Top 10 high school boys basketball teams to watch in 2016 Connecticut state tournaments

Video: Mike McGuirl's highlights vs. New Britain
See the East Catholic player in action earlier this season.

It's a bit easier compiling a list of 10 boys basketball teams to watch during the CIAC tournament than it was for girls, simply because not as many conference tournaments went as haywire.

Well, all the top seeds lost in the Central Connecticut Conference quarterfinals. And, yeah, Danbury was supposed to win the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference and was instead shocked by sixth-seeded Westhill of Stamford. Other than that, Fairfield Prep won another Southern Connecticut Conference title, Hillhouse of New Haven gave it a challenge, and Sacred Heart of Waterbury continued its scorched-Earth policy in the Naugatuck Valley League. Here, then, are teams that seem to have the best chance to win one of the four division championships which begin tonight with Class LL and M.


Danbury
The 20-3 Hatters were the FCIAC's preseason favorite and played that way up until last Friday's 72-61 loss to Westhill. One can only wonder what their practice was like this weekend. All-FCIAC first-team selections Scott Nesbitt (guard) and Marcus Fox (forward) scored 17 and 10, respectively, in the loss. Danbury is seeded second in LL and should advance to at least the quarterfinals where, if the seeds hold, it would face Wilbur Cross of New Haven.

East Catholic (Manchester)
It's not insulting to say that the 21-3 Eagles weren't expected to win the CCC tournament (Windsor was), but it's not shocking that they did. They played a good schedule, two of their losses were by seven points, and they lost to Windsor, 81-77, on Jan. 26. Freshman Joe Reilly made a late 3-pointer and scored 21 to help East Catholic win its first CCC title, 54-49, over Simsbury. Mike McGuirl, a 6-foot-4 junior forward who suffered multiple facial fractures in early January, scored 13 in the win. San Diego-bound Mark Carbone added 10 points. The Eagles are seeded fourth in Class L and one of the favorites, and they could get another shot at top-seeded Windsor in the semifinals.

Fairfield Prep
The defending LL champions edged Hillhouse, 66-63, to win their second-straight SCC title despite Matt Gerics and Rich Kelly fouling out, and fellow starter Patrick Harding sidelined with an ankle injury. The 22-1 Jesuits withstood the Academics' always tougher-than-leather defense and led by as much as 45-27 in the win. Kelly (point guard) scored 12 to earn Most Outstanding Player. Prep is the top seed in LL and has an interesting draw. It could meet Westhill in the second round, which would be a rematch of last season's LL final. Crosby of Waterbury should await in the quarterfinals, and fourth-seeded Weaver-Hartford, last season's M champion, will await the winner in the semifinals.

Hillhouse (New Haven)
The 20-3 Academics are always among the LL favorites, as they're state basketball royalty, having won a state-record 22 CIAC titles. They're the only team that's beaten Prep (44-40, Jan. 29) and always use their defense to suffocate opponents. Junior Joseph Kasperzyk Jr. is among the state's top guards and is joined in the backcourt by sophomores Byron Breland III (6-foot-3) and Christian Adams (6-4). Hillhouse is No. 3 in Class LL and should advance to its third-straight semifinal.

Holy Cross (Waterbury)
Ignore the Crusaders' 15-7 record and instead focus on the teams they've played. They're a stalwart of the NVL, one of Connecticut's toughest leagues, and split with city rivals Crosby and league runner-up Wilby of Waterbury. Holy Cross also gave monstrous Sacred Heart its closest in-state game (a 77-65 loss — the Hearts have won by an average of 41 points). The Crusaders are seeded fifth in Class S, the weakest of the four divisions, and they won't see anyone tougher than they've already faced. Seniors Justin Strielkauskas (12.8 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game) and Jonathan Mowatt (11.1 ppg) have paced Holy Cross. The roster would be bolstered should sophomore Deandre Wallace (10.9 ppg, 8.9 rpg) return from injury.

Immaculate (Danbury)
The 20-3 Mustangs lost to Notre Dame-Fairfield in the South-West Conference final, 76-64, even after shooting 64 percent through three quarters. Go figure. That disappointment will all go away should they win Class S, in which they're the top seed. Immaculate has a backcourt that could lead it to the title led by Darrius Smith and Darius Hunter. The biggest issue for the Mustangs may be the presence of Holy Cross in their half of the bracket, as the two could meet in the semifinals.

Sacred Heart (Waterbury)
The 21-2 Hearts moved up one division after winning back-to-back S championships, thus there's no need to mention anyone else in Class M. Sacred Heart is one of the most fearsome teams the state has seen in some time and held its own in losses to California's Foothills Christian (82-80) and Long Island Lutheran-New York (73-72). Seniors Mustapha Heron (guard), Charles Fisher (guard) and Tyrn Flowers (forward) have made the Hearts beastly. Heron (6-6) is one of the nation's top recruits and committed to Auburn. He and the 6-8 Flowers make it nigh impossible for opponents to get a rebound. Fisher is a defensive pest.

Simsbury
The 17-7 Trojans are a modest 12th seed in an always-stacked Class LL, but they're playing at their peak. They knocked off then-unbeaten Windsor in the CCC quarterfinals (76-58) and came achingly close to winning the title. Seniors Rayon Christie and Luke Gorkofsky both shined in the tournament, as did the team defense. Simsbury will benefit from playing in arguably the state's best and deepest conference with close regular-season losses to Weaver (69-66) and Windsor (59-54). It could get another crack at Weaver in the LL quarterfinals.

Weaver (Hartford)
Last season's Class M champions wanted to play — and beat — the best this season and moved up to Class LL. You'd better believe they're one of the favorites. The 19-3 Beavers thrashed Hillhouse in late December (77-55) and only lost to Windsor (twice) during the regular season. Senior guard KeAndre Fair (20.3 ppg, 2.4 spg) is among the state's top five players and led the team to three successive state finals. Juniors Andre Lyons (8.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg), Chaylyn Martin (16.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.2 spg) and Jaecee Martin (15 ppg, 5.6 apg, 4.6 spg) have all shined before in the state tournament. A Prep-Weaver semifinal would sure fill a gym.

Windsor
The 21-1 Warriors seemed like a sure thing to win the CCC after using their depth to beat the best the league had to offer during the regular season. So their quarterfinal loss was the most stunning result of the basketball year. Windsor is the top seed in Class L and has one of the top big men in junior Jordan Powell (6-6). Ken Smith, who has coached the team to four state titles, always does a masterful job getting his team to play ferocious defense. The Warriors want their second L title in three years, but they'll have to get past East Catholic in the semifinals to get that chance (Windsor beat the latter, 81-77, on Jan. 26).