Division I

Division I girls basketball preview

Here’s how we think Division I might play out in 2015.

Londonderry players celebrate after beating Winnacunnet on Friday to win the Division I championship.

Ask a lot of Division I girls basketball coaches what they think of how the division might break down this year, and chances are most have a clear top four teams.

But while those four teams – Londonderry, Bedford, Winnacunnet and Bishop Guertin – might be the favorites to play deep into March, how much better are they than the rest of the division? The gap between those teams and the next level may not be as great, and the chances of a team pulling off what Winnacunnet did – reaching the championship game at the No. 9 seed – could be high.

Here’s how we think Division I might play out in 2015.

Favorites

Londonderry (20-2 last season): The Lancers made it back-to-back division titles last year, beating Winnacunnet in the final in the first year for coach Nick Theos. Despite losing seven players to graduation, Londonderry should remain among the top teams thanks to the return of guards Jaclyn Luckhardt and Kelsey Coffey.
Bedford (17-3): The Bulldogs lost just one player from last year’s team that was upset in the quarterfinals, with seniors Bri Purcell, Nikki Tucci and Courtney O’Connell leading the way.
Winnacunnet (14-8): The Warriors return a solid trio of players in seniors Meg Knollmeyer and Katie Valcich and junior Kaya Cadagan. Last year’s run to the final should provide a spark for this year’s team.
Bishop Guertin (15-5): The Cardinals have a new coach in Brad Kreick, who was an assistant under Jeremy Faulkner, and they lost a handful of players to graduation and transfers. But with senior Marie Laplante and juniors Meghan Cramb and Abbi Field back, Bishop Guertin should again be among the top teams.

Challengers

Nashua North (13-7): The Titans lost just one senior, but that senior was Taylor Choate, the program’s all-time leading scorer. Seniors Sara Cordova and Adaeze Okorie should be able to provide leadership while sophomore Michaela Choate and junior Isabel Dunning continue to improve.
Trinity (6-13): The Pioneers boast one of the top players in the division in Hannah Fabiano and could be a team that battles for a top spot.
Alvirne (13-7): The Broncos lost just two seniors from a team that reached the quarterfinals and Alvirne always seems to quietly put together a solid season. That should be no different this year.
Manchester Central (16-5): The Little Green reached the semifinals a year ago and could easily return again behind junior Sara Swetland, who was all-state honorable mention last season.

Rest of the field: Concord (3-16), Dover (10-9), Exeter (3-16), Keene (5-14), Manchester Memorial (11-8), Nashua South (6-13), Pinkerton (15-6), Salem (6-13).

Players to watch: Bri Purcell, Bedford; Nikki Tucci, Bedford; Jaclyn Luckhardt, Londonderry; Sara Swetland, Manchester Central; Michaela Choate, Nashua North; Hannah Fabiano, Trinity; Meg Knollmeyer, Winnacunnet; Meghan Cramb, Bishop Guertin; Jocelyn Chaput, Nashua South; Alexandra Sirmaian, Salem.

Final four: Bedford, Londonderry, Winnacunnet, Manchester Central.

Championship: Bedford over Londonderry.