Today we serve up a condensed version of the Thursday Thoughts with the Division I & II tournaments already at the quarterfinal round.

 Programming note: Today at noon, we will post a quarterfinal round podcast with Pete Tarrier & I breaking down all eight games and all sixteen teams.

 In our column today we have power rankings for Divisions III & IV, standings, scoring leaders, and notes for both divisions.

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Division III Standings and Scoring Leaders

 Gold Level Coaches/Supporters: Mike Rathgeber of Inter-Lakes, Jim Hill of Monadnock, Eric Saucier of Conant, Leon Shaw of Somersworth, Mike Curtis of White Mountains, Jim Cilley of Belmont, Rick Acquiilano of Gilford, Kevin Dame of Winnisquam, Jaryd Piecuch of Raymond, Nate Camp of Kearsarge, Ray Curren of Stevens and Kiernan Gordon of Prospect Mountain.

Power Rankings 

1. Gilford

2. Hopkinton

3. Kearsarge

4. Monadnock

5. Mascoma

6. Campbell

7. Conant

8. White Mountains

9. St Thomas

10.  Winnisquam

Thoughts heading into the last week of the regular season: Your (VERY) unofficial final seeding projections 1) Gilford 2) Hopkinton 3) Kearsarge 4) Campbell 5) Monadnock 6) Mascoma 7) White Mountains 8) St Thomas 9) Conant 10) Stevens 11) Winnisquam 12) Belmont 13) Newfound 14) Mascenic Regional 15) Somersworth………yes that took me 15 minutes….Belmont has won six in a row as freshmen forwards Keegan Martinez (8.9 points per game), and Anakin Underhill have stepped into much bigger roles. The Red Raiders earned a huge 47-44 win at White Mountains on Saturday that could knock the Spartans out of a Top-4 seed and a home playoff game in the quarterfinals…….Conant is playing much better, winning five of their last seven games, and picking up their marque win over Monadnock last week, 52-47 behind 24 points combined from Garrett Somero & Manny Hodgson. Seven of the Orioles eight losses have come to teams ranked in the Top 5 of our power rankings.

Division IV

Division IV Standings and Scoring Leaders

Gold Level Coaches/Supporters: Buddy Trask of Colebrook, Mark Collins of Groveton, Jay Darrah of Pittsfield, Nick Fiset of Epping, Jamie Walker of Woodsville, David Bedard of Franklin & Matt Manning of Lin Wood

Power Rankings 

1. Woodsville

2. Concord Christian

3. Portsmouth Christian

4. Holy Family

5. Littleton

6. Epping

7. Derryfield

8. Newmarket

9. Groveton

10. Profile

Notes from the last week: Littleton head coach Trevor Howard may have learned more about his team in a loss to White Mountains last week than in any of their nine wins. Howard had to find out if his new-look team had what it takes to battle a more talented team for four quarters and they did that. The Crusaders went to the wire with one of the best teams in Division III and were led by 20 points from shooting guard Kayden Hoskins….that Karl Yonkeau dunk on Wednesday night in the Carl Anderson Dome was incredible….. I'm picking Lisbon by 8 points over Moultonborough on Monday night….if there was a player wrongly omitted from last week's mid-season all-state teams, it was Jason Stockbower of Portsmouth Christian. He was terrific in three straight wins over Derryfield, Sunapee, and Holy Family, averaging 26 points per game….I see six teams that could be the last team standing in March. Newmarket & Derryfield are dangerous but look like they are a year away. We'll see……Woodsville and Littleton will (finally) play, and when they do it will be twice in four days to end the regular season….Newmarket has lost three in a row and needs to get right quickly because there isn't an easy game left on their schedule. The Mules finish the season playing; Epping, Hinsdale, Derryfield, Portsmouth Christian, and at Farmington.