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.

Two area games are still being played Friday evening:

Notre Dame-West Haven at Xavier, 7 p.m.

Westbrook vs. Hyde at Fair Haven School, 7:30 p.m.

More snow, more postponements. Here is Friday's slate


NVL

Derby at Crosby, ppd. to Saturday, 7 p.m.

CSC

Platt Tech at Parish Hill, ppd. to Feb. 3, 6 p.m.

SCC Housatonic

Lyman Hall at Sheehan, ppd. to Monday, 6 p.m.

Shelton at Amity, ppd. to Feb. 8, 7 p.m.

SCC Hammonasset

Guilford at Foran, ppd. to Saturday, 5:30 p.m.

Law at Hillhouse, ppd. to Saturday, 4 p.m.

SCC Oronoque

Branford at East Haven, ppd. to Monday, 7 p.m.

Career at Wilbur Cross, ppd. to Saturday, 7 p.m.

SWC

New Fairfield at Stratford, ppd. to Feb. 3, 7 p.m.

Shoreline

Morgan at Old Lyme, ppd. to Feb. 12, 7 p.m.

FCIAC

St. Joseph at New Canaan, ppd. to Monday, 7 p.m.

Shoreline

Portland at Valley Regional, ppd. to Feb. 2, 7 p.m.

Coginchaug at Cromwell, ppd. to Saturday, 5:30 p.m.

Hale-Ray at North Branford, ppd. to Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

Haddam-Killingworth at East Hampton, ppd. to Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

Each Thursday the Register will take a look at a former state standout, who is now playing in college.
Player: Jordan Williams
College: Maryland
Year: Sophomore
Height: 6-10

Position: Center

High school: Torrington (2008-09 Register State Player of the Year)

Current stats: 18.1 ppg, 12.2 rpg, 23 blks, 31.2 min

Of Note: Williams has recorded 11 straight double-doubles heading into tonight's game against Virginia Tech. The starting center is just one game short of the school record set by Len Elmore.

For more on Williams, click here

It was interdivision night in the Southern Connecticut Conference Wednesday and  things pretty much held to form. Except for what went on at Fairfield University.

Fairfield Prep dropped its second straight game after a 8-0 start, losing to Foran 50-47. Foran has definitely been playing below the radar. That may no longer be the case. For Prep, it's time to right the ship. The Jesuits get that chance tonight when they host West Haven. In addition, East Haven hosts Amity, winners of three straight, Thursday night.

Hillhouse won at Xavier rather convincingly, 73-52, for its eighth straight. Wilbur Cross quietly moved to 9-2 after dispatching Sheehan 73-55. That sets up the showdown with undefeated Career Friday night at Cross.

Hamden beat Hand 48-46 on a layup with 1 second left. Cheshire dealt North Haven its eighth loss, putting the Indians in a real tough position to make the postseason and have a chance to defend its SCC championship.

In the Shoreline Conference, Valley Regional remained the team to beat by winning at Hyde 69-61. Hyde, the defending champion, is now 5-4.

Lucas Hausman of Hopkins surpassed the 1,000-point barrier last Saturday in a 87-81 loss to rival Hamden Hall.
Hausman, a junior captain, is the second member of the Hilltoppers to reach the golden number. Firlotte Laurent, another junior, did so in December.

A 12-year-old kid from Washington state puts on a nice display...he might be able to start for plenty of high school varsity teams around here.

Here is the link. http://www.komonews.com/sports/heroes/111892554.html

Another snowstorm in Connecticut, another round of postponements. Here is the latest:


Shoreline
Old Saybrook at Cromwell, ppd. to Wednesday, 5:30 p.m.
Haddam-Killingworth at Portland, ppd. to Wednesday, 5 p.m.
Valley Regional at Hyde (Fair Haven), ppd. to Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.
SWC
Notre Dame-Fairfield at Barlow, ppd. to Wednesday, 5:15 p.m.
Bunnell at Newtown, ppd. to Thursday, 6 p.m.
Oxford at Stratford, ppd. to Saturday, 7 p.m.
NVL
Ansonia at Woodland, ppd. to Wednesday, 6 p.m.
CSC
O’Brien Tech at Abbott Tech, ppd., TBA
SCC interdivision
Hillhouse at Xavier, ppd.to Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Law at Notre Dame-West Haven, ppd. to Jan. 28, 7 p.m.
Hand at Hamden, ppd. to Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Guilford at West Haven, ppd. to Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Foran at Fairfield Prep, ppd. to Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Sheehan at Wilbur Cross, ppd. to Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Lyman Hall at Career, ppd.to Jan. 28, 7 p.m.
Cheshire at North Haven, ppd. to Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Shelton at Branford, ppd. to Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Amity at East Haven, , ppd. to Thursday, 7 p.m.

Monday's 76-65 victory over Paul Robeson (NY) was the most impressive of the seven victories Hillhouse has this year for one important reason: it is the only non-league contest for the Academics.

Guard Drew Crudup earned game MVP honors with 33 points. Freddie Wilson had 16 points, nine rebounds and seven assists while Andre Anderson added five assists and four steals for the 7-1 Academics.

Hillhouse is ranked fifth in the latest Register Top 10 poll. To view the entire poll click here.

A nice piece by Mike Cardillo from the Connecticut Post on Sean Obi, a 6-9 sophomore from Nigeria now playing at the prep school Greens Farms Academy in Westport. He's already drawing Division I interest.

You can read the story here

If you are interested in seeing this 6-9 phenom, he will be playing two games within a week's time in the New Haven area (weather permitting):

Saturday, Jan. 29, at Hopkins, 2:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 2 at Hamden Hall, 4:30 p.m.