The CIAC boys basketball state tournament is back for the first time since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with games slated to start Monday with first-round games in Division II and IV and conclude March 19-20 at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Can Bristol Central and UConn men’s basketball recruit Donovan Clingan win the school’s first title since 1990? How far will the other top CCC teams — Northwest Catholic, Windsor, East Catholic and Conard — go? And can Cromwell win its first title since 2018?
Here is a quick breakdown of the divisions.
Division I
This tells you what you need to know about Division I: Eighth-seeded East Catholic (16-6) and ninth-seeded Farmington, both excellent CCC teams, will play each other on March 10 at East Catholic. In 2019, East Catholic was the Division I state champion, and Farmington won the Division III title. The two teams played each other not long ago with Farmington (15-6) beating East Catholic 85-76 on Feb. 18. East Catholic played a tough schedule. Four of the Eagles’ losses were to Windsor in overtime, Northwest Catholic by three points, Mater Dei (California) and Bristol Central. Farmington had to play Northwest Catholic twice (and lost twice).
Windsor, another top team that advanced to the CCC semifinals before losing to Bristol Central, is the sixth seed. The Warriors (18-4) will face the winner of the Manchester vs. Glastonbury game in the second round. If Windsor gets past the second round, the Warriors could face third-seeded Ridgefield, which beat Windsor 65-62 on Jan. 22.
Division II
Can anybody stop top-seeded Bristol Central and Clingan, its 7-foot-2 star? So far, no one has been able to. Windsor, one of the best teams in the state, had two shots at the Rams and came up short both times, including a 57-37 loss in the CCC tournament semifinal…
Take a road trip to Hocking Hills. Photo taken by Ava Boldizar.
Visit the Franklin Park Conservatory. Photo taken by Ava Boldizar.