An addition to our boys' basketball coverage this year, each Monday morning we'll take a glance at the upcoming week's top area games.
Mike Bullock and I have done this for years when we meet each weekend to plan our our coverage for the next week. So why not expand it a bit and share it with you? If you're a hoops junkie, this could help you figure out the prime spots to visit (and how much money you'll need to spend on gas).
Some additional notes about the coverage:
1. Our weekly Player of the Week selections (and polls) will begin NEXT week. As in years past, we'll include tip-off tournament weekend results with this week's results when selecting our first POTW.
2. Bullock's PIAA rankings return next week and will then run each week through the end of the season. His preseason rankings can be found linked here.
3. We'll also reintroduce District 3 rankings this season ... but not until next week.
GAMES TO TRACK THIS WEEK
Monday, Dec. 9
* Susquenita (1-1) at West Perry (0-2), 6 -- Perry County rivals meet in a Mid-Penn Capital opener, and Jeff Deitz's Blackhawks can snap a 69-game league losing streak with a victory over the Mustangs. We said the same thing last year, and West Perry wasn't having any of it. Will 'Nita finally break through this time?
Tuesday, Dec. 10
* Bishop McDevitt (2-0) at Susquehanna Twp. (2-0), 7:30 -- Starting the Mid-Penn Keystone slate the right way, with a pair of teams ranked in the Top 10 in the state Class AAA (Crusaders at No. 8, Indians at No. 7). Plus they're geographical rivals, and you have the Public vs. Private thing, too. Add that this result could go a long way to deciding the division title, and we ask: Does it get any better for early December?
* Carlisle (1-1) at Harrisburg (0-0), 7:30 -- The host Cougars, who dominated the Mid-Penn Commonwealth last season (16-0), open their season against the upstart Thundering Herd in this classic rivalry.
* Dallastown (2-0) at West York (2-0), 7:30 -- A couple of top teams from the YAIAA, who both won tip-off tournaments this weekend, open league play with a Division I vs. Division II crossover.
Wednesday, Dec. 11
* Berks Catholic (1-1) at Trinity (1-0), 7:30 -- The Saints, ranked No. 5 in the state in Class AAA and defending District 3-AAA champs, visit the parochial rival Shamrocks, who are ranked No. 4 in the state in Class AA. Berks Catholic should be back to a full roster, too, after its football team lost in the PIAA Class AA semifinals this weekend.
* Chester (1-0) at McCaskey (0-1), 7:30 -- How's this for starting the season? Steve Powell's Red Tornado opened up Saturday with a narrow loss to the No. 1 team in the state in Class AAAA, Roman Catholic. The follow-up? Welcoming the No. 2-ranked Clippers. McCaskey, by the way, was an honorable mention in the initial state rankings.
* Hempfield (1-0) at Lancaster Catholic (1-0), 7:30 -- It's L-L Section 1 vs. Section 4, with both proud programs entering the season with high expectations. Both went out of conference to win season openers this weekend.
Thursday, Dec. 12
* Chambersburg (1-1) at Carlisle (1-1), 7:30 -- An otherwise light night of hoops features this Mid-Penn Commonwealth heavyweight battle at Gene Evans Gymnasium.
Friday, Dec. 13
* Harrisburg (0-0) at Cumberland Valley (2-0), 7:30 -- Our pick to win the Commonwealth (the Cougars) visits our pick to finish second (the Eagles) in what's been building into a solid (albeit still one-sided, results-wise) rivalry. CV could use a premier win to announce its arrival as one of the Mid-Penn's elite.
* Lampeter-Strasburg (2-0) at Lebanon Catholic (1-0), 7:30 -- The Pioneers and Beavers both finished the opening weekend unscathed, and they'll engage in a Section 3/Section 4 crossover on Assumption Hill.
* Susquehanna Twp. (2-0) at Cedar Cliff (2-0), 7:30 -- With a lot of focus centered on 'Hanna, McDevitt and Trinity, it's smart to point out both the Colts and Mechanicsburg from the Keystone won tip-off tournaments, too. And in this Friday showdown, the Golden Corral will undoubtedly be ready to creatively make life miserable for the Indians.
* Waynesboro (2-0) at Gettysburg (1-1), 7:30 -- Raise your hand if you had Tom Hoffman's Indians not only winning the Franklin County tip-off, but doing so with conviction. Well, on Friday night, the 'Boro gets to test its Mid-Penn Colonial chops against the defending champ Warriors.
* West York (2-0) at Red Lion (2-0), 7:30 -- Fun week for the Division II Bulldogs, eh? Begin with hosting Dallastown Tuesday, close it by visiting the Division I Lions Friday. York County flexes its muscles.
* Hoop Group Reading Tip-Off at Albright College: Bishop McNamara (Md.) vs. Berks Catholic, 6:30; Chester vs. Reading, 8 -- It's the first Hoop Group showcase of the season, with a pair of powerhouse contests at Albright College. McNamara, from outside of Washington D.C., has sent six players to Division I over the last five years.
Saturday, Dec. 14
* McCaskey (1-0) at Reading (1-1), 7:30 -- A night after battling Chester at Albright College, the Red Knights slide down 13th Street to the Geigle Complex to host the Red Tornado. That's one heck of a 1-2 punch.
* Eastern York (1-1) at Columbia (2-0), 7:30 -- It's a Susquehanna River Rivalry between the Golden Knights of York County and the Crimson Tide of Lancaster County. New Tide coach Matt Johns gets his first taste.
Are we missing anything? Let us know.