Since 2008, we have broken down all four divisions every week in our Thursday Thoughts column.

 We will rank the contenders in all four divisions, and today, we will make our first assessment of the title chase since our pre-season previews in December.

 Our column today is brought to you by Great Bay Community College, which is holding an Open House today from 4 to 6 p.m. on its Portsmouth campus.

 We will have coverage of three boys games (and two girls games) Friday night;

 Ben Conant and I will be in Langdon when Fall Mountain hosts the Stevens Cardinals.

 Brandon Bojarsky and Austin Grass will be in Swanzey when the Monadnock Huskies take on the Newport Tigers.

 Finally, Pete Tarrier and Jennifer Chick-Ruth will be in Penacook when the Merrimack Valley Pride take on the Milford Spartans.

 We’ll have all the highlights plus the post-game interview with the entire winning team.
 

 Division I  

 Division I Standings and Top 20 Scoring Leaders

 Gold Level Coaches/Programs: Jaryd Piecuch of Londonderry, Frank Moreno of Bedford, John Mulvey of Portsmouth, Mike Dunham of Pinkerton, Mitchell Roy of Alvirne, Jeff Holmes of Exeter, Lorne Lucas of Spaulding, Jay McKenna of Winnacunnet and Jeff Baumann of Timberlane.

1. Portsmouth- And then there was one…Bishop Guertin's 61-56 upset of Trinity in Manchester Tuesday night leaves John Mulvey's Clippers as the lone undefeated team in the division. With Alvirne, Merrimack (one of the most improved teams in the division), and Manchester Memorial (away) all coming up, the young Clippers, who start two freshmen and three juniors..will be tested after proving they are the best team on the seacoast.
2. Trinity- I'm not going to drop Ray Farmer's team very far, but BG's win proved the depth of good teams in this division. 16-2 should get you the top seed. Shawn O'Neil (16.8 ppg), Collin Charbeneau (13.8), and Jordan Torres (12.6) have led the way, and the return of Xander McBournie from injury only makes the deepest team in the division even better.
3. Keene- What the top three teams all have in common is depth, not only in the ability to rely on your eighth and ninth man every night but also the asset of having several different players be 'the guy' on any given night. The Blackbirds should cruise in their next two games before a three-game stretch against Salem, Pinkerton, and Windham.
4. Bedford- The Bulldogs rebuilding process is officially over, and it lasted about three games. With two all-state level bigs (Connor O'Rourke and terrific freshmen Wiji Dak) and snipers along the perimeter in Landon Ellsmore (15.4) and Logan O'Connell (18.4), plus a coach in Frank Moreno, who knows how to win in March, Bedford has all the pieces to get back to UNH.
5. Nashua South- Nate Mazerolle is doing a very good job getting the pieces to fit, as the Purple Panthers have earned wins over Pinkerton and Alvirne. The formula has been to let all-state shooting guard Josh Caruso (a division-leading 26.4 points per game) cook and pound the glass with Daniel Karavanic and Josh Tripp, and it's working.
6. Manchester Memorial—The Crusaders are 3-1 since Bory Bory missed their opening night match-up with Alvirne, and Christian Bilolo is playing like a first-team all-state guard. Are teams going to try to slow Danny Bryson's team and make them beat them from the three-point line? When they run, they are as good as any team in the state.
7. Alvirne—Mitchell Roy is doing a good job as a first-time Division I head coach, and Sammy DeWitt has evolved into more of a playmaker. Their issue is scoring, as they haven't cracked 60 points all season. They'll need to find better balance as the season heads toward the midway point.
8. Merrimack—Let's give Austin Denton's team a lot of credit because the Tomahawks have a very strong resume three weeks into the season (their lone loss was in double overtime to Keene). Nate Johnson, Noah Morrison, and Michael Flora have combined for 35.5 points a night, and the defense is keeping them in games.
9. Windham—Big boy win against Exeter on Tuesday night as Tyler Jordan (who I bought stock in last year when I saw him against Salem) erupted for 29 points. By the way, if you spend your days wondering how Windham can lose to Manchester Central and beat Exeter by double digits, then I'd tell you you're wasting your time. This is a deep division. There are going to be some confusing results.
10. Exeter—I still believe in the Blue Hawks, but they have to find a second scorer after Nate McNeff (16.6). I'd count on Jeff Holmes to figure out who that is over the next two weeks.

 Division II

 Division II Standing and Top 20 Scoring Leaders

 Gold Level Coaches/Programs: David Smith of Coe-Brown, Peter Pierce of Souhegan, Eric Saucier of Bow, Mike Donnell of Pembroke Academy, Ryan Kelley of Hollis-Brookline, Leo Gershgorin of Milford, Joe Morin of Pelham, Denver Greene of Hanover, Zach Lewis of Oyster River and Rich Otis of Manchester West.

1. Pembroke Academy- Yes, even with Tuesday’s loss to Pelham..allow me to explain. I’m sticking with pre-season #1 because in a division with a lot of good teams and without a great one, three losses probably get you the top seed (Hanover earned it last year at 17-1). Oyster River and Merrimack Valley are undefeated, but I need to see them play against top-level teams in the division.
2. Hanover- The Bears are playing excellent defense under first-year head coach Denver Greene, and they’re getting just enough scoring to win games in the fifties. Wyatt Daigle (13.6) has been good early on, and when you talk about the best defensive players in the division, you can lead with David Frechette, who held Souhegan all-state forward Weston Hickman to three points on Tuesday night.
3. Coe-Brown—David Smith is doing a terrific coaching job. The Bears defend, rebound, and do not beat themselves up with turnovers and missed free throws late in games. Jack Matson and Matt Flanagan have been good at the forward spot, and Grant Hayes is a guard to watch for.
4. Oyster River—Zach Lewis’ Bobcats have two of the most exciting players in the division: all-state guard Matt Jernigan (19.8) and human pogo stick Brendan Kirby. Teams are going to start making anyone other than those two beat them on the offensive end. Next up is a Lebanon team that struggles to score.
5. Merrimack Valley—I’m excited for Pete and Jen to cover the Pride tomorrow night against Milford. I was high on Kelly O’Brien’s team in the pre-season, and they look like contenders, but they haven’t beaten a team with a plus .500 record yet. Trips to Oyster River and Pelham in the next two weeks will tell us where they rank.
6. Hollis-Brookline- Your (very) early leader for coach of the year is Ryan Kelley, who has turned the Cavaliers around in under two years. HB earned a good win over Sanborn on Tuesday night without leading scorer James Arthur.
7. Pelham—The champs are figuring it out with an almost entirely new crew. I talked about Joe Morin’s team on the Sunday podcast; they know who their two main guys are (Brady Hegan and Brady O’Connor, both at 14.8 per game). They defend, try to outwork you on the boards, and execute down the stretch. Wins at Sanborn and over Pembroke Tuesday night are enough proof for me that the Pythons are once again contenders.
8. Souhegan—The Sabers remind me of Oyster River in that if they aren't getting scoring from Weston Hickman (17.0) and Drew Reagan (12.4), it’s going to be tough for them to beat good teams. Peter Pierce’s team defends well enough to keep them in every game.
9. Bow—The Falcons haven’t embraced an identity yet. My best guess is they will try to be the best defensive and rebounding team in the division, as Hanover was a year ago, and rely on Jake Reardon and Brendan O’Keefe to be their crunch-time scorers. I think Eric Saucier’s team will be really good in February, but they are not really good today.
10. Manchester West—Rich Otis’s team's earned a really good victory over Bow on Tuesday as Max Houde and Brayden Marino combined for 38 points. We will see the Blue Knights on Tuesday night when they travel to Con Val.

 Division III

 Division III Standings and Top 20 Scorers

 Gold Level Coaches/Programs: Rick Acquilano of Gilford, Tony Martinez of Belmont, Jim Hill of Monadnock, Nate Haskell of Fall Mountain, Eli Vincent of White Mountains, Jim Gallagher of Raymond, Nate Camp of Kearsarge, Jimmy Peard of Conant, Matt Dancosse of Stevens, Zach Swanson of Inter-Lakes, Dave Morissette of St Thomas and Justin Dibenedetto of Campbell.

1. Kearsarge- The Cougars have three guards who can get you twenty points on any given night, one of the best closers in the state in Noah Whipple, and a terrific coach. They also have good wins over Mascoma and Hopkinton. That lands them on top in early January.
2. Belmont—It may not always show up in the scoring totals, but Treshawn Ray's ability to get the Red Raiders good looks in transition is what has taken Belmont to the next level. They are the best rebounding team in the division, and they have one of the best point guards, and that is a combination you win a lot of games with.
3. Campbell—The Tuesday night win over St Thomas raised a lot of eyebrows, but it shouldn't. This is a team good enough to be the last team standing now that they are healthy again. Cayden Deleon (19.6) has been terrific in the backcourt, and Logan Rice returned from a wrist injury along with Jack Breton, combining for 26 points in the twelve-point win over the champs.
4. St. Thomas—The Saints need a reliable number two scorer to emerge (Anthony Settineri has been very good, but he's the three-and-D guy) and their forwards to play a more significant role. Campbell got to the rim far too often on Tuesday, and with games against Belmont and Raymond and a rematch with Campbell coming up, it's a fix head coach Dave Morissette will have to make quickly.
5. Mascoma—The pieces are there for Silas Ayres' team. Point guard Bryce Ballou (13.8) has played at an all-state level and was the best player on the floor in the first half against Kearsarge Monday night. When Tanner Moulton returns (as early as tomorrow night), this will be as good a starting five as there is in the division.
6. Gilford- After ruling the division for four years, you get the feeling the Golden Eagles are happy to let everyone else draw the attention. Meanwhile, they are shooting lights out and have won their last three games by an average of forty-three points. Jen and I will be back at my alma mater Tuesday night when they take on Hopkinton.
7. Raymond—The Rams are off to a fast start and got better last week with Logan Brien's return. They have not beaten a team with a winning record, but they get their measuring stick game tomorrow night at Kearsarge.
8. Hopkinton- I can see six teams in this division winning it all, with the Hawks and Raymond just on the outside of that list. They'll get a good test next week at Gilford. 
9. Newport- The Tigers have jumped out to an impressive 4-1 start behind the one-two punch of Aaron Fellows (a Division III leading 22.2 ppg) and Christian Forsythe (18.2). They'll be tested tomorrow night when we cover their game at Monadnock.
10. Fall Mountain- Fired up for my first trip to Langdon tomorrow night. When Nate Haskell's team is playing well, they beat teams on the glass and ride the scoring of Ledger Willet (17.6) and Luke St. Pierre (16.2). They'll look to control the paint tomorrow night against a young Stevens Cardinals team.

Division IV

Division IV Standings and Top 20 Scoring Leaders

Gold Level Coaches/Programs: Jamie Walker of Woodsville, Brandon Crummer of Mount Royal, Derek Summers of Portsmouth Christian, Mark Collins of Groveton, Chris Goldstack of Epping, Greg Farland of Concord Christian, Jay Darrah of Pittsfield, Carl Anderson of Hinsdale and Trevor Howard of Littleton.

1. Woodsville—The Engineers are off to a 7-0 start behind what might be the best starting five in the division. Landon Kingsbury is averaging 23.4 ppg, Ryan Walker is the division's best point guard, and Cowan Kimball, Jacob Putnam, and Devin Sabina have all filled valuable roles. Do they need to develop more depth? Yes, but their core and Jamie Walker's coaching have them at the top again.
2. Concord Christian- The Kingsmen earned a good 61-50 win over Holy Family on Tuesday night behind 19 points from TJ Charbono and 15 from Luke Farland. They'll be favored in every game the rest of the way, minus a match-up at Portsmouth Christian on February 4th.
3. Littleton—Give the Crusaders a lot of credit; with an almost entirely new team, they have begun the season 5-1 with wins over Gorham and White Mountains. Sam Reagey is starting to evolve as Trevor Howard's go-to guy; he's averaging 22 points in his first two games after the holiday break.
4. Newmarket- Nick Farrer is your (very) early coach of the year as the Mules have flashed the potential to be the best defensive team in the division. Jaron Labranche (15.3 ppg) is putting together an all-state resume, while Matt Napoletano went for a season-high 21 points in a Tuesday night win over Franklin.
5. Gorham- I still believe in the Huskies, who enter a crucial season stretch with games against Woodsville (twice), Littleton, and Groveton in the next two weeks. Isaac Langlois leads the state in scoring at 27.0 points per game.
6. Holy Family—Enzo Yonkeau and Jeremiah Guerrero have provided the one-two punch for Samy Abdalla's team, which dropped an eleven-point decision to Concord Christian on Tuesday.
7. Epping- Head coach Chris Goldsack told me in the pre-season that the Blue Devils were ready to take a step forward, and he was correct. Blake Snyder (14.8) is playing at an all-state level, and Henry Hodgkins came up big with 23 points in a good road win at the Carl Anderson Dome in Hinsdale.
8. Groveton—This is your annual reminder that Mark Collins is as good as any basketball coach in the state. The Eagles don't have a true point guard or a threat from behind the three-point line, but they do own wins over PCA, Profile (playing better by the game), and White Mountains. Ashton Kenison scored 24 points in the win over the Division III Spartans.
9. Portsmouth Christian—Cai Summers scored 19 points in a Tuesday night road win, and the Eagles got eleven points apiece from Zeeland Marquis and Zack Beal. The team has a big one on Monday against Holy Family.
10. Hinsdale—Connor Dixon scored 29 points in a 91-77 shootout loss to Division III Newport. The team's measuring stick game is coming up on Wednesday when they'll face Holy Family.