When zooming out on the statewide MIAA basketball picture, it’s been impossible to ignore what’s happening north of Boston.
Two of the best teams in the state – Central Catholic and Andover – have remained at the top of our rankings all winter, and a rematch between them in the MVC Cup looms this week. St. Mary’s has been one of the best stories in MIAA this season. Several more championship contenders live north of Boston, including undefeated Newburyport (15-0).
Then there’s Salem, a Division 3 contender that’s proving itself as one of the best teams in the state. The Witches scored another signature victory by beating St. Mary’s at home, and they punched their ticket into this week’s Top 10 for the first time this season – and it was probably overdue.
Six of this week’s MIAA boys Top 10 are teams north of Boston. A programming note: This will be our last Top 10 until Feb. 20, which is the day after the final day of the regular season and the day before the state tournament brackets are released. There’s a lot to decide over the next week and a half, with February vacation tournaments like the Board 27 Comcast Tournament helping us put a bow on an exciting end to the regular season.
Let’s dive in.
1. Central Catholic (14-3)
Previous rank: 1
Next game: vs. Methuen, Feb. 9, 7 p.m.
On the same day he officially committed to Brandeis, Javi Lopez scored a career-high 39 points in Sunday's win over St. John's Prep, capping a relatively easy portion of Central's schedule. Now, they face a tough road over the next 10 days – which should help prepare them for the state tournament. The Raiders are the No. 1 seed in the inaugural MVC Cup because they’re the highest in the MIAA power rankings. A win Tuesday vs. Methuen advances them to the MVC Cup final against the winner of Andover/Lawrence. Central will then head to Emmanuel College for the Board 27 Comcast Tournament, where they’ll play Newton South and then either Masconomet or Newton South.
2. Andover (15-1)
Previous rank: 2
Next game: vs. Lawrence, Feb. 10, 6:30 p.m.
The Golden Warriors – who are still without starting guard Luke Zorbas – finished their MVC season with a perfect 11-0 record after Thursday’s 55-51 win over Methuen. No matter how this week goes, coach Dave Fazio is proud of his group for that achievement after he entered this season not knowing what to expect from a young roster. Andover was No. 5 in the last Div. 1 power rankings; can they sneak into a top-four spot? That would guarantee them home games through the state tournament quarterfinals.
3. Bridgewater-Raynham (13-2)
Previous rank: 8
Next game: vs. Barnstable, Feb. 10, 6:30 p.m.
The Trojans responded from last Sunday’s loss to Mansfield with an encouraging week, highlighted by a strong victory over Division 2 contender Oliver Ames. It showed some of their mettle and depth; with stars Cason Faulk and Cam Santos limited in foul trouble, others stepped up to deliver the win. Games like that should go a long way in what they expect to be a deep tournament run. A matchup at Attleboro looms on Feb. 16.
4. Masconomet (13-1)
Previous rank: 4
Next game: at Beverly, Feb. 9, 7 p.m.
The Chieftains handled an easy stretch of their schedule. The next week will show us a lot about them. They head to Beverly on Monday, then host Salem on Thursday before the Board 27 Comcast Tournament, where a win over Catholic Memorial could get them a matchup with Central Catholic. Their regular season ends with a matchup against defending Div. 4 champion Georgetown. No easy ones left for this team.
5. Attleboro (16-2)
Previous rank: 6
Next game: vs. Sharon, Feb. 10, 6:30 p.m.
The Blue Bombardiers wrapped up the Hockomock League Kelly-Rex title with Tuesday’s win at Milford before completing a season sweep of Franklin on Friday to improve to 14-0 in the league. Attleboro, however, sits at No. 11 in the Div. 1 power rankings.
6. Salem (15-1)
Previous rank: NR
Next game: at Swampscott, Feb. 9, 7 p.m.
It’s time to put some respect on Salem’s name – and I admit I probably should have done this sooner. The Witches’ resume now includes victories at Beverly and at home over St. Mary’s, the latter of which was a wild instant classic, and they don’t have a loss in Massachusetts this winter. Led by junior star Elian Rodriguez and senior captain Nate Lane, Salem looks like the Division 3 frontrunner.
7. St. Mary’s (15-3)
Previous rank: 3
Next game: vs. Wareham, Feb. 11, 5:45 p.m.
After dominating their in-state competition throughout the winter, the Spartans dropped two road games to Salem and Archbishop Williams. There shouldn't be any panic for this group – which hosts Div. 4 power Wareham on Wednesday – but the week showed that the top seed in Division 2 is vulnerable.
8. Oliver Ames (15-2)
Previous rank: 7
Next game: vs. North Attleboro, Feb. 10, 6:30 p.m.
The only two Oliver Ames games I’ve been to have resulted in Tigers losses, but they were against their two toughest opponents to date – Attleboro and Bridgewater-Raynham. The connection between point guard Jacob Lok and star wing Justin Grimaldi is one of the best in the state, and I noted last week that Zaire Maddox might be the best athlete in MIAA. There’s a ton to like about this team as it looks to make another Div. 2 Final Four run.
9. Beverly (13-3)
Previous rank: 10
Next game: vs. Masconomet, Feb. 9, 7 p.m.
The Panthers have almost quietly won seven consecutive games, all by double digits as they’ve held opponents under 50 points five times in that stretch. Their only losses this season are to Central Catholic, Masconomet and Salem.
10. New Bedford (12-2)
Previous rank: NR
Next game: vs. New Mission, Feb. 9, 6 p.m.
The Whalers make their season debut in our rankings. Their strong resume includes wins over Abington twice, Brockton twice and Div. 4 powerhouse Wareham, with their only two losses coming to Bridgewater-Raynham, including one at the buzzer. They sit at No. 7 in the MIAA’s Div. 1 power rankings.
Dropped out: Malden Catholic, Cambridge
The next five: Needham, Cambridge, Wareham, Burlington, BC High
Needham, with a 15-1 record and its only loss to Newton North, sit at No. 6 in the Div. 1 power rankings. … Cambridge (12-2) dropped from the Top 10 after a mediocre effort in its win over Weston last week. … Wareham (13-3) owns victories over Norwell twice, Brockton and Bishop Feehan and are No. 1 in the Division 4 power rankings. …
Burlington (14-2), which opened at No. 6 in our preseason rankings, has won 10 in a row. … BC High (11-5) won the Catholic Conference outright last week with wins over Malden Catholic and St. John’s Prep. The Eagles were No. 4 in last week’s Div. 1 power rankings and have the division’s hardest strength of schedule.
