Today we take a look at the first round games that tip off tonight as the Division II Basketball tournament begins.
 

(16) Souhegan at (1) Pembroke Academy

 What are the chances that in the final moments of Pembroke’s 82-39 win over Souhegan on January 28th the players on the Sabers bench said to one another, ‘Man I hope we get another shot at those guys... .’ ? Probably not very good…well guess where the bus goes on Wednesday night..

 This is a championship game rematch in name only. Souhegan had to replace their top six players from a year ago and when they face the defending champions Mike Heaney will be back at home and Brandon Len is in a dorm room at Syracuse. This means a likely quick exit for the team that was last season’s best post-season story. Patrick Welch, Kafani Williams, Dominic Timbas, Connor Boucher and Max Curran have to like the way the bracket has lined up for them. The quest to duplicate what Milford pulled off three years when they went back to back begins at seven o’clock.
 
 (9) Hanover at (8) Kennett

 Good match-up of two teams that have picked up their play in the second half of the season. Two big time scorers go head to head when Hanover forward John Flory (17.3 ppg) squares off against Eagles sharp shooter Ryan Vajentic (15.5 ppg).

 These two teams did not meet during the regular season and will come at each other with similar styles. Kennett takes good care of the basketball behind their all-state point guard Brandon Dilucchio (11.3) and glue guy Will Pollard. Hanover will run their motion offense and try to get Flory and Tim O’Rourke free for open looks. Steve Cote has done a terrific job with a Kennett program that has been down in recent years, a win here sends them to the quarterfinals.
 
 (13) Merrimack Valley at (4) Pelham

 Ryan Head (10.9 ppg.)and Justin Williams (10.0) lead Merrimack Valley into one of the toughest opposing gyms in the state with the hopes of pulling off a major upset Wednesday night in Pelham. For a team that owns only a single win over a fellow tournament team, and that was over 16 seed Milford, it will be a monumental task. The Pride will have to slow the game to a crawl and try to get Pelham out of their up tempo style but Matt Regan’s team pushes tempo with their ability to guard you for 94 feet.

 Only Pembroke put up more points this season than Regan’s team and on Wednesday night Merrimack Valley likely finds it very difficult to keep pace with a team with designs on their second final four appearance under Regan, one of the best young coaches in the state of New Hampshire.

(12) St. Thomas at (5) Bishop Brady

 If Jourdain Bell happens to be on your fantasy team I’d strongly recommend  giving him a start Wednesday night because the all-state point guard and member of the 1,000 point club is going to go nuts against a St. Thomas team looking to press full court and shoot three’s early in each possession.

 St. Thomas head coach Dave Sokolnicki has done a very nice job in his second season and decided with two weeks left in the season that is was time to rip up the playbook and play a wide open, five guys in, five guys out style. The results have been mixed (the loss to Milford literally knocked Oyster River out of the playoffs) but with shooters like Schuyler Hedberg and Guy Kassas the Saints connected on 38 three pointers in a two game stretch against Souhegan and Portsmouth. No really..go back and read that sentence again..

 This brings us back to the best point guard in the state. Bell is going to have the opportunity to score in transition and turn long misses by St. Thomas into easy transition points on the other end. Expect some big numbers all the way around when these two tip it off at seven o’clock.
 
(11) Coe-Brown at (6) Hollis-Brookline

 David Smith’s team will again have to go on the road if they are going to earn their third consecutive final four appearance. Hollis-Brookline has been able to hold offenses in check behind Mike Soucy’s 2-3 zone defense that has just enough size and athleticism to make opposing teams fairly one dimensional. If Coe-Brown starts settling for jumpers this one could be over in a hurry because this is a team without a knock down shooter.

 That doesn’t mean Coe-Brown doesn't have the weapons to pull off the same upset they did a year ago. All five Coe-Brown starters score in double digits, led by brothers Nick & Erik Rolser. Patience is going to be the key against the zone and if the Bears are able to find a post player flashing to the high post that opens up the floor for the rest of the team.

 Hollis-Brookline has won five of six games and seems to be flying comfortably under the radar to this point. The first round upset was devastating for Soucy’s senior laden team a year ago, they get their chance to make amends tonight.
 
(14) Goffstown at (3) Lebanon

 Kieth Matte’s Lebanon team has been solid from day one and now earns a pair of home playoff games in their quest for a second consecutive final four trip to UNH.

 Lebanon beat the Grizzlies 69-40 three weeks ago on their home floor and will be led again by shooting guard Kalin Sau, forward Dom Morrill (who I can see having a very big tournament..), Nic Shepard, Austin Pelletier, Austin Whaley and maybe the best freshman in the state, point guard KJ Matte. This is a team without a dominant scorer or big man but they box out as a team and are extremely unselfish on the offensive end. Lebanon was my pick to get to the final four back in December and nothing has happened to change that view as the post-season begins.
 
(15) Milford at (2) Portsmouth 

 Portsmouth freshman center Joey Glynn has gone from casual observer to critical piece in the past month for Jim Mulvey’s team and with 6’4 center De-Vonn Wilson-Miles out for the remainder of the season (violation of team rules) his maturation becomes fairly critical to the Clippers success. Brother Pat Glynn should be on everyone’s all-state ballot and his presence down low and the perimeter defense of Zac Hansler, Nick Mackey and Donovan Phanor (really coming on of late..) is enough to get Portsmouth back to UNH after a one year absence.

 Dan Murray leads his Milford team back into the tournament after beating St. Thomas on the final night of the season in the final seconds of the game. The Spartans lost their only meeting of the season to Portsmouth 55-31 and will look to hang around long enough to put a scare into the number two seed.
 
(10) Windham at (7) Plymouth Regional

 We’re still deciding on which game we’ll be covering tonight and this one is firmly in the running a) because it is a terrific match-up and b) because Pete loves saying ‘The Land of Lenahan’ as many times as humanly possible and this one gives him free reign…

 Plymouth has the make-up of a team you do not want to face in the tournament. They are very well coached by Mike Sullivan, feature five seniors in the starting lineup, their size and athleticism means they can defend anywhere in the half-court and they have one of the best point guards in the division in Collin Sullivan. Kyle Reisert has been a beast down low for the Bobcats and over the second half of the season Jared Kuehl has been as good as any forward not named Kafani in all of Division II. In Windham they face a deep and talented team with the potential to put a scare into a top 4 team. To beat Plymouth they’ll need to take care of the ball and not allow Resiert and Kuehl to pound the offensive glass. Should be a good one in Plymouth tonight as the first round kicks off.