Every year, we turn our semifinal previews over to the people who know these teams better than anyone, the head coaches who faced them during the season.

 We had three head coaches break down the four teams and tonight’s semifinal match-ups using blind quotes.

 Our semifinal scouting report is brought to you by our longtime partners at NHTI in Concord.

 Division III Tournament Bracket and Box Scores

 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, Matt Miller of Hopkinton, Silas Ayres of Mascoma, Nate Haskell of Fall Mountain, Kevin Dame of Winnisquam and Eli Vincent of White Mountains.

 Conant vs. (4) Kearsarge

 Box score for the regular season meeting: Kearsarge 28, Conant 26

 The Conant Orioles come into tonight’s final four looking to earn their record 13th Division III/Class M championship and Eric Saucier’s sixth as head coach.

 Nate Camp’s Kearsarge Cougars won the 2017 title and will be making their sixth final four appearance in the last nine seasons.

 We asked the coaches to break down both teams and the match-up, beginning with the top-seeded Orioles.

 “The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Conant is their efficiency,” said one of the head coaches. “ They make your team work for every basket, and they will pass, cut, and move until they get the shot they want. They will often pass up a good look for a great one.”

 Another head coach we spoke to agreed. “ They seem never to take a bad shot. That starts with how well coached they are. Conant is super disciplined, and the kids all accept their roles.”

 “ You have to have that buy-in to win a title, and Coach Saucier has gotten them all to buy in.”

 “ They have five starters back from a team that took Gilford to the final second last season. That experience matters.”

 What will you see from the Conant offense?

 “ They run a five-out motion offense, and the key is Manny Hodgson at the point. Depending on whether you fight over the screen or duck underneath it, he will either hit Ben Sawyer or Jordan Nagle diving to the basket, or he’ll hit Jared Nagle for the corner three.”

 Coaches agreed Hodgson is a difference maker.

 “ Manny is their best overall player when you take into account his ability to handle the ball and run the offense without turning it over and his defense out front.”

 “ He has a good mid-range jumper that he will kill you with if you sag off of him to help in the paint.”

 What about the Orioles defense?

 “Their man defense and the way they contest every shot, every pass, seems to be in their DNA. You win a lot of games in the regular season, scoring in the sixties, but when you get to the tournament, on a neutral floor in front of a big crowd, you win with defense, and Coach Saucier knows that.”

 “ They will pressure you one through five on the floor, and they are prepared for the turnover and to get out in transition.”

 “ Every player on the floor is between 5’11 and 6’3, so they can switch on anything.”

 What about the Kearsarge Cougars?

 “ They grind you out and are comfortable in close games because they have been in them so frequently.”

 “Noah Whipple is so smart with the ball, and they have five or six players who can knock down shots. Parker Goin, Drew Huff, Austin Needham, they can all shoot and make you pay when you send multiple guys at Whipple.”

 “ Whipple takes over the game late, but that doesn't necessarily mean he’s scoring. He will find guys against pressure, convert free throws, or get a key rebound. Whatever you need to win.”

 What about head coach Nate Camp.

 “ He’s one of the best coaches in the state, and he does it the right way. He knows everyone out on the floor and their tendencies. He is the kind of guy you hate to lose to but immediately root for after you’re eliminated.”

 A fellow coach agreed.

 “ They are very well coached, and Whipple takes the pressure off of his teammates. He is the guy taking the big shot or handling the ball against pressure when all the momentum is with the defense."

 “They will show a 1-2-2 to pressure and drop back into man-to-man defensively. They all buy into the program and the culture, so you don't see players bickering or complaining.”

 “I expect another low-scoring game; these are the two best teams defensively left in the bracket.”

 So who wins tonight?

 “ I’ll go with Conant in a close one.”

 “ Both teams can struggle to shoot it; who knocks down shots on a neutral floor decides it. I’ll go with Kearsarge.”

 “ Conant in a good one.”

 

(2) St Thomas vs. (3) Mascoma

 The Saints and the Royals meet in the semifinals for a second consecutive season.

 Four starters from that Mascoma team return while two starters return for the Saints. 

 We asked all three head coaches to break down the rematch and both teams. Beginning with Dave Morissette's Saints.

 "They were the best team we played all season and the only team I felt was clearly better than we were," said one tournament head coach. 

 "It starts with Will Mollica and Cole McClure. Mollica is a competitor and one of the best players in our division. He and Carson Couperthwait do a really good job on the boards, and when they kick out offensive rebounds for open looks they have you where they want you."

 "McClure is absolutely legit, what he can do as a freshman is impressive and I think he is going to be a real problem for Mascoma. He seems like a mismatch in St Thomas' favor."

 A fellow coach broke down the Saints.

 "What makes them so good is that they make the extra pass better than any team in our division. They are extremely unselfish."

 "They run a hybrid flex where they will send the cutter up and work the ball through Mollica at the high post."

 "What they force your defense to do is scramble, and when you have a defense that is chasing the play, that's when you're going to get guys out of position. That leads to open shots."

 "They are ferocious defensively in that they will jump on your mistakes and go the other way. On offense, they move without the ball and are sharp with their execution."

 "I wasn't surprised to see James Allen play a big role in their win over Belmont. He can score in bunches and is a very good shooter when you leave him open."

"The same applies to Anthony Settineri; when you leave him open, he is going to shoot at about a 40% rate, and that's very good. He also is their best on the ball defender."

 "Dave does a great job with them, and he makes good adjustments on the fly. If he sees something isn't working, he will get it fixed, and those kids listen to him. They know he is going to put them in the best position possible."

 What about Silas Ayres' Mascoma Royals?

 "They are a team of guards, so it makes them difficult to cover on the perimeter."

 "You'll see both teams apply full to three-quarter court pressure defense but with different approaches."

"St Thomas will pressure you to contain you. They want to make you take time getting up the floor, and force you to start your offense thirty feet from the basket."

 "Mascoma will apply pressure to turn you over. They will swipe and reach for the ball, and they are quick enough to get the ball and go the other way."

 "TJ Mardin makes a big difference for them, and so does Aidan Smith. Those are two players who do all the little things to help them win."

 "Brayden Pierce is an elite shooter. He has improved, and when you have him and Tanner Moulton going, that's a difficult offense to stop."

 "They play man defense, but you could also see them play some match-up zone to throw off St Thomas's rhythm. Cole McClure is the one guy I see them having a tough time covering. I'm not sure who they will match up on him."

 "Silas does an excellent job with these guys. He understands how to manage the team, timeouts, and make adjustments on the fly."

 "They play fast and with a lot of confidence. I thought Tanner Moulton was their best player when we faced them. He can really hurt you on both ends of the floor."

 So who wins tonight?

 "I'll go with Mascoma to win."

 "St Thomas, by double digits."

 "I'll give the slight edge to St Thomas. I think their loss a year ago helps them this time around."

 

 Coming tomorrow:

 Division III Girls Semifinal Scouting Report