MIAA D2 Final Four Standouts and Finals Prediction

Over the weekend, I got a chance to take in all of the final four matchups from MIAA divisions one, two, and three. For those three brackets, I'll write about some final four standouts and give my finals predicition.   To start, let's look at division two, which will play the first championship game of the three.    Ever since [player_tooltip player_id='2696716' first='Jamason' last='Vella'] hasn't been with the team, Denton has arguably been Masco's best player. The 6-foot-5 forward can shoot the ball well from three (and he hit an awesome momentum-changing three to end the third quarter against Hanover), and his size allows him to get his shot off against defenders of all sizes. What impressed me most, though, was Denton's aggressiveness when driving to the hole—he looks more comfortable taking contact than I've seen him before and is clearly getting stronger and tougher. His performance defensively and on the boards confirms the same thing.     Farrell, who I've called the best mid-range shooter in the MIAA, excelled in exactly that way during the semifinals. The 6-foot-2 guard consistently got to his spots around the free throw line and balanced himself before rising above the defense and hitting shots. He's a lot more athletic than people think, and he shows that when he drives to the rim or protects the hoop defensively, which he does well for his size. I'm not sure where Farrell will end up next year, but high level D3's should certainly be interested—perhaps a post-grad year could raise his stock a bit more.     Brigham might've been the best player in MIAA D3 this year, and he certainly didn't disappoint in the semifinals against Masco. The senior guard doesn't seem like he should be able to get to wherever he wants on the floor, but he does—he has a low center of gravity and finds his way around the defense, and then he has the ability to make some acrobatic finishes in the lane. Brigham can hit shots from three, too, and he has good passing vision. A post-grad year, which I think he'll do, would be really helpful for his development.     Volkringer led the charge for Plymouth South and though his squad didn't have enough to beat St. Mary's, the junior guard is an MIAA star. Despite not being able to jump out of the gym, he's an excellent rebounder for his size because of his timing and toughness—he high-points the ball really well and always seems to be around it. In the semi's he had some really nice takes to the rim and kept finishing baskets that were tough to even get off. Volkringer should be back next year for Plymouth South and is going to lead them again.     Even though his opponents know he's going to aggressively attack the offensive glass, Brea-Arias still seems to always get his hands on the ball—his athleticism, length, and motor are to thank for that. But the senior forward also had some really nice takes to the rim and finished a couple of them with soft lefty touch, which was impressive. He's going to have his hands full with [player_tooltip player_id='2879085' first='Thomas' last='Denton'] in the finals, but it'll be a nice test for him on both ends of the floor.     Fortier is so fun to watch. He's only 5-foot-9, but he's quick as a cat and had a beautiful-looking shot, so you have to know where he is at all times. Against Plymouth South, he started off the game with a couple of quick threes which really set the tone for St. Mary's, and then he consistently hit pull-up jumpers throughout the game while playing good defense and fighting for loose balls. He doesn't let his size stop him from defending with physicality, and he has quite the load of confidence for a sophomore playing in this environment.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Prediction: Masconomet win</h2>   This game will ultimately probably come down to the two duos at hand—Masconomet's [player_tooltip player_id='2874990' first='Jimmy' last='Farrell'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2879085' first='Thomas' last='Denton'] and St. Mary's [player_tooltip player_id='2569702' first='Jake' last='Fortier'] and Rolky Brea-Arias. And in that regard, I have to give the edge to Masco, which has slightly more experience and size. Their role players—some of whom have solid size/length and will be able to handle [player_tooltip player_id='2569702' first='Jake' last='Fortier'] on the defensive end—also might have the edge on St. Mary's. Regardless, if these teams played 100 times, the better team would probably only win about 55 of them, which is to say that their well-matched and very similar in terms of talent level.

Over the weekend, I got a chance to take in all of the final four matchups from MIAA divisions one, two, and three. For those three brackets, I'll write about some final four standouts and give my finals predicition.