KEITH'S BASKETBALL PICKS

From Keith Groller

It's snowing lightly here on Groller's Corner as I type this around 11 a.m.

Fortunately, it doesn't appear to be substantial enough to disrupt the Lehigh Valley Conference boys basketball tournament, which is set to begin tonight.

I realize it's a copout and a cliche, but these four teams are so evenly matched that nothing that happens tonight would surprise me, except if we have two blowouts.

These are all athletic teams that are capable of pushing the ball up the floor and getting after each other defensively. Each team has at least one all-star -- Hilliard and West for Liberty, Dibilio for Nazareth, Cannon for Allen and Beldo for Whitehall.

But since I always predict these games, I'll forge ahead:

Game 1 at 6 p.m.

LIBERTY 60, NAZARETH 55 -- I've seen Nazareth twice in the past five nights and I have been really impressed with the Blue Eagles, who seem to have it all. Most of all, they have an extraordinary player and athlete in Chuck Dibilio who makes the whole team go. I go with Liberty here based only on their past experience. I wonder if Nazareth is really just happy to be here, while guys like Hilliard, West, and Holmes have played in so many big games that they will handle the pressure well. The 'Canes also have an edge on the boards. Shooting is often not great in playoff games, so the team that can get more second chances has a definite edge and with the size Liberty has around the basket -- even without Anthony Gonzalez -- they should get many more attempts. The one variable is Dibilio. If Liberty can't slow him down, they could be in trouble again against the Blue Eagles.

Game 2 at approximately 7:45 p.m.

WHITEHALL 53, ALLEN 50 -- I wish I had seen this matchup a couple of weeks ago to get a better feel for how this one will turn out. I've seen Whitehall just beat teams based on quickness, but that's not going to happen here. The Zephs, as quick as they are, won't be able to win a track meet with the Canaries. Again, the Zephyrs are more experienced, being all seniors, and that gives them the slight edge. Whitehall will have to get set up defensively, use their matchup zone to slow things down and force Allen to shoot from the outside. I don't know if the Canaries can make enough outside shots to pull this one off. At the same time, Whitehall is going to have to make some outside shots. Matt Greene will have to have a good shooting night. I also see Beldo and Astacio creating problems for Allen around the basket and the Canaries have a tendency to turn it over more than you'd like from a championship-caliber team. Still, the Canaries have a rising star in Jalen Cannon and have been playing better than Whitehall down the stretch. This one could go overtime again.

And, if these two results go this way, you'd have Liberty and Whitehall on Friday night and that would be a rematch of the Allentown City Summer League championship game at Cedar Beach back in August.

Right about now, it does me good just to think about August and warmer, sunnier weather.

Keith Groller