION 1
1. Minnechaug (2-1-1)
2. East Longmeadow (1-2-2)
T3. Ludlow (3-4-3)
T3. Northampton (3-3-4) - I'm guessing the committee will break this
tie by the third number, which goes to Ludlow. They could say that Hamp
plays in the tougher league, however, and give it to them.
5. Holyoke (5-5-5)
6. Central (5-6-6)
7. Agawam (7-7-7)
8. West Springfield (8-8-9)
9. Amherst (9-10-8)
10. Chicopee Comp (9-9-10)

DIVISION 2
1. Palmer (1-1-1)
2. Commerce (2-2-3)
3. Mohawk (2-4-4)
T4. Mahar (4-6-2) - Takes tiebreaker with two category wins
T4. Monument (5-3-4)
6. Wahconah (7-5-6)
7. Athol (5-7-7)
8. Drury (7-8-8)
9. Hoosac (9-9-9)
10. Belchertown (9-10-11)
11. Mount Greylock (11-11-10)
12. Frontier (12-12-12)
13. Gateway Regional (Tri-County)
14. Hampshire Regional (Sullivan Rule)
Note: Some of these are extremely close. This one should be very interesting on Saturday.

DIVISION 3
1. Lee (3-1-1)
2. Monson (1-2-3)
3. Ware (2-3-2)
T4. New Leadership (4-5-4)
T4. Sabis (4-4-5) - Interesting tiebreaking situation could happen
here. Usually, I'd say New Leadership would get the better seed because
of the third number (the teams split during the season), but these
teams are in the same league. It seems like you should then go to the
league records, which Sabis is better on. Very interested in this one
if it plays out like this.
6. Smith Academy (6-6-6)
7. McCann Tech (7-7-7)
8. Putnam (Tri-County champ)
9. Franklin (Tri-County)
10. Pathfinder (Tri-County)
11. Lenox (Sullivan Rule, although the No. 9 seed here seems more reasonable)