By D.M.Livingston|TWT Sports Desk|Published Feb 19, 2026
Waterbury- The bracket is set and the road to the NVL championship begins. With a mix of red-hot teams, questionable seeding, and dangerous lower seeds, this year’s tournament has all the ingredients for drama.
Here’s the TWT Sports Desk breakdown and predictions for the NVL Tournament:
🎟️ PLAY-IN ROUND
(10) Watertown at (7) Crosby
Crosby enters this matchup fresh off a Senior Night win over Watertown, giving the Bulldogs a recent edge and confidence heading into the postseason.
But don’t let the 10-seed fool you — Watertown has played at a much higher caliber than their ranking suggests. This is the type of matchup where Crosby cannot afford to be comfortable.
👉 In our view, a Watertown win would not be an upset.
🔮 Prediction: Crosby 67, Watertown 61
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(9) Ansonia at (8) Torrington
This is a classic example of where power points don’t tell the full story.
Ansonia made a massive leap this season after winning just 3 games last year, making their 9-seed road placement feel questionable.
Torrington, meanwhile, started 7–1 before finishing 3–9, leaving their season hanging in the balance. This home game is a chance to reset and survive.
🔮 Prediction: Ansonia 59, Torrington 55
🏀 QUARTERFINALS (SATURDAY)
(1) Woodland & (2) Wilby
Both top seeds await their opponents and enter the tournament as favorites to reach the semifinals.
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(3) Holy Cross vs (6) WCA
This is a championship-level matchup in the quarterfinal round.
WCA enters as the hottest team in the NVL, winning 8 of their last 9 games to close the season and storm into the tournament. They also benefit from bypassing the play-in round, giving them added rest and preparation.
Holy Cross, one of the league’s most consistent programs, now has to open the tournament against a team peaking at the right time.
👉 Simply put — this is a brutal draw for Holy Cross.
🔮 Prediction: WCA 73, Holy Cross 69
(4) St. Paul vs (5) Naugatuck
This matchup highlights why many believe the NVL point system needs reevaluation.
St. Paul’s 4-seed does not match their full-season performance, including two losses to 9-seed Ansonia.
Naugatuck at 5 may be slightly high, but it’s defensible based on competitiveness and schedule strength.
Bottom line: this feels like a game where the lower seed may actually be the more complete team.
🔮 Prediction: Naugatuck 65, St. Paul 52
FINAL TAKE
This year’s NVL Tournament is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable in recent memory:
- Lower seeds like Watertown and Ansonia are dangerous
- WCA enters as the hottest team in the field
- Seeding debates will only intensify as results unfold
One thing is certain: expect upsets, intensity, and a playoff atmosphere from the opening tip.
Stay with The Waterbury Times Sports Desk for full game coverage, highlights, and postgame reaction throughout the NVL Tournament.
The Waterbury Times- Waterbury,CT Local News 
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