The NEPSAC boys Elite 8 quarterfinal games begin Wednesday. In my three years of covering prep, this feels like the biggest toss-up of a tournament field.
In 2023, Cushing and Avon Old Farms were much better than the rest of the pack. Cushing was back in the championship again last season, but Kimball Union replaced Avon Old Farms as a much-better-than-everyone-else team.
There's no such thing this season.
The top slew of teams rotated throughout. The Nos. 7 and 8 seeds on Saturday morning were different than the ones in the finalized bracket on Sunday.
Then comes the next problem: picking winners. I went 13-5 through the quarterfinals and semifinals last season, seemingly picking games in the Elite 8, Large School and Small School fields with ease.
FOLLOW THE TOURNAMENTS: Elite 8 | Large School | Small School
If I'm going to celebrate my wins, I've also got to note my losses...and I had a day full of them on championship day. I somehow went 0-3 last season, which might be more impressive than my sparkling record through two rounds.
But this is a new season and a clean slate for predictions. It's time to give some teams some bulletin board material.
Let's dive in.
