20/20 Vision

NewEnglandRecruitingReport.com | Thursday, March 26th, 2009

On January 5th, in an article titled “Predictions for the New Year”, the New England Recruiting Report predicted the various league champions throughout the region.  Now that the season has officially come to an end, here’s a look back at how we did.

League –NEPSCAC Class A
Predicted – Bridgton Academy          Champion – Bridgton Academy          Result:  1/1
They survived surging South Kent for their 4th title in 5 years. 

League – NEPSAC Class B
Predicted – Tilton School                 Champion – Tilton School                 Result:  2/2
Didn’t take Nastradomus to predict this one with Oriakhi, Coombs-McDaniel, and Coleman on board

League – NEPSAC Class C
Predicted – St. Mark’s                     Champion – St. Mark’s                     Result:  3/3
Ditto above…only with Murphy(s), Lubick, Basabe, and Johnson

League – NEPSAC Class D
Predicted – Pingree School              Champion – Pingree School              Result:  4/4
We predicted the upset in January and the 4 seed came through.  4/4 in the NEPSAC!

League – WNEC
Predicted – Hotchkiss School           Champion – Loomis Chaffee             Result:  4/5
Hotchkiss left the WNEC mid-year and played in the class B tournament, but we’ll take the L nonetheless, Loomis was great all year. 

League – CIAC Class LL
Predicted – Windsor                       Champion – Windsor                        Result:  5/6
We called this one at the beginning of last year as we always had faith in Coach Ken Smith and his seniors

League – CIAC Class L 
Predicted – Trinity Catholic              Champion – Bulkeley                       Result:  5/7
Bulkeley shocked top seeded Trinity Catholic in the quarters and kept the momentum through the finals win over Torrington

League – CIAC Class M
Predicted – Sacred Heart                 Champion – Sacred Heart                 Result:  6/8
We had our money on Josh Turner, Cory Andrews, and company all along

League – CIAC Class S
Predicted – Kolbe Cathedral            Champion – Cromwell                      Result:  6/9
Cromwell knocked off Kolbe in the semi’s and Hyde in the final

League – NHIAA Class L
Predicted – Trinity                          Champion – Trinity                          Result:  7/10
No big surprise here as Jordan Laguerre led the team to a dominating victory in the final

League – NHIAA Class I
Predicted – Monadnock                   Champion – Portsmouth                  Result:  7/11
5th seeded Monadnock fell in the 2nd round while 6th seeded Portsmouth swept the top three seeds en route to their championship. 

League – NHIAA Class M
Predicted – Conant                        Champion – Conant                         Result:  8/11
Conant was just 1-1 on the season at the turn of the year, but they rattled off 15 in a row to claim the Class M title and keep us .500 in New Hampshire. 

League – NHIAA Class S
Predicted – Colebrook                    Champion – Moultonborough            Result:  8/12
Colebrook met Moultonborough in the semi-finals and Moultonborough scored a dominating 78-47 win, then beat Newmarket in the finals. 

League – RIIL Division I
Predicted – Bishop Hendricken        Champion – Bishop Hendricken         Result:  9/13
We really went out on a limb saying the 5 time running champions would win their sixth straight.

League – RIIL Division II
Predicted – Classical                      Champion – Classical                      Result:  10/14
The defending champs returned almost everything and so it’s no surprise to see them repeat.

League – RIIL Division III
Predicted – Moses Brown                Champion – Moses Brown                 Result:  11/15
Anjuwon Spence led Moses Brown to their 2nd consecutive championship, upsetting Central Falls.  

League – MIAA Division I
Predicted – Central Catholic            Champion – St. John’s                     Result:  11/16
Central Catholic suffered their first MIAA loss in the tournament and St. John’s took the title. 

League – MIAA Division II
Predicted – Stoughton                    Champion – Milton                          Result:  11/17
Milton knocked off the defending champs in the sectionals and then won two more to capture the title

League – MIAA Division III
Predicted – Watertown                    Champion – Watertown                    Result:  12/18
The Stockmals come through to make sure we don’t go “o for” in the MIAA

League – MIAA Division IV
Predicted – N. Cambridge Catholic    Champion – Cathedral                    Result:  12/19
The defending champs lose to Cathedral in a thriller

League – VT Division I
Predicted – Burlington                     Champion – Rice                            Result:  12/20 
Burlington was a big favorite going into the final, but Jon Goldber was the hero and Rice won. 

League – VT Division II
Predicted – Springfield                    Champion – Springfield                   Result:  13/21
Grant White was arguably the best player in division II all year long and he didn’t disappoint in the final as his 33 point performance led the way.   

League – VT Division III
Predicted – Lake Region                 Champion – Hazen                         Result:  13/22
Lake Region was nowhere to be found in the final as Hazen held off BFA-Fairfax for the title. 

League – VT Division IV
Predicted – Proctor                        Champion – Proctor                         Result:  14/23
We’re going to keep picking them until they lose as Proctor has now won four straight division IV titles in Vermont. 

League – MPA Class A
Predicted – Cheverus                    Champion – Thornton Academy         Result:  14/24
Ian Barwise was the only connection to Cheverus in the final

League – MPA Class B
Predicted – Camden Hills               Champion – Camden Hills                Result:  15/25
Camden Hills surprised no one and completes the undefeated season

League – MPA Class C
Predicted – Dirigo                         Champion – Calais                          Result:  15/26
Calais had an answer for Thomas Knight and so they capture the Golden Ball

League – MPA Class D
Predicted – Woodland                   Champion – Woodland                    Result:  16/27
Woodland comes through and we go .500 in Maine

All in all 16 out 27 isn’t bad…especially when the picks were made two months prior to the post-season even starting.  Next year we think we’ll do it again, only we’re going to make it into a regional contest. 

You fill out your NCAA tournament picks…now you can pick your New England champs too and we’ll see who knows New England basketball the best.  Here’s a sneak preview of who we like:  Hillhouse in the CIAC; Central Catholic in the MIAA; Cheverus in the MPA; Trinity in the NHIAA (assuming Laguerre is still there); Bishop Hendricken (again) in the RIIL; and Burlington with vengeance in Vermont.