As we do for each of our semifinal previews we hand it over to the people who know these teams best; the coaches that face them during the season.

 We have opposing coaches’ breakdown the four teams and the match-ups for tonight’s Division III semifinals at Southern New Hampshire University.

 Justin McIsaac & I will call both games tonight with Jennifer Chick-Ruth bringing you all the highlights and the post-game interviews with both winning teams.

If you can’t make the games tonight you can listen to Justin & I on The McIsaac on Sports Network right on our website. We will have a simple link to click to listen to both games.

 Today’s preview is brought to you by our friends and partners at Buffalo Wild Wings and their locations in Manchester, Concord & Nashua!

 (1) Somersworth vs. (4) Campbell

 Somersworth Team Page

 Campbell Team Page

 Box score of the first meeting

 The two teams that met for the Division III crown one year ago face each other again a round earlier.

 Campbell’s Carter Vedrani is expected to return from an ankle injury while Evan Gray of Somersworth should be back to 100% after being sick in a tough quarterfinal win over Monadnock.

 We asked three tournament coaches to breakdown the teams & the match-ups. Starting with the defending champs.

 “With Somersworth, it all starts with their defense. They never really allow you to get comfortable, they are very active in their zone pressure and they have a tendency to wear you down over four quarters,” said one coach we spoke with. “You see your kids making mental mistakes in the fourth quarter as a result of their constant pressure.”

 “They will go match-up 2-3 zone and also show a 2-2-1 press…usually three-quarter court. They have featured a 1-3-1 in the past but I didn’t see them run it against Monadnock.”

 Another coach talked about the improvement of the team over the course of the season.

 “Evan Gray will be the best player on the court Wednesday night. He will sit back and let other people get going but when the game is on the line he will step in and take over. When he is going to the basket hard he is very difficult to stop.”

 What about the Campbell Cougars?

 “They, to me, are last year’s team but with more discipline. They run more defenses at you than a year ago, so they are harder to gameplan for.”

 Another coach spoke of Campbell’s depth and playmakers. “They have so much depth and that’s what I think separates them from the other three teams in the semifinals. To me, they are the team to beat because they can wear you down on the big floor and also when nerves come into play that saps some of your energy.”

 “Jonah Crema is the key to that team. They go as he goes and he brings a completely different attitude to the court than he did a year ago. I think he has matured as a player. There is less talking and more doing. He’s been really good for them.”

 “Brendan Rice can shoot it, he might be one of their better playmakers and you need a game plan against Vedrani. He has terrific footwork and can really kill you in the low post. Carter going against Ethan Johnson will be a very good match-up because Vedrani can hurt you and Johnson is just a really smart/solid player.”

 A tournament coach talked about the strategies you’ll see Wednesday night. “I like the job Frank Girginis has done. He has let them keep the essence of that team last year but they have more discipline. I think Chad Martel gives them a physical attitude when he’s on the floor but you can lay off him and double a shooter like Joaquin Heller or Rice.”

 “I think in the end they have the depth to mix and match lineups and beat Somersworth but that is all assuming Vedrani plays. He is critical to what they do, so if he doesn’t play I don’t see them winning.”

 So who wins tonight?

 “I’m going with Somersworth in a close one.”

 “Game of the night…I’m going with Campbell.”

 “I have Campbell winning it all.”

 (2) Conant vs. (3) St. Thomas

 Conant Team Page

 St Thomas Team Page

 Box score of the first meeting

 Conant and St Thomas meet for the second time, this time on the big stage in Manchester. We asked our coaches to breakdown the match-up, starting with Eric Saucier’s Orioles.

 “What stands out about Conant is how disciplined there are defensively, and that credit goes to Eric. When you face Conant you say, look they are not that deep, we need to get them in foul trouble but you just don’t because they move their feet so well, they don’t reach and they rotate very well off of the ball.”

 A fellow coach agreed. “They pressure the ball better than any team we faced all year. They are very well prepared and if you have a go-to play they have game planned for it.”

 What about the Conant offense?

 “They are terrific at getting the outlet pass out quickly and down the floor. Anthony Gauthier, in particular, does a really good job getting them down the floor and attacking.”

 “Peyton (Springfield) might be the best scorer in our division. He is going to be a tough match-up on that bigger floor and when they get the ball out to him at mid-court for a fast break that is when he can really hurt you.”

 “They rely a lot on jump shots and some teams struggle to shoot on that floor. It’s not only a bigger court but you have a lot of signs & banners in their shooting view and some kids struggle with that. I think if Gavin Motuzas struggles to shoot it well that makes it tougher on them.”

 “Connor Hart will defer a lot to the other guys, but when he is being aggressive offensively you really have five guys on the floor that can hurt you.”

 What about Sean Murphy’s St Thomas Saints?

 “They have a very good sense of who they are,” said one tournament coach. “They know they have two main guys to run their offense through (Andrew Cavanaugh & Shawn Dekorne) and they are a physical team with very good athletes. You don’t see guys trying to play outside of their role and I give Sean a lot of credit for that.”

 “To me, Dekorne is a game changer. When he is hitting from the outside he is really hard to stop because he can go by you and when he gets to the rim he is as big or stronger than anyone trying to block his shot.”

 Another coach talked about the Saints defense. “They will mix up their looks to try and keep you off balance. If one defense isn’t necessarily working they will try something else. They have players like Diego Garcia & Nick Bryan who can make plays and Jack Benelli is a shot blocker at the rim.”

 “Cavanaugh is one of the two or three best players in our division. He is a very efficient scorer in that he doesn’t need 20 shots to get 20 points. That half-hook/push shot he has in the paint has such a quick release that it is very difficult to defend. You just don’t see a move like that very often.”

 “Every team goes into a game against St Thomas saying, hey we just have to stop Dekorne or Cavanaugh and we got this, but it’s not that simple. They share the ball and set up those two for good looks. As far as athleticism they are as good as any team in the Final Four.”

 What do you expect to see tonight?

 “I think Conant can pressure their guards and take them out of their offense. Cavanaugh is a tough match-up for Connor Hart but I think they will give Garcia and their guards a very hard time.”

 “I think it comes down to how Conant shoots on the college floor. I’ve seen them struggle in the past and if they do I expect this game to come down to the wire.”

 “I think Conant blows them out and wins easily.”