10 things to watch in the Nassau and CHSAA girls basketball playoffs

1. Will Baldwin’s reign continue?

The Bruins have won the last seven and 10 of the last 11 Nassau Class AA championships. They are undefeated in conference play, winning by an averaging margin of 33.8 points with great defensive intensity. Dallysshya Moreno leads top-seeded Baldwin with 17.5 points per game often in limited minutes due to score differential.

2. Or can Syosset reclaim the crown?

Lilah Grubman, the 5-11 senior point guard committed to Yale, can do everything on the court. She has complete control over the offense with her ability to attack the rim, shoot and create for others. Grubman is averaging 15.9 points per game, often playing limited minutes due to lopsided scores. No. 2 Syosset hasn’t won a Class AA county title since 2009 and if anyone is going to knock off Baldwin, Syosset and Grubman seem to be most likely after a 14-0 conference season.

No. 3 Massapequa played Syosset tough in both contests, led by Briana Neary, Alexa Cirabisi and Jess Giller. These two could meet again in a fun semifinal contest.

3. A cluttered Nassau Class A

Take your pick for who is considered "the favorite" to win Nassau A this season. You could make an argument for many schools. There are teams with standout scorers, such as Mepham (Hailey Guerrero), Hewlett (Riley Weiss), Division (Olivia Agunzo), Mineola (Abby Walters), North Shore (Morgan Griffin) and Floral Park (Erin Harkins) with complementary pieces around them. Then quality teams like Manhasset, MacArthur, Garden City, Calhoun, Lynbrook, Plainedge and Wantagh could also take home the title.

4. Manhasset at the top

Manhasset (16-3) enters the playoffs as the top seed in Class A utilizing a balanced offense with a different player able to lead the scoring each game. Carly George, Julia Cafasso, Caitlin Barrett, Lauren Perfetto and Mia LoPinto have been key all season for a Manhasset team looking to win its first county title since 1993.

5. Mineola takes Conference A-IV

No. 2 Mineola finished 10-1 and won the Conference A-IV regular-season title, which was arguably the most competitive conference in the county this season. Walters averaged 20.8 points per game to lead the Mustangs. Mineola has been battle-tested all season, which should help in the intensity of playoff games.

6. New faces

There have been five different Class A champions in the last six seasons, and there are plenty of new teams at the top competing for a title this year. Many teams have different strengths as well, with some relying on depth and balanced scoring and others having key playmakers ready to take over the game at a moment’s notice.

7. The Riley Weiss effect

The standout Hewlett guard is having another phenomenal season after averaging 40.8 points per game over five games last season. The junior generating Division-I interest is averaging 39.6 points per game through 19 games and could will No. 7 Hewlett on a deep playoff run.

8. Game wreckers to keep an eye on throughout in Class A

Olivia Agunzo, No. 8 Division: She is toward the top of the scoring and three-point leaders in Nassau, averaging 26.8 points per game with 59 three-pointers. A player with her skillset can carry a team on a playoff run.

Morgan Griffin, No. 3 North Shore: One of the top overall athletes on Long Island, she averaged 19.3 points per game for North Shore, which had one of its best regular seasons in program history.

Hailey Guerrero, No. 11 Mepham: The athletic guard is committed to play softball at Stony Brook, but she can ball on the hardwood, too. She averaged 20.6 points per game this season.

Erin Harkins, No. 4 Floral Park: Harkins leads a talented Floral Park squad that ultiizes pressure and multiple defenses to make life difficult on their opponents. She is averaging 15.3 points per game.

9. Class B and C postseason

Between Locust Valley in Class B and Carle Place in Class C, Nassau has two smaller school teams with the ability to play deep into March.

Locust Valley enters the playoffs on a 50-game winning streak, with its last loss coming February 14, 2019 in the playoffs. They had a 23-0 season and won the Nassau Class A championship in 2020 before the state tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lindsay Hogan, a 6-0 combo guard, leads Locust Valley with 21.3 points per game. Payton Tini averaged 15.5 points per game.

Carle Place has a straight path to the Long Island Class C championship, but the Frogs have a strong squad capable of going far beyond there. Carle Place went 16-3 this season, with two losses to Locust Valley and one to a strong Our Lady of Mercy team. Amanda Leary leads Carle Place with 21.9 points per game. Caitlin Leary and Renee Burden are also key pieces to a potential extended playoff run for the Frogs.

10. The CHSAA playoffs

Our Lady of Mercy upset St. Mary’s in the CHSAA championship last season, and those two look likely to meet in the final again. St. Mary’s is 10-0 in the league this season, led by a trio of playmakers in Alisa Blalock and twins Taryn and Taylor Barbot. Our Lady of Mercy is 8-2 in the league, led by the dynamic duo of Meghan Andersen (20.7 points per game) and Sammy Shea (12.9 points per game).