Favorites: No. 1 Franklin (21-1), No. 3 Newton North (20-1).

Sleepers: No. 13 Brookline (16-6), No. 15 Catholic Memorial (12-8).

Best preliminary-round matchup: Monday, No. 38 Everett (10-10) at No. 27 BC High (8-12), 6:30 p.m.

Analysis: For the first time in a few years, Division 1 appears wide open with no prohibitive favorite. There are more than a dozen teams with a legitimate shot to win it all and several first-round matchups that could just as easily be quarterfinals or semifinals meetings. Some of the best first-round bouts feature Middlesex League matchups with No. 24 Boston Latin (19-1) at No. 9 Winchester (16-4), No. 21 Lincoln-Sudbury (16-4) at No. 12 Arlington (18-4), and No. 22 Lexington (15-5) at No. 11 Braintree (17-3). No. 19 Xaverian (10-10) takes a contrasting style of play to face fast-paced No. 14 Marshfield (16-4) and we have a battle of Catholic powers with Catholic Memorial set to host No. 18 Bishop Feehan (16-4). Newton North has yet to lose against an in-state opponent, but could face seasoned No. 6 Andover (14-6) or another tough opponent early. Merrimack Valley rivals No. 4 Central Catholic (17-2) and No. 5 Lowell (18-2) could meet in the quarterfinals if Brookline or another lower seed doesn’t upset the apple cart. Keep an eye on No. 8 Bridgewater-Raynham (16-4), which enters having won 12 of 13, including a number in dramatic fashion.

Longest road trip: Tuesday, No. 34 Durfee (11-9) at No. 31 Putnam Vocational Tech (11-7), 102 miles

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Javi Lopez, Central Catholic — Already a 1,000-point scorer, the junior guard has improved each year, and he’ll look to take another step with a big state tournament performance.

Alan Shi, Brookline — Nearly 7 feet tall with good footwork and defensive instincts, the McGill-bound senior center is averaging 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 blocks; he’s a problem for opponents at both ends of the floor.

Caden Sullivan, Franklin — The 6-foot-2-inch shooting guard has paced the Panthers with averages of 21.8 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals.

Teagan Swint, Newton North — Few players can rival Swint in terms of reliable scoring. Pencil the senior wing in for 15-30 points just about every time the Tigers take the floor, regardless of how teams aim to stop him.

Will White, Boston Latin — Only a sophomore, the 5-7 combo guard is averaging 18 points with clutch play to help the Wolfpack post a 19-1 record.

Favorite: No. 1 Malden Catholic (18-1).

Sleeper: No. 6 Somerset Berkley (19-1).

Best preliminary-round matchup: Monday, No. 36 Marblehead (11-9) at No. 29 Archbishop Williams (10-10), 6:30 p.m.

Analysis: It seems no team will be able to stop Malden Catholic from winning a fourth straight Division 2 state title. The Lancers received their wake-up call with an 80-74 defeat at Catholic Memorial on Jan. 21 and they’ve responded with nine straight wins, including a redemptive 34-point blowout over CM. The most notable challengers come from the Hockomock League, with No. 2 Mansfield (18-4) and No. 4 Oliver Ames (18-4) looking capable of a deep run. Don’t sleep on No. 5 Whitman-Hanson (18-3) with veteran coach Bob Rodgers, or Somerset Berkley, which has twice taken down Bourne. Riding the wave of a great football season, No. 7 Masconomet (17-1) won its first NEC title since 1997 this winter. No. 15 Burlington (14-6) started hot and could rekindle that magic at the right time and No. 11 Leominster (14-6) is a threat from Central Mass.

Longest Road Trip: Thursday, No. 20 Wakefield (10-10) at No. 13 Holyoke (15-4), 105 miles

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Cole Craffey, Oliver Ames — Transferring back to Oliver Ames after playing at Brimmer & May last year, the senior combo guard led the Tigers on a 10-game win streak to cap the season, including the program’s first win over Mansfield since 2008.

Matt Gaffney, Malden Catholic — With three titles already, the senior guard has the rare opportunity to win a fourth straight championship and finish with an unblemished record in the state tournament.

Brendan McDonald, Somerset-Berkley — After starring at quarterback for the Raiders, the senior point guard has orchestrated a 19-1 season while averaging 13.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.3 assists with 52 steals and 35 3-pointers.

Jack Millward, Wakefield — The soccer star can fill it up on the hardwood. The 6-4 guard is averaging 27.9 points, 9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists, notching a handful of 30-plus point performances during his junior campaign.

Kobe Nguyen and Aidan McGrath, North Quincy — Nguyen is a senior captain averaging 17.3 points with more than 1,000 for his career, leading a young Raiders team that includes a pair of fabulous freshman, including McGrath, who averages 17.1 points and 8.3 rebounds.

Favorite: No. 1 St. Mary’s (21-1)

Sleeper: No. 8 Abington (17-5)

Best preliminary-round matchup: Tuesday, No. 34 Dennis-Yarmouth (12-9) at No. 31 Medway (14-6), 6 p.m.

Analysis: Led by standout guard JJ Martinez, St. Mary’s is the team to beat after rolling through the regular season, capped by a 60-58 nonleague win at No. 3 Newburyport (18-2) on Feb. 12 in a potential state final preview. No. 2 Norwell (20-0) looks to keep cruising after a dominant season in which it won all but two games by double digits. Led by two 1,000-point scorers — forward Matt Breen and guard Franck Moron — No. 4 Shawsheen (18-2) is another contender. And even after losing stars Jaylin Williams-Crawford and Jaylen Hunter-Coleman from last year’s state championship team, keep an eye on No. 19 Charlestown (11-7), which was one of the Boston City League’s better teams.

Longest Road Trip: Friday, No. 17 Pittsfield (14-6) at No. 16 Lynn Classical (16-4), 147 miles.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

JJ Martinez, St. Mary’s — The junior has established himself as one of the best guards in the state. Martinez scored his 1,000th career point in a 69-55 win over East Boston on Feb. 10.

Matt Breen and Franck Moron, Shawsheen — The 6-9 Breen has averaged 18.5 points and 15 rebounds, and Moron, a point guard, has posted 18 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 steals per game.

Carson Gretz, Newburyport — The senior has been the catalyst for the Clippers all year, averaging 17 points and seven rebounds. He’s 41 points away from 1,000.

Kingston Maxwell, Abington — A 6-3 junior forward, Maxwell has powered the Green Wave’s electric offense, which has scored at least 80 points five times this year.

Will Carty, Watertown — One of the top big men in the state, the 6-9 Carty has averaged a 20-point double-double for the Raiders.

Favorites: No. 1 Holland Tech/Burke (17-3), No. 2 Bourne (17-3).

Sleepers: No. 4 Millbury (16-6), No. 8 Lynn Tech (12-8).

Best preliminary-round matchup: Tuesday, No. 42 South Shore Voc-Tech (10-10) at No. 23 O’Bryant (11-9), 5:30 p.m.

Analysis: Millbury and Bourne are looking for redemption after Wareham took both down in thrilling semifinals and finals matchups last year. The Bulldogs of Holland (Burke) are the favorites. If Holland meets up with Bourne again, the No. 1 Bulldogs will hope 6-7 senior center Gerard Banks (15 points, 14 rebounds per game) can contain the Canalmen’s dynamic duo of Mike Dankert and Nate Reynolds. Lynn Tech also ran into a senior-laden Wareham squad last year in the tournament, but the Tigers have their core players back and are riding a 10-1 stretch that concluded with a win at St. Mary’s. Battle-tested teams from Boston lurk in the lower half of the bracket with No. 16 TechBoston (10-9) and No. 21 Cathedral (11-8) capable of making noise, although TechBoston opens Friday at 5:30 p.m. by hosting the defending champions, No. 17 Wareham (11-11).

Longest road trip: Monday, No. 41 Upper Cape Tech (12-8) at No. 24 Wahconah Regional (8-12), 172 miles

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Ethan Bowen and Dimitri Mendes, Cathedral — Bowen, a 5-10 sophomore shooting guard, is averaging 15 points and four steals, while classmate Mendes has averaged 14 points and six assists at point guard.

Johnny Chareas, Manchester Essex — The senior captain is averaging 17 points and eight rebounds, leading the Hornets on both ends after playing a complementary role alongside star guard Cade Furse last season.

Mike Dankert and Nate Reynolds, Bourne — The twin towers are both 6-4 with skill, capable of putting it on the floor to blow past bigger defenders, or punishing smaller defenders on the glass. That recipe led the Canalmen to the state final last year.

Jasaad Fenton, Holland (Burke) — The veteran point guard has led the Bulldogs to three Boston City League titles in four years and is peaking in his senior year with averages of 21 points, 11 assists, and 4 steals.

Giovanni Jean, Lynn Tech — The junior reached 1,000 points this season and led the Tigers to a strong finish with 29 points and five assists in a 58-54 win over previously unbeaten St. Mary’s in the Spartan Classic.

Favorite: No. 1 Pioneer Valley Regional (20-0), No. 5 Boston English (13-10)

Sleeper: No. 11 Westport (14-6)

Best preliminary-round matchup: Tuesday, No. 34 Abby Kelley Foster (16-4) at No. 31 Hampden East (11-8), 6 p.m.

Analysis: Western Mass. teams claimed three of the top four seeds, with Pioneer Valley Regional in pole position. But the Boston City League is well represented at the top of the bracket, too. No. 5 English High (13-10), defending champion No. 7 New Mission (13-6), and No. 8 Fenway (10-8) are gearing up for deep runs, and No. 18 Muniz Academy (15-5), No. 23 Boston United (8-10), and No. 24 Brighton (8-11) will look to make some noise. And don’t underestimate No. 11 Westport (14-6), which may have the best pure scorer in the field: senior Owen Boudria.

Longest Road Trip: TBA, No. 19 Rockport (7-13) at No. 14 Lee (14-6), 163 miles.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Owen Boudria, Westport — Boudria has had a terrific senior season, averaging nearly 28 points per game. He’s tallied multiple 40-point efforts, and is 33 points away from eclipsing the program’s all-time record.

Janeudy Brea Collins, English High — A dynamic guard, Brea Collins powered the Blue & Blue to a runner-up finish in the Boston City League tournament. The senior tallied his 1,000th career point in a win over Boston United on Jan. 30.

Sebastian Garcia, Notre Dame Cristo Rey — The Panthers have enjoyed their best season in school history, and Garcia has been at the center of the success, averaging 20 points per game.

Patrick Madden, Hopedale — A senior combo guard, Madden powered the Blue Raiders to an 18-2 regular season. He scored his 1,000th point in a win over Wayland on Dec. 30.

Kurt Redeker, Pioneer Valley — The senior averaged nearly 20 points per game and scored his 1,000th point in Saturday’s 57-39 win over Duggan to capture the Western Mass. Class D title.