Preview: Fifth Annual MLK Invitational at Northeastern

By: Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

Those hoping to fill their Super Bowl Sunday bye-week with some high level high school basketball are in luck.

The 5th annual MLK Invitational, presented by Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Boston Parks and Recreation Department, will take place this Sunday at Cabot Gymnasium on the campus of Northeastern University.

Soares' Night a Slam Dunk as O'Bryant defeats East Boston

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

Rivaldo Soares made sure the accomplishment came in picture-perfect fashion.

On Wednesday in the third quarter of O’Bryant’s 68-56 win over East Boston, Soares scored his one thousandth career point on a two-handed, fast break dunk.

Soares became the first player to reach the plateau under O’Bryant (10-2) head coach Drew Brock’s stewardship.

O'Neil's Day Down Low Lifts St. John's Prep to Win over O'Bryant

By: Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612) 

Tommy O’Neil knew before he took the floor that it would be his day.

O’Neil scored 22 points and hauled in 15 rebounds as St. John’s Prep defeated O’Bryant, 73-58, on Monday morning in the BABC Slides Bar and Grill Holliday Classic at Cathedral High School.

While the Eagles (6-2) struggled from the perimeter, they more than made up for it with their size and athleticism.

MIAA Basketball Top 25: Preseason Poll

Newton North's Ethan Wright (left) and Needham's Thomas Shaughnessy will again look to lead their teams deep into MassMadness.

 Our (sorta) preseason rankings of the best teams in the state, as selected by our panel of staff writers and correspondents. (Updated 12/11)

1. St. John's Prep (Last Season: 16-6) With a 6-foot-8 center in Tommy O’Neil and an elite wing in 6-foot-3 Nate Hobbs, the Eagles have the weaponry necessary to make a run at a Catholic Conference title and potentially a state championship.  

2. Newton North (Record Last Season: 17-7) Prized prospect Ethan Wright decided to stay at Newton North and he’ll have a lot more help this year, with young talents Noah Neville and Aaron Cooley ready to step up in supporting roles.   

3. Needham (Last Season: 20-5) Thomas Shaughnessy returns after putting on a show in the state tournament last winter, leading the Rockets to their first sectional title and competing valiantly against eventual champion Cambridge in the state semifinals.

Whitman-Hanson Comes Out on Fire to Stun O'Bryant in D2 South Final

The Whitman-Hanson Panthers celebrate a second consecutive D2 South title

By Nate Weitzer (@Nweitzer7)

BROCKTON, Mass. – If you want to turn a high school basketball program into a perennial contender, it takes a bit of faith.

For a Whitman-Hanson team that won the Division 2 South sectional title last year, it took a strong belief that back-to-back trips to the TD Garden might be possible, and the Panthers used the support of a raucous fanbase at nearby Brockton High to bolster their confidence on the way to a 68-56 win over O’Bryant in the South final on Saturday.

Previewing the MIAA Boys' Hoops D2 Sectional Finals

Jerrod Clark and the Brighton Bengals have had some pep in their step this tournament season.

By Matt Feld (@mattyfeld612) and Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

We're getting down to the nitty gritty of the MIAA boys' basketball tournament, and the next few days will see sectional championship games played across all 16 sections.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves with all that. Here's our preview of the four sectional finals in Division 2. If you would like to read our Division 1 sectional final previews, you can find them here.

O'Bryant Runs Away from Falmouth in D2 South Semi

By Matt Feld (@mattyfeld612)

BROCKTON, Mass. - For O’Bryant, the Tigers feel it is their time.

On Wednesday night, behind 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists from sophomore sensation Rivaldo Soares, O’Bryant clinched a spot in the Division 2 South Sectional Final with a 80-57 victory over Falmouth at Brockton High school.

O’Bryant moves on to play Whitman-Hanson on Friday night in their first sectional final appearance since 2005.

Tigers Coach Drew Brock said this has been his most fulfilling year as a coach.

O'Bryant Takes Down BCL Rival TechBoston in D2 South Quarterfinals

Rivaldo Soares and the high-flying Tigers are through to the Division 2 South semifinals

By Karl Capen (@Capen316)

BOSTON -  There is always something special about watching a Boston City League boys’ basketball game, and at Latin Academy in the Division 2 South quarterfinals, this proved to be true once again.

On a Friday night where a second quarter surge from fifth-seeded O’Bryant (17-6) certainly helped them to their 88-76 victory over fourth-seed TechBoston, it was the play of Eighth-grade point guard Dasonte Bowen that won the game.

MIAA Top 25 Boys Basketball Poll: 1/30/17

Junior point guard Tyler Mola and St. John's (Shrewsbury) continue their steady climb up our rankings.

Our rankings of the best teams in the state during the 2016-17 basketball season, as selected by our panel of staff writers and correspondents. (Updated 1/30)

1. Cambridge (12-0; Last Ranking  –  1): Only one game for the defending champions this week and they handled Westford Academy, 75-39, to remain undefeated on the year.

2. BC High (14-0; Last Ranking  –  2):  Carl Pierre and Travis Evee continue to lead the Eagles on an impressive run through a loaded schedule, and they’ll need to be at their best with four straight conference games coming up, beginning with a trip to Malden Catholic on Tuesday.

No. 23 O'Bryant cruises past No. 12 Catholic Memorial at MLK Invitational

O'Bryant senior forward Kobe Smith led the Tigers to victory over Catholic Memorial with a game-high 22 points

By Matt Feld (@MattyFeld612)

BOSTON -- For weeks, O’Bryant has wanted to establish itself as one of the top teams in Division 2, searching for that signature win. Now the Tigers have one.

In the nightcap of the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational at Northeastern University, the Tigers blitzkrieged three time defending Division 1 South Sectional Champion Catholic Memorial, jumping out to a 18-8 first quarter lead before ultimately cruising to an 81-62 victory.

MIAA Top 25 Boys Basketball Poll: 1/23/17

Needham shot up our rankings after a big win over Newton North Friday night.

Our rankings of the best teams in the state during the 2016-17 basketball season, as selected by our panel of staff writers and correspondents. (Updated 1/23)

1. Cambridge (11-0; Last Ranking  –  1): The Falcons returned from a triumphant trip to Springfield and promptly steamrolled conference opponents Waltham and Lincoln-Sudbury

2. BC High (12-0; Last Ranking  –  2):  Pushed to the brink in a narrow overtime win at St. John’s Prep last Friday, the Eagles maintained their undefeated season with a hard-fought 12^th win.   

O'Bryant Runs Away from TechBoston Academy Late

By Matt Feld (@mattyfeld612)

ROXBURY, Mass. - In the early going, O’Bryant has made it known that it is a force to be reckoned with in the Boston City League.

After a close loss to No. 8 Brighton earlier in the season, and convincing wins over Boston Latin Academy and Snowden, the Tigers kept their high level of playing going on Wednesday, using a dominant fourth quarter to knock off TechBoston Academy, 67-55, at John D. O’Bryant High School.

TechBoston (4-2) held a 46-45 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but O’Bryant (5-2) opened up the final frame with an 8-0 run to take a 53-46 lead – an advantage they never relinquished.

No. 9 Brighton outlasts No. 25 O'Bryant in a 98-95 thriller

From Left: Jordan Galloway (19 points), Mykel Derring (15 points) and Tyrone Perry (24 points) led the Bengals to a signature early-season win at O'Bryant on Tuesday, Dec. 20.

By Nate Weitzer (@nweitzer7)

BOSTON, Mass. – There are no easy games in the Boston City League, but some wins require an incredible amount of effort on both ends of the floor.

Brighton (2-0) got out to an early lead at conference rival O’Bryant (2-1) and looked to be in control throughout the first half. Yet the Tigers gave the Bengals everything they could handle in a thrilling back-and-forth affair, before Brighton actually came back late to pull out a 98-95 victory on the road.