Back with the Thursday Thoughts, where we rank the contenders in all four divisions.

 Next week, we will have our annual mid-season snapshot article where both Lance Legere and I will be making our final four picks along with all-state, player & coach of the year at the mid-way point as well as our sleeper team in each division of boys and girls basketball.

 We also should have a big announcement regarding our annual Senior vs. Underclassman double-header in March.

 The Senior team head coach will be Goffstown’s Ryan Cowette, who will be assisted by Gilford’s Rick Acquilano and Pinkerton’s Mike Dunham.

 The Underclassman team will be coached by Timberlane’s Jeff Baumann, who will be assisted by Lewis Atkins of Oyster River and Leo Gershgorin of Alvirne.

 We'll be out at two rivalry games tomorrow night as Pete Tarrier and Ian Melewski will bring you all the highlights plus the post-game interview/celebration when Nashua South takes on Nashua North.

 Patrick Cogan and I will be in Windham when the Jaguars square off with the Salem Blue Devils.

 Our great friends and longtime partners at Core Physicians bring you our column to you today, with over twenty-five locations on the seacoast and a beautiful facility in Plaistow!

 Note: Our columns are written before the Wednesday night games

 Division I

 Division I Standings. Scoring Leaders and Gold Level coaches

 Gold Level Supporters/Coaches: Jaryd Piecuch of Londonderry, Matt Fennessy of Dover, Ryan Cowette of Goffstown, Mike Dunham of Pinkerton, Rob McLaughlin of Salem, Jeff Holmes of Exeter, Jeff Baumann of Timberlane, and Leo Gershgorin of Alvirne.

1. Bedford- The champs roll along, and next up is a Goffstown team that is playing better by the week after consecutive wins over Concord and Nashua North.

2. Pinkerton Academy- Since December 15th, Mike Dunham’s Astros have averaged 90.7 points per game. Last season’s highest-scoring team in the division was Bedford, who averaged 77.1 points per game during the regular season.

3. Portsmouth- The Clippers avoided an upset when they beat a Merrimack team, 52-46, that controlled the pace against them. Teams will try to slow down Tyrece Gibbs’s team and make them execute in the half-court, which speaks to how effective Portsmouth has been when they get out in transition.

4. Nashua South- The Purple Panthers make the biggest leap of the week, jumping up four spots to number four after reeling off five straight wins. We’ll be in Nashua tomorrow night when they take on..

5. Nashua North- Their one exit away rivals, Steve Lane’s Titans. They’ve scuffled a bit, losing at Goffstown in double overtime on Friday night, but can swing the momentum back with a win at home vs South tomorrow night.

6. Trinity- They’ve replaced Tyler Bike’s scoring with a balanced lineup or, as Billy Beane would say in ‘Moneyball,’ “ in the aggregate.” Kevin Doherty, Devohn Ellis, Shawn O’Neil, and Evan Dunker have all taken turns leading the way, and a look at the Pioneers' schedule/results tells you they don't have a bad loss on their resume.

7. Manchester Memorial- A big part of their early success has been the play of Jack Brooks, who might be the team's most improved player, and the play off the bench of Malachi Koita.

8. Windham- We get our first look at the Jaguars tomorrow night. They've gotten really good contributions from senior Caden Bouchard in a sixth-man role and promising freshman big man Sam Roidoulis, who continues to earn more and more trust from his head coach Carson Desrosiers.

9. Exeter- The Blue Hawks have been humbled by the best two teams in the division, losing to Pinkerton 96-78 and to Bedford 81-58. What they’re going to find is it doesn't matter. There might be a gap between the top two contenders and the rest of the division (see: Pinkerton 96, Portsmouth 76). Jeff Holmes’ team wants a top 8-seed and a home playoff game. A win at Winnacunnet tomorrow night against their arch-rivals would keep them on that path. 

10. Goffstown- The Grizzlies are starting to come together, as evidenced by the win over Nashua North. Cam Hujsak was up for player of the week, and sophomores Xander McBournie and Gio Santos combined for 34 points in the victory. 

 Division II

 Division II Standings, Scoring Leaders, and Gold Level Coaches

 Gold Level Coaches: Peter Pierce of Souhegan, David Smith of Coe-Brown, Joe Morin of Pelham, Mike Donnell of Pembroke, Ryan Kelley of Hollis-Brookline, Rich Otis of Manchester West, Ben Davis of Hanover, Joe Faragher of Kingswood, Steve McDonough of Laconia and Don Gutterson of Milford.

1. Hanover- Ben Davis’s team not only beat Manchester West and Pembromke in back-to-back games but also baffled both teams and had coaches agreeing they were the team to beat today. The Bears held two teams who average over sixty points a game to sixty-one points combined. We’re going to break them down at length in next week’s mid-season column because my pre-season sleeper is even better than I anticipated. 

2. Pembroke Academy- Hanover shut down the Spartans' five-out offense and held Joe Fitzgerald to a season-low 11 points in the loss. Hanover’s ability to play a big (Jaysen Oriol) with four plus defenders (shoutout Jay Bilas) who can all switch completely threw Pembroke off its game.

3. Manchester West- Rich Otis’s team could not find any rhythm against Hanover and were handed their first defeat of the year. Run against these Blue Knights at your own peril (when they play Pembroke in two weeks, that game should be in the high seventies on both sides), but they need to become a better team when defenses take the air out of the ball and control a (slower) pace.

4. Pelham- Mid-January seems the right time for the champs to scuffle a bit. And they are. They look out of sorts when you watch them, but I also have all the confidence in the world that they will figure it out by playoff time. 

5. Laconia- The Sachems were beaten at the buzzer by Plymouth but bounced back to beat John Stark behind 37 points and 14 rebounds from all-state center Keaton Beck.

6. Coe-Brown- No knock on any team from here down, but we have hit the line of delineation where no score would really shock me. These are good teams who can be beaten on any night. I just wanted to be sure we were clear on that…also Pete Tarrier broke the Coe Brown/NHsportspage losing streak that somehow I was blamed for…..tough beat for me.

7. Plymouth- We’ll see Ben Cronin’s Bobcats when they make up their canceled game against Merrimack Valley on February 5th. They get two measuring stick games back to back when they face Coe Brown on Friday, followed by a trip to Pembroke on Tuesday. 

8. Bow- I spoke to head coach Scott Drapeau, and he couldn't say enough good things about the development of big man Peyton Larrabee, who scored 17 points in a 72-57 win over Milford.

9. Kennett- The Eagles have played fewer games, five, than any team in the division, but they’re about to catch up. They’ll play five games in the next eight days. 

10. Oyster River- The Bobcats have back-to-back tests against Division I Timberlane and Bow—their first games in nine days. 

 Division III

 Division III Standings, Scoring Leaders, and Gold Level Coaches

Gold Level Coaches/Supporters: Nate Camp of Kearsarge, Justin Dibenedetto of Campbell, Jim Hill of Monadnock, Tony Martinez of Belmont, Rick Acquilano of Gilford, Eric Saucier of Conant, David Morissette of St Thomas, Jim Gallagher of Raymond, Matt Dancosee of Stevens and Matt Miller of Hopkinton.

1. Conant- Unique stretch coming up for one of the six undefeated teams left in the state. They’ll head to my alma mater tomorrow night to face Gilford and then play Belmont on Tuesday before meeting up with the defending champs again at the Pratt next Friday night. 

2. St Thomas- An interesting game is coming up on Monday when Dave Morissette’s team faces undefeated Derryfield. The Division IV contenders are the best team the Saints will face for the rest of the regular season.

3. Mascoma- We’ll see the Royals again when they head to Claremont on the 26th to face Stevens in one of my favorite gyms in the state. That list would include McHough Gymnasium at Trinity, Winnacunnet, Colebrook (who else has a 20-foot tall Mohawk Indian on the wall?), Manchester West, Kearsarge (I like the lighting), Monadnock (old school vibe), Pittsfield (always set up on the stage), and Woodsville (ditto).

4. Gilford- Rick Acquilano’s team is learning how to win close games, something they have done better than any program in the state over the past three seasons. They should match up well with Conant; they can match their length, and Conant isn't going to get in a shootout. Their ability to create good looks will be a key against the best defense in the division. 

5. Campbell- The Cougars got their measuring stick games in back-to-back games against Conant and St Thomas, losing 49-33 and 47-39. Big one tomorrow night at Belmont.

6. Hopkinton- The Hawks have won five games in a row and are playing better under second-year head coach Matt Miller. The closing stretch will be difficult; in their last seven games, they’ll play Gilford at Stevens, Campbell at Mascoma, and a season finale against St Thomas.

7. Kearsarge- Guard Noah Whipple (we’re two weeks away from me referring to him as all-state guard Noah Whipple) ranks third in Division III, scoring at 16.6 points per game.

8. Raymond- The Rams get a good test against Winnisquam tomorrow night.

9. Belmont- Their results against Campbell and Conant in their next two games will tell them where they stand in the pecking order. The schedule eases up after with games against Berlin, Newfound, and Inter Lakes.

10. White Mountains- Eli Vincent’s team lost a tough one at the buzzer on Tuesday night to a very good Littleton team. The Spartans have a critical stretch coming up against Prospect Mountain, Colebrook, and Winnisquam as they fight for a top-eight seed and home playoff game. 

 Division IV

 Division IV Standings, Scoring Leaders, and Gold Level Coaches

 Gold Level Coaches/Supporters: Jamie Walker of Woodsville, Jay Darrah of Pittsfield, David Bedard of Franklin, Mark Collins of Groveton, Nick Tzannos of Mascenic, Greg Farland of Concord Christian, Mitchell Roy of Profile, Matt Manning of Lin Wood and Josiah Riley of Pittsburg Canaan

1. Littleton- I was very impressed by Trevor Howard's team in their win over Farmington last Friday. Dre Akines can harass your point guard out front and break pressure, while Kayden Hoskins is a knockdown shooter on the perimeter. The X-Factor is freshman Mike Rodriguez, the best player on the floor in the second quarter when Littleton pulled away. Rodriguez can handle the ball, shoot it, and also take it away from you. He also may be their best wing player off the dribble. If he continues to develop, he could be the difference when the final four rolls around. He’s an 8-0 run waiting to happen…

2. Profile- The Patriots play seven of their last eight games of the season on the road, beginning with their showdown tomorrow night against Littleton. Karsen Robie stepped up with 20 points Tuesday night in a win over Colebrook.

3. Woodsville- The champs have quietly won four in a row since their loss to Profile, including a 57-38 win over Holy Family last Friday night in a championship game rematch. Connor Newcomb led the way with 17 points in the victory. 

4. Derryfield- Ed Meade’s team begins their most challenging stretch of the season as they face Portsmouth Christian, St Thomas, and Holy Family, and we’ll be there for that one.

5. Portsmouth Christian- Derek Sumnmers’ team has been one of the best defensive teams in the division, allowing just 40.2 points per game and holding Profile to a season-low 49 points last Friday night.

6. Holy Family-  Enzo Yonkeau has stepped up, averaging 14.6 points per game for the Griffins after coming off the bench a season ago.

7. Groveton- The Eagles have won three of four, with their only loss coming to undefeated Littleton. Ashton Kenison, Dylan Simino, and Luke Shannon combined for 41 points in a 57-45 win over Newmarket last Friday night.

8. Gorham- Dylan Haynes’ team has a big stretch coming up. They’ll face Woodsville, Groveton, Littleton, Pittsburg Canaan, and Colebrook in a five-game stretch that should determine whether they will earn a top-eight seed and a home playoff game in Lance’s Legere’s hometown. 

9. Farmington- The Tigers need resume wins, as they’ve only beaten one team (Franklin) with a plus .500 record, but they are going to be hard to find on the schedule. The only team with a winning record left on their schedule is Portsmouth Christian, who they play on the 26th.

10. Colebrook- The brutal stretch we previously discussed in this column has arrived. Ryan Call’s Mohawk team faces Groveton, White Mountains, Littleton, Gorham, and Groveton again (we’ll be there for that one) over the next two weeks.