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| By Eliot Bless, Posted 02-26-2013 | ||
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NEPSAC Class A Quarterfinal Preview: Tournament Bracket: http://nhsportspage.com/basketball/tournament.php?tournament_id=126&division=Division%20AAA The Class AAA tournament is played exclusively at Endicott College. #1 seed St. Thomas More and #2 Northfield Mount Hermon have byes until the Semifinals, which will be held at 5pm and 7pm Friday, March 1 at Endicott College. The Quarterfinals will be played Wednesday, February 27th. The Favorite: St. Thomas More St. Thomas has the resume to be the #1 seed and the favorite going into the tourney. They are led by Gabe Levin, Duane Notice and Marquis Moore who can score with any Prep team in the country to the tune of almost 80 points per game. On the other end they give up almost 64...will it be enough against Class AAA's best? February losses to Brewster and Northfield Mount Hermon bring some doubt into the discussion. NHSportsPage.com Pick: Brewster Academy Nobody is playing better than the Bobcats. Their lineup is second to none and they are playing as well as anyone in the country right now. Not to mention they're the reigning National Prep School Champions which gives them the experience needed to make a run. First though, they'll need to navigate the NEPSAC which they should have no problem doing if they continue to play the same style of basketball that got them here. Game Previews: #4 New Hampton vs. South Kent - at Endicott College, Tip at 2pm For Pete Hutchins Huskies, it's been a season that's seen many highs and lows. New Hampton jumped out to a 7-1 record early that included wins over Brewster, Kimball Union and Vermont Academy, all formidable foes. They would then go on to lose 5 of their next 6 games in January. Next up a 6-game winning streak that included 2 wins over their Quarterfinal opponent South Kent, who finished only 2-8 in Class AAA action, their two wins coming over winless Bridgton. New Hampton has the upper hand and will be looking for a rematch with St. Thomas More, a team they lost to twice in the regular season by a combined 3 points. With newly signed Georgia Tech point guard Travis Jorgenson and Indiana University commit Noah Vonleh leading the charge, expect the Huskies to advance into the Semifinals with a shot at upsetting St. Thomas More Friday. #3 Brewster Academy vs. #6 Bridgton Academy - at Endicott College, Tip at 4pm Is there a team playing better in the NEPSAC (or country for that matter) than the Brewster Academy Bobocats? Probably not. Their season started off a bit rocky but since December 7th they've gone 24-2 with only a two point loss to Northfield Mount Hermon and an OT loss to New Hampton mixed in. Jason Smith has his Bobcats playing together, and when they share the ball, their roster of Division-I level players is virtually unbeatable. That string of wins includes an unhinging of Massanutten Military Academy at the New Hampton Invitational, the #1 team in the country at the time. The Bobcats had 6 players in double figures in that game with no player scoring more than 15. The Bobcats shuffle talent on and off the floor with a rotation that boasts at least 6 Division I caliber Seniors in Elijah Macon (West Virginia), Chris McCullough (Syracuse), Kyle Washington (NC State), Ron Patterson (Syracuse), John Edwards (UNH), and a rising Senior, Martez Harrison who is currently unsigned. NEPSAC Class AA Quarterfinal Preview: Tournament Bracket: http://nhsportspage.com/basketball/tournament.php?tournament_id=125&division=Division%20AA There isn't a more wide-open Class in the NEPSAC this year than AA. Several of these teams would compete with the AAA level squads...they're that good. Realistically, any of the top 6 seeds could win this tournament and Brimmer (7) and St. Andrews (8) are also upset worthy considerations. Class AA has been tough all year and the tournament will be no exception. Quarterfinal action tips off at the home of the higher seed Wednesday afternoon in Class AA. The Favorite: Worcester Academy They're the favorite strictly because they're the #1 seed. In all reality, it's anyone's tournament and Worcester has faltered a bit down the stretch going only 4-5 over their last 9 games. NHSportsPage.com Pick: Cushing Academy Guard play is indispensable in March and Cushing has two of the best in Jalen Adams and Nashua, NH's Kaleb Joseph. There are no easy games in this tournament and potentially going through Kimball (who they lost to in early January) will be a difficult task. Cushing has finished out nicely (after a loss to Class A's Phillip Exeter at the buzzer) by defeating Worcester, Tabor and Wednesday's opponent, Brimmer & May. Game Previews: #1 Worcester Academy vs. #8 St. Andrews - at Worcester, Tip TBD Worcester closed out their Class AA schedule with a loss at Cushing last week and a nail biting 63-62 win over Class AAA New Hampton on the road, boosting their confidence heading into the tournament. They get a tough St. Andrews squad who started the season 15-2 and has a nice win over Vermont this month. St. Andrews losses have come at the hands of Cushing, Tilton, AAA's Northfield Mount Hermon, and Marianapolis (twice). Expect Worcester to use a balance scoring attach to reach the Semifinals. #4 Marianapolis Academy vs. #5 Tilton School - at Marianapolis, Tip TBD Back in January Marianapolis went to Tilton, NH and took care of the Rams 84-78 on the strength of Mike Mallorys' 29 points and Greg Senats' 21. That Tilton loss started a free-fall for the Rams who went into the game at 13-3, but finished the season out just 2-8. Tilton may have played the toughest schedule of any school in the NEPSAC so they'll be battle-tested coming into this game. Marianapolis has had a tough last few games of the year as well, losing at Class AAA South Kent, Kimball Union and Vermont Academy, but they competitive in each game. Shutting down Tilton and Wayne Seldon (Kansas commit) will be priority #1 for Marianapolis in order to earn a berth to the Semi's. #3 Kimball Union Academy vs. #6 Vermont Academy - at KUA, Tip TBD It shouldn't surprise anyone if Kimball Union wins this tournament. They might have the best big man in the NEPSAC in Abdul-Malik Abu who controls the paint offensively and defensively, scores at will and is a capable free throw shooter. Vermont Academy will have to do what its done twice this year already (in beating KUA) by containing Abu and hitting open shots when given the opportunities. Last week's 74-64 road win help propel VA into the tournament on the strength of their 6/8 shooting from three point territory. KUA's 2 point win in January was again fueled by hot shooting from Duby Maduegbunam and Merrimack, NH's Dimitri Floras. Wednesday's matchup will feature two former NHIAA standouts in Floras and Kimball's Devin Gilligan (Amherst, NH/Souhegan) who have battled before, growing up less than 15 miles from one another. The two guards are intricate pieces to their teams success, and will play a large part who comes out on top in this quarterfinal matchup. #2 Cushing Academy vs. #7 Brimmer & May School - at Cushing, Tip TBD Cushing has been one of the toughest teams in the NEPSAC all season and will be looking to extend a recent 3 game winning streak that included a 73-62 win last Friday night vs. Wednesdays opponent, Brimmer. Cushing has what has been touted the "best backcourt in America" by recruiting analyst in Adams and Joseph but that doesn't mean much to Tom Nelson's Brimmer & May squad. The Gators will use Sammy Mojica and Adrian Oliveira to counter punch the Cushing tandem. Both have been impressive at times this season feeding and playing off one another. The winner of this quarterfinal will have a stiff test vs. either Kimball Union or Vermont Academy. NEPSAC Class A Quarterfinal Preview Tournament Bracket: http://nhsportspage.com/basketball/tournament.php?tournament_id=124&division=Division%20A The Favorite: Phillips Exeter Academy Phillips Exeter has been the best team all year long. Simple as that. Choate and Milton will pose the best threats but PEA should win this tournament in convincing fashion. Their resume includes big wins against quality opponents (see below) and they aren't squeaking out wins (other than the Cushing buzzer beater) they're winning in convincing fashion on most nights. NHSportsPage.com Pick: Phillips Exeter Academy (see above) Game Previews: #1 Phillips Exeter Academy vs. #8 Hotchkiss - at PEA, Tip TBD In the Class AAA preview we mentioned that Brewster may be playing the best basketball in the NEPSAC as of late. Well, Class A's best, PEA may have something to say about that. Head Coach Jay Tilton and Exeter haven't loss in Class A play and their lone defeat on the season came at the hands of Class AA's Kimball Union, on the road. En route to their 21-1 record Exeter has defeated Choate (by 25), a under-manned New Hampton team (by 4), Worcester (by 29), Tilton (by 17) and Cushing (by 2). An impressive resume for a team who's strength starts and ends with transfer PG Harry Rafferty. With wingmen Duncan Robinson and forward Chris Braley providing scoring and defensive balance they'll be a tough out in this tournament. Hotchkiss hasn't played nearly the schedule that Exeter has, but they have some quality wins and have 4 of their last 5 coming into Wednesday's quarterfinal. Makai Mason hung 45 on Trinity-Pawling earlier in the year and they'll need more performances like that to keep this game close. #4 Milton Academy vs. #5 Tabor Academy - at Milton, Tip TBD Despite their #4 seeding, Milton might be Exeter's toughest test in Class A. They sport a 9-2 Class A record, their only losses to Exeter (in OT) and a head scratcher to Belmont Hill. Lamar Brooks has his squad playing well at the right time winning their last 8 games and 13 of their last 14, their only loss in the last 45 days being to Class AA Brimmer & May. Tabor fell to Milton at home 64-58 ten days ago but have played a difficult schedule that includes 4 Class A playoff teams including Cushing, Kimball Union, Brimmer & May and Worcester. They'll need big games out of Miles Wright and Jared Reuter to pull the upset on Milton's home court. #3 Trinity-Pawling vs. #6 Taft - at T-P, Tip TBD Trinity-Pawling has 4 players who on any given day can go for 15+ points including Adrain O'Sullivan, Braeden Bayer, Noah Woods and their most dangerous player, Ryan Yearwood. T-P defeated Taft twice this season, but by only a combined 5 points. Taft has the weapons to take the 3rd meeting between these teams with Joseph Flannery, Quinton Dale and Kade Kager finishing Shawn Strickland dimes. Should be a great game between these two clubs. #2 Choate-Rosemary Academy vs. #7 Salisbury School - At Choate, Tip TBD The 2/7 matchup gives NEPSAC fans a rematch of 2012's Championship game, won by Salisbury 72-60. Salisbury will begin their title defense on the road, looking to avenge a February 13 loss at Choate when Peter Guay-Weston lit them up for 28 points. Colin Richey and Javaughn Flowers are also capable scorers for Choate who are riding a 9 game winning streak heading into the tournament. Salisbury has been without Evan Hole who broke his ankle 4 games into the season. In Hole's absence, Samuel Dingba, K.J. Lee and Mackenzie Morrison have taken turns leading Jeff Ruskin's squad in scoring. They'll need a full team effort to dispatch Choate on the road and move on to the Semi's. EDITORS NOTE: This story was edited to reflect a change in St. Andrews score vs. Wilbraham & Monson on February 20th (St. Andrews won, we had it as a W&M win). Thanks to the commenters for pointing it out!
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