Bracketology: Boys Basketball (Jan. 29)

The boys basketball regular season is in full swing, with all four divisions well into their schedules. While the playoffs may still be a few weeks away, we’ll take a peek each week at what the playoff field would look like if the NHIAA playoff started on that day.

These will be updated every Monday for Sports Insider Members. To signup for a membership, click on the register button below.

Note: With the NHIAA’s 70-percent rule in place for the postseason, Division I will have 13 teams, Division II and IV will have 15 teams, and Division III will have 16 teams. Standings based off results reported to NHIAA.org and other media outlets. These are not official pairings.

Division I

Playoff field (record, rating)

1. Winnacunnet (7-1, 3.5000)
2. Exeter (7-1, 3.5000)
3. Manchester Memorial (6-1, 3.4286)
4. Alvirne (7-2, 3.1111)
5. Bedford (6-2, 3.0000)
6. Portsmouth (6-2, 3.0000)
7. Londonderry (5-3, 2.5000)
8. Manchester Central (5-3, 2.5000)
9. Salem (5-3, 2.5000)
10. Nashua South (4-3, 2.2857)
11. Concord (4-4, 2.0000)
12. Merrimack (4-5, 1.7778)
13. Dover (3-6, 1.3333)

Outside: Pinkerton (2-6, 1.0000); Spaulding (2-6, 1.0000); Nashua North (1-6, 0.5714); Bishop Guertin (1-7, 0.5000); Trinity (1-8, 0.4444); Keene (0-8, 0.0000).

Tiebreakers

• Winnacunnet wins the tiebreaker with Exeter thanks to a head-to-head victory.
• Bedford wins the tiebreaker with Portsmouth thanks to a head-to-head victory.
• Londonderry wins the three-way tiebreaker with Manchester Central and Salem thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• Manchester Central wins the tiebreaker with Salem thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.

First-round byes

• No. 1 Winnacunnet
• No. 2 Exeter
• No. 3 Manchester Memorial

First-round matchups

• No. 9 Salem at No. 8 Manchester Central
• No. 12 Merrimack at No. 5 Bedford
• No. 13 Dover at No. 4 Alvirne
• No. 10 Nashua South at No. 7 Londonderry
• No. 11 Concord at No. 6 Portsmouth

Division II

Playoff field (record, rating)

1. Oyster River (7-1, 3.5000)
2. Lebanon (7-2, 3.1111)
3. Hollis Brookline (6-2, 3.0000)
4. Merrimack Valley (8-3, 2.9091)
5. Pembroke (6-3, 2.6667)
6. Souhegan (7-4, 2.5455)
7. Coe-Brown (5-3, 2.5000)
8. Pelham (5-3, 2.5000)
9. Timberlane (5-3, 2.5000)
10. Hanover (4-3, 2.2857)
11. Kearsarge (5-4, 2.2222)
12. Kennett (5-4, 2.2222)
13. Milford (4-4, 2.0000)
14. Plymouth (4-5, 1.7778)
15. John Stark (3-5, 1.5000)

Outside: ConVal (3-5, 1.5000); Windham (3-6, 1.3333); Manchester West (3-7, 1.2000); Bow (2-5, 1.1429); Bishop Brady (2-5, 1.1429); Goffstown (1-6, 0.5714); Kingswood (1-8, 0.4444).

Tiebreakers

• Coe-Brown wins the three-way tiebreaker with Pelham and Timberlane thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• Pelham wins the tiebreaker with Timberlane thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• Kearsarge wins the tiebreaker with Kennett thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• John Stark wins the tiebreaker with ConVal thanks to a head-to-head victory.

First-round bye

• No. 1 Oyster River

First-round matchups

• No. 9 Timberlane at No. 8 Pelham
• No. 12 Kennett at No. 5 Pembroke
• No. 13 Milford at No. 4 Merrimack Valley
• No. 15 John Stark at No. 2 Lebanon
• No. 10 Hanover at No. 7 Coe-Brown
• No. 14 Plymouth at No. 3 Hollis Brookline
• No. 11 Kearsarge at No. 6 Souhegan

Division III

Playoff field (record, rating)

1. Mascenic (8-0, 4.0000)
2. Somersworth (9-1, 3.6000)
3. Hopkinton (9-1, 3.6000)
4. Conant (8-2, 3.2000)
5. Campbell (6-2, 3.0000)
6. Monadnock (8-3, 2.9091)
7. Gilford (7-3, 2.8000)
8. Inter-Lakes (7-3, 2.8000)
9. Berlin (5-3, 2.5000)
10. White Mountains (6-4, 2.4000)
11. Fall Mountain (7-5, 2.3333)
12. Belmont (5-4, 2.2222)
13. Laconia (5-4, 2.2222)
14. St. Thomas (5-5, 2.0000)
15. Stevens (6-6, 2.0000)
16. Newport (3-4, 1.7143)

Outside: Sanborn (4-7, 1.4545); Mascoma Valley (4-7, 1.4545); Raymond (3-8, 1.0909); Prospect Mountain (2-7, 0.8889); Winnisquam (2-8, 0.8000); Franklin (0-8, 0.0000); Hillsboro-Deering (0-8, 0.0000); Newfound (0-10, 0.0000).

Tiebreakers

• Somersworth wins the tiebreaker with Hopkinton thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• Gilford wins the tiebreaker with Inter-Lakes thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• Belmont wins the tiebreaker with Laconia thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• St. Thomas wins the tiebreaker with Stevens thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.

First-round matchups

• No. 16 Newport at No. 1 Mascenic
• No. 9 Berlin at No. 8 Inter-Lakes
• No. 12 Belmont at No. 5 Campbell
• No. 13 Laconia at No. 4 Conant
• No. 15 Stevens at No. 2 Somersworth
• No. 10 White Mountains at No. 7 Gilford
• No. 14 St. Thomas at No. 3 Hopkinton
• No. 11 Fall Mountain at No. 6 Monadnock

Division IV

Playoff field (record, rating)

1. Derryfield (10-0, 4.0000)
2. Pittsfield (10-1, 3.6364)
3. Newmarket (9-1, 3.6000)
4. Littleton (9-2, 3.3636)
5. Profile (8-3, 2.9091)
6. Woodsville (7-3, 2.8000)
7. Mount Royal (7-4, 2.5455)
8. Groveton (6-4, 2.4000)
9. Hinsdale (6-4, 2.4000)
10. Sunapee (6-4, 2.4000)
11. Moultonborough (5-6, 1.8182)
12. Wilton-Lyndeborough (4-5, 1.7778)
13. Epping (4-6, 1.6000)
14. Lisbon (4-7, 1.4545)
15. Lin-Wood (4-8, 1.3333)

Outside: Farmington (2-5, 1.1429); Colebrook (2-8, 0.8000); Portsmouth Christian (2-9, 0.7273); Concord Christian (1-8, 0.4444); Gorham (1-8, 0.4444); Canaan-Pittsburg (1-10, 0.3636); Nute (0-9, 0.0000).

Tiebreakers

• Groveton wins the three-way tiebreaker with Hinsdale and Sunapee thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• Hinsdale wins the tiebreaker with Sunapee thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.

First-round bye

• No. 1 Derryfield

First-round matchups

• No. 9 Hinsdale at No. 8 Groveton
• No. 12 Wilton-Lyndeborough at No. 5 Profile
• No. 13 Epping at No. 4 Littleton
• No. 15 Lin-Wood at No. 2 Pittsfield
• No. 10 Sunapee at No. 7 Mount Royal
• No. 14 Lisbon at No. 3 Newmarket
• No. 11 Moultonborough at No. 6 Woodsville