Bracketology: Boys Basketball (Jan. 8)

The boys basketball regular season is in full swing, with all four divisions well into their schedules. While the playoffs may still be two months 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. Londonderry (4-0, 4.0000)
2. Nashua South (2-0, 4.0000)
3. Exeter (4-0, 4.0000)
4. Winnacunnet (3-0, 4.0000)
5. Portsmouth (3-1, 3.0000)
6. Manchester Memorial (2-1, 2.6667)
7. Alvirne (2-1, 2.6667)
8. Manchester Central (2-1, 2.6667)
9. Concord (2-1, 2.6667)
10. Salem (3-2, 2.4000)
11. Bedford (1-2, 1.3333)
12. Pinkerton (1-2, 1.3333)
13. Merrimack (1-2, 1.3333)

Outside: Spaulding (1-3, 1.0000); Nashua North (0-2, 0.0000); Trinity (0-3, 0.0000); Bishop Guertin (0-3, 0.0000); Dover (0-3, 0.0000); Keene (0-4, 0.0000).

Tiebreakers

• In the four-way tie for first place, Winnacunnet finishes behind the other three teams because it has yet to play a game against a tournament team.
• Londonderry and Nashua South both finish ahead of Exeter thanks to the third tiebreaker, quality of wins against tournament teams, meaning Exeter is third.
• Londonderry wins the tiebreaker with Nashua South thanks to a win over a team higher in the standings.
• Manchester Memorial wins the four-way tiebreaker with Alvirne, Manchester Central and Concord thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• Alvirne and Manchester Central finish ahead of Concord thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• Alvirne wins the tiebreaker with Manchester Central thanks to a head-to-head victory.
• In the three-way tie between Pinkerton, Bedford and Merrimack, Pinkerton and Bedford finish ahead of Merrimack thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• Bedford wins the tiebreaker with Pinkerton thanks to rating in road games against division opponents.

First-round bye

• No. 1 Londonderry
• No. 2 Nashua South
• No. 3 Exeter

First-round matchups

• No. 9 Concord at No. 8 Manchester Central
• No. 12 Pinkerton at No. 5 Portsmouth
• No. 13 Merrimack at No. 4 Winnacunnet
• No. 10 Salem at No. 7 Alvirne
• No. 11 Bedford at No. 6 Manchester Memorial

Division II

Playoff field (record, rating)

1. Merrimack Valley (4-0, 4.0000)
2. Coe-Brown (3-0, 4.0000)
3. Milford (4-1, 3.2000)
4. Lebanon (4-1, 3.2000)
5. Pembroke (3-1, 3.0000)
6. Timberlane (3-1, 3.0000)
7. ConVal (2-1, 2.6667)
8. Oyster River (2-1, 2.6667)
9. John Stark (1-1, 2.0000)
10. Kearsarge (3-3, 2.0000)
11. Manchester West (2-2, 2.0000)
12. Pelham (2-2, 2.0000)
13. Plymouth (2-2, 2.0000)
14. Hanover (1-1, 2.0000)
15. Hollis Brookline 1-1, 2.0000)

Outside: Kingswood (1-3, 1.0000); Bow (1-3, 1.0000); Windham (1-3, 1.0000); Souhegan (1-3, 1.0000); Bishop Brady (0-2, 0.0000); Kennett (0-3, 0.0000); Goffstown (0-4, 0.0000).

Tiebreakers

• Merrimack Valley wins the tiebreaker with Coe-Brown thanks to greater number of road wins.
• Milford wins the tiebreaker with Lebanon thanks to a better quality of wins against tournament teams.
• Pembroke wins the tiebreaker with Timberlane thanks to a better quality of wins against tournament teams.
• ConVal wins the tiebreaker with Oyster River thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• In the seven-way tie, three teams move ahead - John Stark, Kearsarge, and Manchester West - thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• Among those three teams, John Stark has the best rating against tournament teams, followed by Kearsarge and then Manchester West.
• Of the remaining four teams, Pelham wins the tiebreaker thanks to a better rating in road games against division opponents, followed by Plymouth, also thanks to a better rating in road games against division opponents.
• The tie between Hollis Brookline and Hanover would then come down to the ninth tiebreaker, which is determined by the basketball committee. For this purpose, we'll put Hanover ahead.

First-round bye

• No. 1 Merrimack Valley

First-round matchups

• No. 9 John Stark at No. 8 Oyster River
• No. 12 Pelham at No. 5 Pembroke
• No. 13 Plymouth at No. 4 Lebanon
• No. 15 Hollis Brookline at No. 2 Coe-Brown
• No. 10 Kearsarge at No. 7 ConVal
• No. 14 Hanover at No. 3 Milford
• No. 11 Manchester West at No. 6 Timberlane

Division III

Playoff field (record, rating)

1. Hopkinton (5-0, 4.0000)
2. Berlin (3-0, 4.0000)
3. Somersworth (4-0, 4.0000)
4. Campbell (3-0, 4.0000)
5. Mascenic (5-0, 4.0000)
6. Laconia (4-1, 3.2000)
7. Belmont (3-1, 3.0000)
8. Monadnock (5-2, 2.8571)
9. Newport (2-1, 2.6667)
10. Conant (3-2, 2.4000)
11. Inter-Lakes (3-2, 2.4000)
12. Gilford (2-2, 2.0000)
13. Fall Mountain (3-3, 2.0000)
14. Sanborn (2-2, 2.0000)
15. White Mountains (2-2, 2.0000)
16. Stevens (2-4, 1.3333)

Outside: St. Thomas (1-3, 1.0000); Raymond (1-3, 1.0000); Prospect Mountain (1-4, 0.8000); Winnisquam (1-4, 0.8000); Mascoma Valley (1-5, 0.6667); Franklin (0-4, 0.0000); Hillsboro-Deering (0-4, 0.0000); Newfound (0-5, 0.0000).

Tiebreakers

• The five-way tiebreaker for the top seed can be broken by quality of wins against tournament teams, with Hopkinton finishing first, followed in order by Berlin, Somersworth, Campbell and Mascenic.
• Conant wins the tiebreaker with Inter-Lakes thanks to a win against a team higher in the standings.
• Gilford wins the four-way tiebreaker with Fall Mountain, White Mountains and Sanborn thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• Fall Mountain and Sanborn finish ahead of White Mountains thanks to a better rating in road games against division opponents. Fall Mountain wins the tiebreaker with Sanborn thanks to a greater number of wins at home.

First-round matchups

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

Division IV

Playoff field (record, rating)

1. Newmarket (5-0, 4.0000)
2. Derryfield (4-0, 4.0000)
3. Woodsville (5-1, 3.3333)
4. Pittsfield (4-1, 3.2000)
5. Groveton (4-1, 3.2000)
6. Epping (3-1, 3.0000)
7. Littleton (4-2, 2.6667)
8. Moultonborough (4-2, 2.6667)
9. Sunapee (2-1, 2.6667)
10. Profile (3-2, 2.4000)
11. Mount Royal (3-2, 2.4000)
12. Lin-Wood (3-3, 2.0000)
13. Hinsdale (2-3, 1.6000)
14. Lisbon (2-4, 1.3333)
15. Farmington (1-2, 1.3333)

Outside: Colebrook (1-3, 1.0000); Gorham (1-3, 1.0000); Wilton-Lyndeborough (1-4, 0.8000); Portsmouth Christian (1-4, 0.8000); Nute (0-4, 0.0000); Concord Christian (0-4, 0.0000); Canaan-Pittsburg (0-6, 0.0000).

Tiebreakers

• Newmarket wins the tiebreaker with Derryfield thanks to a better quality of wins against tournament teams.
• Pittsfield wins the tiebreaker with Groveton thanks to a head-to-head victory.
• Littleton wins the tiebreaker with Moultonborough thanks to a head-to-head victory.
• Profile wins the tiebreaker with Mount Royal thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• Lisbon wins the tiebreaker with Farmington thanks to a head-to-head victory.

First-round bye

• No. 1 Newmarket

First-round matchups

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