Our annual final Power Rankings takes a look back at the Top 15 teams in the state and looks ahead to how those teams will look next December. This is my ranking of the Top 15 teams and not the Top 15 we will post later this week as decided by our Power Index voters.

 On Thursday we will have the first of our annual two part final column looking back at the 2016-17 season and the biggest topics in New Hampshire high school basketball.

 

1.Portsmouth    22-0

How did the 2017 season go?: Perfectly. I’m going to do a much deeper dive on Jim Mulvey and this team in my year end Thursday Thoughts column (in two parts) but to petition up and then go 22-0 in the highest division in the state puts them among the all-time teams. As happy as it would make our friend Tommy Ameen (who actually broke out an old tournament program with Dave Keefe and Mike Fitzpatrick as Central players at the Final Four…Tommy never disappoints) I’m not breaking down Matt Bonner & Ethan Cole against Joey Glynn & Alex Tavares or going into the Nashua or Manchester teams of the past to tell you who Portsmouth would and wouldn’t beat. This is an all-time team because of what they accomplished; two straight titles in two different divisions and a 44-0 record while doing so.

How will they look next season?: They’ll be right back in the mix…. Top 4 pre-season. Cody Graham, who played with a hurt PCL all season long and underwent surgery on Monday morning, will be back with Alex Tavares. Jamel Shaheed has some very big shoes to fill if he is taking over for three year starter Shon Parham at point guard but with Mike Sanborn stepping into the shooting guard spot and Hughie MacDonald & Max Lincoln also ready to step up…the Clippers aren’t going anywhere. Head coach Jim Mulvey swears up & down that he is done after next season but I’ll believe that when I see it. My good friend Doc Wheeler told me the same thing in the fall and I expect to see him back on a sideline in December.

 

2.Lebanon     21-1

How did the 2017 season go?: Far more under the radar than they could have imagined. Once KJ Matte went down with a foot injury in our Coaches for a Cause Jamboree all the pressure of 22-0 was lifted off of this group and its veteran head coach. Ryan Milliken became more of a scorer and Graham Chickering took on the role of floor general. The Raiders got very good play in the paint from Chris Nulty & Matt Eylander and went 17-1 playing most of the games without their best player. Kieth Matte’s team beat Bedford on the way to a Queen City Tournament and rolled to the Division II title, winning every game by double digits. KJ was never 100% but his high school career ends with a state title, won with his dad, and moves on to Bowdoin where he will play for the next four years. This was an excellent basketball team that had the misfortune of running into an all-time Portsmouth team in three straight Final Fours. In the end they were the second best team in the entire state as one of the smallest schools in Division II. That’s a pretty good ride….

How will they look next season?: Matt Eylander and Chris Nulty return, as does shooter Hunter Bienvenu (my favorite name to say outside of Sam Lupinacci and mispronouncing Thomas Marchese). This will be a much different team as the strength of this group was their perimeter defense that only rarely allowed dribble penetration. Kieth Matte is one of the best coaches in the state and with a big frontcourt coming back they’ll be in the mix for a return trip to Durham.

 

3.Bedford      18-4

 How did the 2017 season go?: It was a terrific season for Mark Elmendorf and his team. It’s also likely the last time we ever look past any team with the name ‘Bedford’ on the front of their jerseys. Elmendorf had to replace five starters but from the beginning this was a team with terrific chemistry and a lot of heart. They fought all the way until the end under some pretty tough circumstances at UNH when their teammate Troy Meservey was wheeled off the court in a stretcher after a terrible injury. This was a very easy team to root for and being the first Bedford high school team to reach the Division I finals make them a team people are not going to forget.

 How will they look next season?: Max Chartier, Nolan Anderson, Nick Mokas and Connor Crowley return as do talented underclassman like Liam O’Connell so expect Bedford to be right back near the top of the standings next season. This is a program with the numbers and the resources to be in Durham frequently over the next 10 years.

 

4.Winnacunnet 16-5

 How did the 2017 season go?: In the end they were the second best team in Division I and the only team that truly threatened to knock off Portsmouth. Liam Viviano, Freddy Schaake & Zach Waterhouse all stepped up with big games in Durham and they gave us the best basketball game of the post-season in New Hampshire. When you take into account the level of play (no game was higher all season), atmosphere (Lundholm was overflowing) and the fact that the kids weren’t shaking hands after the game they were hugging, it was the game of the year. Jay McKenna did another terrific job in managing the rotation and finding roles for underclassman Jack Schaake & Ben Allen.

 How will they look next season?: Point guard will be the biggest hole as Viviano leaves a huge void behind. Waterhouse, Allen & Jack Schaake all return so there are pieces for another run.

 

5.Spaulding 17-4

How did the 2017 season go?: Spaulding, under head coach Tim Cronin, has been as good as any program outside of Manchester Central, in Division I over the last ten years. That run continued again this past season but ended one game short of the goal of the school’s first title game appearance. Cal Connelly & Ari Breakfield had all-state seasons and Griffin Towle, Matt Roy & Keagan Calero were one of the best starting five's in the state while Isaiah Rose & J.P Paradis were huge off the bench. It took Spaulding some time to adjust to Bedford’s 2-3 zone and that slow start cost them another shot at Portsmouth.

How will they look next season?: Breakfield, Calero & Rose all return while Cade Connelly & Shane Hudson will step into bigger roles. Breakfield is going to have to deal with every teams best defender next season (Cal Connelly took that attention away from him this season) while Calero will have to handle the ball more and knock down shots. Spaulding will be in the mix again as a Top 10 team…maybe better.

 

6.Kearsarge Regional     20-2

How did the 2017 season go?: It ended with the first basketball title in school history for Nate Camp and his team. Tayler Mattos & Tommy Johnson (both juniors) were immense and as the pre-season #1 they took everyone’s best shot every Tuesday & Friday. Kyle Hernon, Jordan Bryk, Noah Trembley and Joe Storozuk all played their roles to a tee and in the end they were able to beat very good basketball teams from Somersworth & Stevens for the title.

How will they look next season?: If all the pieces return Kearsarge has a chance to mirror what Portsmouth did in moving up to Division II and competing for a title. The NHIAA is in the middle of their two year cycle so they may not be eligible to change divisions. Kearsarge wants to move up and as the biggest school in Division III they should. as they return of all five starters, making them a team that could win Division II next season.

 

7.Coe-Brown Academy  18-4

How did the 2017 season go?: This was a fun group and it was a terrific run to the final Saturday of the season. Players like Shawn Spenard, Brody Ashley, Sam Lupinacci and Dylan Andrews…who have been good players for years…finally got to show it to the entire state on the biggest stage.  This was a hard earned trip with wins over defending Division III champion Pelham and a very good Milford team along the way. In the end they lost to the second best team in New Hampshire.

How will they look next season?: It will be a rebuilding year as four starters and two key reserves (Michael Mulligan and Zach Pine) graduate. Only Scott Spenard returns and I found out that Shawn & Scott Spenard were not identical twins about 30 seconds before I wrote this….fooled me…

 

8.Milford       19-2

How did the 2017 season go?: It was a terrific season as Milford got back to Durham for the first time since 2011 when they won their second of back to back titles. Ryan Banuskevich, Evan Ryan, Shane Winnett and Jamie & Weston Pare led the way in the Spartan revival and in the end Coe-Brown was able to control the pace of their semifinal match-up at UNH.

How will they look next season?: Milford will have to rebuild after losing seven of their top eight players (only Jamie Pare returns). Does Reggy have eligibility left or is he off to medical school?

 

9.Exeter       13-7

How did the 2017 season go?: This was a fun basketball team to watch play as Cody Morissette & Steve Natola led the Blue Hawks up & down the floor. Exeter could shoot it as well as any team outside of Portsmouth and head coach Jeff Holmes did a nice job creating good looks for his playmakers. In the end they ran into a buzz saw when Winnacunnet played one of their best games of the season against them in the quarterfinals.

How will they look next season?: Exeter might be the pre-season #1 as standout 8th grader Josh Morissette will join his older brother along with Bobby Cliche, Nick Perrella, Cam Clark and Jake Ross. Let’s put it this way ..I’ve already invited them to the Coaches for a Cause Jamboree next December.

 

10.Merrimack   13-7

How did the 2017 season go?: Surprisingly well. There were times I watched Merrrimack compete with the lineup they had out on the floor, and couldn’t figure out how they were staying in games while Ian Cummings & Danny McKillop were on the bench. Head coach Tim Goodridge did another terrific coaching job and the Tomahawks were once again the team no one wanted on their side of the bracket when the tournament pairings were announced.

How will they look next season?: McKillop is a big loss, as is Joe Degregorio and Zach Lachance. Ian Cummings does return though, as does Owen Ploss who came on as the season went along. Jared Dyer might be ready for his breakout year as a sophomore and at 6’4 he will give Goodridge a legitimate rim protector. Merrimack will be back in the mix again.

 

11.Stevens        18-4

How did the 2017 season go?: This group proved once again that in the biggest moment they raised their game to a different level. Stevens upset Monadnock and Inter-Lakes, two teams that had beaten them in the regular season, to win the Division III football title. In basketball they went on another run behind Noah Spaulding, Parker Smith, Richard Bell, Henri Bourque and The O’Brien brothers (Zach and Nick). Wins over Belmont and Hopkinton got them to the title game where they led Kearsarge for most of the game.

How will they look next season?: Noah Spaulding and Henri Bourque are back but there are pretty heavy graduation losses after a very good two year run.

 

12.Nashua North    12-8

How did the 2017 season go?: Steve Lane’s team was the team no one wanted to face as the tournament bracket were revealed. Alonzo Linton scored over 25 ppg. over the second half of the season and the addition of Casey Lane as a shooter to stretch the floor complimented the backcourt of Sclyler Boykin & Jordan Buckmire, Their loss to Spaulding in the quarterfinals was the first example of how the new 70% rule effected the division. Giving Spaulding a week to prepare while North had to fight off Manchester Memorial was a big advantage.

How will they look next season?: Boykin, Linton, Lane and Patrick McCarthy all return. This will be a team favored to reach the Final Four in Durham next March.

 

13.Groveton     20-2

How did the 2017 season go?: It was one they will talk about for a very long time up in the North Country. I’ll do a much deeper dive on this in my year end Thursday columns but to beat a Littleton team with 43 straight wins and a team that had beaten them in every match-up…regular season and post-season…over the past five years, was one of the biggest upsets of the last ten seasons.

How will they look next season?: Austin Lesperance becomes ‘The Man’ as he and Matt Mason (I’m still on the bandwagon) are the only rotation players returning.

 

14.Littleton    21-1

How did the 2017 season go?: It was a special season for Trevor Howard’s team as they defended their title by going 18-0 and cruising to the Division IV championship game. Then it ended in shock as Groveton danced at half-court in front of them. This was a special group that was one win away from back to back titles.

How will they look next season?: Four starters (Logan Briggs, Gabe Anan, Cooper Paradice & Cy Kezerian) graduate and the rumors persist that Danny Kubkowski (one of the best athletes in the state) may leave for prep school. Kubkowski, a second team selection here, never looked or played like a freshman and basketball, as it turns out, may be his third best sport behind soccer & baseball. If he leaves you’ll have only one player back (Jean Rodriguez) who took the floor in the final. Littleton always has good middle school teams, numbers and Trevor Howard. They aren’t going away but a long run to Plymouth might be tough to extend.

 

15.Somersworth   17-4

How did the 2017 season go?: Somersworth was the surprise team of the Division III campaign. Head coach Rob Fauci won Coach of the Year in only his second season and the state was introduced to point guard Bryton Early. They took out Conant and Inter-Lakes before battling Kearsarge for four quarters in the Final Four.

How will they look next season?: Three starters graduate (Chance Ennis, Vincent Loho & JT Laurion) but Early, Evan Gray and Tyler Clark return. The Hilltoppers will have a good shot at a return trip to SNHU.