After his team’s victory over BC High a few weeks ago, Central Catholic coach Mark Dunham said something that caught my ear. He was talking about how excited he is about his young group, and he steered into another thought.
“I think that this year we’re really excited because it doesn’t seem like there’s a dominant team in Division 1,” Dunham said.
It’s a fair observation. Worcester North – which won 45 consecutive games en route to back-to-back state championships – is no longer a threat in Division 1 after the Polar Bears lost their stars of those teams. What’s left this season is a strong collection of Div. 1 contenders, which seemingly have little separation. It’s reflected in our rankings.
Eight Division 1 teams appear in this week’s MIAA boys Top 10, with six of them, in my opinion, in a class of their own. There’s still a long way to go this season, but those six have not left our Top 10 yet this season. I could see any one of them cutting down the nets come March, and there are even more knocking on the door.
Starting this week, we’re rebranding our rankings to call them the Top 10 instead of power rankings, to avoid confusion with the MIAA’s official power rankings that were released last week for the first time this season. Those rankings offer a lens into the future of state tournament seeding using a specific formula; our rankings are purely opinion-based, using a combination of resume, current form and the old-fashioned eye test.
With that said, here’s this week’s Top 10, which features three new teams.
1. Malden Catholic (7-0)
Previous ranking: 1
Next game: vs. St. John’s Prep, Jan. 14, 6:30 p.m.
The Lancers stay on top, but by a slim margin. Last Tuesday, they needed to claw back from nine down entering the fourth quarter to claim a hard-fought road win at Xaverian in their first Catholic Conference game of the winter. It said a lot to me about their character, leadership and desire to win the league, which they haven’t done during their three-year Div. 2 championship reign. It’s notable that they don’t need star Matt Gaffney to go off every night; Aboubakar Nimaka and Jalil Lawson have been consistent contributors, and MC is expecting starting forward Ben Howard back soon.
2. Lowell (9-0)
Previous ranking: 2
Next game: at Central Catholic, Jan. 17, 7 p.m.
The Red Raiders have rolled to a 7-0 start in Merrimack Valley Conference play, but haven’t played the two other top teams in the Large division. That changes on Friday with Lowell’s massive road test against Central Catholic. It’s the first of two tough road games this week, with a Sunday trip to a surging Bridgewater-Raynham following that. It could be a statement week for the Red Raiders.
3. Newton North (8-0)
Previous ranking: 4
Next game: vs. Milton, Jan. 14, 6:30 p.m.
The Tigers’ unblemished record includes six double-digit victories. Teagan Swint scored 26 points in a 19-point road win over Needham last week, and it looks like no one will touch them in the Bay State Conference.
4. Franklin (9-0)
Previous ranking: 6
Next game: at Stoughton, Jan. 14, 6:30 p.m.
There was great uncertainty surrounding the Panthers after their significant turnover from last season’s state championship squad, but they’ve reloaded as a contender again. Franklin’s 52-37 home win over rival Attleboro on Friday – in which it held the Bombardiers to just nine points in the second half – was impressive. Caden Sullivan leads the way for the Panthers, who have several seniors who have waited their turn and so far, have shown to be ready for the moment.
MORE: 7 standouts and takeaways from Franklin's win over Attleboro
5. Central Catholic (9-2)
Previous ranking: 3
Next game: vs. Lowell, Jan. 17, 7 p.m.
The Raiders’ lone MIAA loss came to Andover on Dec. 28, when they nearly pulled off a wild comeback after trailing by as many as 21. Mark Dunham has loved their fight and resilience since then with five consecutive wins against MIAA opponents, including a tough road win at North Andover on Friday night, when Javi Lopez scored the game-winner. After losing to Brewster Academy on Monday night, Central faces a gauntlet of a schedule over the next week, with home games against Lowell and Newton North before a rematch at Andover.
6. Attleboro (7-1)
Previous ranking: 5
Next game: at Foxboro, Jan. 14, 6:30 p.m.
The Bombardiers were missing starting guard Ladainian Rodriguez in Friday’s loss to Franklin, which was a tough absence, but they lacked a next-man-up mentality, especially in the second half. Head coach Mark Dunham thought his team’s first loss would serve as a valuable opportunity, and I know Attleboro will be ready for its rematch with Franklin at home on Feb. 7. The Hockomock race is far from over.
7. Andover (8-1)
Previous ranking: 7
Next game: at Tewksbury, Jan. 14, 6:30 p.m.
After winning the Commonwealth Motors Christmas Classic, the Golden Warriors dropped their first game of the season with a 51-47 loss at rival North Andover. But head coach Dave Fazio’s group has responded with double-digit wins over Chelmsford and Lawrence. Right now, the MVC is a three-horse race, and Andover is firmly in that hunt.
MIAA 5 Stars: Players of the week for Jan. 6-12
8. St. Mary’s (9-0)
Previous ranking: NR
Next game: at Arlington Catholic, Jan. 14, 6:30 p.m.
The Spartans enter the Top 10 for the first time. Their undefeated start includes a 3-0 mark to lead the Catholic Central, and they lead the MIAA’s Division 3 power rankings. Junior guard JJ Martinez has picked up where he left off, including a near triple-double (18 points, eight assists, seven rebounds) in last Friday’s 79-57 win over Bishop Stang.
9. Arlington (8-1)
Previous ranking: NR
Next game: vs. Woburn, Jan. 17, 6:30 p.m.
The Spy Ponders are 6-0 in the Middlesex League, which includes strong wins over Winchester and on the road at Beverly last week, with their lone blemish coming on Dec. 27, a one-point loss at Catholic Memorial.
10. Brookline (7-3)
Previous ranking: NR
Next game: at Walpole, Jan. 14, 6 p.m.
The Warriors’ three losses have come to Andover, La Salle (R.I.) and Newton North. They’re rolling on a three-game winning streak heading into Tuesday night’s game at Walpole, with those three wins coming by an average margin of 20.3 points.
DROPPED OUT: North Andover, Catholic Memorial, Bourne
ON THE RADAR: Catholic Memorial, Somerset Berkley, Cambridge Rindge & Latin, Bridgewater-Raynham, Mansfield
