Boys’ Basketball: Final Power Pack
Tuesday, April 01, 2014
Jack Andrade, GoLocalProv Sports Reporter
After another fantastic season of high school basketball, the Divisional Tournaments, and the Open Tournament, the buzzer has sounded and champions have been crowned. Here's the final Top 10 of the year for Boys' Basketball.
Related Slideshow: RI Boys’ Basketball: Final Power Pack
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Juanita Sanchez
Division Record: 14-4 (Division 3 Central)
Overall Record: 16-7
Postseason: Won Division 3 Tournament; Lost to Barrington in First Round of Open Tournament.
Juanita Sanchez was the top team in Division 3 West this season but needed a few wins in the Divisional Tournament to qualify for the Open Tournament. All the Cavs did from there was rip off 3 straight wins to win the D3 Title. They lost in the First Round of the Open Tournament to Barrington, but Juanita Sanchez was the team nobody wanted to play down the stretch in Division 3.
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North Providence
Division Record: 12-6 (Division 2 North)
Overall Record: 13-8
Postseason: Won Division 2 Tournament; Lost to Classical in First Round of Open Tournament.
North Providence was the top team in Division 2 North this season, but the Cougars were only the 5th seed in Division 2. It didn't matter, as NP beat the #4, #1, and #2 seeds in consecutive games to win the Division 2 Title. The Cougars saved their best basketball for March.
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Classical
Division Record: 11-7 (Division 1 Central)
Overall Record: 14-9
Postseason: Lost to North Kingstown in the Division 1 Semifinals; Lost to La Salle in the Open Tournament Quarterfinals.
Classical had a solid season and refused to go quietly in defending their Open Tournament Title. The Purple weren't the most talented team in Division 1 this season, but they never seemed to be drastically overmatched or get blown out. Senior Guard Kealen Ives was one of the top players in the state as well.
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Coventry
Division Record: 13-5 (Division 1 South)
Overall Record: 18-5
Postseason: Lost to Classical in the Division 1 Quarterfinals; Lost to Central in Open Tournament Semifinals.
Coventry raced out to a fast start this season, and after a bit of a lull that extended into the Division 1 Tournament the Oakers bounced back to form in time for the Open Tournament. Coventry also has a regular season win over Open Tournament champion Hendricken on their year-end resume.
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Central
Division Record: 11-7 (Division 1 Central)
Overall Record: 12-7
Postseason: Lost to North Kingstown in the Division 1 Quarterfinals; Lost to Hendricken in the Open Tournament Final.
Central was a thorn in the side of the top teams in Division 1 all year, and the Knights made a tremendous run in the Open Tournament before falling one win shy of the championship. The key? Defense. The Knights gave up just 49.3 points per game in the Open Tournament, compared to 61.5 points per game in the regular season.
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West Warwick
Division Record: 17-1 (Division 2 Central)
Overall Record: 21-2
Postseason: Lost to North Providence in Division 2 Tournament Semifinals; Lost to Mt. Hope in First Round of Open Tournament.
West Warwick didn't finish the way they had hoped to, but the Wizards were the #1 seed in Division 2 for a reason. West Warwick scored an unfathomable 75.7 points per game in league play, best in Division 2 by a wide margin. The sluggish finish (by their standards) isn't enough to drop the Wizards out of the Top 5.
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Barrington
Division Record: 17-1 (Division 2 East)
Overall Record: 20-3
Postseason: Lost to North Providence in Division 2 Tournament Final; Lost to Coventry in the Open Tournament Quarterfinals.
Barrington failed to win a championship this Winter, but top-to-bottom the Eagles were the best team in Division 2 over the course of the year. Barrington was the 3rd best offensive team in Division 2, but their defense was really the strength of the team. The Eagles were easily the #1 scoring defense in Division 2, allowing an average of 46.5 points per game in league action.
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North Kingstown
Division Record: 14-4 (Division 1 South)
Overall Record: 19-4
Postseason: Lost to La Salle in the Division 1 Final; Lost to Central in the Open Tournament Quarterfinals.
North Kingstown was the best team in the state's best division (D1 South) this season, and the Skippers contended for both the Division 1 and Open Tournament Titles before bowing out to team's with a little more momentum.
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La Salle
Division Record: 17-1 (Division 1 North)
Overall Record: 22-1
Postseason: Won the Division 1 Tournament; Lost to Hendricken in the Open Tournament Semifinals.
La Salle was the best team in the state for the first 95% of the season. No one was better during the regular season, when La Salle scored a Division 1-leading 1,216 points and finished 3 games ahead of the 2nd place team in the standings. No one was better in the Division 1 Tournament, when La Salle won all 3 of their games by at least 9 points on their way to the Title. One team was better in the Open Tournament however, and that team unseats the Rams at #1.
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Hendricken
Division Record: 13-5 (Division 1 South)
Overall Record: 13-6
Postseason: Lost to La Salle in the Division 1 Semifinals; Won Open Tournament.
After a regular season in which they failed to stand out from the pack, Hendricken was eliminated from the Divison 1 Tournament by their top rival, La Salle. The Hawks weren't done yet, however, and put it all together for the Open Tournament. Hendricken beat La Salle in the Open Tournament Semifinals and then knocked off Central to reclaim the state championship. The Hawks earned the right to be #1.
