The brackets are out and the postseason gets underway on Monday night. The Hockomock League is sending eight of its 12 boys basketball teams into the playoffs and HockomockSports.com has your preview of the state tournament action.
1. Mansfield Earns Top Spot
The Hornets went 20-2 on the season and were rewarded with the #1 Seed in Division 1 South, a spot last year Brockton took all the way to the state semi-finals. Hockomock League Most Valuable Player Brendan Hill will lead the way in the playoffs, as Mansfield will host either West Roxbury (8-9) or Newton South (9-11), the last two teams in the D1 tournament. This team is deep and built to make a deep run. Rocky DeAndrade has emerged as a an incredibly strong player for Mansfield, and the list of complimentary players – who are much better than that title – include Kevin Connor, Michael Boen, Kyle Wisnieski, and Michael Hershman. Then you can add in senior captain Greg Romanko and sharpshooter Ryan Boulter. The future is bright for Mansfield, but their playoff run might hit an early speed bump…
2. Franklin Primed to Make Some Noise
Franklin didn’t finish their schedule strong in terms of wins and loss, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t pick up valuable experience along the way. Franklin dropped decisions to Cardinal Spellman – the 3rd seed in D3 South at 17-3 – and Catholic Memorial, the 10th seed in D1 South. The Panthers will have to take care of Barnstable on the road, but the first thing that jumps out when you look at the left side of the bracket is the possibility of a rematch between Franklin and #1 Mansfield. The two teams split the season series, each winning on their home courts. However, Franklin was just one of two teams to beat the Hornets. It would also be a rematch of last year, when Franklin knocked Mansfield out in the same round. But for now, it’s just a hypothetical and both teams need to win their first round games.
3. Taunton Could Surprise Teams
Taunton had a solid season that saw losses to three teams seed 9 or better, two of which are league foes. They lost to Mansfield twice by a combined 10 points while dropping a 5 point loss to Franklin. They also lost by one-point on two occasions to the fifth seeded New Bedford Whalers. Now they will host a talented Catholic Memorial team that beat Franklin twice. If they can pick up a first round win, there is no doubt their confidence level will be high going forward. They have the athleticism to compete with almost anyone, and their balanced scoring behind Fawaz Mass, Shaq Davis, Gerald Cortijo, and Anthony Parker should worry opponents.
4. A Different Look D2 South
Last year at this point, the state was looking at this as one of the best playoff brackets, with Stoughton and King Philip looking like strong possibilities to meet in the finals. Now, the defending D2 South Champion Black Knights and the Warriors aren’t even in the playoffs. KP struggled after the loss of Jake Layman, Christian Fair, and a strong overall senior class. Stoughton lost junior star Aaron Calixte to prep school and graduated an incredibly strong down low group. Arguably the Hock’s biggest playoff foe Hopkinton won’t have an opportunity to meet a Hock team this year unless they make their third straight trip to the South Finals and either Sharon or Oliver Ames meets them there.
5. Sharon Faces Familiarity
Sharon is the top team from the Hockomock in the D2 South this year, and their first round opponent will be on their already played this season. The Eagles took down #5 Silver Lake earlier this season in the Bridgewater-Raynham Holiday Tournament by 10. The Lakers went on to have a successful season that included a w in over #3 seeded Whitman-Hanson. The good news for Sharon is that they have also improved, and junior guards Brian Mukasa and Jimmy Fritzson have taken turns – or sometimes together – putting on an offensive clinic. If Sharon can continue to play solid defense and get all-around contributions, they could end up being the winners in D2.
6. Oliver Ames Faces Falmouth (Again)
For the second straight year, OA will take on Falmouth in the MIAA D2 South tournament. Last year, the 9th seeded Tigers traveled to Falmouth and shocked the top-seeded Clippers. Now OA will make a return trip, but this time Falmouth (12-8) is seeded 16th while OA comes in at 17th at 11-9. It’s not just a rematch of last year’s playoffs either. The two teams met just last week in the first round of the Harry Lehmann Memorial Tournament. The Tigers were able to rally in the fourth quarter for a four point win, with sophomore Ryan Carney dropping 30 points. It won’t be an easy road for OA, who will have to spark up some of last year’s magic. If the Tigers can clip Falmouth, they will earn a date with #1 Scituate.
7. Foxboro and Canton will look to play spoiler
Foxboro didn’t exactly draw the best spot in the D3 South tournament, but that won’t stop the Warriors from trying to make a Cinderella run. They will start with a preliminary round game on the road against 16th seeded Norwell. The two teams have matching records at 11-9 which speaks volumes for the two leagues – the Hockomock and the South Shore League – that the two teams play in. Justin Zupanick will have to continue to be a strong leader on the offensive end, and they will need continual contributions from Tim O’Halloran, Josh Patkin, and strong two-way play from Alex Pacitti. Sophomore Cam Seeley could possibly have a breakout run in the playoffs.
The Bulldogs qualified for the postseason via the Sullivan Rule, but that doesn’t mean they won’t stand a chance. Playing in the Hockomock has its benefits, and one of them could be the fact that their record might not accurately reflect their record. Canton will play a very good Abington team, but Canton always plays with heart and hard work, which can often help them beat more talented teams. They won’t have an easy road though, with Norton and Rockland standing in the way of the D3 South Semi Finals if they can get past Abington.
8. Milford is back to being the wild card
When the season started, there wasn’t much known on how Milford would fare in their first year in the Hockomock. They responded with a 9-0 start and finished with an impressive 17-3 record, good enough for the 3rd seed in the D1 Central Bracket. They will play the winner of South High and Westboro and chances are they will meet with 2nd seeded Wachusett in the semis. Milford is a deep team that has a strong chance of making a run. They will need strong consistent performances from David Mercier and Michael Tracy, and then an emergence of a role player, such as a Chris Brown or Scott Van Buskirk.
9. Talented Players Left At Home
Four of the league’s teams didn’t qualify for the postseason, which means there will be plenty of talent left watching. Tim Walsh, one of the league’s best scorers this year, and Attleboro missed out on the postseason. Walsh garnered the attention of many opposing defenses and there are plenty of teams that would love to have a player like Walsh in the postseason. Stoughton’s Marcus Middleton will be missing the playoffs for the first time in his four years on the Black Knight’s varsity squad. Middleton is without a doubt the best all around player watching from the bleachers from the Hock this year. Fellow Black Knight Joe Bunce-Grenon caps a strong Stoughton career with a regular season loss, something that Stoughton hasn’t had to deal with since 2006.
10. Postseason Predictions
With eight teams lined up in the playoffs, there’s a strong possibility of a deep run from one of them. The best chance will be for Mansfield, the top seed in D1 South. They won’t be happy to see Franklin as an early opponent, but a revenge victory would add to the excitement of the run. Taunton is set on the other side of the bracket and has a chance of meeting either Mansfield or Franklin in the D1 South Finals. Both Oliver Ames and Sharon start the postseason with familiar foes which can give them an extra boost of confidence. The D2 South bracket has no favorite and either of these teams could make a run. Canton and Foxboro are long shots to take a deep ride, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. They are both gritty teams that fight to the final buzzer.