A month into the season, Connecticut’s top teams have made themselves known.
The early season results haven’t come as much of a surprise either, as nine of this week’s top 10 teams were in our preseason top 10.
Two-time defending Division 1 state champion Notre Dame-West Haven remains in the top spot, while the pack behind the Green Knights has shuffled ever so slightly, with East Catholic and Hillhouse sliding multiple spots after close losses to other top 10 teams.
These top 10 teams have only suffered a combined 10 losses, with all of them coming against out-of-state competition or to other ranked teams by single digits.
With this group beginning to separate itself from the pack, there are no new entrants to our latest rankings. Take a look.
1. Notre Dame-West Haven (8-2)
Previous rank: 1
Next game: at No. 9 Hillhouse, Jan. 15, 7 p.m.
The Green Knights have added three blowout victories since the last top 10 installment, defeating Daniel Hand (90-37), Amity (87-45) and Wilbur Cross (85-41), further cementing their status as Connecticut’s best team. Abdou Toure, the 6-foot-6 Arkansas-bound senior wing, is averaging 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 2.8 steals while shooting 79.5 percent from the field and 51.6 percent from 3. He was one of 15 players listed on MaxPreps’ National Player of the Year Midseason watch list on Wednesday. Senior Jonathan Jones led the Green Knights with 14 points against Hand. Junior point guard Kadrian Reeves scored 13 points against Amity, and sophomore Bobby Shea had 14 against Wilbur Cross, both second to Toure in those contests.
2. Windsor (8-0)
Previous rank: 3
Next game: at Glastonbury, Jan. 15, 5 p.m.
Windsor has remained undefeated, earning five more victories since the last update. The Warriors picked up a signature road victory over East Catholic on Jan. 9, led by junior Missoni Brown, who dropped 35 points, and sophomore guard Alex Weaver, who added 21. Windsor also notched wins over South Windsor (86-39), Bristol Eastern (91-55), St. Bernard (95-55), and Southington (88-73). The Warriors are the CIAC’s top-ranked team in Division 2.
3. Notre Dame Prep (6-2)
Previous rank: 4
Next game: vs. Kolbe Cathedral, Jan. 15, 7:30 p.m.
After a pair of losses at the Kruel Classic in Coral Springs, Fla., Notre Dame Prep has ripped off five consecutive victories and is undefeated in CIAC play. The Lancers’ three most recent wins have come against Brookfield, 95-28, Bunnell, 62-56, and Stratford, 63-47. Junior point guard Josh Charlot has starred, averaging 18.3 points, 6.5 assists, 5.9 rebounds, and 5 steals. Senior wing Jameer Reed is scoring 17 points a night on just under 59 percent shooting, to go along with 8.4 rebounds and 4 assists per game. Notre Dame Prep will face a major test at the HoopHall Classic in Springfield on Saturday, as it goes head-to-head with Mater Dei (Calif.).
4. Staples (6-0)
Previous rank: 5
Next game: at Stamford, Jan. 15, 7 p.m.
The Wreckers are atop the CIAC’s Division 1 rankings, sitting at a perfect 6-0. Staples has earned recent wins over New Canaan, 69-47, Brien McMahon, 81-41, and Norwalk, 70-56. Senior forward Matty Corrigan starred in the win over New Canaan, scoring 28 points on 10-of-12 shooting and 5 of 6 from the foul line. Junior guard Austin Heyer added a season-high 21 points, and senior floor general Sam Clachko dished out 13 assists. All five starters reached double figures against Brien McMahon, with Clachko Clachko and senior forward Mason Tobias netting 17 apiece. Clachko had a team-high 18 points and nine assists against Norwalk.
5. Northwest Catholic (7-1)
Previous rank: 7
Next game: at No. 6 East Catholic, Jan. 16, 6:45 p.m.
The Lions are winners of five straight, earning victories over NFA (70-28), Bristol Eastern (58-34), Platt (72-69), Southington (51-35), and Manchester (83-45). Senior guards Drew Dargati and Cooper Steele have led the way for Northwest Catholic. Dargati is averaging 18.8 points and five rebounds, and Steele is at 14 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Senior forward Tyler Uveges is snagging a team-high 8.5 rebounds a game. Northwest Catholic’s lone loss came at No. 2 Windsor, 64-60. Friday’s top-10 matchup at East Catholic will tell us a whole lot.
6. East Catholic (7-1)
Previous rank: 2
Next game: vs. Shaker High School (N.Y.), Jan. 15, 3 p.m.
The Eagles had won six straight games to start the season before falling at home, 87-81, to No. 3 Windsor. While it’s not all that concerning to lose by six to one of the state’s best teams, the top five teams are strong enough that East Catholic drops four spots in our rankings because of it. The Eagles will have a chance to vault right back into that top five after a pair of headlining matchups. First, the Eagles will get the HoopHall Classic started, playing in the first matchup of the event against Shaker, the defending New York AAA State Champions. Then, they’ll host No. 5 Northwest Catholic on Friday.
7. West Haven (9-1)
Previous rank: 8
Next game: at Daniel Hand, Jan. 16, 7 p.m.
The only blemish on West Haven’s resume is a 77-42 loss to top-ranked Notre Dame-West Haven on Dec. 23. The Blue Devils have won six straight contests since then, with wins over Guilford, Xavier, and Thomas Edison by an average of 19.67 points since the last update. As it stands now, they are ranked second in the CIAC’s Division 1 power rankings, and they have the talent to continue stacking wins.
8. New London (7-2)
Previous rank: 9
Next game: vs. Windham, Jan. 15, 7 p.m.
The Whalers earned an impressive win over Hillhouse, 75-74, on Tuesday night, courtesy of senior Akai Soria’s go-ahead bucket with 12 seconds left. Senior guard Jamir Hall poured in a team-high 25 points, his twin brother Amir had 14, as did classmate center Kyaire Young. Senior guard Jayvon Robinson supplied 10 assists, including the final one to Soria, and snagged seven rebounds. New London has also picked up recent wins over Killingly, Griswold, and La Salle Academy (R.I.). Its two losses — to Bishop Hendricken and Classical — have come against top 10 teams in Rhode Island.
9. Hillhouse (8-1)
Previous rank: 6
Next game: vs. No. 1 Notre Dame-West Haven, Jan. 15, 7 p.m.
Head coach Renard Sutton earned his 300th victory on Friday as the Academics picked up a 79-54 victory over Foran. In his 16th season, Sutton holds a 300-82 career record. Hillhouse, however, fell at No. 8 New London, 75-74, on Tuesday, resulting in a three-spot slide. Still, Hillhouse ranks fourth in the CIAC’s Division 2 power rankings following the loss. Next up on the schedule are home games against No. 1 Notre Dame-West Haven and No. 7 West Haven. Hillhouse’s performances in those two contests will tell us a lot in terms of what we can expect from this group.
10. Trumbull (7-0)
Previous rank: 10
Next game: vs. Wilton, Jan. 16, 7 p.m.
The Eagles entered the top 10 in our last update courtesy of a 4-0 start. They remain in the 10 slot after picking up three more victories over Danbury (66-33), Fairfield Warde (51-31), and Brien McMahon (64-57). Senior guard Sean Wilson, the returning FCIAC Player of the Year, poured in a game-high 27 points in the win over Warde. Trumbull is currently ranked second in the CIAC’s Division 2 power rankings.
