Winter Sports

Playoff Picture: Boys Basketball (Jan. 23)

(Jan. 23) With the first tournament games scheduled to start in less than a month, it's time to start discussing the basketball postseason. There's still a long way to go, but with most teams having past, or about to pass, the midway point in their season, the playoff picture is already starting to

Joe Marchilena

— 5 min read
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Playoff Picture: Boys Basketball (Jan. 23)

With the first tournament games scheduled to start in less than a month, it's time to start discussing the basketball postseason.

There's still a long way to go, but with most teams having past, or about to pass, the midway point in their season, the playoff picture is already starting to develop.

Here’s a look at what the tournament field for all four divisions of boys basketball would look like if the postseason were to begin today.

Note: With the NHIAA’s 70-percent rule in place for the postseason, Division I and III will have 15 teams, Division II will have 14 teams and Division IV will have 16 teams in the playoffs. Standings based off results reported to NHIAA.org and other media outlets. These are not official. 

Division I

Team (record, rating)

  1. Portsmouth (9-0, 4.0000)
  2. Bedford (9-0, 4.0000)
  3. Pinkerton (8-2, 3.2000)
  4. Trinity (7-2, 3.1111)
  5. Alvirne (6-2, 3.0000)
  6. Windham (6-3, 2.6667)
  7. Bishop Guertin (6-3, 2.6667)
  8. Goffstown (6-3, 2.6667)
  9. Merrimack (5-3, 2.5000)
  10. Exeter (5-4, 2.2222)
  11. Keene (5-4, 2.2222)
  12. Nashua South (4-4, 2.0000)
  13. Manchester Memorial (4-5, 1.7778)
  14. Londonderry (4-6, 1.6000)
  15. Dover (3-6, 1.3333)

Outside: Nashua North (3-6, 1.3333); Manchester Central (2-7, 0.8889); Salem (2-7, 0.8889); Winnacunnet (1-7, 0.5000); Spaulding (1-7, 0.5000); Timberlane (0-9, 0.0000); Concord (0-9, 0.0000).

Tiebreakers

  • Portsmouth (0.4118) wins the tiebreaker with Bedford (0.3784) thanks to a better quality of wins against tournament teams.
  • In a three-way tiebreaker, Windham (2.2857) finishes ahead of Bishop Guertin (2.0000) and Goffstown (2.0000) thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
  • Bishop Guertin (0.3529) wins the tiebreaker with Goffstown (0.3333) thanks to a better quality of wins against tournament teams.
  • Exeter (1.7143) wins the tiebreaker with Keene (1.3333) thanks to a better quality of wins against tournament teams.
  • Dover wins the tiebreaker with Nashua North thanks to a head-to-head victory.

First-round bye

  • No. 1 Portsmouth

First-round matchups

  • No. 9 Merrimack at No. 8 Goffstown
  • No. 12 Nashua South at No. 5 Alvirne
  • No. 13 Manchester Memorial at No. 4 Trinity
  • No. 15 Dover at No. 2 Bedford
  • No. 10 Exeter at No. 7 Bishop Guertin
  • No. 14 Londonderry at No. 3 Pinkerton
  • No. 11 Keene at No. 6 Windham

Playoff Schedule

  • Preliminary Round: March 4, at higher seed.
  • Quarterfinals: March 7, at higher seed.
  • Semifinals: March 11, TBD.
  • Final: March 15, at UNH.

Division II

Team (record, rating)

  1. Hollis Brookline (9-0, 4.0000)
  2. Manchester West (8-0, 4.0000)
  3. Hanover (6-2, 3.0000)
  4. Kingswood (6-2, 3.0000)
  5. Kennett (5-2, 2.8571)
  6. Souhegan (5-3, 2.6250)
  7. Oyster River (5-3, 2.6250)
  8. Pelham (5-3, 2.6250)
  9. Coe-Brown (5-4, 2.3333)
  10. Pembroke (4-3, 2.2857)
  11. Lebanon (4-3, 2.2857)
  12. Milford (3-4, 1.7143)
  13. Sanborn (3-4, 1.7143)
  14. Bow (3-4, 1.7143)

Outside: Merrimack Valley (2-5, 1.1429); ConVal (2-5, 1.1429); Laconia (2-5, 1.1429); Plymouth (2-6, 1.0000); John Stark (0-8, 0.0000); Bishop Brady (0-8, 0.0000).

Tiebreakers

  • Hollis Brookline (0.4063) wins the tiebreaker with Manchester West (0.2857) thanks to a better quality of wins against tournament teams.
  • Hanover (2.8571) wins the tiebreaker with Kingswood (2.4000) thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
  • In a three-way tiebreaker, Souhegan (2.0000) finishes ahead of Oyster River (1.6000) and Pelham (1.6000) thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
  • Oyster River (0.5000) wins the tiebreaker with Pelham (0.3000) thanks to a better quality of wins against tournament teams.
  • Pembroke (0.5833) wins the tiebreaker with Lebanon (0.4444) thanks to a better quality of wins against tournament teams.
  • In a three-way tiebreaker, Milford (1.3333) finishes ahead of Bow (0.8000) and Sanborn (0.8000) thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
  • Sanborn (2.6667) wins the tiebreaker with Bow (2.0000) thanks to a better rating in road games against division opponents.

First-round byes

  • No. 1 Hollis Brookline
  • No. 2 Manchester West

First-round matchups

  • No. 9 Coe-Brown at No. 8 Pelham
  • No. 12 Milford at No. 5 Kennett
  • No. 13 Sanborn at No. 4 Kingswood
  • No. 10 Pembroke at No. 7 Oyster River
  • No. 14 Bow at No. 3 Hanover
  • No. 11 Lebanon at No. 6 Souhegan

Playoff Schedule

  • Preliminary Round: March 4, at higher seed.
  • Quarterfinals: March 7, at higher seed.
  • Semifinals: March 11, TBD.
  • Final: March 15, at UNH.

Division III

  1. St. Thomas (9-0, 4.0000)
  2. Belmont (10-0, 4.0000)
  3. Mascoma Valley (9-0, 4.0000)
  4. Stevens (10-1, 3.6364)
  5. Hopkinton (8-2, 3.2000)
  6. Gilford (8-2, 3.2000)
  7. Fall Mountain (6-3, 2.6667)
  8. Kearsarge (7-4, 2.5455)
  9. Derryfield (6-5, 2.1818)
  10. Prospect Mountain (5-5, 2.0000)
  11. White Mountains (5-6, 1.8182)
  12. Newfound (4-6, 1.6000)
  13. Campbell (4-7, 1.4545)
  14. Hillsboro-Deering (3.6, 1.3333)
  15. Conant (3-7, 1.2000)

Outside: Somersworth (2-7, 0.8889); Inter-Lakes (2-8, 0.8000); Newport (2-8, 0.8000); Winnisquam (2-9, 0.7273); Monadnock (2-9, 0.7273); Berlin (1-10, 0.3636); Raymond (1-10, 0.3636).

Tiebreakers

  • In a three-way tiebreaker, St. Thomas (0.3589), Belmont (0.2973) and Mascoma Valley (0.2821) finish in that order thanks to quality of wins against tournament teams.
  • Hopkinton wins the tiebreaker with Gilford thanks to a head-to-head victory.

First-round bye

  • No. 1 St. Thomas

First-round matchups

  • No. 9 Derryfield at No. 8 Kearsarge
  • No. 12 Newfound at No. 5 Hopkinton
  • No. 13 Campbell at No. 4 Stevens
  • No. 15 Conant at No. 2 Belmont
  • No. 10 Prospect Mountain at No. 7 Fall Mountain
  • No. 14 Hillsboro-Deering at No. 3 Mascoma Valley
  • No. 11 White Mountains at No. 6 Gilford

Playoff Schedule

  • Preliminary Round: Feb. 17, at higher seed.
  • Quarterfinals: Feb. 20, at higher seed.
  • Semifinals: Feb. 25, TBD.
  • Final: Feb. 28, at Keene State College.

Division IV

Team (record, rating)

  1. Hinsdale (7-0, 4.0000)
  2. Littleton (9-1, 3.8000)
  3. Groveton (9-1, 3.7000)
  4. Newmarket (8-2, 3.3000)
  5. Portsmouth Christian (7-2, 3.2222)
  6. Mascenic (8-3, 3.0000)
  7. Moultonborough (7-3, 2.9000)
  8. Epping (7-3, 2.8000)
  9. Profile (7-3, 2.8000)
  10. Holy Family (6-3, 2.6667)
  11. Farmington (7-4, 2.5455)
  12. Nute (6-5, 2.1818)
  13. Franklin (6-6, 2.0000)
  14. Woodsville (5-6, 1.8182)
  15. Concord Christian (4-5, 1.7778)
  16. Pittsfield (4-5, 1.7778)

Outside: Pittsburg-Canaan (4-6, 1.6000); Gorham (4-7, 1.4545); Colebrook (3-6, 1.3333); Sunapee (2-7, 1.0000); Wilton-Lyndeborough (1-10, 0.3636); Lisbon (0-9, 0.0000); Lin-Wood (0-9, 0.0000); Mount Royal (0-9, 0.0000).

Tiebreakers

  • Epping wins the tiebreaker with Profile thanks to a head-to-head victory.
  • Concord Christian wins the tiebreaker with Pittsfield thanks to a head-to-head victory.

First-round matchups

  • No. 16 Pittsfield at No. 1 Hinsdale
  • No. 9 Profile at No. 8 Epping
  • No. 12 Nute at No. 5 Portsmouth Christian
  • No. 13 Franklin at No. 4 Newmarket
  • No. 15 Concord Christian at No. 2 Littleton
  • No. 10 Holy Family at No. 7 Moultonborough
  • No. 14 Woodsville at No. 3 Groveton
  • No. 11 Farmington at No. 6 Mascenic

Playoff Schedule

  • Preliminary Round: Feb. 23, at higher seed.
  • Quarterfinals: Feb. 26, at higher seed.
  • Semifinals: March 2, TBD.
  • Final: March 7, at Colby Sawyer College.

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