With the CIAC boys’ basketball regular season hitting the home stretch, this will be the last rankings update before conference tournaments begin.
Not much has changed since two weeks ago, but East Hartford, out of the Central Connecticut Conference, has entered the rankings for the first time this season after going on the road and beating East Catholic, previously a top five team.
West Haven enters the top five for the first time this year, courtesy of a 13-game winning streak. Its reward: a date with top-ranked Notre Dame-West Haven on Thursday night. Speaking of, the Green Knights have dismantled their opposition over the last few weeks despite being without their star player. Can anyone prevent the overwhelming favorites from completing their three-peat bid?
An exciting end to the regular season awaits. Now, let’s take a look at the top 10.
1. Notre Dame-West Haven (14-3)
Previous rank: 1
Next game: vs. West Haven, Feb. 12, 7 p.m.
The Green Knights clinched a seventh consecutive SCC Hammonasset Division title on Monday. Notre Dame-West Haven was without star senior wing Abdou Toure for four games after he suffered a left quad contusion on Jan. 21 in a 103-36 win at Branford. Still, the Green Knights cruised without him, notching blowout wins over East Haven (115-48), Branford (105-27), Daniel Hand (101-46) and Amity (93-50) in his absence. Senior guard Tyrell Bryant stepped up to score 20 points in Notre Dame’s 101-46 win over Hand. Toure returned to the lineup on Tuesday as Notre Dame defeated Wilbur Cross, 76-56. The four-star Arkansas commit was selected to the Iverson Classic All-American Game on Wednesday.
2. Windsor (16-0)
Previous rank: 2
Next game: vs. East Catholic, Feb. 13, 6:45 p.m.
Windsor earned three more wins in the last two weeks to remain undefeated. The Warriors cruised past Manchester, 107-51, and were powered by Missoni Brown’s 25 points and six steals in an 86-49 win over RHAM. Windsor then notched an impressive win at Pope Francis (Mass.), 73-66, on Monday. Pope Francis is ranked third in the MIAA’s Division 2 power rankings.
3. Staples (16-0)
Previous rank: 3
Next game: vs. Danbury, Feb. 12, 7 p.m.
In Wednesday’s clash of the FCIAC’s unbeatens, Staples came out on top, cruising to a comfortable, 54-36 victory over Trumbull. Senior forward Mason Tobias scored 17 points and corralled 11 rebounds, both team highs. Senior point guard Sam Clachko also notched a double-double, scoring 12 points with 10 rebounds, and added a team-high six assists. Tobias and Clachko also led the way in a 53-51 escape at Fairfield Ludlowe last Tuesday. Tobias scored a team-high 15 points and Clachko added 14, including the final four points. The Wreckers also earned wins over Fairfield Warde, 84-51, and Bridgeport Central, 66-50, in the last two weeks.
4. Notre Dame Prep (14-3)
Previous rank: 4
Next game: at Immaculate, Feb. 12, 7 p.m.
Notre Dame Prep is on a nine-game winning streak and has won five games since our last update. The Lancers have picked up victories over Joel Barlow, 78-38, Forest Hills (N.Y.), 73-69, Bethel, 75-47, Newtown, 76-35, and New Fairfield, 73-36. In the tight win over Forest Hills, one of the top teams in Queens, junior point guard Josh Charlot scored 27 points and dished out eight assists. Senior wing Jameer Reed scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and junior Jaise Greaves added 16 points.
5. West Haven (16-1)
Previous rank: 6
Next game: at Notre Dame-West Haven, Feb. 12, 7 p.m.
West Haven has won 13 straight games following its lone loss to top-ranked Notre Dame-West Haven on Dec. 23. In the last two weeks, the Blue Devils have beaten Shelton (60-45), Hillhouse (70-59), Guilford (83-32) and Xavier (75-36). In a comeback win over Hillhouse on Feb. 3, senior guard Aaron Johnson Jr. led the way, notching a 32-point, 11-rebound double-double with three blocks. With that victory, West Haven snapped a seven-game losing streak to Hillhouse.
6. East Catholic (14-3)
Previous rank: 5
Next game: at Windsor, Feb. 13, 6:45 p.m.
East Catholic was on a six-game winning streak before suffering a surprising home loss to East Hartford, 61-59, on Monday. The Eagles responded well with an 81-73 win at Bishop Hendricken, a top 10 team in Rhode Island, on Wednesday. East Catholic has also picked up blowouts wins over Tolland (67-37), E.O. Smith (86-46), Manchester (75-47) and Enfield (90-52). Senior guard Sincere Folk scored 24 points in the win over E.O Smith.
7. Northwest Catholic (13-3)
Previous rank: 7
Next game: at Bristol Central, Feb. 13, 6:45 p.m.
Northwest Catholic had a chance to move up in the rankings after East Catholic fell to East Hartford, but the Lions faced a similar fate, falling at Hall, 73-72, on Tuesday. The loss came on the second night of a back-to-back, as Northwest Catholic has had a jam-packed schedule due to weather postponements. The Lions had been riding a six-game winning streak before that loss, with recent victories coming against Conard (73-20), Simsbury (73-40), Cheney Tech (100-59), Farmington (53-37) and Avon (87-49).
8. Trumbull (15-1)
Previous rank: 8
Next game: at Ridgefield, Feb. 13, 7 p.m.
Trumbull’s undefeated season came to an end on Wednesday, as the Eagles fell at No. 3 Staples, 54-36. The Eagles couldn’t crack Staples’ stifling defense on Wednesday, shooting just 26.5 percent from the field. Senior guard Sean Wilson scored a game-high 21 points on 7 of 20 shooting, but no one else got anything going offensively. Still, the Eagles aren’t getting docked in these rankings for losing to a top three team in the state. Not after 15 consecutive wins to start the season. Trumbull earned wins over Stamford (67-47), Norwalk (67-40) and St. Joseph (62-58) in the last two weeks. Wilson, averaging 21 points per game, scored 27 and snatched nine rebounds against St. Joseph.
9. Ellington (16-0)
Previous rank: 10
Next game: at Enfield, Feb. 12, 6:45 p.m.
Ellington has extended its winning streak to 43 games, adding wins over Suffield (78-57), Granby Memorial (80-36) and Rockville (74-30). That opposition is nothing to write home about, but the Knights just keep on winning and are certainly the team to beat in Division 3. The one-spot rise is courtesy of Fitch (previously ninth) losing twice in the last two weeks, but let's give credit where credit’s due, 43 consecutive wins is extremely difficult regardless of the competition.
10. East Hartford (13-3)
Previous rank: NR
Next game: at RHAM, Feb. 12, 6:45 p.m.
East Hartford makes its way into our rankings for the first time this season after upsetting East Catholic, on the road, 61-59, on Monday. The Hornets also haven’t lost in nearly a month, rattling off eight straight victories. Their losses have come against No. 2 Windsor on Dec. 30, Glastonbury on Jan. 5 and Pope Francis (Mass.) on Jan. 17. And East Hartford got its revenge on Glastonbury last Wednesday, toppling the Guardians, 52-35. The Hornets will have an intriguing test against NFA on Friday.
