First LVC, Colonial League, MVC boys basketball rankings

From Keith Groller

We've had just a handful of games played so far in area boys basketball, but already some teams are making statements.

Things really get rolling tonight with the Colonial League season getting started and some great matchups between LVC and Mountain Valley Conference teams shaping up in the Poconos.

I'd love to be at one of the MVC-LVC wars, but instead, I will check out the Bangor-Northern Lehigh game in the Bill Pensyl Gym and see what the much-talked about Slaters look like and how Jeff Miller fares in his debut in charge of the Bulldogs.

Here are the first set of league rankings, which we hope to do on a regular basis:

LEHIGH VALLEY CONFERENCE

1. LIBERTY (2-0) .... 'Canes already have two quality wins and will go for a third against a talented Pocono East team tonight in Paradise Township.

2. ALLEN (0-1) .... Canaries won't have a home game until they host their Christmas Tournament Dec. 28-29.

3. NAZRETH (2-0) .... Impressive start for the Blue Eagles. Looks like Chuck Dibilio hasn't missed a beat.

4. EASTON (2-0) ...Rovers doing it with defense, as most Jim Hutnik teams do.

5. EMMAUS (1-0)....Green Hornets will see how they measure up against Allen on Friday night in LVC opener.

6. BECAHI (2-0).... Golden Hawks' commitment to improved defense is showing -- just 77 points given up in two games.

7. CCHS (0-1) ....As talented as some of the younger players are, we won't know what this team is all about until the football players join the fold probably sometime next week, and even then it's going to take a while for everything to mesh. Shane McNeely's injury not only hurts football team on Friday night, but wounds basketball team as well.

8. DIERUFF (1-0) ... I don't know if the Huskies will hang this high, but beating Parkland -- even though the Trojans are in definite rebuilding mode -- was a good way to start.

9. PARKLAND (1-1)... Win over Stroudsburg was nice way to start, but Dieruff loss shows that this could be an up-and-down year for Andy Stephens' group.

10. FREEDOM (0-1) ... Patriots are another one of those teams -- like Northampton, Whitehall and Parkland -- who are a bit of a mystery at this point.

11. WHITEHALL (0-1) ... Zephyr Nation will have to work harder at home games this season to get crowd into it.

12. NORTHAMPTON (0-2) ... Don't anticipate Konkrete Kids staying down here for long, but they've got to win a game before they can make a move.

COLONIAL LEAGUE

1. BANGOR (1-0) ... Slaters have already done something they didn't do at all last year -- beat somebody from outside the Colonial League.

2. SAUCON VALLEY (0-1) ... Panthers will get a good test against Notre Dame tonight.

3. NOTRE DAME (2-0) ... Crusaders lost a lot of talent, but still have a lot.

4. SALISBURY (1-0) ... Falcons got a one-point win over Blue Mountain to get things started, a good omen for a team that will probably play a lot of close ones.

5. SOUTHERN LEHIGH (1-1) ... 30-point win over Quakertown to start season got my attention.

6. NORTHERN LEHIGH (0-0) ... We'll see what the defending champs have tonight at Bangor.

7. WILSON (1-1) ... Another program that lost a lot of kids, but still one that you never expect to see at the bottom of the pack.

8. PEN ARGYL (1-1) ... I know that Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg legend Bob Mullen is no longer coach, but the Green Knights beating them after being routed by Becahi had to be a boost of confidence.

9. PALMERTON (1-1) ... I expected the Blue Bombers to beat Lehighton, but not by 23 points. Maybe this is truly a very improved team.

10. CATASAUQUA (0-1) ... Roughies got roughed up by Nazareth, but there are a lot of teams in this league who would have suffered the same fate against Chuck Dibilio and Co.

11. PALISADES (0-2) ... Loss to Moravian Academy in the Jeff Dailey Memorial consy had to sting Coach Vig.

12. NORTHWESTERN (1-1) ... Would definitely move out of this slot with a win over Pen Argyl tonight.

And a quick look at the MVC...

1. Pocono Mt. East (1-0); 2. Pocono Mt. West (1-1); 3. Pleasant Valley (1-1); 4. Stroudsburg (0-1); 5. ES South (0-0); 6. ES North (0-1); 7. Lehighton (0-1).

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/