Bracketology: Division I Boys Basketball (March 1)

It's the final day of the Division I boys basketball regular season and there are still a handful of games to be played before seeding is determined.

Here's where the division stands going into Friday's action and scenarios for where teams could end up.

Division I

Note: With the NHIAA’s 70-percent rule in place for the postseason, Division I boys basketball will have 15 playoff teams. Standings based off results reported to NHIAA.org and other media outlets.

Playoff field (record, rating, previous)

1. Exeter (17-0, 4.0000, 1st)
2. Salem (16-2, 3.5556, 2nd)
3. Winnacunnet (14-3, 3.2941, 4th)
4. Spaulding (13-4, 3.0588, 3rd)
5. Londonderry (13-4, 3.0588, 5th)
6. Portsmouth (12-5, 2.8235, 7th)
7. Keene (10-7, 2.3529, 6th)
8. Concord (10-7, 2.3529, 10th)
9. Nashua North (10-7, 2.3529, 8th)
10. Alvirne (10-7, 2.3529, 9th)
11. Manchester Central (10-8, 2.2222, 11th)
12. Dover (9-9, 2.0000, 12th)
13. Nashua South (8-9, 1.8824, 13th)
14. Merrimack (6-11, 1.4118, out)
15. Goffstown (6-11, 1.4118, 14th)

Outside: Trinity (5-12, 1.1767, 15th).

Eliminated: Bishop Guertin (5-13, 1.1111); Bedford (4-13, 0.9412); Windham (3-14, 0.7059);  Pinkerton (3-14, 0.7059); Manchester Memorial (2-15, 0.4706); Timberlane (2-15, 0.4706).

Tiebreakers

• Spaulding wins the tiebreaker with Londonderry thanks to a head-to-head victory.
• Keene (7-5, 2.3333) wins the four-way tiebreaker with Concord (5-6, 1.8182), Nashua North (5-6, 1.8182) and Alvirne (5-7, 1.6667) thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• Concord and Nashua North finish ahead of Alvirne in the tiebreaker thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• Concord wins the tiebreaker with Nashua North thanks to a head-to-head victory.
• Merrimack wins the tiebreaker with Goffstown thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.

Remaining schedule

• Friday, March 1: Manchester Memorial at Alvirne, 6:30 p.m.; Goffstown at Concord, 6:30 p.m.; Exeter at Trinity, 6:30 p.m.; Windham at Keene, 6:30 p.m.; Londonderry at Nashua North, 6:30 p.m.; Portsmouth at Nashua South, 6:30 p.m.; Winnacunnet at Spaulding, 6:30 p.m.; Timberlane at Pinkerton, 6:30 p.m.; Bedford at Merrimack, 7 p.m.

Scenarios

• Exeter has clinched the No. 1 seed and a bye.
• Salem has clinched the No. 2 seed.
• The winner of the Spaulding-Winnacunnet game gets the No. 3 seed. The loser could drop to No. 5 if Londonderry beats Nashua North.
• Londonderry clinches the No. 4 seed with a win over Nashua North.
• Portsmouth has clinched the No. 6 seed.
• A three-way tie between Londonderry, Spaulding and Portsmouth would give the Lancers the No. 4 seed and Spaulding the No. 5.
• Keene clinches the No. 7 seed with a win over Windham and a loss by Alvirne or with a loss and losses by Concord, Nashua North and Alvirne.
• Alvirne clinches the No. 7 seed with a win over Manchester Memorial and losses by Concord and Nashua North.
• Concord clinches the No. 7 seed with a win over Goffstown and a loss by Keene.
• Nashua North clinches the No. 7 seed with a win over Londonderry and losses by Keene and Concord.
• Manchester Central would clinch the No. 10 seed only if Concord loses and Alvirne, Keene and North win.
• Nashua South clinches the No. 12 seed with a win over Portsmouth.
• Dover clinches the No. 12 seed with a South loss to Portsmouth.
• Goffstown clinches the No. 14 seed with a win over Concord. Goffstown clinches a playoff spot with a Trinity loss.
• Merrimack clinches the No. 14 seed with a win over Bedford or a Goffstown loss. Merrimack has clinched a playoff spot.
• Trinity clinches the No. 15 seed with a win over Exeter and a Goffstown loss.

First-round bye

• No. 1 Exeter

First-round matchups

• No. 9 Nashua North at No. 8 Concord
• No. 13 Nashua South at No. 4 Spaulding
• No. 12 Dover at No. 5 Londonderry
• No. 15 Trinity at No. 2 Salem
• No. 10 Alvirne at No. 7 Keene
• No. 14 Merrimack at No. 3 Winnacunnet
• No. 11 Manchester Central at No. 6 Portsmouth