Above the Rim: It's going to be a 'scrapfest'

Peter Rosinski may not have used an actual word when he described what Division I boys basketball might be like this season, but through the first five days, "scrapfest" sure sounds appropriate.

The Pinkerton Academy coach was minutes removed from his team's one-point win over Nashua South in the season opener, and three days later, the Astros thumped Salem - a team many consider to be a contender - by 46 points.

Pinkerton (2-0) is one of seven undefeated teams, however, three of those - Manchester Central, Nashua North and Winnacunnet - played just one game before the break and won. Merrimack (2-0), which has allowed an average of 30.5 points in its two wins, is also unbeaten, along Exeter (2-0), and the real surprise, Keene (3-0).

That's not all for surprises. Salem (0-2) and Trinity (0-2), two teams that are expected to be in it at the end, but right now, are at the bottom of the standings.

Bedford went from scoring 70 points in an overtime win against defending-champion Londonderry to netting just 26 Tuesday night in a loss at Merrimack, while Londonderry bounced back with a 17-point win over Trinity.

"Nothing would surprise me," Merrimack coach Tim Goodridge said Tuesday night, moments before admitting that Pinkerton's margin of victory against Salem did surprise him. "Every night is going to be a battle. I don't think there are too many weak sisters."

There is one factor that could have prevented some teams from bursting out of the gate.

"I guess the lack of preparation is the great leveler," Nashua South coach Nate Mazerolle said of the 11 days between that start of tryouts and opening night. "All the coaches are saying the same thing. There is no clear-cut favorite."

Tough stretch to open

The Alvirne girls basketball team realized its opening stretch of games was going to be a tough one, and getting wins whenever it could would be important to a successful season.

After a tough loss to Londonderry to start the season, the Broncos picked up back-to-back wins over Manchester Central and Dover in convincing fashion, winning both by 18 points.

"It was pretty big," Alvirne coach Scott Szuksta said. "It's tough before Christmas because we have such a rough schedule. You kind of have to look at it like the preseason. We're going to get better."

The players felt getting to 2-1 going into the break wasn't just big for them, but also for their first-year head coach.

"It was definitely big, especially having a new coach," Alvirne senior Jessica Baker said. "Not just for our team, but we wanted to win for coach, too, so we thought it was good."

It doesn't get easier for the Bronocs after the break, as they play at Manchester Memorial (Jan. 5) and Nashua North (Jan. 8) before hosting Pinkerton (Jan. 12).

Defense vs. offense

The Merrimack boys team is off to a great start thanks to its defense, just like a season ago. But unlike last year, Goodridge thinks the offense will rise to the same level as the season moves along.

"I think we're better this year," he said. "(Ian) Roberts is in football mode. He made some nice plays (Tuesday), but if you remember him at the end of last year, he was a force. He can knock down the 15-to-20-foot shot.

"(Zak) Kerr has improved his game tremendously. He should be a big shooter for us. The freshman isn't a freshman anymore. (Ian) Cummings, one minute he looks like he should be in the NBA. That's maturity and it will come along for him. I think if we continue to practice and work hard, we should have a pretty successful season."

That trio happened to be the Tomahawks' top three scorers against Bedford, but while at stretches, Merrimack looked like a finely tuned machine at both ends of the floor, it didn't score for some stretches, including the final 4:34 of the game.

"When it came down to crunch time last year, as solid as we were defensively, when it came to the big moment, in those last four or five minutes, when we needed to score, we just couldn't," Goodridge said. "This team has to overcome that. When you get to those big games, you have to be able to get a possession and get a score. There was an improvement, but it's going to have to get better."