One year after Manchester Central went undefeated with one of the most recognizable teams in recent memory Division I finds itself stock full of parity and led by a lot of new faces. “I didn’t even know the name of the center we started in the jamboree until I talked to him an hour before the game,” said Manchester Memorial head coach Jack Quirk. “The kids were shaking his hand in lay-up line.”

 Seriously we’re talking about a lot of new faces…

 There is no division in the state where the gap between the pre-season #1 and #8 is so close, so close in fact that it is hardly a gap at all. “You always say ‘every night is going to be a battle’,” said Salem head coach Rob McLaughlin “I’m not sure it has ever been as true as it is this season. You can get beat any night in this division.”

 So you can suspend that cliché for the next twelve months. Division I is the most exciting race in New Hampshire and today in our final of four previews we take a look at the race to end up where Central stood nine months in Durham.
 
Division I Predicted Order of Finish
 

1. Pinkerton Academy
2. Manchester Central
3. Londonderry
4. Pembroke Academy
5. Bishop Guertin
6. Bedford
7. Salem
8. Spaulding
9. Manchester Memorial
10. Trinity

Lurking outside the Top 10:  Merrimack, Exeter, Nashua North, Nashua South, Alvirne & Winnacunnet.

 It isn’t often that a school as big as Pinkerton Academy is forced to take its lumps but that’s exactly what Head coach Peter Rosinski and his team endured a year ago. Now with a new all-state point guard and eight rotation players over six foot three the Astros are in a position to start a payback tour. “Last season Luke (Rosinski) was the only player on our team that came in with any prior varsity experience,” said the veteran head coach of his son, an all-state center. “All those kids that struggled a year ago have matured and they now have that game experience. It’s all about experience and depth with this team and we now have both of those assets.”

 Luke Rosinski accepted a scholarship to play basketball at Kimball Union Academy but what he left behind might be the best rotation in the state. Geo Baker is a 6’3 point guard who came back from prep school and will run the Astros offense. One coach who faced Baker in the pre-season compared him to former player of the year Dmitri Floras, high praise indeed. Joining him in the backcourt will be returners Drew Green (6’0), Brennan Morse (6’4) and Matt Rizzo (6’3). “Their abilities will allow us to run a four out/one in offense or even a five out,” said Rosinski. “Each of them can shoot it and create their own shot when the defense overplays. Last year our bigs were solid and our guards were lacking experience. That’s no longer the case.”

 Caleb Godin is a 6’6 forward who is joined along the frontline by 6’6 David Faulk and 6’9 Tommy Olsen. Younger brother Ben Olsen is 6’7 and brings more size off the bench for a team that frankly doesn’t need much more. Rosinski is happy with the leadership he has gotten from Sammy Dolan (“He’ll contribute and he is a great leader.”) and the playmaking ability Baker brings to the team. “When you have a point guard like that you put it in his hands and let him run the show,” said Rosinski. “He has known his teammates since they were little and the transition has been really smooth.”

 The defending champs have gone through a complete makeover. What Manchester Central (The coverage of Manchester Central is sponsored by 900 Degrees Pizzaria) gets from four new starters and seven new rotation players will be determined over the course of the next 18 games. What we do know about Central is that they have one of the best coaches in the state of New Hampshire and maybe its best player as well. “Joey (Martin) frankly has to do everything for us this year,” said David ‘Doc’ Wheeler of his only returning starter. “He has to rebound, pass, score and be a vocal leader on the floor and in the huddle. Last year he could kind of blend in because he had great players and leaders around him but now this is his team and so far I’ve been very pleased with the way he has responded.”

 Martin was pigeon-holed as just an elite shooter early last season but became a big time scorer (Martin had 32 points in a semifinal win over Memorial) when he showed his ability to finish at the rim, his dunk in transition against Merrimack being a prime example. Joining Martin in a loaded backcourt is former Memorial point guard Oumaru Kante. Wheeler loves his ability and is waiting for his consistency. “Teams struggle to stay in front of him defensively, what we are working on with Oumaru is staying in the game mentally and following through on what we are trying to do as a team,” said Wheeler. “When he is a shoot first point guard we are not as good a team.”

 Jonathan Makori and Evan MacDonald are two big time shooters who are going to make teams play Central past the three point line. “Jonathan can handle the ball for us as well,” said Wheeler. “With Evan he needs to guard and defend better but he can absolutely shoot it.” Forward Jaylen Leeroy may surprise other Division I teams with his ability both on the low block and in transition as Wheeler expects Leeroy to have a breakout season for The Little Green. “The chemistry is coming together with this group, it’s a whole new crew,” said Wheeler. “We had a group last year that was very mentally tough and that’s what I hope to see with this team by the end of the regular season.”

 Few teams were better at pushing tempo and spreading the floor than Nate Stanton’s Londonderry Lancers were a year ago. Add a year of experience, your pre-season player of the year and Londonderry will again compete for a Final Four berth in March. “When your best player works as hard as ours does and is unselfish as well it really rubs off on the other guys,” said Stanton. “We are all about the extra pass & moving the basketball and it all starts with Cody. He’s a completely different player than he was a year ago and there’s no one you’d rather have leading your team.”

 Cody Ball is a 6’3 point/shooting guard whose considerable time spent in both gyms and the weight room is about to pay off as several Division II college programs are showing heavy interest (including St. Anselm who was on hand for his Jamboree game against Coe-Brown). Joining Ball in the backcourt will be point guard Cole Britting who Stanton says handles the ball well and allows Ball to play out on the wing. Jake Coleman is a deadly shooter from the perimeter and will work alongside Jake Stevens in a deep backcourt.

 The Lancers will play their big men out on the perimeter and force bigger teams to guard them in space. Marc Corey at 6’4 is a knock down shooter with an ability to finish at the rim while Joe Kwiatkowski will cause mismatches with his size and shooting ability as well. Stanton loves what sophomore Brandon Radford has brought to the starting lineup and sees him as the missing piece to his rotation, “I love what he brings to the team as far as his willingness to bang down low, rebound and defend. He’s a big addition for us.”

 Pembroke Academy’s move up to Division I was as subtle as a hurricane. There were political races that got less airtime, but what Matt Alosa is happy about is that Pembroke is here and all that noise is behind them. “The kids honestly don’t follow that stuff in the news or on forums, they are kids, they just want to play basketball,” said the head coach of the two time defending Division II champions who will serve a two game suspension to start the season.

 Play basketball they will and make no mistake; Pembroke believes they have a team to get back to Durham through a different bracket. It will start with one of the biggest teams in the state, so big in fact that their point guard is 6’6. “We are going to really have a guard by committee approach but you will see the ball in Dominic (Timbas’s) hands most of the time,” said Alosa. “We know teams are going to pressure us because we don’t have a Rene Maher or Pat Welch bringing the ball up but we have five guys on the floor and we’ll use every one of them to get us into our offense.” Timbas sacrificed his offense for the likes of Welch and Kafani Williams in the past and now takes the leadership on a supremely talented team. Max Curran is a 6’8 shooter comfortable out on the wing while 6’7 forward Rob Wilson, forced to sit out by the NHIAA a year ago, gives the Spartans plenty of strength, shot blocking and rebounding in the post. “When we need a basket we’ll go through Dom & Max,” said Alosa.

 Connor Boucher is a smart shooting guard with plenty of big game experience while Alosa can’t say enough good things about his 6’5 forward Cameron Taylor, “ Cam does all the things that don’t show up in a box score. He sets good screens, he defends, he rebounds and he helps get us into our transition game. He’s invaluable to what we are doing.” Guard Dante Timbas may be the wild card of the group, a 6’4 guard who can handle the ball and brings added toughness to a team that knows its games are going to be circled on opposing schedules all season long. “We’ve competed against Division I teams in the fall leagues and scrimmages for years so this doesn’t feel like a big transition for us,” said Alosa. “This is a really good division with a lot of good teams and playing that level of competition will only make us better.”

 Jim Migneault likes options when putting his five players on the floor for Bishop Guertin. The more combinations the better and in 2015 BG is going to have 10 to 12 players who will see the floor. That gives Migneault all the options he could ask for. “We have ten guys who will see minutes every night but I honestly see twelve or thirteen guys who can make an impact as the season goes along,” said Migneault. “There are some kids up from the JV team a year ago and they are starting to really come along as well.”

 BG will have an all-state point guard and an all-state forward to complement all that depth. That all starts with 6’2 point guard Jack Zimmerman and 6’4 forward Kyle Gavin. “Jack has worked really hard on his game, he played a lot over the summer and he’s matured physically as well.” Gavin is a forward who can score in the paint or knock down jumpers on the perimeter. Joining him in the frontcourt will be Chad Olivieri, Garrett Camacho (“I think Camacho is going to have a big year for us,” says Migneault) and sophomore Mike Rinko. “Mike has really developed and I think a year ago he could get pushed around sometimes,” said Migneault. “That happens with freshman but he is a lot stronger now and that experience he got a year ago shows in his game now.”

 There two kinds of underclassman: inexperienced ones and veteran ones. What Rob McLaughlin has at Salem (The coverage of Salem is sponsored by Merrimack Valley Sports) are experienced underclassman and he likes where this group is headed. “I see us making fewer mistakes than we did a year ago,” said McLaughlin. “That doesn’t mean they have it all figured out but this is a group that plays well together and they bring a lot of energy to the floor.” Matt Vartanian is one of the team’s most improved players after a heavy workload over the off-season. “Matt is a kid I expect big things from and he’s certainly put the work in,” said McLaughlin.

 Kenny Calabrese will play both guard spots for the Blue Devils alongside shooting guard Jared Gott, who continues a long line of talented Salem shooting guards. Danny Nugent is your glue guy that does all the little things for McLaughlin’s team while Tim Dodier is one of the team’s best defensive players. “Tim is a kid who brings a lot of energy and other guys tend to feed off of that.” The Blue Devils are hopeful to get production out of three sophomores this year: D.J Colletti, Griffin Curtis and Matt McLaughlin, “Those three have shown great promise so it will be exciting to see how they develop for us over the course of the season,” said McLaughlin.

 Spaulding has a reputation among Division I teams as being one of the smarter teams you’ll face all season. That reputation obviously starts with their Head coach Tim Cronin, one of the best coaches in the state, but Cronin will point to something else: seniors. “When you have good leadership it promotes good chemistry from the top on down and with this group of five seniors I think we have that,” said Cronin. It starts with shooting guard Darian Berry, who is a safe bet to be among the leading scorers in the division this season. “He has elevated his game over the off-season,” said Cronin. “You watch him now in practice and it is real obvious, he’s worked extremely hard to get even better.” Cal Connelly, now 6’3, takes over in the backcourt where his brother Quinn left off and will come off the bench to give Spaulding better depth than they had a year ago. Mitch Cyr will run the point and be spelled at times but sophomore guard Matt Roy, who Cronin expects big things from in the future.

 Brock Paquette returns after contributing a year ago while the big news is the return of power forward Anthony Ciccotelli, who left the team a year ago but returns after starting on a Final Four team as a sophomore, “He’s working right now to get himself back to where he was, it takes time when you’re away but he’s going to obviously be a big key to our success,” said Cronin.. Austin Gagne joins him down low for a team that looks to compete for a spot in Durham after failing to advance to the Final four for the first time in three years.

 The conversation around Manchester Memorial (The coverage of Manchester Memorial is sponsored by 900 Degrees Pizzaria) the past three seasons has centered on who is missing as much as who is playing for them. If the Crusaders, fresh off of a Final Four run last year that nearly saw them pull off one of the biggest upsets in Division I history, were hoping for smooth sailing in 2015… well that shipped has sailed already. “I’m really happy with the kids we have at practice today,” said Memorial head coach Jack Quirk. “That has to be your focus in practice every day and not the four that aren’t there.”

 Those four are all-state forward Kabongo Ngalakulondi (trying to become eligible with school policy), all-state shooting guard Trevon Maughn (Currently suspended. School policy), guard Wade Gop (ineligible) and forward Malo Roumraj (suspended in the pre-season but currently eligible).

 Point guard Craig Preston returns and gives Quirk a veteran presence on the floor, “ Craig does a real nice job of running the offense and when you have a player who takes care of the ball it obviously makes you more effective.” Nick Philbert and Danny O’Connor, an energy guy who does all the little things, are the core of a new look Memorial outfit. Momentarily or permanently? There is no way to know yet. Quirk has been around long enough to know he can only control what he can control, “ We will piece together a unit from what we have every day and that’s where we go with this.”

 You could pencil in Trinity(whose coverage is sponsored by the Auburn Pitts) for 15 wins any time in the last eight years and not be disappointed. Getting there in 2015 will be tough with four new starters and a first year head coach but Matt Lemieux likes the fact that his kids expect to win every time they step on the floor. “ We’ve got athletes and they’re working hard but there are a lot of guys in key roles who haven’t contributed yet at the varsity level.” Luke Testa is the only returning starter and will run the point for Trinity. “Luke didn’t play point guard for us last year so there is a learning curve but he’s really capable of being a good one,” said Lemieux.

 Connor Walsh is a 6’2 forward who can knock down jumpers on the perimeter but is most dangerous using his back to the basket game in the paint. Walsh, who showed off his passing ability in the Coaches for a Cause Jamboree, will be joined upfront by Keanyon Lambert, Nick Capobianco and small forward Justin Trickett. It is Trickett who might prove to be the X-Factor for Trinity, “ I expect a big season out of Justin,” said Lemieux. “ He’s a player I think we can rely on from game to game.” Ryan Boldwin is a three sport athlete (and future college baseball player) who gives this team rebounding and defense while Club Level member James Santos is a good shooter who Lemieux would like to see emerge as the season goes along. “ We’ve only had two weeks of practice so roles are still being defined,” said Lemieux, “Once that process is over I think you’ll see us start to take off.”

 Head coach Tim Goodridge has led Merrimack to the championship game in two of the last three years and although they start the season uncharacteristically outside the Top 10 it won’t be long before they are back amongst the elite. “ We’re very young but I really like the group we have and it starts with Austin Franzen.” Franzen is a two year starter and with player of the year Eric Gendron off playing for Trinity College it falls on the 5’10 shooting guard to carry the offensive load. Dylan Richardson was a key contributor a year ago and now steps into a much bigger role in 2015. Goodridge has been very happy with the play of Chad Seaver and Mike Dodach in the pre-season, “ Chad has been playing really well for us and I expect him to have a good year for us,” said Goodridge.

 Merrimack may have another all-state guard in its future as 6’2 freshman Ian Cummings has impressed already. “ It’s going to be a process with us and right now inexperience is our biggest weakness but I feel like this team is going to improve as the season goes along and our goal is the be peaking in March.”

 Inexperience will also be the Achilles heel of an Exeter (the coverage of Exeter is sponsored by chad Fletcher at Blue Water Mortgage) team that has made back to back trips to the quarterfinals but Head coach Jeff Holmes expects the growing pains to last only for so long. “ Last season we had seven seniors so you knew what you had going in,” said Holmes. “ This year is entirely different.” In addition to the seven seniors Exeter also lost forward Ben Sweet who chose to go the prep school route.

 Bryant Holmes will take on more of the ball handling duties in a backcourt that will include James Peel (“He’s a real good athlete and helps us in a few different ways,” said Holmes) and Dalton Litzelman. PJ Hanson and Zach Pafford will contribute to an undersized but athletic frontcourt.

 Nashua North head coach Steve Lane is going to push the tempo because of the ability of his backcourt and also because he really has no other choice..” We are really happy with our rotation but we don’t have a ton of size so we’re going to dial up the pressure at both ends and try to take teams out of their comfort zone,” said Lane. Ronnie Silver is a sophomore point guard who will be handed the keys to the offense while juniors Nate Hill and Brandon Rodriguez will see major minutes as well. Lane expects production out of Jeff Almonte and Brendan Barrett as well.

 The weather changes constantly in New England and during most practices it feels the same way at Winnacunnet for Head coach Jay McKenna, “ We’re so young and you have to remember that because it can be frustrating. We can look so good for twenty minutes and then all of the sudden we look lost. So it’s a process we’re going through.” Point guard Anthony Primavera and power forward Freddy Schaake lead the Warriors in their youth movement while McKenna expects contributions from Liam Viviano, Patrick Witt, Logan Keane and Aaron Gareau among others. McKenna hopes an undefeated JV team from a year ago is able to quickly translate at the varsity level. “ What the underclassman need to learn is how hard and how smart you have to play, every possession, at this level. It has to be consistent or you’re not going to have success. When they learn that they’ll start seeing the results.”

 Alvirne first year head coach Brian Lynch is looking to see what players step into certain roles for the Broncos this season. What he isn’t wondering about is who will handle the ball and run the offense, “Danny Brown is someone we have a lot of confidence in,” said Lynch. “ He ran the offense well as a quarterback in the fall and it’s no different now.” Production and leadership will come from Sam Bonney-Liles, Evan Hunt and Connor Hodsdon, “ We feel like we have a good mix of athletes and experience with this group,” said Lynch. “ We’ll be smaller than a lot of the teams we’ll play so it will be about creating turnovers and forcing the other team into bad decisions.”

 Keene is looking to bounce back from a winless season in 2014 when injuries to its best players killed any early momentum. Head coach Dave Sontag knows how to put his players in the best position to succeed he just needs more production and hopefully better luck than he had a year ago. “We have a bit of a different philosophy on both ends of the floor than we did a year ago,” said Sontag. “That has everything to do with our personnel. We want to execute in the halfcourt and value each possession.” John Link is a 6’5 big man who can finish in the paint and looks poised for a big season while point guard Spencer Feng is one of the most improved players on the team after a lot of work in the off-season. Sontag also expects production from Nathan Blanchard who returns to the team this season.
 
 Pre-Season Player of the Year: Cody Ball of Londonderry
 
 Pre-Season First Team All-State
 Cody Ball of Londonderry
 Joey Martin of Manchester Central
 Darian Berry of Spaulding
 Dominic Timbas of Pembroke Academy
 Kabongo Ngalakalundi of Manchester Memorial
 
 Second Team
 Austin Franzen of Merrimack
 Kyle Gavin of Bishop Guertin
 Geo Baker of Pinkerton Academy
 Marc Corey of Londonderry
 Jack Zimmerman of Bishop Guertin

 With apologies to: Justin Trickett & Connor Walsh of Trinity, Jaylen Leeroy of Manchester Central, Max Curran & Rob Wilson of Pembroke, Anthony Ciccotelli of Spaulding, Danny Brown of Alvirne, Gardner Gendron & Ryan Brown of Bedford, Jack Preston of Manchester Memorial, Joe Kwiatkowski of Londonderry, John Link of Keene, Matt Vartanian & Jared Gott of Salem, Bryant Holmes of Exeter, Anthony Primavera & Freddy Schaake of Winnacunnet, Matt Rizzo, Drew Green & Caleb Godin of Pinkerton.