Large Schools
1. Timon (AA) - Undefeated, averaging 86 points scored each night, and every win over another team from this area has been by double figures. Not to mention, they always announce when the fresh Imperial arrives at home games. Shoutout to Nakyhi for helping me out on Saturday evening...see you on Friday!
2. Niagara Falls (AAA) - I just had a coach ask me about these guys today compared to an area team. I said they were tougher, they know exactly who they were, and they bring the fight to teams every game out. Not to mention, every night out is a major battle. And they haven't always had the same lineup available in each game. Lots to like about these Wolverines.
3. Canisius (AA) - The best defense program in the area this season, and it’s not even open for discussion. What is open for discussion and makes a fascinating one is how well that defense will fare in South Buffalo on Friday night for Round One against Buffalo’s best. Can’t wait!
4. Jamestown (AA1) - Two losses on the season and they’ve come at the hands of Timon and Canisius. They’ve been one of the most fun squads to watch this year and look like an extremely tough out in Class AA.
5. Nichols (AA) - There’s not a loss on their résumé to a bad team. They win the games they are supposed to, gave Timon the closest game of any team in WNY so far, and continue to perform as their lineup changes. Only local losses were to the top three teams, by a combined 20 points.
6. Frontier (AA1) - So many tough opponents coming up, and the Falcons already own wins over Health Sciences, St. Francis, Clarence, McKinley, and Ken West. They face Orchard Park for the first time this season on Monday night, the first game for either team, since each suffered their first loss of the year. This Monday is Big Monday! The View From CC at Frontier. Book it!
7. Health Sciences (AA2) - Piling up wins without much resistance in the Yale Cup, with games against Canisius and Nichols to look forward to down the road, prior to the playoffs.
8. Lancaster (AAA) - It’s one thing to add a piece like Jordan Alexander in the off-season, but it’s another thing to win games in ECIC I. The Legends have already shown that they are a different kind of squad this year, and it adds a lot of extra juice to that league.
9. Orchard Park (AA1) - Staring down the barrel of an extremely backloaded schedule, after starting hot in December, and then suffering some recent postponements. The Quakers game at Frontier on Monday night looks like a huge one to me as the pecking order in ECIC I gets shifted through.
10. St. Joe's (AA) - After a goofy weather stint threw most of the area teams into somewhat of a pause this week, the Marauders have a golden opportunity to start really turning some heads, beginning with a visit from Nichols this week.
Small Schools
1. Randolph (C) - These guys have drawn a similar response from people that Canisius did when I would say over the summer or early this season that they were good. That response being, "didn’t they lose their good players?" And similar to the Crusaders, the answer was, yes they did, but that certainly didn’t disqualify their chances for success again this year. They head to NYS Class C #5 York on Saturday.
Anyone remember York Steakhouse? They funneled you through a line where you'd smell sizzling steak the entire time. Random childhood memory. Back to the hoops talk...
2. Salamanca (B2) - Former North Tonawanda coach, Ryan Mountain and I got to broadcast a Salamanca game last week. It was fascinating for me to get the perspective after the game from a coach who had never seen a game played in that league. The respect he left that game with was immense, and he called Lucus Brown the best player he had watched so far this season.
3. Newfane (B1) - One fan who drove down to Niagara County to watch them play for the first time when they took on Akron this week, told me they were surprised I don’t just spend more time in my hometown watching this team because they are that good and fun to watch. A coach in their league described them as a team that approaches every game like a business trip. Currently, business in Newfane is good.
4. Middle College (B1) - The other team in Class B that’s just lurking around, waiting to make some team’s life miserable is these Kats. They were also smart enough to put tough large schools on their schedule like Lancaster, Williamsville East, and Lockport, to toughen them up and get some different looks than what they see in their league.
5. Westfield (C) - Scheduled the likes of Jamestown, Olean, Lancaster, and Falconer, along with having a pair of league games against state-ranked Panama. Six games total against teams in Class B or higher. You can’t say they just get rich playing nobody. They are 12-1 on the season and have earned the right to be in the Top 10 all season.
6. Panama (C) - Winners of six straight games since taking their only loss of the season at the hands of Westfield. The Panthers get their chance at redemption when they visit Westfield on Monday night.
7. Fredonia (B1) - I’ve seen the Hillbillies twice this season, and they haven’t been great at the games I’ve attended. But I did see from them in the third quarter of their game against Salamanca, exactly what I knew they were capable of. There is a reason I picked them as my sleeper in Class B last year, and if I was a fan of Salamanca, or Newfane, I’d be really uncomfortable facing them in the postseason.
8. Akron (B1) - The only two losses of the season for the Tigers have come to a Top 10 team in NYS Class B (Newfane) and a Top 10 team in NYS Class C (Pembroke). They’ve dealt with a couple injuries along the way and have a young team that could very well trend upwards in another month.
9. Eden (B2) - The Raiders are now 9–1, with three consecutive victories by double figures, and at the top of the standings in ECIC V
10. Olmsted (B1) - I had Maple Grove here last week, who just lost to Westfield, slipping to 8-3. That’s the same record that Olmsted has. It’s very close between those two for this last spot, but I think it’s time to examine the Owls to this point in the season and note they have wins over Cardinal O’Hara, I-Prep, and a big one over Burgard, who entered that game unbeaten. Two of the three losses came to Park (once ranked among large schools this season) and Middle College. They currently have the top seed in Class B1 and could very well be a Buff State team again this season.
-centercourt
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