Dave Haley takes a look at the biggest games from around the state of New Hampshire.
 

 Division I
 Manchester Central (4-0) at Trinity (5-0)  Part II
 The coverage of Trinity is sponsored by The Auburn Pitts
 The coverage of Manchester Central is sponsored by 900 Degrees Pizzaria 

  The two best teams in Division I renew acquaintances tied at thirteen after their highly anticipated first meeting was suspended due to a slippery floor. How big are these games between the two Manchester archrivals? Four minutes of video featuring players slipping & sliding around in the first go around got over 550 views on YouTube…550 views for a 13-13 first quarter so,,, yeah people are interested.

 Although both teams are a superior product to the two teams that took the floor back in December don’t mistake either for being completely polished. Central is working in two new starters (Jon & Joey Martin) and dealing with a shift in touches/shots/attention that comes with seven players who could be starting anywhere else and Brett Hanson’s ascension into one of the best players in the state. Point guard Dawson Dickson is a knock down three pointer shooter but is sacrificing his shots to get Hanson and the brothers Martin more looks.

 David Wheeler has coached championship teams before and this team has the look & feel of another in a long line of Central contenders but there is work to be done behind the scenes. Central played the best quarter of basketball any team in the state has submitted this season in knocking Exeter out on their home floor with a 30-4 first quarter that looked startlingly easy to those in attendance. Wheeler’s message after the game was what they were capable of as a group and what they should not be settling for. It’s title or bust at 207 Lowell St.

 Trinity is going through the same process as players like Connor Walsh and Luke Testa earn more playing time and larger roles. This is a very resilient group and there probably isn’t a team in the state that would handle a ten point second half deficit better than Dave Keefe’s group.  Wenyen Gabriel looks fully recovered from a foot injury that kept him out of the Pembroke Academy jamboree match-up and limited him in December. Gabriel and Giampetruzzi are starting to hover around 10 rebounds a game and with that comes the Pioneers ability to get out and the push the ball up the floor behind point guard Ryan Otis and shooting guard Brad Rhoades. Hanson scored 38 points against Trinity in the Queen City semifinals last month so expect major adjustments.

 In the holiday tournament neither team was going to show all of their cards in a game that wouldn't count in the standings and at 13-13 late in the first quarter it’s a shortened game this time around. In other words get there early on Sunday….
 
Londonderry (4-1) at Bishop Guertin (5-0)

 The Lancers were upset Tuesday night when Concord hung around long enough to pull the upset on a Seimou Smith buzzer beater (that kid is having a decent senior year of high school no??...). With the added attention the Lancers are starting to get comes a target on their back and after very good wins over Winnacunnet & Spaulding on the road Londonderry got clipped. Their strength as a team is in their ability to beat you off the dribble, expect BG to be well prepared to make them win in a different manner.

 In BG they face a deep team that features Kyle Gavin (18 ppg), big man Joe Marandola (10.6) and point guard CJ Boykin. Head coach Jim Migneault has the kind of depth that allows him to search for combinations that work and how the Cardinals will defend Londonderry’s drive & kick offense will be something to watch. The Lancers Cody Ball’s ability to take care of the basketball will be a key because Migneault will throw a variety of looks at Nate Stanton’s team to keep the comfort level at a minimum. BG will go full-court and three quarter with their pressure but also has given teams fits with their match-up zone. Expect Migneault to roll out all three as his unbeaten team dips its toes in the water to see what works best against the Lancers.
 
Division II
Lebanon (4-1) at Bishop Brady (2-2)

 Count this one as the second big match-up of the week for Mark Yeaton’s team who lost a 54-53 decision at Portsmouth Tuesday night. Brady was a top 4 pick in the pre-season because of their all-state backcourt of Jourdain Bell & brother Joe but needs a resume building W after losses to Conant, Portsmouth and a lopsided loss to Pembroke over the holidays. Brendan Johnson and Aaron Svendson give Brady production in the frontcourt and rebounding but it has been putting it all together against the Division II elite that has eluded Brady to this point.

 In Lebanon they face a team that certainly looks like a final four team. Kalin Sau has led a very balanced attack for Kieth Matte’s team as Nic Shepard, Dom Morrill, Austin Pelletier and underclassman Austin Whaley & KJ Matte. This is a group that passes the chemistry test; these guys just look like they enjoy playing together, and have enough depth to survive an off shooting night from one of their key scorers. This was a team that relied on David Hampton to put the offense on his back at times last year but this is a more balanced group, a better rebounding team and one that Matte has done a terrific job putting the pieces together for.

 Expect a good one Friday night as Pete Tarrier & Jon Kesty will be there covering all the action in our Game of the Week.
 
Kennett (4-0) at Plymouth Regional (5-0)

 Two teams off to great starts. Head coaches Mike Sullivan of Plymouth and Steve Cote of Kennett have one key ingredient in common; a veteran group led by an all-state point guard.

 As Brandon DiLucchio goes so goes the Kennett Eagles and so far DiLucchio is the best player in Division II you’re not hearing enough about. Cote has gotten scoring from the team’s best defender Ryan Vajentic (17.3 ppg) and all-around contributions from Nick Graziano (14 ppg) who plays multiple positions for the unbeaten Eagles.

 Plymouth was beaten by Coe-Brown at the Keene State College Holiday tournament but remains unblemished in the regular season. Collin Sullivan, Kyle Reisert, Jared Kuehl, Justin Robinson and Gavin Brickley have picked up on the hardwood where they left off on the gridiron. This is another team that knows their roles and plays hard for their head coach Mike Sullivan. These guys understand how to close out games after a lot of narrow misses a year ago and in Sullivan they have a leader who makes enough plays (he drained a game winning three pointer against Merrimack Valley last week) to keep this team in the mix for a top 8 seed.

 That’s the positive stuff.

 The reality is neither team has beaten anyone yet; the combined record of the Division II teams Plymouth has beaten are a very underwhelming 2-20…2-20 (that doesn’t count Merrimack Valley’s two wins over Hillsborough-Deering & Kearsarge of Division III and why Merrimack Valley is playing Hillsborough-Deering is a conversation for another day….). The record of the three teams Kennett has beaten in Division II? 1-14…so…..there is much still to be proven. A win Wednesday night over an excellent Berlin team should give Cote’s team a lot of confidence but it is time to prove it in Division II, here is that opportunity.
 No matter the strength of schedule the winner here joins Pembroke as the only unbeaten team in Division II play.
 
 Division IV
 Newmarket (3-2) at Sunapee (4-1)

 Jamie Hayes’ Mules may not be ready for a team as good as Sunapee but Friday night’s contest will surely tell them where they stand.

 A year ago Hayes’ would roll out the red carpet to any team that wanted a 32 minute track meet but this is a new year and a much different outfit. Josh Eisfeller and Christian Hawkins are plying their trade at the college level and in their place steps Sam Leahy, Ian Bentley and a quickly improving Ryan Jarvis. An overtime win over Moultonborough Academy last Friday night showed a glimpse of what this team might be capable of but Sunapee, along with Derryfield and Epping, are the class of Division IV and Friday night will be a very tough test.

 Expect Hayes to slow the pace and try & contain the Lakers scoring duo of Issaiah Chappell (24.2 ppg) and forward James Fitzgerald (19 ppg). Matt Tenney has made plays at the point guard spot and his father head coach Ed Tenney knows what he is getting every night from Nick Skarin and Alex Goildassis. The Lakers want an 86-65 win while Newmarket needs to keep this one in the 50’s. Here is a measuring stick game for Newmarket, for Sunapee it is another step towards what they hope will be a top 4 seed and a pair of home games come March.
 
 Remember to listen in LIVE to The New Hampshire High School Basketball Show Saturday morning on WGIR & online from 8 to 9 am as Bishop Brady head coach Mark Yeaton will be our guest on the show.

 Then catch ‘McIsaac on Sports’ on WTSN or online from 9 to 10 am