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Former New Mission guard and Marianapolis (Conn.) post-graduate Kachi Nzerem has committed to the College of St. Rose for the 2012-13 season, according to New Mission head coach Cory McCarthy.

Nzerem, a Hyde Park resident, was fielding interest from several other Northeast-10 schools in addition to St. Rose, including Southern Connecticut State, New Haven and Franklin Pierce. He also fielded Division interest to varying levels at times in his high school career, including Maine, New Hampshire, Sacred Heart, Tulane and Florida International.

"I thought they were a good fit from day one when they called about him," McCarthy said. "They wanted him the most and he appreciated that. When it comes this time of year, you go where you're wanted most. He felt like they recruited him the hardest. They wanted him from the jump."

The 6-foot-5 Nzerem was an integral part of Mission's abrupt rise in the MIAA basketball landscape, helping the Titans win the Division 4 title in 2010 and then Division 2 in 2011. It was the first time in MIAA history that a team won back-to-back titles in different divisions.

Nzerem was also named to ESPN Boston's inaugural MIAA All-State Team in 2011, after averaging 17.1 points and 6.1 rebounds. He is the third member of Mission's backcourt from 2010-11 to continue their career at a Northeast-10 school, joining Samir McDaniels (New Haven) and Darius Davis (Bentley).

With the unveiling of our MIAA All-State Teams for Boys and Girls late last week, the 2011-12 basketball season has come to close. But before we officially slam the book on another exciting season of hoop, and move on to spring sports, I wanted to get out a few thoughts on the landscape for next season.

To whet your appetite for the 2012-13 season, here are my early projections on the state's must-see teams to watch:

BOYS

Central Catholic - Plenty of talent returning with this squad, which captured the No. 1 overall spot in Division 1 North despite missing Luis Puello (ankle) for most of the season. ESPN Boston All-State guard Tyler Nelson returns as one of the state’s top shooters, but the Raiders also return all three of their regular bigs in Joel Berroa, Doug Gemmell and Nick Cambio.

New Mission – Apparently it’s never too early for bulletin board fodder, because head coach Cory McCarthy is already making some barnstorming rounds, telling ESPNBoston.com this afternoon that if the Titans don’t win the Division 2 state title next year, “I should be fired.” Bold, yes, but it’s hard not to like a lineup of Isshiah Coleman, Nate Anderson, Greg Bridges, Damion Smith and Shaquan Murray. There is some promising talent in those ranks.

Mansfield – Folks are talking about the Hornets being one of the South region’s top teams in two years’ time, between promising freshman Brendan Hill and sophomore Michael Hershman. I’m of the camp that believes with those two versatile parts, paired with a terrific coach in Mike Vaughan, the future is now.

Taunton – Shaquille O’Neal Davis. That’s legitimately his full name, and one you certainly will not forget by this time next year, for reasons that have nothing to do with The Big Aristotle.

West Springfield – Terriers return virtually everyone, including Chris Lipscomb, Paul Bessette, Andy McNulty, Dewey King, and leading scorer Riyadh Asad. West Side is the early favorite next year in Division 1 West.

St. John’s (Shrewsbury) – Junior transfer Tarik Octave was one of the nice surprises of the playoffs, and freshman Davon Jones has shades of former Pioneers great David White all over him (Doesn’t hurt that Jones was also the Pioneers’ starter at safety last fall, too). A boat load of underclassmen return, including Ken Harrington and T.J. Kelley, which should more than make up for the graduation of Matt Palecki.

Danvers – Falcons graduate 6-foot-7 center George Merry, an ESPN Boston All-State selection, but return some terrific guards. Nick McKenna, Nick Bates, Eric Martin and Dan Connors can all shoot the ball, and are perfectly-suited for John Walsh’s four-out offensive system. My early pick to repeat at D3 champs.

BC High – Eagles return what ought to be one of the state’s best backcourts in point guard Charles Collins and ESPN Boston All-State swingman Jameilen Jones. Throw into the mix one of the region’s best basketball minds in Bill Loughnane (he of four state titles) and it’s hard to think of the Eagles as anything but a favorite in the South.

Springfield Central – A plethora of talent graduates, including Chris Prophet, Lee Turner, Jevaughn McMilian, and ESPN Boston Super Teamer Tyrell Springer. But All-State forward Kamari Robinson should have another terrific season, and the way Cornelius Tyson exploded onto the scene in the Division 1 state final makes us all wonder if he’s about to realize the potential that many in the Springfield area have been talking about for so long.

Stoughton – Super Teamer Aaron Calixte and Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Middleton formed the state’s best backcourt in 2011-12. If all goes as planned, they’ll be well-equipped to defend that notion next season.

Wareham – Vikings might not endure an unbeaten regular season again next year. But another year of All-State point guard Darien Fernandez means they’re not going anywhere.

GIRLS

Braintree – Wamps started three freshmen this year: Ashley Russell, Bridget Herlihy, and 6-foot-1 center Molly Reagan. Expect them in conversation for state title contention from now until their time runs out in 2015.

Archbishop Williams – Ditto the Bishops, who have two 6-foot freshmen to look forward to the next three seasons. Add in sophomores Olivia Conrad and Leah Spencer, and their fiery mouthpiece Sara Ryan, and this could be another top-five team come December 2012.

Reading – The Rockets made a flawless run through the Division 2 gauntlet, winning their first Division 2 state title in school history as one of two final unbeaten squads in Massachusetts. Two-time Middlesex MVP and ESPN Boston All-State Olivia Healy returns, as does guard Morgan O’Brien.

Andover – Golden Warriors are expected to come down to Earth with the graduation of two-time ESPN Boston Miss Basketball, Nicole Boudreau, and UConn lacrosse commit Ally Fazio. What might be overlooked amidst Andover’s unprecedented run to a third straight state title is that there were plenty of terrific complimentary backcourt pieces in the underclass.

Central Catholic – Raiders treaded water after some injuries early on. But once junior forward Casey McLaughlin was back to full strength, they made a run all the way to the Division 1 North semifinals. Have to imagine they’ll be in conversation again next year.

Every year, there is that one player who explodes onto the scene in the MIAA boys basketball tournament and puts many a college scout on notice.

Last year, it was 6-foot-8 Jake Layman leading King Philip to its most successful season in history and a surprise appearance in the Division 2 South final, before signing with Maryland last November and leading the Warriors to a 17-3 campaign this year. Before him, it was Pat Connaughton, averaging nearly a 20-20 in the 2010 playoffs for St. John's Prep before signing with Notre Dame in two sports and delivering the Eagles their first state title last March. And before him, it was Central Catholic's 6-foot-11 stud Carson Desrosiers, a nightly triple-double threat with three-point range who led the Raiders to two state titles in three seasons before moving on to Wake Forest.

Who is the next Jake Layman, Pat Connaughton or Carson Desrosiers? Below are 11 underclassmen that could fit the bill and why. As always, the names of opposing coaches questioned for comment are withheld. ESPN analyst and New England Recruiting Report founder Adam Finkelstein also weighs in with additional comments.

NOTE: We had Central Catholic's Tyler Nelson and New Mission's Nate Anderson on this list last year, with high praise, and so for that reason we're excluding them this time around.

JALEN ADAMS, MELROSE
6-1, Soph. G
Why he matters: One of several players on this list to first build hype after a good run with nationally-recognized AAU powerhouse Boston Amateur Basketball Club (BABC), Adams is considered the total package by some. With his combination of court vision and athleticism, Adams is a nightly threat averaging 20.7 points per game. The Boston native navigated the Red Raiders through a tough Middlesex League field, winning the the Small division and earning a No. 2 seed in Division 2 North at 18-2.
What opposing coaches are saying: “He’s competitive, I think his strength is his court vision. He’s explosive, he can get to rim, and I think one of his other big strengths is that he can defend at a high level...I think Jalen is the most talented point guard in the state of Massachusetts. He’s got a bright future in front of him. He has unbelievable spring in his step and gets off the floor quick. He can shoot the three, he can get by you quickly, he’ll dunk in traffic, and when he wants be a great defender there isn’t anyone that can get by him...He’s just like Shabazz Napier was as a sophomore at Charlestown. That’s honestly who I’d compare him to...When he wants to, he can defend –- he is a five-tool player. Out of all of them, he’s a five-tool kid because he’s quick, he can score, he can shoot off the bounce, and he hits his free throws.”
ESPN’s Adam Finkelstein: "Adams has a variety of tools that can't be taught. First he has all the physical tools being long, quick, and athletic. Secondly, he's got an instinctive knack for making plays with the ball in his hands. Put the two together, the type of plays he's able to make help his game to translate well to the next level. He still needs to shoot the ball more consistently and potentially learn to be more of a point guard given his size."

BRUCE BROWN, WAKEFIELD
6-3, Fr. F
Why he matters: The Warriors' return to prominence has been one of the nicer stories in D2 North. And while there are some talented upperclassmen taking the lead role, Brown's presence (13.6 points per game) has been just as integral -- odd that we're saying that about a freshman, right? Brown is already drawing considerable hype following some play with the BABC, and he's drawn comparisons to other BABC swingmen like Charlestown's Tyrese Hoxter of Tilton (N.H.) super soph Wayne Selden. An explosive rebounder with great hops, Brown could be the X-factor in D2 North.
Opposing coaches: “The first thing that sticks out is his ability to defend. The second thing I like about him is his ability -– again, like Jalen [Adams] -– to get all the way to the rim. He has a chance to play at a high level of Division 1 if you were to ask me right now...Bruce Brown might be like Tyrese Hoxter 2.0 -– for real. They’re the same player. He struggle with his jump shot, OK, but he really attacks the open floor, and he wants to win. The difference between him and Tyrese is his IQ, but he could be Tyrese right now in a year...He’s a super athlete, he dunks everything. He is a man among boys, but he also is super competitive. That is one competitive [expletive] kid. He hates to lose.”
Finkelstein: "He's just a youngster as a freshman, but you love his physical upside. Given a few years to continue to develop and polish his skill set, and this guy has all the requisite tools to develop into a very good prospect. He plays above the rim at a young age, has the type of frame that appears poised to evolve into a great body, and plenty of burst both with his first step as well as his leaping ability."

AARON CALIXTE, STOUGHTON
5-11, Jr. G
Why he matters: Already a household name in the minds of many, this could be Calixte's defining month in MIAA basketball. He's considered the state's top point guard by some, and hasn't done anything to disprove that, going off for 20 to 25 points on a nightly basis after garnering hype over the offseason with the New England Playaz AAU program. One of several players on this list with football prowess, his athleticism makes him a matchup problem on the offensive end. Combined with tenacious two-way guard Marcus Middleton, the Black Knights might have the best backcourt in the state. Calixte currently averages 18.6 points per game, and holds offers from Towson and Quinnipiac.
Opposing coaches: “As a passer I think he’s phenomenal, I think that’s his best skill. Really good players just score, great players make other people around them better, and that’s truly his gift. When he goes out there and sees essentially two people guard him at all times –- one face-guarding, and another stationary for help –- instead of forcing a score, he has the uncanny knack to find the open man...Aaron’s that kind of kid. He’s the kind of kid that, if I were a kid, I’d like to play with. He plays extremely hard...I’ve been watching him since sixth grade. Solid, solid, solid, strong and understands the game. More than anything else, I think he’s got great character.”
Finkelstein: "Calixte really started to show signs last summer of being able to take his game to that next level. Most guards create their offense going north to south in the open floor, but Calixte is the rare player who can break his man down from a standstill in the quarter court. He's got a quick first step and a super strong core in order to absorb contact all the way to the rim. He's another though who must shoot it better and learn the nuances of the point guard position."

NICK CAMBIO, CENTRAL CATHOLIC
6-5, Soph. F
Why he matters: He's not even the most prolific forward for the 20-1 Raiders -- that would full unto juniors Joel Berroa and Doug Gemmell. But coaches rave about Cambio's upside, with a game befitting a typical stretch-four forward at the college level. He can dust it up inside, but also has three-point range, as dangerous on the pick-and-roll as pick-and-pop. Lately, he's been saving his best performances for the most clutch moments -- see his winning play in the Raiders' 58-57 thriller over St. John's Prep, slipping behind the defense on a backdoor play and laying home a beautiful dish from Berroa.
Opposing coaches: “Nick is very talented. He has a great basketball body. Good length, and a good rebounder who can play inside and out. He plays the perimeter very well, and defensively he presses well. Great stroke, very good player...He’s a prototype face-up four guy, he can stretch out a lot of things. He’s very active and he’s got a high skill level too. You don’t see that in kid that young very often...Big, active, skilled, there’s not a whole lot not to like about his game. He’s kind of unique in the fact that he plays both inside and out, especially at this level for his age. You don’t see that a lot. The system he’s in has him playing mostly inside, but I know he can shoot and do a lot of different things. He’s definitely a unique type of player.”
Finkelstein: "He's a big forward with a smooth perimeter skill set, and that's a prototype you're finding more and more in the college game these days. Ten years ago every college program was playing with three perimeter players, but now both forwards play on the perimeter with four guys around a single post. That makes guys like Cambio all the more coveted at that level, especially if he's able to add a couple inches to his frame."

ISSHIAH COLEMAN, NEW MISSION
6-5, Jr. F
Why he matters: Nicknamed "Plastic Man" by his own head coach, Coleman is the spark plug in the paint for a green but talented Titans squad. The defending D2 champs have had their ups and downs this season, but one of the most consistent performers has been Coleman. A menacing shot-swatter with a 38-inch vertical leap, Coleman is known for his high energy and seemingly endless bounce in his step, swaying momentum with a block or dunk. This season, he is averaging 15 rebounds and eight blocks.
Opposing coaches: “Solid, solid player. 6-foot-5, has a 38-inch vertical, definite high-D2 player I think due to, you know, I don’t think he’s going to cap off at 6-7, 6-8 or anything. But come on, he is a monster down there. Just a monster...He is a human pogo stick. I saw a block where he jumped over a kid. His athleticism is just stupid. His vertical is absolutely ridiculous.”
Finkelstein: "Again, Coleman has the requisite physical tools you look for in a prospect for the next level. He's long and cut with easy bounce. His dexterity around the rim is also impressive as he's a guy who can dunk the basketball with both hands in the course of a play. He's got signs of skill that show through his bursts of athleticism, and he'll need to continue to develop that area of his game for the next level."

DARIEN FERNANDEZ, WAREHAM
5-7, Jr. G
Why he matters: From his halfcourt buzzer-beater that made SportsCenter's Top Plays, to his near-quadruple-double against Old Rochester last month, the junior waterbug point guard has been in fifth gear all season. With a stocky running back's frame built low to the ground (think Ray Rice or Maurice Jones-Drew), Fernandez is as physical as they come on both ends of the floor, charging through the lane fearlessly or harrassing players around the floor down at the other end. He's the biggest reason why the Vikings are the state's last remaining unbeaten, averaging 25 points a game to go along with nine assists and eight rebounds. He is also drawing low Division 1 interest in both football and basketball.
Opposing coaches: “Love that kid, love him. I would love to see him and Aaron [Calixte] play against each other. He has a lot of the same traits as player. I don’t know if he’s quite the passer Aaron is, but I know defensively he’s better than Aaron is. He really gets after it on the ball...Against Cardinal Spellman, he dominated. It’s four categories with him –- points, rebounds, assists, steals –- and he plays really hard...That’s a nightmare matchup for us. He gave us a whole bunch of problems. He’s quick, he’s tough, he’s got a will, he’s got intestinal fortitude. But Darien, do me a favor: You are a football player. Enjoy this basketball, but take that scholarship for football, will you?”
Finkelstein: "His ability to create offense for both himself and his teammates makes him one of the most dependable playmaking guards in all of the MIAA. He's a little undersized but he knows how to utilize his physical tools to his advantage -- he's like a bulldog guard who plays lower to the ground than the competition and is able to get under defenders with his great core strength."

TYRESE HOXTER, CHARLESTOWN
6-3, Jr. G/F
Why he matters: In just two seasons with the Charlestown varsity, Hoxter has scored 760 points. And that's with playing second fiddle last season to All-Stater Akosa Maduegbunam, who is finishing at Winchendon and is expected to sign with Penn State. The hype with Hoxter started last summer after some nice runs with the BABC, and he's more than lived up to the billing. He's averaging 20.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists for the 16-4 Townies, and has established himself as one of the state's top pure scorers. The Townies have had their ups and downs, but Hoxter has been the constant driving the engine.
Opposing coaches: “Come on, come on, get me on record with this one, please. Listen, let me tell you something, I saw him when he was a sixth-grader at Edwards Middle School. I told everybody in the city, [he’s a] bona fide Division 1 basketball player. Best player there is right now. There’s not a better public high school player in the state. Forget about it, he’s the best player running around. Mid to high-major player in my mind...He’s better than Akosa Maduegbunam was last year. Akosa’s got more of a jump shot, but this kid’s cerebral, he’s very intelligent, he’s got the whole nine. He doesn’t look athletic, but he’s athletic as hell and if he ever stood straight up he’d be 6-foot-5...Out of everybody, he’s the one player that could make a bad team good team instantly, besides Jake Layman. If you put him on a team like, say for instance, Arlington, they wouldn’t be a .500 team -– they’d win the Middlesex League. You play zone against him, and he’ll get you before it even sets up. Man, he’ll dribble up the left side of the court and go right the whole time.”
Finkelstein: "He's another guy who really started to prove himself against a high level of competition during the last AAU season and appears poised to make an even bigger name for himself this spring and summer. As an athletic southpaw, he creates all kinds of mismatches, and is equally dangerous on the defensive end where his length and quickness make him a tremendous asset in run-and-jump situations."

MALIK JAMES, BRIGHTON
6-1, Soph. G
Why he matters: Hugh Coleman's turnaround with the Bengals' program has been one of the nicest stories of the season, and James is one of several playmaking guards spearheading the movement. His creativity has coaches around the Boston City League raving, and his averages (15 points, 10 assists, five rebounds) back up the assertion. He's been hampered by an ankle injury since the Acton-Boxborough loss two weeks ago, so we'll see how he does going forward.
Opposing coaches: “Rajon Rondo of the BPS, that’s all he is. Rajon Rondo of the City League, that’s it. Flat out player. Low-D1 player...He’s pretty explosive, that kid. Good spring in his step, and he plays the game above the rim. He can go inside-out, too –- he is not afraid to mix it up inside.”
Finkelstein: "What I like about James is that while he has shown he can be the scorer and playmaker that his team needs to win games at the high school level, he shows some flashes of having the feel for the game and basketball intellect that it will take to play the point guard position at the next level, in terms of his court vision and being able to play the pick and roll."

JAMEILEN JONES, BC HIGH
6-3, Jr. G
Why he matters: The Eagles are one of the most dangerous teams headed into the D1 South tournament, and one of the biggest reasons is Jones' scoring ability and game IQ. An athletic off-guard who is aggressive without ever looking rattled, he is one of the Catholic Conference's most difficult players to mark. While the Eagles keep the scoring low, it's Jones making many of the team's clutch shots from the field. Defensively, he's a cornerstone of head coach Bill Loughnane's vaunted 1-3-1 scheme, and is a big reason why the Eagles are allowing under 48 points per game.
Opposing coaches: “Very athletic, very athletic. I know there’s rumblings about him transferring to prep school, but he’s a smart kid and I know he can get an Ivy League spot coming directly out of BC High. I think the Ivy League would be perfect for him...He’s very good. He’s another one of those spring-in-his-step guys. He’s off the ground twice before most kids even get off the ground once. He has good range from outside, he’s extremely athletic getting to the rim, and he’s way above rim when he plays...I think Jameilen Jones is the best one-on-one defender out of everybody left. Easily, too.”
Finkelstein: "Jones is another player who separates himself from the competition by virtue of his physical tools. He's a big wing by MIAA standards, with a devastating combination of power and explosiveness, that is supplemented by a good motor and unselfish floor game. Not unlike others on this list, he has a tendency to get stuck in first gear and will need to expand his half-court skill set before arriving at the next level."

COLIN RICHEY, WHITINSVILLE CHRISTIAN
6-2, Jr. G
Why he matters: In the Crusaders Division 3 state championship campaign last season, they were able to rely on a slew of long upperclassmen, led by 6-foot-9 All-State center Hans Miersma. This season, with all those kids graduated, it has been Richey's team to guide. Whitinsville is a much shorter team by its own standards, but there hasn't been much drop-off. He leads the Crusaders in scoring at 18.4 points per game, and has them penned as a favorite in D3 once again.
Opposing coaches: “He’s great, kind of a throwback-type player, with a little bit of city ball in him as well. He reminds me of Jimmy Chitwood from the movie ‘Hooisers’, he shoots the heck out of it. But he’s also got a little bit of ‘The Professor’ from the And-1 Mixtape Tour in him –- know what I mean? Great handle. He’s a great player, I enjoy watching him...Every team wishes they had a kid like him. He’s not scared. He wants to get 30 points, but at the same time he wants to make sure he’s the guy that makes the team win -– that’s not selfish, in my opinion...When they lose, he looks like he’s ready to go back into the gym and start taking jump shots immediately. He wants to be good so bad, that it makes rest of his team look good.”
Finkelstein: “The high school game is dominated by guards, most of whom make their impact with their ability to score the ball. Richey can do the same, but what separates him from others is the fact that he's a pure point guard, and that's going to make him especially valuable long-term. He comes with all the intangibles a coach looks for in their floor leader, and has also seen his body evolve quite a bit in the last year.”

KAMARI ROBINSON, SPRINGFIELD CENTRAL
6-5, Jr. F
Why he matters: Another player who first got noticed with the BABC, Robinson hasn't been the brightest star for the newly-anointed No. 1 Golden Eagles -- that would be senior Tyrell Springer -- but his importance goes without saying. With a game similar to that of Brockton senior center Sayvonn Houston, and a threat for a nightly double-double Robinson is a physical player underneath, bringing enough attention inside to facilitate spacing and open looks for the Eagles' talented stable of wing players.
Opposing coaches: “I had the opportunity to watch him when he played for Leo Papile [with BABC]. Very tough, very tough. I think his upside is tremendous, just huge...If he was playing out here [Boston area] he’d be compared to some of the top players in the state. For him, out of all the Central kids he’s probably the biggest game-changer. Playing with an elite scorer like Tyrell Springer helps too…You see a lot of man-to-man in Western Mass., and because of Springer he doesn’t get double-teamed as much so he can go off on people. He’s unassuming sort of, but he kills people...I feel like Springfield kids have that competitiveness to them, that fire, you know? But because of who he plays with, he’s the glue of that team.”
Finkelstein: “He's an explosive athlete -- quick off his feet, able to play high above the rim, rise up for pull-ups, and even muscle through contact with a chiseled frame. Combine that with his good size for the wing positions and he's got all the physical tools college coaches look for and require for the next level. He's still got to learn to slow down at times and continue to polish his skill set, but the base is there to be a strong prospect for the next level."


Others to watch
Drew Belcher, Soph. F, Reading
Joel Berroa, Jr. F, Central Catholic
Jaylen Blakely, Jr. G, Brockton
Sam Bohmiller, Jr. G, Franklin
Greg Bridges, Fr. G, New Mission
Jimmy Campbell, Fr. G, Hamilton-Wenham
Stephen Carangelo, Jr. G, Lynnfield
Derek Collins, Jr. G, North Andover
Marcos Echevarria, Fr. G, St. John’s Prep
Daivon Edwards, Jr. G, Brighton
Michael Hershman, Soph. G, Mansfield
Brendan Hill, Fr. F, Mansfield
Connor McLeod, Jr. G, Needham
Marcus Middleton, Jr. G, Stoughton
Tommy Mobley, Fr. G, Newton North
Dakim Murray, Jr. F, Madison Park
Isaiah Nelsen, Jr. F, North Andover
Max Nesbit, Jr. G, Manchester-Essex
Mick Snowden, Soph. G, Fitchburg
Tyree Weston, Fr. F, New Bedford
Taris Wilson, Soph. G, Charlestown

ROXBURY, Mass. -- A consistent down low attack combined with its patented stingy defense played a big role in East Boston's tournament win on Thursday, while a little assistance from New Mission on the side certainly did not hurt.

In what was a tough mental day for the Titans, East Boston dominated New Mission 62-43 at Madison Park to advance to the finals of the Boston City League tournament.

The North division regular season champs will face division runner-up and rival Madison Park (16-2) on the same court at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow.

“We just played some solid man-to-man,” said Eastie coach Malcolm Smith. “We wanted to get inside points today, whether that was going to come off offensive rebounds or pounding it in. I thought we would have trouble with New Mission's height, but these guys really worked hard on boxing out.”

Lapses in judgment dug a hole for the Titans (12-5) early, while the Jets' ability to capitalize helped them grab a lead late in the first quarter and never look back. Seven travels in the first eight and a half minutes allowed Eastie (15-4) to score nine straight points and go up 15-6 early in the second quarter.

After scoring one off a quarter opening technical by New Mission for sending out six men, senior Kyle Fox managed to create a three-point play off a steal for a layup and a forced a one-and-one. Two Titan travels and a steal later, junior Pat Santos finger-rolled a breakaway score to finish the run.

“I just look to attack the basket and avoid the defender,” said Fox. “Coach said 'Be patient, slow it down and let the game come to me'.”

Fox rushed the rim all night to lead the game in scoring with 17 points, while Santos fronted the Jets on defense with 11 strips. EB junior Kenny Ramos also had 9 points and 10 rebounds.

“I do not know where Santos has been the past seven games, but today he showed up,” said Smith. “He was pestering everyone and keeping their guys in front of him like we have always preached about.”

After a fade away trey by senior Elgino Jean placed EB up 22-9, the Titans grabbed some momentum with the emergence of 6-foot-3 junior center Isshiah Coleman late in the first half.

Rotating off his first shot-block of the game, Coleman hit the open floor for a wide open dunk at 1:23. Attacking the baseline on the next drive, the junior cut under the back board, curled in a layup and forced a foul shot for three points and a 22-17 halftime margin.

“Our game plan was to break their pressure and get weak side layups,” said New Mission coach Cory McCarthy. “It was happening, but the guards stopped running the offense. We have a young team and we need guys to step up as leaders.”

Two straight put-backs by Ramos and Jean got the Jets rolling again to open the half with a 26-17 lead. Two minutes later Eastie found Fox open on the sidelines for a three-pointer to spread the margin into double-digits.

The Titans, who faced a 17 to 11 steals deficit, never mounted any second half streaks. A pair of third quarter three-pointers by junior Kordell Harris and two fourth quarter dunks by Coleman were the last signs of breath for New Mission.

Producing all 20 final-quarter points from within the paint, the Jets forced eight points of free throws and 12 from tip-ins to put New Mission away in the final quarter.

“When the 'bigs' get in foul trouble the game becomes easier,” said Fox. “Rotation was key defensively.”

Eastie, who lost 63-56 to Charlestown in last year's finals, will be looking to grab its first league title since 2008. The Jets have already defeated finals opponent MP twice this season, with scores of 61-59 and 68-42, respectively.

“It is hard to beat a team three times,” said Smith. “(We will) have to play all the way to the end. It is going to be difficult, but it is going to be a challenge we will relish.”

Seedings for the MIAA boys and girls' basketball tournament will be unveiled on Friday, and starting on Monday we'll have you covered nightly from the first tip-off though the state finals in mid-March at the DCU Center in Worcester. On Monday, we'll have a full breakdown of each bracket, with predictions, as well as my annual column highlighting the state's top players poised to burst onto the scene with strong playoff performances.

To whet your appetite, here's who I've penned as the bona fide favorites in boys Divisions 1 through 4, and why.

NOTE: Records are through Tuesday night.

DIVISION 1

Springfield Central
Record: 19-1
District: West
Players to watch: Tyrell Springer, Sr. G/F; Kamari Robinson, Jr. F; Jevaughn McMilian, Sr. F; Lee Turner, Sr. G; Chris Prophet, Sr. G; Trevor Bacon, Sr. F; Cornelius Tyson, Jr. G.
The lowdown: Some are calling this Springfield’s best chance at a state title since Commerce beat a Jeff Adrien-led Brookline squad for the 2004 D1 title. The record speaks for itself, and the Golden Eagles appear to be hitting their peak at just the right time –- witness Monday’s 40-point thrashing of Commerce. Their lone blemish is a six-point loss at last month's Hoophall Classic to a Windsor (Conn.) squad that is ranked No. 2 in the Nutmeg State, and whose average margin of victory is 34.4 points per game. Springer has emerged as one of the state’s elite swingmen, while the 6-foot-5 Robinson has had a breakout year manning the boards. Between Robinson, the 6-foot-6 Bacon, and 6-foot-7 shot swatter Jevaughn McMilian, the Eagles can truly go big like few other teams across Division 1.

Central Catholic
Record: 20-1
District: North
Players to watch: Tyler Nelson, Soph. G; Joel Berroa, Jr. F; Doug Gemmell, Jr. F; Nick Cambio, Soph. F; Lucas Hammel, Jr. G; Shawn McCoy, Sr. F; Henry Rodriguez, Sr. G.
The lowdown: What makes Central so dangerous is not its starting five, which can hang with anyone, but the amount of depth it brings to the table. The Raiders can legitimately go big with three true bigs, or small with a slew of guards and slashers. And they can all shoot the ball from deep. Also consider that the Raiders have done most of their damage without the state’s premier on-ball defender, Luis Puello. The senior guard took a month to get back to full strength after spraining his ankle in late December, and re-injured it two weeks ago; his timetable for recovery is unknown at this time.

Brockton
Record: 16-2
District: South
Players to watch: Jaylen Blakely, Jr. G; Jahleel Moise, Sr. F; Sayvonn Houston, Sr. C; Jamal Reuben, Sr. F; Will Baker, Sr. G; Jarrod Shelby, Sr. F
The lowdown: Depending on which team shows up, this is a team capable of running off points in a hurry (see: comeback wins over Catholic Memorial and New Bedford) or running themselves off the floor (see: Sunday's surprising 18-point loss to Charlestown). When everything is clicking, the Boxers are one of the state's deepest and most dangerous lineups, with all the requisite parts to work with -- an even-keeled distributor (Blakely), shooters (Reuben, Baker), shot-swatting slashers (Moise, Shelby), and a big-bodied true center that keeps the cycle going (Houston). The key is undoubtedly Houston, a nightly double-double machine with exceptional lower-body strength to fight through double-teams. When he is doing his part, the Brockton offense runs cleaner and crisper.

Charlestown
Record: 16-4
District: North
Players to watch: Tyrese Hoxter, Jr. G; Rony Fernandez, Sr. G; Omar Orriols, Sr. F; Tyrik Jackson, Sr. F; Iser Barnes, Sr. G; Taris Wilson, Soph. G
The lowdown: All nit-picks of Brockton aside, there is a reason the Townies didn’t qualify for City Championships –- they are the biggest enigma in Division 1 heading to the state tournament. This is one of the state’s most skilled starting lineups, but also one that could go all the way to the Garden floor or get knocked out in the first round. Hoxter, a lanky slasher with three-point range, is going to get his. Ditto for Jackson, a true post who can fill the lane. The X-factor might be how Fernandez and Orriols respond to pressure.

Catholic Memorial
Record: 16-3
District: South
Players to watch: Matt Droney, Sr. F; Dan Powers, Sr. F; Chris Siggers, Jr. G; Aahmane Santos, Soph. G, Armani Reeves, Sr. F; Gerard Adams, Soph. C
The lowdown: When the Catholic Conference champion Knights are running hitting their shots, few teams have been able to slow them down. Droney and Powers are known for their shooting, but can score in multiple ways going to the hoop. One of the more underrated components may lie in Reeves, an Ohio State football commit who often comes off the bench and provides stiff perimeter defense. And if they can get anything out of Adams –- a raw 6-foot-8, 300-pound lane-filler with limited mobility –- it would be a bonus.

BC High
Record: 14-5
District: South
Players to watch: Jameilen Jones, Jr. G; Charles Collins, Jr. G; Justin Roberts, Sr. F; Oderah Obukwelu, Sr. F
The lowdown: Few active coaches have had as much tournament success as Eagles coach Bill Loughnane, who won three D1 state titles at South Boston (1992, 1995-96) before coming down the road to Dorchester and leading the Eagles to their first D1 title in 2007. That’s just one of the main reasons we like BC’s chances in the postseason. The other main one is physicality -– Roberts and Obukwelu, two football stars, do the dirty work underneath, opening up the perimeter for Jones, one of the state’s elite scorers.

Others to watch: Acton-Boxborough (20-1), Andover (11-7), Barnstable (14-4), Boston Latin (16-5), East Boston (14-4), Franklin (16-4), Holy Name (17-3), Lawrence (13-5), Madison Park (15-2), Mansfield (12-7), Needham (15-5), Newton North (17-3), North Quincy (17-3), Springfield Cathedral (10-9), Springfield Commerce (14-5), St. John’s (Shrewsbury) (16-5), St. John’s Prep (11-7), St. Peter-Marian (17-4), West Springfield (16-3), Westford (17-4), Weymouth (17-3)

DIVISION 2

North Andover
Record: 19-1
District: North
Players to watch: Zach Karalis, Sr. G; Isaiah Nelsen, Jr. F; Brendan Miller, Soph. G; Derek Collins, Jr. G; Mike Moroney, Sr. F; John Miller, Sr. F
The lowdown: Everybody’s favorite little sleeper is suddenly the team to beat in the North district, after slowly building steam all of January and February. It starts with the WPI-bound Karalis, one of the district's smoothest shooters, and it continues down low where Nelsen and Moroney doing the dirty work. Man-to-man defenses beware: this is as surgical an offense as you'll find around, excelling at using screens to clear runways to the basket and create confusion. Defensively, the Knights' help defense has been very efficient, hedging off screens with the best of them.

King Philip
Record: 17-3
District: South
Players to watch: Jake Layman, Sr. F; John Mullane, Sr. F; Christian Fair, Sr. G; Mike Schmidt, Sr. G; Sam McDonald, Jr. F; Dever Carrison, Jr. F
The lowdown: Layman, a 6-foot-8 Maryland signee who is ranked the No. 61 overall senior by ESPNU, is more than capable of singularly taking a game over -- he's proven as much with his gaudy stats this year. But like the Pat Connaughton-led St. John's Prep squad last year, the Warriors' superstar needs consistency from the supporting cast each night for this team to survive. Perhaps it's encouraging, then, that the Warriors were able to stave off Oliver Ames last weekend without Layman in the lineup, getting a big night out of Mullane. Losing promising junior Tykei Hallman doesn't help matters, however.

Stoughton
Record: 16-4
District: South
Players to watch: Aaron Calixte, Jr. G; Marcus Middleton, Jr. G; Joe Bunce-Grenon, Jr. G; Steffan Jackson, Sr. F; Antonio Ferreira, Sr. F
The lowdown: The Black Knights aren't exactly backpedaling into the tournament, but they're not exactly in fifth gear either after losing two straight to Franklin and Needham, before holding off a 2-18 Walpole team to wrap up their regular season schedule. Calixte is arguably the state's most gifted -- and creative -- playmaker, capable of going off for 30 points on any given night, while Middleton has established himself as one of the state's premier perimeter defenders. This team fancies and uptempo style to combat its lack of size, but when teams go inside they are often met by the high-energy shot swatter Ferreira.

Brighton
Record: 15-3
District: North
Players to watch: Malik James, Soph. G; Theo Oribhabor, Jr. G; Prince Onaegbu, Jr. F; Daivon Edwards, Jr. G; Jerard Mayes, Sr. F.
The lowdown: The Bengals have stumbled since losing star sophomore Nick Simpson for the year due to academics, but we’ll have a much clearer idea of what the team is like without Simpson following this week's City Championships. Here's what we do know: Brighton can shoot with the best of them, and when Edwards' shot is falling he can take a load of pressure off of the distributor James. When pressing, the Bengals have shades of head coach Hugh Coleman's mentor, legendary Charlestown coach Jack O'Brien, scribbled all over them. With an athletic lineup, the Bengals take proper angles in the press and prefer to be the aggressor at all times.

New Mission
Record: 14-4
District: North
Players to watch: Isshiah Coleman, Jr. F, Nate Anderson, Jr. F; Leroy Hamilton, Sr. G/F; Percio Gomez, Jr. G/F; DaShawn Fennell, Jr. G/F; Shaquan Murray, Soph. G;
The lowdown: It's tough to get a read on the Titans, who have at once looked both brilliant and uninspiring thoughout the 2011-12 season. On one breath, they look deflated in a double-digit loss to Brighton, getting swept by a Boston City League team for the first time under head coach Cory McCarthy. In the next breath, they turn around a few days later and grind out a hard-fought win over one of Rhode Island's top teams, hot-shooting La Salle Academy. Mission won back-to-back state titles in 2010-11 with an overbearing physical presence, particularly around the rim. For them to make a three-peat, big men Coleman and Anderson will have to stay out of foul trouble and strike fear in the heart of the opposition early. This is a young, green squad saddled with big expectations on the heels of an unprecedented two-year run; but the Titans always turn it on come playoff time.

Falmouth
Record: 18-1
District: South
Players to watch: Andrew McGill, Jr. G; Damien Reid, Sr. G; Kyle Kaspryzk, Sr. F; Nate Steele, Sr. F
The lowdown: One of the most unsung coach jobs this year has to be that of Lundberg, who has this team riding a 16-game win streak after some question marks clouded them with the graduation of Nelson Baptiste and John Lavin. Two years ago the Clippers torched Salem on the Garden floor for the D2 EMass title, and running the point was little-known freshman McGill. He may still look like a freshman two years later, but his savvy on the court has kept the win streak alive. And yet question marks still surround Falmouth: Kasprzyk, one of the Clippers' few true posts, went down with an ankle injury in a 54-53 win over Barnstable.

Others to watch: Beverly (13-5), Groton-Dunstable (14-6), Hopkinton (15-5), Lynn Classical (11-9), Masconomet (12-5), Medfield (14-6), Melrose (16-2), Northbridge (16-4), Oliver Ames (12-8), Quabbin (17-3), Randolph (16-2), Reading (15-5), Salem (11-8), South Hadley (11-8), St. Bernard’s (11-10), Wakefield (14-6)

DIVISION 3

Whitinsville Christian
Record: 13-5
District: Central
Players to watch: Colin Richey, Jr. G; Tyler VandenAkker, Sr. F; Jesse Dykstra, Sr. F; Grant Brown, Jr. G/F; Antonio Estrella, Jr. F
The lowdown: This isn't the same Crusaders team of 2011, which was considered one of the state's tallest lineups, led by 6-foot-9 All-Stater Hans Miersma. No, this is quite a departure from typical WC teams, but it's still a well-oiled machine. Richey grabs most of the headlines for his shooting ability and high game IQ, but it's the surgery of its zone offense that makes WC a tough out. Never flashy, always making the extra pass for a higher-percentage look, the Crusaders will frustrate any team looking to play uptempo basketball. The Crusaders have sputtered lately, losing four of their last five after starting off 12-1; but factoring in the dearth of upper-echelon Division 3 squads in the Central and West brackets, they have to be a favorite to return to the DCU Center floor next month.

Cardinal Spellman
Record: 17-5
District: South
Players to watch: Joey Glynn, Sr. F; Rickey Donovan, Sr. F; Joey Crane, Soph. G; Paul Preziosi, Jr. G; Mike Downing, Sr. G.
The lowdown: With the Bentley-bound Glynn back in the fold, the defending South Sectional champs were considered a preseason favorite in D3. After sputtering out to a 4-3 start, the Cards are rolling, having won 10 of 11 before dropping a 71-54 decision to Whitinsville Christian on Monday. Like several other contenders with star power, the Cards can rely on Glynn filling the stat sheet every game, facilitating for players like Donovan and Crane to put in their buckets. With Wareham assured the No. 1 seed in the South, some are predicting a rematch between the Spellman and the Vikings; Wareham won their last meeting on Jan. 8, 80-72.

Wareham
Record: 20-0
District: South
Players to watch: Darien Fernandez, Jr. G; Jeff Houde, Sr. F; Tyler Gomes, Sr. F; Aaron Baptiste, Sr. F
The lowdown: Not a ton of size with the Vikings, but that hasn't stopped them from running off another unblemished run through the South Coast Conference and wrapping up their sixth straight league title. Two years ago the Vikings went run-and-gun en route to their first state title since 1977, and that style has paid dividends again this season. It all starts with Fernandez, a 5-foot-7 waterbug with a running back's build who can score from anywhere on the floor, and is fearless going to the hoop. Like some other running teams on this list, staying out of foul trouble will be paramount.

Danvers
Record: 17-3
District: North
Players to watch: George Merry, Sr. C; Nick McKenna, Jr. G; Nick Bates, Jr. F; Eric Martin, Jr. G; Jon Amico, Sr. G.
The lowdown: The Falcons were a preseason favorite in the North, and have done little to prove otherwise. Keying Danvers has been a stout defense allowing 44 points per game and led i the middle by Merry, who at 6-foot-7 is more than just a big body to fill the lane. Merry gets end to end quickly, and can step out on the perimeter and facilitate for the team's best perimeter players. When drawing double teams, it's essentially time to pick your poison.

Martha’s Vineyard
Record: 18-2
District: South
Players to watch: Peter Keaney, Sr. F; Jack Roberts, Jr. G; Izak Browne, Sr. G; Del Araujo, Sr. F; Charlie Everett, Sr. F.
The lowdown: Maybe it’s because being on an island makes them difficult to scout to begin with, but the Islanders always seem to sneak up on people come tournament time. It doesn’t hurt that they’re talented from the inside out, with Keaney and Araujo grabbing tough boards as well as facilitating some motion when stepping out on the perimeter. Overall, the Vineyarders are a quality offensive rebounding team that can quickly run off points in bunches

Others to watch: Arlington Catholic (14-5), Bishop Feehan (15-4), Norton (15-5), Norwell (17-2), Rockland (18-2), Watertown (6-14), Wayland (15-5), Whittier (17-1)

DIVISION 4

St. Mary’s (Lynn)
Record: 16-6
District: North
Players to watch: Nick Gagliolio, Sr. F; Tommy Deveau, Jr. G; Rudolf Thurman, Soph. G; Matt Manning, Jr. F;
The lowdown: The Spartans might have caught the entire state's full attention after losing to defending D1 state champ St. John's Prep by two in overtime, and the rest of the way they've carried that momentum -- punctuated again by another last-second loss to Prep late last week. Gagliolo is the top scoring option for the Spartans, but the X-factor going forward will be the health of Thurman, who injured his shoulder in that Prep win and was unavailable in their loss to Boston Cathedral on Friday.

Winthrop
Record: 15-5
District: North
Players to watch: Quinton Dale, Sr. F; Joe D’Amore, Sr. G; Joshawa Babb, Jr. G; Ervin DeJesus, Jr. F; Jeff Laguerre, Sr. G.
The lowdown: Defending D4 state champs are cruising again, finishing the regular season strong by reeling off six wins in seven games. For all the talk of Danvers in the Northeastern Conference, the Vikings swept them in the regular season to win the Conference's South division outright. The one to pay attention to with Winthrop is Dale, athletic and long for his 6-foot-3 frame and one of the Conference's better rebounders.

Boston Cathedral
Record: 13-6
District: South
Players to watch: Carlos Bermudez, Sr. G; Joe Green, Sr. F; Kyle Lawyer, Sr. F; Curtis Howe, Sr. G; Anthony Bell, Sr. F
The lowdown: Lawyer and Green are back after missing some time away from the team, which means the Panthers are to be taken seriously once again. This isn't a squad known for its size, but when we tell you Bermudez is one of the more exciting players to watch in the South district we're not kidding. Listed at 5-foot-4 and gifted with speed and stocky frame, this distributor is dangerous in the open court. Lawyer and Green are the top scoring options, able to go off for 20 a night.

Manchester-Essex
Record: 18-2
District: North
Players to watch: Chris Bishop, Sr. G; Joe Burgess, Sr. G; Sean Nally, Sr. F; Max Nesbit, Sr. G; Taylor Ketchum, Sr. F; Casey Weld, Sr. G.
The lowdown: One of state’s best basketball minds, Duane Sigsbury, is at it again. Last season, the Hornets ran their offense through 2011 ESPN Boston All-Stater Joe Mussachia, and were unafraid to use all 85 feet of the floor to push the tempo. This season they've sped things up even more, and are one of the state's highest-scoring offenses (77 points per game). The player to watch with this squad is Bishop, the Cape Ann League's MVP, a 20-per-night scorer who slashes through the lanes and has hit as many as six 3-pointers in a game.

Others to watch: Avon (12-8), Bishop Connolly (16-6), Cape Cod Academy (17-3), Carver (16-4), Cohasset (15-5), Mystic Valley (17-3), Pope John XXIII (18-4), Snowden (8-9), Westport (17-3)

With Madison Park beating Charlestown to clinch the final berth, next week's Boston City Championships have been finalized.

Below is the schedule for next week's championships, to be held Wednesday through Friday at Madison Park High:

WEDNESDAY - GIRLS SEMIFINALS
Fenway vs. New Mission, 4
O'Bryant vs. Madison Park, 5:30

THURSDAY - BOYS SEMIFINALS
Brighton vs. Madison Park, 4
East Boston vs. New Mission, 5:30

FRIDAY - FINALS
Girls Final, 5
Boys Final, 6:30

No. 6 Brighton beat No. 9 New Mission in convincing fashion last Wednesday thanks to their 1-2-1-1 diamond. Their press caused New Mission to rush their offense and force turnovers, which ultimately shifted the momentum of the game in Brighton’s favor.

Brighton head coach Hugh Coleman made the executive decision to stay in the press for the majority of the game not to run up the score, but because he knew it would keep his team playing hard. He took advantage of the fact that he has numerous quick players on his team and made sure he was using them to their strengths.

Here is a breakdown of how it worked:

What is it?

Brighton’s 1-2-1-1 press forces players to get trapped along the sidelines. It is a press that cuts off the middle and leaves the opposite side of the court’s sidelines open, which is often times a tough and long pass for the guards. When it is passed to the opposite sidelines, however, there are always three Brighton defenders always back on defense.

Forcing Turnovers

The main goal of any type of pressure is usually to force turnovers. Brighton’s press only directly forced three turnovers in this game.



Only one of those plays led to a Brighton basket. This may prompt one to ask, how was Brighton’s press so effective?

Rushed Offense

The way that their press hurt New Mission was not so much the idea of forcing turnovers. Instead, it made New Mission rush things on offense.



As you can see from each clip, New Mission had a false perception of being on a fast break whenever they broke the press. In three out of the four clips (the first, second, and last clip), New Mission took a shot that they thought was a good shot because they were on a “fast break”. If you look closely in these clips, the Brighton players back on defense outnumber the New Mission players on offense.

The confusion and bad decision making allowed for Brighton to get in transition on the other end. It also helped that Brighton’s offense was running smoothly. The press served as an extra punch after any Brighton scored basket.

How To Break It

New Mission did not do a bad job of breaking the press. The main man to credit would be DaShawn Fennell. He did a great job of attacking at the right time. He was smart with the ball and took advantage of any openings he found.



The key to breaking this press (or any press) is patience and poise. Players have to take openings when they see them. For example, on the last clip, Brighton’s players did not get back on defense. Leroy Hamilton saw this and instantly attacked the basket. The open three-pointer is intriguing, but not a good shot in transition, especially since Brighton usually has more people back on defense in the paint. Players must also attack it, draw double teams, and find the open players.

This takes toughness and intelligence, two of the attributes that separate the good basketball players from the not so good ones.

ROXBURY, Mass. -- Their energetic student section was dancing in the bleachers. Their promising young point guard was all smiles, ear to ear, with an extra bit of jump in his stride. And when the final buzzer rang, their spiritual head coach's voice had grown so hoarse he could barely speak.

The Brighton Bengals were in rare form tonight against their Boston South rivals New Mission, tonight in a home game at Latin Academy, so excuse all parties involved for expending -- or, in head coach Hugh Coleman's case, exhausting -- bountiful bursts of energy.

When these two teams met last month before a frenetic crowd at the Tobin Community Center, the Bengals snuck out of the building with a two-point comeback victory, and Coleman's first win over the Titans in his tenure at Brighton. But tonight, before another capacity crowd, the Bengals pulled off a rare sweep of a team that just plain doesn't get swept, delivering the Titans a 76-53 haymaker to take control of the South division and assure themselves a spot the Boston City League Championship tournament at the end of this month.

"They [Mission] were the standard in our league, of excellence, and the team to beat," said Coleman, growling and straining his hoarse voice to make out words. "We've been measuring ourselves against them, and for two years couldn't get over the top.

"We got close last year in the D2 North Final [a 55-53 loss], so this year it was important for us to get the first win. And I thought again, we came out and played well, and did some things to slow them down. So it means a lot, for now, but we're most likely going to see them again in the state tournament, or in the City's."

The Titans (11-4) took their only lead of the game right at the beginning, a Tayon Watson three-pointer from the wing giving them a 5-2 advantage. From then on, the Bengals (15-1) seized control forcefully, using an aggressive 1-2-1-1 press to force a slew of turnovers and close out the quarter on an 18-4 run. Daivon Edwards (17 points, five rebounds) hit two 3-pointers to spark the run.

More damage came in the second quarter, when sophomore point guard Malik James (20 points, 12 assists, five rebounds) pushed Brighton's advantage out to 34-16 with a momentum-swaying three-point play. James pulled up to the left elbow, crossed his man up to a loud chorus of approval from the crowd, and pulled back for a 15-foot fadeaway that drew a foul from his defender in the process.

"It was basically a four-low iso, and coach was telling us to keep going," James said. "So I hit him with a crossover and just pulled up."

The Bengals led 38-24 at the half, forcing 15 Mission turnovers over the first 16 minutes, and led 54-39 through three. Sophomore forward Nick Simpson added 16 points and eight rebounds in the win, while junior guard Theo Oribhabor added 15 points, five assists and five rebounds.

"[We were] real energized, practice was crazy yesterday," James said. "Real energetic, and then we just left everything out there. We went after everything."

Shaquan Murray led Mission with 11 points, while DaShawn Fennell added 10 points and junior forward Isshiah Coleman had 10 rebounds.

Packing the pressure: Coleman toiled under legendary head coach Jack O'Brien at Charlestown during their historic run of dominance at the start of the 21st Century, winning five Division 2 state titles in six seasons, and one of the staples of O'Brien's reign he has brought with him to Brighton is the method in which players attack in full-court pressure.

Emphasis on attack, by the way. The Bengals take proper spacing and attack at angles, which tonight led to an aggressive press -- especially with their diamond-and-one look, which placed four defenders in a diamond formation about the three-point arc, and left the big man 40 to 50 feet back as a safety valve.

In turn, Mission was forced into some poor decisions with the ball, getting trapped and turning the ball over around midcourt a number of times and yielding some open perimeter looks on the fast break. When they did get shots off, the Bengals controlled the glass, including a 23-12 advantange on the boards in the first half.

"It's a good question," Coleman said when asked how much he wanted to dictate tempo. "My coaches, after a couple fouls, want to pull the press off. But I feel when you sit back in a zone, you get lackadaisical. So I really wanted to push the tempo, dictate it, get us going up and down, because our guys are really good in the open court.

"I thought that if we could get them in a couple good trap situations, force them to speed it up a bit, that would help us out. And it worked."

James' confidence growing: As much as James excites fans at time with his ballhandling ability and end-to-end rushes, it's his confidence that Coleman says is his best quality at the moment.

"He's always been a special, talented kid," Coleman said. "He has skills. But when his confidence is going, that's everything. He can get people the ball, he can get to the lane, play good defense, and be a great leader. So when his confidence up, it helps our team overall. That's the energy level we want."

Pyrrhic victory? Emotions are running high in Brighton, off to the program's best start in years despite not having a home gym due to renovations, but the Bengals may soon have to deal with more adversity.

Coleman confirmed to ESPNBoston.com following the win that he expects to lose Simpson and junior point guard Nate Hogan either by the end of this week or next week due to academics. Simpson has been consistently one of the Bengals' best performers, if not their most versatile threat in the frontcourt, posting double-double figures nearly nightly.

Down the other end, Mission head coach Cory McCarthy confirmed to ESPNBoston.com that he has lost promising freshman point guard Greg Bridges, also due to academics. Bridges was averaging 20 points and eight rebounds in his first year with the Titans.

We've updated our statewide MIAA Boys Basketball Top 25 poll this afternoon, and with Central Catholic taking a tumble we've got a new No. 1 for just the second time this season.

Catholic Memorial, on the heels of an emotional win over archrival BC High last Friday night, takes over the top spot for the first time in poll history. It also marks the first time in poll history that neither Central Catholic nor St. John's Prep has held the top spot, with the two flip-flopping spots several times over the last season and a half.

The last time Central Catholic was dethroned from the top spot, Prep lasted one week before taking losses to BC High and Catholic Memorial. Can the CM Knights right the trend?

Meanwhile, Springfield Central moves up to its highest position ever, No. 2, following another solid week that included a win over Springfield Commerce. Stoughton, Brockton and Central Catholic round out the top five in respective order.

Brighton moves up to the No. 6 spot, while Newton North falls four spots to No. 7 following the loss yesterday to Brockton. King Philip (8), New Mission (9) and Acton-Boxborough (10) round out the Top 10.

At the bottom of the order, Lowell makes its return to the Top 25, at No. 22, following the Red Raiders' upset of Central Catholic on Friday. Falmouth (23) and Wareham (24) also make their debuts this week.

As always, let us know how we're doing in the comments section below, or by emailing Brendan Hall at bhall@espnboston.com.

The MIAA has few players that play above the rim like New Mission’s Isshiah Coleman. Jumping ability is one of those gifts that cannot be taught, which is why Coleman is such a fun player to watch. He is like the MIAA version of Ben Wallace. The 6-foot-4 junior forward can rebound, block shots, and throw down monster dunks.

Here is a breakdown of his game against Boston English last week:

(video courtesy of New Mission head coach Cory McCarthy)

Energy Plays

Coleman’s biggest strength is rebounding and blocking shots. His jumping ability allows him to grab rebounds that are not even in his area. For opposing big men, he is tough to box out because of his ferocity on the boards.



As you can see from these clips, all that Coleman needs to do is jump up and the rebound is his. The same goes for his shot-blocking ability. Most players that go into the paint against Coleman should take caution.



This is the type of player that every team needs. He is an undersized big man who brings energy. Coleman has the raw tools to be a difference maker in arguably the two most important aspects of the game -- defense and rebounding.

Scoring

Rather than emphasizing what Coleman isn’t (a skilled player), I would like to point out his strengths on the offensive end. He is not going to blow by anyone, or knock down three-pointers. He is strictly a threat near the basket. This is an underrated part of his game, too. In most games that I have seen Coleman has not been too assertive on offense, but he has shown glimpses of promise.



What is most impressive about all of these clips is Coleman’s comfort in the post. Obviously nobody on Boston English is taller or bigger than him, but Coleman did not look robotic at all. He never hesitated. He just made his move and in all of these cases, his decisions ended up working out. The fourth and sixth clips are perfect examples of the confidence.

At this point Coleman has a tendency to only use his left hand, which is something that defenses at the next level will catch onto. He also needs to develop more of a repertoire in his post game because dunking on opponents will not be as easy either.

Timing and Defense

While Coleman might seem like a perfect energy forward, that is far from the case. In fact, calling him an energy player might be too complimentary. A lot of the times on defense, Coleman plays with his legs straight up and lackadaisically. He also suffers from bad decision-making and timing.



In the first and fourth clips, Coleman just makes bad fouls because he jumped when he should not have. In the sixth clip, Coleman simply jumped and let his man score. In the second, third, and fifth clips, Coleman lets his man go by him. He had the right idea of taking the charge, but that is a part of his game he needs to work on.

When Coleman is locked in, he can make a difference. But sometimes, this is not the case.

Ball Control

With great jumping ability comes great responsibility. Coleman tends to get a little wild with the ball in his hands. These three clips show Coleman turning the ball over.



Big men have to be extra careful with the ball in their hands. Since they do not get the ball as much as guards, they have to prove they won’t turn it over. In the first two clips, Coleman turns it over by trying to do too much. In the last clip, Coleman does the same thing but in the form of a missed dunk. Had this game been a tight game and Coleman missed the dunk, New Mission would have been in deep trouble. The best option when near the rim is to lay it in to ensure an easy basket.

Conclusion

Isshiah Coleman has the talent and raw tools to be a star in the MIAA. On many nights, he has (and will) put up big numbers. However, if he wants to push New Mission to the next level, he will need to play harder and smarter.

With many teams across the state reaching the midway point of their schedule this week, here are my mid-season picks for our annual MIAA All-State, All-Defensive, and Coach of the Year awards.

THE SUPER TEAM
G – Aaron Calixte, Jr., Stoughton
G – Steve Haladyna, Sr., St. John’s Prep
G – Tyrese Hoxter, Jr., Charlestown
F – Jake Layman, Sr., King Philip
F – Isshiah Coleman, Jr., New Mission

BEST OF THE REST
Yadoris Arias, Sr. G, Lawrence
Tyler Delorey, Sr. G, Holy Name
Matt Droney, Sr. G/F, Catholic Memorial
Joey Glynn, Sr. F, Cardinal Spellman
Leroy Hamilton, Sr. F, New Mission
Jameilen Jones, Jr. G, BC High
Kevin LaFrancis, Sr. C, Acton-Boxborough
Alex Lopez, Sr. G, Springfield Commerce
Damian Lugay, Sr. G, Weymouth
George Merry, Sr. C, Danvers
Marcus Middleton, Jr. G, Stoughton
Matt Mobley, Sr. G/F, St. Peter-Marian
Brian Mukasa, Soph. G, Sharon
Tyler Nelson, Soph. G, Central Catholic
Quinton Perkins, Sr. G, Fitchburg
Luis Puello, Sr. G, Central Catholic
Colin Richey, Jr. G, Whitinsville Christian
Kamari Robinson, Jr. F, Springfield Central
Tyrell Springer, Sr. G, Springfield Central
Michael Thorpe, Sr. G, Newton North

ALL-DEFENSIVE
G – Luis Puello, Sr., Central Catholic
G – Anthony Hodges, Sr., Holy Name
F – Jake Layman, Sr., King Philip
F – Antonio Ferreira, Sr., Stoughton
C – George Merry, Sr., Danvers

COACH OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
Scott Boyle, Lowell
Hugh Coleman, Brighton
Paul Connolly, Newton North
Paul DiGeronimo, Fitchburg
John Gallivan, Stoughton
Paul Neal, Lawrence
Brendan Smith, Boston Latin
Malcolm Smith, East Boston
Mike Vaughan, Mansfield
John Walsh, Danvers

We've updated our statewide MIAA Boys Basketball Top 25 Poll this morning, following the close of yesterday's Hoophall Classic in Springfield, and once again there is some significant movement up and down the list.

St. Peter-Marian delivered arguably the biggest shocker of the first half of the season on Saturday, when they pounded previous No. 3 Charlestown by 15 points on the Townies' home court. For their efforts, the Guardians jump nine spots to their highest ranking ever in the ESPN Boston poll, at No. 8.

Meanwhile the Guardians' chief archrival, Holy Name, jumps into the top five for the first time in poll history. We gave the Naps the edge over Stoughton, which fell four spots to No. 6 after losing to Mansfield last week, based on strength of schedule. The Naps have wins this season over No. 8 SPM, No. 17 East Boston, No. 22 Whitinsville Christian, St. Joseph's of Pittsfield, St. John's of Shrewsbury, and Rhode Island powers Barrington and North Kingstown.

Central Catholic remains No. 1 for the second straight week, while Catholic Memorial (2) and BC High (3) move to their highest positions on the year. Rounding out the top five (and making a return) is Mansfield, which knocked off previous No. 2 Stoughton after trailing by as much as 13 points in the fourth quarter.

Charlestown free-falls 15 spots to No. 18 following the loss to St. Peter-Marian, a fall reinforced with the absences of Rony Fernandez and Omar Orriols, and a wrist injury to star junior swingman Tyrese Hoxter. Brighton also makes its first-ever appearance in the Top 10, at No. 9, following the Bengals' first win over Boston City rival New Mission in Hugh Coleman's three years at the helm. With the loss to Brighton, New Mission falls out of the Top 10 for the first time in the two-year history of ESPN Boston's poll.

As always, let us know how we're doing in the comments section below, or by emailing Brendan Hall at bhall@espnboston.com.

ROXBURY, Mass. — The last three years haven’t been too kind to Hugh Coleman and his Brighton High basketball team whenever his team goes on the court against Boston City League rival New Mission.

In their previous five attempts in that timespan, the Bengals have been on the opposite end of the scoreboard. The old saying is that the third time is a charm, well in this instance Coleman and the Bengals needed to double it.

Brighton finally snapped the streak with a 60-58 victory over New Mission (5-3) last night at the Tobin Community Center. Theo Oribhabor’s late lay-in was the game-winner and a defensive stand with 19 seconds helped the Bengals hold on to the lead and run their record to 7-1 on the season.

“We just had to gut it out,” said Coleman. “We knew we had the capabilities and we had to climb the mountain. That’s the first step. It’s only a regular season game, but for our guys moral and the fact that we know we are capable it was big.”

The players — and the entire crowd at the Tobin for that matter — were into this one from the tipoff, and for Nick Simpson, who finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds, this victory was a statement win in a condensed division inside the city limits.

“It means a lot,” said Simpson. “Last year we had a good team, but this year we had a better team and we tried to prove that to them. We came out and did what we did. We crashed rebounds. … We played stronger as a team and we came out with the win.”

The Comeback: Things weren’t looking good for the Bengals early on after a horrid first quarter offensively that saw them only score 5 points and shoot 2-of-15 from the line.

The second quarter brought better results with better shot selection and a spirited eight-point effort from Simpson. The Bengals were 0-for-9 from deep in the first quarter and Daivon Edwards’ 3-ball, the lone one of the half, brought the score to 30-25 in favor of New Mission before the break.

“We settled, and there were a lot of jitters because of the energy of the game,” said Coleman. “Once we got settled in then we started getting a couple of layups and shots like that.”

Defensive Switch: Coleman had his team come out in a 3-2 zone, with some of his bigger, more athletic wings manning the top of the zone to keep the Titans from getting good outside looks. After falling down by 15 in the second quarter, the Bengals head coach decided to make a change to a press defense to try and hurry up the Titans.

“I felt like they were getting comfortable (with the 3-2),” said Coleman. “I was telling my coaching staff that we need to pick up the pressure for our sake. We were getting too complacent and I wanted us to pick it up a little bit and it worked.”

That pressure paid off late in the game when Oribhabor picked off a pass in the Titans backcourt setting up Malik James’ tying drive to the hoop for the 58-all score. Oribhabor would post the game-winning bucked with a drive and move to his left hand with under a minute left to go in the game.

New Mission head coach Cory McCarthy confirmed that his promising freshman point guard, Greg Bridges, will be out at least two weeks to a month with a high right ankle sprain.

Through the first seven games of his high school career, the 5-foot-6 Bridges was averaging 14.6 points and six assists for the 5-2 Titans, who began the preseason as the No. 3 team in ESPN Boston's statewide MIAA poll and have remained in the Top 5 all season.

Bridges injured the ankle four days ago in practice, McCarthy said, and is still having trouble putting weight on it. The injury couldn't come at a worse time, as a matchup with the Titans' Boston City North archrival Brighton is on tap Wednesday. Mission swept the Bengals in all three games last season, including the Division 2 North final at the Tsongas Center; but Hugh Coleman's troops are off to a hot start, sitting at 6-1 and No. 15 in ESPN Boston's poll.

DORCHESTER, Mass. -- Since the matchup was first announced last summer, basketball fans of all levels all around the greater Boston area had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Jersey City powerhouse St. Anthony to the Kroc Center, to take on rising Boston power New Mission.

Tonight in front a packed house, and greeted pre-game by a performance from local hip-hop artist Moufy, the much-anticipated game -- the nightcap of the first day of the first annual Shooting Touch Shootout -- had arrived. And in short, the Friars played the part of an overwhelming Goliath, while the defending MIAA Division 2 state champion Titans played the part of David -- minus the rock.

The Friars (5-0) overwhelmed the Titans from start to finish, at one point going 15 minutes without allowing a field goal, cruising to an all-too-easy 68-25 win.

St. Anthony's 6-foot-9, UCLA-bound star Kyle Anderson got off to a sluggish start, but came around to lead the team with 12 points, seven rebounds and six steals in three quarters of action. 6-foot-6 senior center Jerome Frink led the way on the boards with 10 rebounds.

From the get-go, it was evident that the Friars' speed and length was going to be a significant problem for the Titans (3-2). Jonathan Deane gave the Titans their only lead of the game, albeit a brief one, with a gliding layup for a 4-3 score. That was four minutes into the game, and would be the last Titans field goal for the next 14:28; they hit just five free throws the remainder of the half to trail 30-9 at the break. Leroy Hamilton ended the drought with a euro-step in transition, to cut it to 35-11.

"We came out ready to compete, but the plan fell apart once guys stopped believing in what we wanted to do," Mission head coach Cory McCarthy said. "Young, inexperienced, looking at the crowd, they played into it. They were in awe of them. If you're from the city, you're not supposed to be in awe of anybody...we were ready to take pictures.

"We can't fall in love what they do. We looked like a JV basketball team today. That's not indicative of our talent, the character of our kids, it's not who we are. It's not New Mission basketball."

And when they stop playing New Mission basketball, McCarthy continued, "bad things happened", referring to last night's poor start in the BABC Holiday Classic against St. John's Prep -- Mission trailed 18-2 after the first quarter.

McCarthy did say "we played a better first quarter than last night", though how much better is up for inspired debate. Like the Prep game the night before, the Titans were overwhelmed to start; but the Friars posed a plethora of matchup nightmares that few teams in the talent-rich Garden State can tango with, let alone the Bay State.

Up top, 6-foot-3 junior guards Hallice Cooke and Josh Brown harassed the Titans' guards high around the perimeter, cutting off lanes to the basket, trapping at the sidelines, forcing sloppy handoffs and arguably sloppier shot selection at times. When the Friars went to a 2-2-1 press, deploying four defenders high in the backcourt and a deep trailer, players like Anderson, Brown and Tariq Carey were able to pick pockets from the middle of the floor.

The masterstroke came in the second quarter, where the Friars didn't allow a field goal -- even better, they yielded just seven field goal attempts for the quarter.

It doesn't get any prettier on the boards. The Titans were outrebounded by nearly a 4-to-1 ratio.

"At this point through five games, no one's been able to get any rhythm going against us," Friars head coach Bob Hurley said. "We mix it up a little bit, we play man, play a little press, and we don't expect to press against smaller teams. But we did manage to get a bunch of turnovers off of it today because we're long, and Kyle had a bunch of good plays in the press.

"We played a little zone in the back, and we're very long and we heard from last night that they had trouble shooting the ball well, so we thought the points we were going to lead them with were forcing them to make outside shots with big, long guys going after them."

Mission stars benched: McCarthy sat two of his starters and star players, junior forward Nate Anderson and freshman point guard Greg Bridges, for the first quarter for arriving late to a shootaround this morning. Could their presence have stopped the early bleeding? That's up for debate, but perhaps McCarthy should get some credit here for sticking to his principles -- even with a monster opponent like St. Anthony on tap.

"It affects the team, but I gotta do what I gotta do," McCarthy said. "Right? That's number one...sorry, I'm not going to tolerate that at New Mission."

A Modest Proposal: McCarthy was asked how the experience of playing against St. Anthony's length will help them out when they get back to playing the smaller squads on their MIAA schedule, and he used his answer to springboard into a topic that has become a growing hot-button issue among the public school coaching fraternity the last few seasons: out-of-season contact.

Rule 40.1 in the current MIAA Handbook states:

"Unless otherwise permitted in this rule, between seasons a coach may conduct a meeting(s) with team candidates only to elect captains, collect equipment, issue equipment, to provide for physical examinations, to conduct legitimate fund-raising events, or to offer wellness workshops or activities."

"This is what we produce, and you wonder why prep schools are stealing our kids," he said. "Because our kids can't practice and work with our kids year-round. You're telling me as a coach to be a role model for four months out of the year. That's the situation we're dealt with as coaches, and I feel handcuffed that way.

"They're telling me to take eight months off. I shouldn't be taking eight months off, I should be working with my kids year-round. We should be able to work with teams year round, and this is an indictment. We can't match up with a team like this when we've had three weeks of basketball working with them. That [St. Anthony's discipline] was instinctive. Right now, we're robotic."

McCarthy's comments will likely rub some the wrong way. But with an increasing number of students transferring high schools once or twice, usually to prep schools, more and more state-association schools are becoming frustrated with having less control, and the inability to take action. Sanctioning a limited number of days out of season, some feel, would at least give coaches the ability to check in with players, see where they're at, and offer instructions to make sure they're prepared when tryouts begin.

Either way, we're sure McCarthy's comments will be sparking up plenty of debate.