MIAA Basketball Top 25: Week 2

Mansfield's student section had plenty to cheer about in a huge win over Newton North.

 Our rankings of the best teams in the state, as selected by our panel of staff writers and correspondents. (Updated 12/25)

1. Needham (4-0; Last Week - 1) Rockets remain undefeated after earning a tough win over upset-minded Natick. 

2. St. John's Prep (1-1; Last Week - 2) A pre-Christmas showdown with Andover will have to wait until Wednesday, Dec. 27 as the Eagles look to move above .500 early in the season.  

3. Central Catholic (1-0; Last Week - 6) The Raiders finally opened with a 63-36 win over Haverhill last Thursday. They’ll take on Bishop Guertin (NH) in the Commonwealth Motors Classic Tournament at Methuen High on Dec. 27.

4. Lowell (2-0; Last Week - 5) No drama for the Red Raiders in an easy win over Dracut after they edged Andover in their opener.    

5. Everett (3-0; Last Week - 7) With three wins by a collective margin of 257-146, the Crimson Tide is rolling as a new member of the Northeastern Conference. 

6. Cambridge (3-0; Last Week - 9) The defending champs took down possibly the second-best Dual County League team with a 67-39 win over Bedford last Tuesday.   

7. Tech Boston (4-0; Last Week - 8) Returning to the Boston City League after an impressive run against out-of-state competition, the Bears defeated Charlestown, 60-49, in Dorchester last Wednesday. 

8. Mansfield (4-0; Last Week - 13) Huge early-season win over Newton North for Mike Vaughan’s well-coached club.  

9. Brockton (5-0; Last Week - 14) There is a glut of depth on this Boxers roster and they used nearly every player on the roster to hang on for a 55-53 win at BC High last Tuesday.  

10. BC High (3-1; Last Week - 8) The Eagles bounced back from a narrow loss to Brockton with wins over St. Mary’s (Lynn) and Cathedral before winter break.

11. Newton North (1-2; Last Week - 4) Sandwiched between losses to upstart Natick and Hockomock League power Mansfield is the Tigers’ 76-39 beatdown of Bay State rival Brookline.   

12. Lynn Classical (3-0; Last Week - 12) The young Rams have taken care of business thus far under new head coach Jasper Grassa, who takes over for his father, Tom, after his 31-year run as coach. 

13. Franklin (2-1; Last Week - 3) Panthers dropped a 54-52 thriller to Foxboro but quickly bounced back with a win over North Attleboro.  

14. O’Bryant (4-0; Last Week - 15) A narrow win at Division 4 program Pope John shows that the Tigers still have a ways to go if they want to contend for a D2 state title this year.

15. Springfield Central (4-0; Last Week - 19) Central went out of state for a win over Stamford Trinity Catholic (CT) and then smashed Chicoppe Comp, 77-35, to remain undefeated thus far. 

16. Catholic Memorial (2-1; Last Week - 18) The Knights might have dropped a close road game at Bishop Stang, but remain one of the most dominant home teams in the state, as evidenced by their annual drubbing of West Roxbury.  

17. Arlington (3-0; Last Week - 20) Defense carried the day for Arlington once again, as the Spy Ponders churned out a 51-42 win at Middlesex League rival Watertown last Thursday.

18. St. Mary’s (Lynn) (3-1; Last Week - 16)  Spartans dropped a 50-40 decision to BC High that won’t count towards their postseason standings, but moves them down in our rankings.   

19. Brookline (2-1; Last Week - 11) With Chris Camille (knee) out, Brookline couldn’t manage much offense at all in a 76-39 loss at Newton North. 

20. Brighton (1-2; Last Week - 17) With losses to St. Mary’s and Providence Mount Pleasant (RI), the Bengals seem slow to wake up after winning the D2 state title last year.

21. Springfield Putnam (2-0; Last Week - NA) Perhaps the Beavers will be able to return to their status as a perennial state title contender out west, as they defeatd St. John’s (Shrewsbury), 60-58, for a huge win last Tuesday. 

22. Maynard (2-0; Last Week - 22) Tigers have been idle since our last rankings. With Corey Olivier in the backcourt and Chris Bastien anchoring the frontcourt, this team has the tools to repeat as D4 state champions.    

23. Hingham (3-1; Last Week - NA) Led by sharpshooter Johnny Gates, who dropped a program record 33 points with 9 triples, the Harbormen edged Falmouth 78-76 in triple overtime for a third consecutive win. 

24. Lynn English (4-0; Last Week - 24) After a close 64-63 win at Somerville the Bulldogs handled Winthrop and Malden Catholic to remain unbeaten. 

25. Burke (4-0; Last Week - NA) A new program is in the mix for a Boston City League title, as premier guard Levar Williams and Burke are also undefeated. 

Last 10 Out:  Andover (1-1), Bedford (3-1), Cardinal Spellman (2-0), Lawrence (3-0), Marlboro (3-1), Natick (2-1), Northampton (4-0), St. John’s Shrewsbury (4-2), Wellesley (3-1), Woburn (3-0)