This is an annual column where we stop to take a look around each of the four divisions at the midway point of the season. The purpose is to analyze the first half of the season to tell you where the teams stand today and where they are likely headed over the second half of the season.

 As always I pick the two teams most likely to meet in the championship game, your most likely final four teams, hand out mid-season all-state picks as well as our mid-season player & coach of the year.

 We want to first thank our Gold Level Coaches/Programs: Mike Rathgeber of Inter-Lakes, John Langlois of Mascenic Regional, Kevin Dame of Winnisquam, Eric Saucier of Conant, Jim Hill of Monadnock, Jim Cilley of Belmont & Mike Donnell of Franklin

 Every Gold Level Member has access to every single full game video we produce.

 

 If forced to pick the two teams that will meet in the final: Campbell vs. Conant

 Division III is pretty wide open after Campbell & Conant and even those two teams have flaws they are going to have to either fix or avoid once we get to the post-season.

 So expect upsets once we get to March. There is enough depth in the division where an 11 seed could go all the way to Southern New Hampshire University and the final four.

 What it makes for is a terrific tournament.

 Campbell gets the nod because this is the deepest team in the division and they have three or four playmakers that can win you the game late.

 The wins over Conant & Hopkinton (both on their home floor) have given them the inside track to the top seed. Jonah Crema has done a very good job at point guard alongside shooting guard Joaquin Heller. Brendan Rice might be the best passer on the team and Carter ‘Ogre Jr.’ Vedrani gives them an athletic big man who can match up with players like Kevin Newton-Delgado of Hopkinton, Greg Madore of Gilford and Zeke Pribbenow of White Mountains.

 Frank Girginis has done a very good job in his first year as head coach in allowing Campbell to play its frenetic style while pulling in the reins when he needs to.

 Conant is another team that can win the title but it's going to have to be with defense and it’s going to have to be with 6 or 7 guys going the 32 minutes. The Orioles don’t have a lot of size or depth, and those are two key ingredients to winning in March.

 What they do have is one of the best coaches in the state in Eric Saucier (his fellow coaches’ rave about how prepared Conant is night to night) and a go-to scorer in Peyton Springfield (21.6). Jake Drew & Anthony Gauthier are the kind of players you win games with, the kind of players who will do whatever is asked of them to get a W.

 During the 2014 championship run Saucier told his team before the opening round that if they held every opponent in the tournament to under 40 points they would be state champions. He knew he didn’t have an offense that could outscore teams but a team capable of locking opponents down.

 Conant ended up beating John Langlois & Campbell in the final 40-36 and this season feels a lot like that one.

 Somersworth is a consistent outside shooter away from getting back to the final four for a third straight season under Rob Fauci.

 We know what we’re getting from the pre-season player of the year Evan Gray, whose numbers will go up once we get to March and he is playing 25+ minutes a night. What also is known is what we are getting from Ethan Johnson (10.1), who started for the Hilltoppers championship team a year ago.

 What Somersworth lacks is a shooter they can rely on to knockdown 3’s. Jacob Hamilton & Jeremy Levesque have each had moments but they have not given the Somersworth offense the perimeter shooting Bryton Early & Tyler Clark did a year ago.

 Bryton Early, as Rick Pitino would whine, is not walking through that door, nor is Tyler Clark, both are playing in college for someone else. But if Hamilton and Levesque are able to knockdown shots and Somersworth dials up their pressure defense this is a team capable of another run.

 Gray has the ability to take over games late and there is enough experience to pull an upset or two once we get to the one & done stage.

 Hopkinton has a nice mix of guards who can shoot it & defend around one of the best frontcourts in the division in Kevin Newton-Delgado and Caleb Yianakopolos. 

 The Hawks own wins over Conant, St Thomas, Belmont, Inter-Lakes & Mascoma so their resume is very strong. Delgado didn’t play in a loss to Monadnock last Friday night but should be back this week.

 They have been the surprise team in the division so far, in the second half they’ll face Somersworth, have rematches with Conant & Campbell, plus match-ups with Mascenic and Gilford.

 If they’re a top 4 seed again they’ll have absolutely earned it.

 

 The verdict is still out on: White Mountains ( They are starting to play much better and the schedule, with 6 games against Division IV teams, is going to get them a high seed. With the Spartans it’s about depth..or lack there of..can they win in March with 7 players going for 32 minutes? I think they can. They’re still more than capable of a run to SNHU.)……….St Thomas ( In the pre-season Sean Murphy listed off the candidates who could emerge as the much needed 3rd scorer for this team. As of January 22nd, no one has emerged….and they need someone to.)……….Mascenic Regional (We’ll learn more about them in the next month. Their three losses are to Campbell and Conant twice, those are solid losses. How do they fare against other top 10 teams? This team will be more dangerous when Trey Shaw is scoring 15 points a game, which is where I think he will end up after 18 games. John Langlois only cares about wins in March and he will have this group ready when they get there)……….Belmont (Jim Cilley is doing an excellent job with this group. They play hard and they have good players, but they don’t have a go-to guy. You need players like Griffin Embree & Aidan Rupp to win games and Jackson Roulke & Nate Sottack have been very effective as sophomores but who are they going to in the tournament when they have a do or die possession?)…....Gilford (the alma mater has to decide on a personality and stick with it. If you don’t have great guard play but you have a very good frontcourt then hang your hat on your defense & rebounding. Beat everyone 50-45 because you play tremendous half-court defense and no one can get second shots on you. Right now there is no identity with this team)…………..Berlin (Jared Lauze is doing a very nice job in his first year as head coach and Seth Balderrama & Sinciere Davis have been outstanding..especially with Michael Moore out with an injury. They will be a tough out but it just feels like they have to do everything right to beat good teams)………..Monadnock ( They’re either going to peak late or they were always a year away, remember this is a very young team of mostly sophomores. They seem to finally be getting healthy at the same time)………Inter-Lakes (Have they figured some things out or just benefited from the easiest part of their schedule? We’ll know over the next four games when they face Division II Laconia, Belmont (on the road) and White Mountains (on the road).

 

Your lower seeded team that will be a nightmare in Round 1: Mascoma

 Jim Barry is putting something together up in West Canaan. Connor Thompson (13.3) is only a sophomore, Ben Seiler (12.5) is another underclassman playing better by the week and senior guard Dakota Decocq can take over games late.

 The Royals also need to get healthy (Thompson has missed the last two games) but when they do their pressure defense combined with three scorers and one of the best coaches in the division is going to make them the team you hope your biggest rival ends up with in Round 1.

 

 Player of the year at the mid-point: Seth Balderrama of Berlin

 He’s had to put a very inexperienced team on his back and has been up to the task. He’s been the best player in the division to this point just ahead of...

 Runner-up: Evan Gray of Somersworth

 

 Coach of the Year at the mid-point:  Jim Cilley of Belmont

 He’s getting the most out of his team and it’s been a three-year build for a program that was hardly relevant the past 20 years.

 Runner-up: Eric Saucier of Conant

 

 First Team All-State (First half of the season)

 Seth Balderrama of Berlin

 Evan Gray of Somersworth

 Peyton Springfield of Conant

 Eli Swanson of Inter-Lakes

 Sammy Stauffeneker of Mascenic Regional

 

 With apologies to: Zeke Pribbenow of White Mountains, Andrew Cavanaugh & Shawn Dekorne of St Thomas, Kevin Newton Delgado of Hopkinton, Jonah Crema & Joaquin Heller of Campbell, Jake Drew of Conant, Aidan Rupp & Griffin Embree of Belmont, Kyle Mann & Phil Nichols of Winnisquam, Greg Madore & Adrian Siravo of Gilford, Sinciere Davis of Berlin, Connor Thompson of Mascoma, Ben Lafrance of Franklin, Quinn Grover of Monadnock and Trey Shaw of Mascenic Regional.

 

 Next Tuesday: Division II