Here is what you need to know before the 2024 Section 1 boys basketball tournament begins
Who are the favorites to win a gold ball at the Westchester County Center? What players are most likely to stand out when they get on the big stage? Here's a quick overview of the upcoming 2024 Section 1 boys basketball tournament along with picks from lohud's Mike Dougherty.
Class AAA
Favorite: White Plains has everything a championship team needs, starting with a player-of-the-year candidate in Logan McCormick. And the Tigers might have more poise than any team in Section 1.
Contenders: Mamaroneck is an incredibly balanced team with a pair of emerging stars in Will Plunkett and Brandon Burrell. No team in the section defends the big court at the County Center like Mount Vernon.
Spoiler: North Rockland is the defending champion and is again coming in hot. The Red Raiders force opponents to guard all five players on each possession.
MVP candidates: Elijah Barclay (North Rockland); Brandon Burrell (Mamaroneck); Malik Gasper (New Rochelle); Cosmo Hardinson (Mamaroneck); Miles Johnson (White Plains); Logan McCormick (White Plains); Will Plunkett (Mamaroneck); Tavien Tyler (Mount Vernon).
Class AA
Favorite: Yorktown is going into the playoffs with an 11-game win streak. While a lack of size can be an issue, few teams match up athletically to Brandon Montero and the Huskers.
Contenders: Scarsdale has misfired all season, but the Raiders are quite capable of a Bad News Bears run. It's been an epic comeback season for Peekskill, which poses matchup issues for every team in this bracket.
Spolier: Somers has a senior lineup with County Center experience to go along with number of impressive wins during the regular season.
MVP candidates: Jaden Chavis (Peekskill); Billy Feeks (Yorktown); Carlos Rodriguez (Scarsdale); Zeke Jones (Peekskill); Brandon Montero (Yorktown); Jake Pampalonia (Suffern); Liam Scanlon (Mahopac); Jake Sussberg (Scarsdale).
Class A
Favorite: Byram Hills is motivated after losing in the championship game a year ago. More importantly, Tyson Repa and the Bobcats are now seasoned veterans on the big court.
Contenders: Tappan Zee played most of the season without the two returning starters from last year's state title run. Tommy Linehan and Jack Piccione are back. Pearl River and Rye are the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, respectively, and both could go all the way. They could also get knocked out in the quarterfinals. Nyack is the one team nobody else in the bracket matches up with.
Spolier: Hen Hud got a great draw and is one surprise removed from the County Center.
MVP candidates: Raydelh Boutin (Nyack); Keith Capuano (Hastings); Zach Efobi (Byram Hills); Jake Kessner (Rye); Xavier Leveille (Tappan Zee); Aidan McCahey (Pearl River); Tyson Repa (Byram Hills); Justin Wachen (Ardsley); Gino Wamack (Hen Hud).
Class B
Favorite: Woodlands did not lose to a Class B opponent all season. The Falcons also have Eric Woodberry, a creative scorer who's used to dealing with help defense.
Contenders: Hamilton is coming in with multiple scoring options and plenty of momentum. Dobbs Ferry puts a lot of points on the board and was competitive in a pair of losses to Woodlands.
Spolier: Westlake played a better schedule than any of the favorites and will not go quietly.
MVP candidates: Nick Castellano (Westlake); Christian Davis (Hamilton); Anthony Ficarrotta (Dobbs Ferry); Marcus Jackette (Westlake); R.J. Surrell (Hamilton); Eric Woodberry (Woodlands).
Class C
Favorite: Haldane only played one Class C opponent ahead of the playoffs. The defending champion Blue Devils are 7-1 against Class B teams and 5-1 against Class A teams. If there's a hurdle, it's the lengthy layoff.
Contender: Tuckahoe went into last year's championship as the favorite and wound up handing in uniforms the next day. The Tigers would love to return the favor.
MVP candidates: Connor Benke (Tuckahoe); Matthew Nachamkin (Haldane); Russell Wechsler (Leffell).
Class D
Favorite: Greenburgh-North Castle has the one piece it needs for a three-peat in Chris Popotte. The Knights have already defeated Children's Village twice.
Contender: Children's Village is a very long shot, but sometimes the ball takes a quirky bounce.
MVP candidates: Roland Nkansah (Greenburgh-North Castle); Chris Popotte (Greenburgh-North Castle).
Mike Dougherty covers high school basketball for The Journal News and lohud.com. Follow along on X/Twitter @lohudhoopsmbd or Instagram @hoopsmbdlohud.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: lohud 2024 Section 1 boys basketball preview, picks
