The title for the best team in New Haven belongs to Career right now. The Panthers beat Hillhouse in the season opener and polished off Wilbur Cross 64-56 Saturday night.

Career coach Larry Kelley will continue to caution his kids that the Panthers have not accomplished anything yet. He's right. The waters are littered with teams that started out strong and faded.

But Career will not be easy to beat. First, the team plays unselfish basketball on offense. Second, the team can now play man-to-man defense seemingly just as well as the traditional matchup zone Kelley favors. And third, the team is motivated to put behind last year's dismal 10-12 record.

It won't be as easy against teams the second time around. It's not about going undefeated. It's about winning the SCC Oronoque Division first, then sitting its sights on the conference title and Class M.

Career is a contender for both.

The Panthers are deserving of their No. 3 ranking. But it won't mean a thing if the they have nothing to show for it by season's end.