If the first half of the Merrimack Valley Conference boys hoop season has proven anything, it’s that balance is the word when it comes to the Division 1 teams in the field.
On Friday night, 5-7 Haverhill, without its top scorer Alejandro Delgado, knocked off Chelmsford, a team that owns wins over both Lowell and North Andover. The same night, Methuen knocked off the Christmas Tourney champ Knights, who just happened to be the No. 2 team in the most recent MIAA Division 1 power rankings.
Parity prevails, from the top almost all the way to the bottom.
But what about individual talent? Who is the guy to fear in the MVC this year? The best player? The most lethal weapon?
We took a quick, anonymous poll recently, speaking to one notable, impact player from each of the six local MVC teams to see who they thought was the game’s best.
The parameters were simple: Don’t pick yourself or a teammate.
Here are the results:
North Andover’s Zach Wolinski
Three Votes
It’s easy to understand how the returning Eagle-Tribune Super Teamer gets the top number of votes.
Folks saw him in the run to the Division 1 state final four a year ago and to the Commonwealth Motors Christmas Classic championship in December.
“It’s hard to say it’s not Wolinski,” said one voter. “He’s so good. He’s so quick, so crafty and his ability to hit shots is incredible. The most underrated thing is his leadership. His ability to lead that team is phenomenal.”
You might have expected Wolinski, coming off a physically-taxing football season, to start a little slow. That hasn’t happened for the 9-3 Knights.
“He just does everything. You can’t leave him open, he’ll shoot. If you guard up on him, he goes by,” said another voter. “He knows how to win games. When it matters most, it’s always him. He’s the guy they know will make the shot or drive for the game-winner.”
The third Wolinski vote came from an athlete that knew his game inside and out – and still struggles anytime they collide.
“It’s always a long night when you have to go against him. Every time, he seems to make the right read,” said the voter. “Just his impact on the game, even when he isn’t scoring.
“You just have to try and face-guard him and keep the ball away from him and make him have the least impact possible.”
For all the North Andover foes, it rarely works.
Wow, what a great month this senior – formerly a role player – has had, averaging over 24 points a game in January.
People have noticed. and it’s almost like it was programmed to happen.
“I think he’s the best scorer in the league. I remember him since the fourth grade, we’ve always played against each other. I knew especially this year, he was ready to break out, and he has,” said one of his two backers. “Great scorer, really an incredible leader. He doesn’t let up. Missed shots don’t affect him at all. Miss one, and he comes back and makes the next two. To have that in a player, and he does, is just huge.”
Luciano’s roots, fighting for minutes on a deep Lancer roster, have earned him some much-deserved support.
“I say Obbie because he impacts the game in a lot of ways,” said another Luciano backer. “He scores a lot, and his defense is really gritty. He plays hard. His growth as a player has been amazing. He scores the ball so effortlessly, always makes the right decisions, and his defense is relentless.
Missing the past month with illness has likely impacted his campaign adversely. But his return to the lineup this week will again stoke up the fires of fear in his opposition.
“I feel like he’s the ultimate two-way player. I mean they put him on the best opposing player there is,” said the Rosario voter. “If he’s only you, he makes your job very hard. and he can go out there and put up 25 points a night.”
Pinkerton regroups after upset loss
Plenty of folks around New Hampshire had to do the double-take when the result popped in, previously 4-5 Dover 76, previously 11-0 Pinkerton 58.
Astros’ coach Mike Dunham was not.
“We almost saw it coming, scoring in the 90s with the defense we’ve been playing,” said Dunham, the first-year Pinkerton head coach. “Unfortunately, it did happen. Scoring in the 90s, high school kids aren’t going to do that every single night. Honestly, it could be pretty good for us, now we know we can lose. It’s really our defense. At UNH, that’s what wins.”
Other than Jackson Marshall, who scored 36 points on 17 of 19 shooting from the field, it was a tough night for the Astros from the field.
“We didn’t shoot the ball well, and we didn’t play much defense,” said Dunham. “We missed a lot of open threes. We had a bad night, and Dover made 11 three-pointers.”
Pinkerton got back to work on Saturday morning – working on the defensive end primarily – and Dunham liked the way they responded to the adversity.
The coach also reached out to another source for some added words of encouragement – his brother Mark, the Astro alum and current Central Catholic coach.
“It was good for them to hear another voice. I was very happy with that,” said Mike, who took the positive approach heading into this week with a Tuesday trip to Manchester Central and a Friday night home date with Carson Desrosiers’ Windham Jaguars.
“We’re putting that behind us. The new season starts this week. If we win out now, we still get a 1 seed. That’s where we are at.”