One of the best MIAA basketball holiday tournaments is back, and this season’s edition could be one of the best in recent memory.
The Commonwealth Motors Christmas Classic will tip off Saturday at Merrimack College and features eight of the best boys MIAA teams north of Boston. The field includes three of the top four teams in our latest MIAA Top 10 and several of the best players in the state.
Here’s how the eight teams are seeded: No. 1 Beverly, No. 2 Central Catholic, No. 3 Greater Lawrence Tech, No. 4 Andover, No. 5 North Andover, No. 6 Methuen, No. 7 Lawrence and No. 8 St. John’s Prep.
Andover beat Methuen in a thrilling championship game last season, and this year’s tournament is wide open. Here’s a full preview of the tournament, including five storylines and 10 players to watch. This schedule will be updated with results throughout the weekend.
MIAA TOP 10: Andover makes big jump after signature win at Central Catholic
Schedule
Saturday, Dec. 27
Game 1: Beverly 77, St. John’s Prep 40
Game 2: Greater Lawrence 52, Methuen 46
Game 3: Central Catholic 62, Lawrence 55
Game 4: Andover 80, North Andover 65
Sunday, Dec. 28
Game 5: North Andover 67, St. John's Prep 63
Game 6: Methuen 54, Lawrence 48
Game 7: Beverly 74, Andover 58
Game 8: Central Catholic 62, Greater Lawrence 43
Tuesday, Dec. 30
Game 9 (7th Place): Lawrence 52, St. John's Prep 46
Game 10 (5th Place): Methuen 61, North Andover 38
Game 11 (3rd Place): Andover 59, Greater Lawrence 53
Championship: Central Catholic 76, Beverly 62
Storylines to watch
1. It’s possible Andover was written off heading into this season after the graduation of star Sam Concemi and the departure of Owen Crowley to Putnam Science. But the Warriors have written themselves back on the radar after their signature win at Central Catholic last Friday, and they have the most momentum of any team heading into the tournament. The guard tandem of junior Josh Roux and sophomore Charlie Tutwiler is looking like one of the best in the state, and the emergence of freshman Logan Sullivan has been a game-changer. Coach Dave Fazio has this group playing with confidence, and several of them won’t be afraid of the moment after winning last year’s tournament.
Hoping for a rematch between Andover and Central? If both teams take care of their first two games – which is obviously a difficult task – it would happen in Tuesday’s championship game.
2. Beverly enters the CMCC as our No. 1-ranked team after two easy home wins over Peabody and Marblehead. Now, the Panthers get their first big test of the season, with an opportunity to reaffirm the preseason hype they got after winning multiple preseason tournaments. A veteran cast is led by coach Matt Karakoudas, but a path to the championship won’t be easy. The potential road, if they beat St. John’s Prep in the opening game of the tournament, could include Andover in the semifinals and Central Catholic in the title game.
3. This is a fascinating spot for Central Catholic, which was our clear-cut No. 1 team in the preseason. Saturday’s first-round game vs. Lawrence will be the Raiders’ first game since their loss to Andover last Friday. I’m expecting to see a highly-motivated group ready to shake off more than a week’s worth of frustration. This tournament represents a unique opportunity for Central to quickly reclaim their status as the team to beat in MIAA, and the way they respond to their early adversity could go a long way.
4. Could Methuen be a sneaky sleeper? The Rangers, last season’s runner-up in this tournament, might be better than their No. 6 seed after a 2-0 start that includes an impressive 10-point win over Lowell. Coach Ryan Middlemiss’ squad is getting it done on the defensive end, where they’ve held their two opponents, Chelmsford and Lowell, to 39 and 40 points, respectively. That’s hard to do.
5. Greater Lawrence graduated multiple members of one of the best teams in school history last winter, but have several returners who earned valuable experience in last season’s run to the Div. 3 round of 8. Seniors Albert Diaz, Elian Alvarez and Zay Goicochea are the leaders, and Amarian Lopes is at the head of a six-man sophomore class that coach Stevie Martinez describes as “the wolfpack,” a group that played key minutes as freshmen last season. Martinez, one of the most respected coaches in the state, expects a great challenge this weekend for a team that should learn valuable growth lessons, but don’t be surprised if the Reggies make some noise.
Players to watch
Jacob Klass, senior guard, Beverly – One of the most prolific scorers in the state, the 6-foot-1 guard averaged 24 points per game last season. He’s averaging 20.5 points in the Panthers’ first two games this winter.
Domenic Panniello-Torres, senior guard, Beverly – A transfer from Bishop Fenwick, the Nichols College commit is the do-it-all glue for the Panthers, and possibly their best passer. He had eight assists in their season-opening win over Peabody.
Javi Lopez, senior guard, Central Catholic – The reigning Merrimack Valley Conference MVP, Lopez is widely regarded as the best player in MIAA boys basketball. He’s averaging 26.5 points in Central’s first two games.
Elkin Pena, sophomore forward, Central Catholic – A big, physical inside presence who has stretched his game to the perimeter, Pena had a standout freshman season for the Raiders as he emerged as a critical starter in their Division 1 Final Four run.
Amarian Lopes, sophomore guard, Greater Lawrence – A leader of the Reggies’ sophomore group, Lopes had 18 points and six assists in a 56-44 win over Lowell Catholic on Dec. 16.
Josh Roux, junior guard, Andover – One of the best 3-point shooters in New England, Roux scored a game-high 20 points to lead the Golden Warriors to last season’s CMCC title. He’s off to a hot start this winter, averaging 25.3 points per game in Andover’s first three games.
Angel Sanchez, senior guard, North Andover – The captain is the lone senior on a young Scarlet Knights team that is still gaining experience and lessons on how to win, but they have to run through Sanchez to be successful.
Niles Scott, junior forward, Methuen – Scott is averaging 17 points and 10.5 rebounds over the Rangers’ opening two wins.
Aiden Torres, senior forward, Lawrence – Torres is one of two returning starters, alongside sophomore Prudence Kouhiko, and the leader of the Lancers’ up-tempo offense. He had 27 points, six rebounds and eight assists in Lawrence’s season-opening win over Haverhill.
Marcus Magloire, sophomore guard, St. John’s Prep – One of the most promising underclassmen in the state, Magloire put up 25 points, eight rebounds and four assists in a win over North Andover earlier this week, a victory that should give the Eagles some momentum heading into this weekend.
