Nick Stevens' Conference Tourney Preview

It's been a great year for high school basketball fans, and now we are getting to the point in time where only the strong survive, and that all starts with the conference tournaments.

There are some very intriguing first round match-ups, but rest be assured, each and every tournament will have its own thrills.

WRAL.com has you covered this week with game stories, video, photos, interviews, webchats, and more from all four Triangle conferences each and every day. We will have in-depth analysis, updated brackets & scores, and we'll be talking Bracketology all week long as we gear up for the big tournament next week.

The Leaders

Cap-Seven: The Cap-Seven is not a cut-and-dry conference tournament. There are really two front-runners in this conference - Millbrook and Enloe - and they also have something no other conference does: a first round bye. The Wildcats will get that bye on Tuesday while the Eagles will host No. 7 Wake Forest-Rolesville. I think this conference tournament is going to come down to Millbrook and Enloe because of their ability to play defense. Both teams allow an average of about 53 points per game.

Greater Neuse: The Clayton Comets have established themselves as the top team in the Greater Neuse River Conference, and that means they will have home court advantage throughout their tournament. The Comets are a much stronger defensive team than they are offensive, allowing just 48 points each time out, while scoring 59. Despite their low-scoring affairs, the Comets are owners of an impressive 22-2 record. Do you kind of get the feeling that Clayton is flying under the radar like I do? I bet their not complaining.

PAC-6: I'll be honest, I'm not sure there is a front-runner in this conference. There are a grouping of teams that are capable of winning the conference tournament, and that is what is going to make this tournament an entertaining one. Statistically, the front runner will be Southern Durham. The Spartans are 11-2 in the conference, but they have not established themselves as a top non-conference team. Fortunately for the Spartans, this is a conference tournament, so they will not face any non-conference teams. That will be a discussion we have next week.

Tri-8: This one is easy. Middle Creek is the conference tournament favorite going into the week, but that doesn't mean they don't have any flaws or that they cannot be beaten. The Mustangs swept their non-conference schedule, and their only loss this season came at home to Panther Creek. Middle Creek got revenge over the Catamounts on Friday, but they are beatable. The Mustangs remind me a lot of Carolina in that they can post up, penetrate, or hit the long distance jumper; but, when you compare yourself to an elite college team, you have to take the good with the bad. Middle Creek needs to improve on their team defense if they're going to go undefeated the rest of the way.

The Sleepers

Cap-Seven: Watch Broughton. The Caps were embarrassed last Friday night by Sanderson in a game that meant more than any other so far this season, and Coach Jeff Ferrell will have this squad ready to prevail in the conference tournament. Broughton will face Sanderson again in the first round of the tournament. The Caps and Spartans split their regular season games this season, meaning the Caps know they have what it takes to beat the Spartans. Broughton will face Millbrook in the second round - at Broughton (a neutral court) - if they beat Sanderson, and they have beaten the Wildcats this season as well. That would put Broughton in the championship game on Friday, and they have to win it if they're going to the state tournament.

Greater Neuse: The Knightdale Knights are going to be more than capable of making a big run in the conference tournament. The Knights played the majority of their conference season without their top player - Stan Okoye. Okoye told me just recently that he is back. Knightdale grew as a team while Okoye was out, and it allowed others, especially Antonio Moffitt, to step up and provide. They didn't disappoint. Knightdale is the No. 3 team in the conference, and they should be poised to make a post season run.

PAC-6: Those of us who covered the GlaxoSmithKline Holiday Invitational learned just how dangerous Northern Durham can be. Since WRAL was the only local media outlet at every GSK game, we think it's fitting to fill you on why the Knights are so dangerous. Two words: Hunter McClintock. Not only is the 6-foot-1, Pistol Pete-like player leading the entire Triangle area in scoring, averaging over 27 points per game, he also set records at the GSK Tournament that put him in the same breath as current NBA players such as Matt Bonner. Making his accomplishments even more impressive, McClintock set the records in two games, while the rest were set in three.

Tri-8: There are six teams in this conference who would not completely surprise me if they ran the table in the conference tournament. Obviously, Middle Creek and Panther Creek are the two favorites, but Green Hope, Athens Drive, Apex, and Cary all have the opportunity to make a run. The first two, Green Hope and Athens, probably have the best chance. The two play each other on Tuesday night, and the winner will likely face Middle Creek in the second round. If Green Hope is going to win, they're going to have to become more consistent on the offensive end. We've seen the Falcons score 70-points in a game, but we've also seen them score 40. That won't cut it in the post season. If Athens is going to win, they're going to need to play better defense.

Nick's Pick's

Cap-Seven: Enloe

Greater Neuse: Clayton

PAC-6: Southern Durham

Tri-8: Middle Creek