Nashua South's Rhett Medling grabs the loose ball ahead of Merrimack's Issac Ynfante during a game last season. Medling will be a huge key for the Panthers as the season begins this weekend. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

Uneasy is the head that wears the crown? Nah, not if it’s the Bishop Guertin High School boys basketball team.

You see, the Cardinals graduated all five starters from last year’s Division I championship game triumph, so head coach John Fisher is under no illusions that one year won’t translate to another.

“All high school coaches are smart enough to know each year is a new experience,” Fisher said, “especially when you graduate five starters.

“I think there’s parity in our own area. Everyone in the southern New Hampshire region has talented basketball players.”

But not much time to develop; the Division I and II teams had 10 days to get ready for the season, which often features three games a week and ends the first week in February with the finals tentatively set for Feb. 19.

Nashua North is mentioned as a contender, along with Guertin and teams from the seacoast – pretty much how it was a season ago. But another team many are talking about is Pinkerton, which has a lot of size and made a surprising early tourney exit a year ago.

Local Division II teams should be competitive as well as Campbell in Division III. Here’s a look:

DIVISION I

The Cards still have talented key returners, led by 6-2 junior guard Matt Santosuosso and 6-8 forward Javari Ellison. Santosuosso worked a lot on his outside game in the offseason when he wasn’t scoring TDs at Stellos Stadium.

Another junior, 5-10 Luke Anderson, plus 6-3 senior Ben Mullett and 6-0 junior Tyler Mackey also got some experience last year. Fisher has an older team, despite the graduation losses.

“It’s all juniors and seniors,” he said. “It’s just a matter of how they get together as a team. My message to them hasn’t changed.”

Nashua North won 10 of 12 regular-season games last season, bowing to the Cardinals in the Division I prelims in last year’s regional setup. Despite losing talent to graduation, North has four juniors back from last year – 6-3 guard Trevor Labrecque, 5-11 guard Jayden Montgomery, 6-2 forward Jack Sullivan and 6-2 guard Derek Finlay. Newbies are 5-11 junior forward Jack Peters and 6-3 senior guard Thomas Laurendi.

“Our goal is to be a scrappy, tough, competitive team that continues to improve and gain valuable experience as the season progresses,” North coach Steve Lane said. “Every night you’ll have to earn your victory.”

Nashua South hopes to earn a few after going 4-9 last year and bowing to BG in the play-in round. Size inside won’t be a problem with 6-9 senior Rhett Medling plus 6-0 senior guard Alex Hulfachor, who has basically been a three-year regular. Sophomore Zac Castonguay (5-7) may run the point, while 6-3 junior Karsten Lemire will also be a key.

“We struggled last year, but had a productive off-season,” Panthers coach Nate Mazerolle said. “As always, we’ll try to win games with our solid man-to-man defense and fundamentals and discipline.”

Alvirne has a new head coach, former ConVal mentor Leo Gershgorin, and he’s got three seniors to build around, back from a highly competitive team that lost to Guertin in the quarterfinals: 6-7 center Brendan Graham, 5-11 guard Eric Allard and 6-0 forward Anthony Ferullo.

“We have a great mix of youth and experience, and our young guys are skilled and will push for minutes,” Gershgorin said. One hundred percent of our focus early in the season will be spent on the defensive end.”

The Broncos’ opening-night opponent, Merrimack, struggled mightily a year ago after winning its opener. But second-year head coach Austin Denton is thrilled with what he has back, led by top scorer 6-1 senior Jack Tarleton.

The ‘Hawks won just that one game at Salem but had no seniors. And now: Tarleton is one of seven along with 5-11 guard Kyle Crampton, 6-5 forward Ian Fish, 6-5 center David Hamilton, 6-1 guard Aidan Ponder, 5-11 guard Hunter Duval and 6-1 guard Kobe Pimentel. Junior Issac Ynfante (6-4) will be a key as well.

“I have a great group this year,” Denton said. “Not having any seniors from the previous year may have helped us out for this year. Really excited to coach these guys.”

DIVISION II

Marty Edwards didn’t stay out of work long after parting ways with Alvirne. Edwards feels Hollis Brookline has a lot of depth, led by 6-2 junior captain Kaleb Popham, plus senior guards Joe Mahoney (6-1), Aidan Dufoe (5-11), Ethan Peters (6-0) and John Kotelly (5-11). There’s size in 6-3 junior forwards Luke Laborde and Charlie Hale, 6-3 senior Shane Marcum and 6-4 freshman Jayce Cora, plus junior guards Eli Goodman, Zach Lussier and soph Andrew Eckman will see time.

This team, Edwards said, has athletes who were strong in other sports and who should “challenge defensively every night. The keys to success will depend on ball movement and defensive intensity.”

Souhegan’s Peter Pierce is back at the helm after sitting out last year during the pandemic. The Sabers’ success rides on 6-7 senior Johnny McBride, but there are others who will be factors: fellow seniors Peter Headington (5-10 guard) and Nolan Dickinson, plus 5-7 junior point guard Joe Bernasconi, and other junior guards Matt Canavan (6-1) and Sal Speranzo (5-0). Six foot sophomore Nolan Colby also will see time.

“We have a nice mix of athletes that haven’t played much together but have the potential to gel into a good team,” Pierce said. “How quickly we accomplish this will determine how successful we are, and with new absurdly shortened season, this is the challenge.”

Milford, of course, had an emotional 1-6 season a year ago with the death of longtime coach Dan Murray, and his co-coach last year, Don Gutterson, has stayed with the program as its new head coach. He has some familiar athletic faces in returning starters: 5-10 senior point guard Ryon Constable, 5-11 forward Caden Zalenski and 5-10 junior guard Chuck Urda. Other returnees include 6-3 senior forward Bernard Glusac, 5-11 senior forward Christian Waller and 5-10 junior guard Trice Cote. Three more juniors, two sophomores and a freshmen are new and round out the roster.

“The key to the season will be how we can develop depth from a solid nucleus coming back from last year,” Gutterson said, adding health will be a huge key for all teams in a division he feels will be “competitive from top to bottom.”

Most agree Pelham is the power while Lebanon, Pembroke and Laconia are also contenders. Souhegan could get some attention as well.

DIVISIONS III-IV

The Campbell Cougars, second-year coach Justin Dibenedetto says, have aspirations to return to the Final Four, and here’s why it may be possible:

“We are a loaded team with six players who can all score 20 points a game, depending on the night,” Dibenedetto said.

Most of the names will be familiar to Campbell sports fans: 6-4 senior guard Dylan Rice, 6-0 senior guard Jackson Noury, 6-1 senior guard Brody Mills, 6-1 junior wing Colton Martel, 6-1 sophomore guard Austin McHugh and 6-2 junior center Jackson Kanaley.

What’s the biggest piece to the puzzle?

“For our team to be successful,” DiBenedetto said, “we’ll need to turn it up a notch on the defensive end.”

In Division IV, the Warriors of Wilton-Lyndeborough aren’t looked at as a contender, but they’ll see a few of them on their schedule, including Portsmouth Christian next Friday and Concord Christian twice, on Jan. 4 and then on the road Feb. 15.

The Warriors close out the season with Epping (Feb. 22) and also have contenders Newmarket and Holy Family on the slate.

Remember, Division IV is the only division that will have its finals in March, on the 4th.