The D10 Junior & Senior playoffs get underway today, with semifinals on Wednesday before the championship finals on Friday evening at the University of Guelph.Here's a look at the match-ups, starting in senior:
(1) JF Ross vs. (8) Orangeville
Regular Season: JFR 2-0 (82-53, 83-49)
My Prediction: JFR by 33
The JF Ross Royals have been playing some great basketball as of late, and I don't expect to see anything different in today's playoff opener.
(2) Bishop Mac vs. (7) GCVI
Regular Season: BMAC 2-0 (101-59, 75-53)
My Pick: BMAC by 26
I don't think the Celtics will put up 100+, like they did in the first meeting, but they should still win handily down in South Guelph today.
(4) St. James vs. (5) CWDHS
Regular Season: STJ 2-0 (58-33, 63-30)
My Pick: STJ by 23
The Lions kept the Falcon offense in check during their two regular season games, allowing only 31.5 PPG. To have a shot at this one today, CWDHS will need to significantly improve on that output.
(3) Lourdes vs. (6) Centennial
Regular Season: OLOL 2-0 (49-42, 68-52)
My Pick: OLOL by 11
By virtue of the rivalry, you'd certainly expect this to be the most competitive of the games on Monday; I like the Crusaders at home but wouldn't be surprised to see the Spartans keep things interesting.
Junior: D10
(1) JF Ross vs. (8) Guelph CVI
Regular Season: 1-1 (GC 53-49, JFR 56-35)
My Pick: JFR by 16
With the way the D10 junior season has gone, are you actually surprised to see that the 1 and 8 seeds split their season series? Both teams won games on their home floors, the Royals with a convincing victory in January. The Gaels will try to be the first-ever #8 seed (that I'm aware of, anyways) to defeat a #1 in the D10 playoffs.
(2) St. James vs. (7) CWDHS
Regular Season: STJ 2-0 (65-55, 65-56)
My Pick: STJ by 13
The Lions won both regular season games by virtually the same score, and -- like the Royals mentioned above -- this isn't going to be a "walk in the park" despite the rankings disparity. However, I look for them to build upon their strong tournament showing this past weekend and advance through to the semis.
(3) Centennial vs. (6) Bishop Mac
Regular Season: CCVI 2-0 (58-38, 62-39)
My Pick: CCVI by 12
The Spartans had the Celtics' number during the regular season, posting a couple of impressive victories. I think that BMAC will keep this one closer, but I still like Centennial to get the win.
(4) Orangeville vs. (5) Lourdes
Regular Season: ODSS 2-0 (75-66, 61-51)
My Pick: ODSS by 8
Congrats to the Orangeville Bears on securing a home playoff game for (possibly) the first time in junior D10? Have to dig through the history books for that one. At any rate, I think they'll be buoyed by their homecourt and pick up a hard-fought win here today.
