The season is here. Well, at least the season preview is.

Thursday's edition of the Daily Times holds the boys basketball season preview for the 2011-12 campaign, which officially begins Friday. If you didn't pick up a copy, here's a CliffsNotes version:

DEL VAL: At Chester, focus is on a sweet repeat ... Never in the storied history of Chester basketball, which features seven state titles and two-dozen 1,000-point scorers, have teams repeated as state champions. So this year, say the Clippers coach and a few players, that is their mission.

INTER-AC: Haverford School pins turnaround hopes on Xu ... There's a new coach, one big new player and a new vision at The Haverford School. Henry Fairfax, the program's all-time leading scorer, hopes to guide the Fords beyond a myriad of recent .500 seasons with the help of Chinese exchange student Tao Xu, a 6-foot-11 center. Oh, and the cast of players around Xu -- including senior guard Zach Thomas and freshman guard Sammy Foreman -- are pretty good, too.

CENTRAL LEAGUE: Lower Merion among many contenders in Central ... So I called each of the Central League's coaches and asked for their pick to win the title. Everyone said Lower Merion. But as Aces coach Gregg Downer told me, no one in his locker room has ever won a title, which opens the door for Ridley, Marple Newtown, Upper Darby, Haverford, Springfield ... and just about everyone else.

CATHOLIC LEAGUE + THE REST: Carroll looks to Yacob to maintain momentum ... Archbishop Carroll's winningest seasons have been the last four, within which the Patriots have had a pair of 1,000-point scorers, two trips to the Catholic League final, three state-playoff berths and a PIAA Class AAA title. Now, the keys to the team have been handed over to Yosef Yacob, the junior shooting guard and co-captain, to keep the team pointed in the right direction.

On the girls basketball side, beat writer Matt Smith did a great job highlighting the season with his previews. Take a look
Pearson, Creighton are Carroll's 1-2 punch ... Meghan Creighton and Rachel Pearson will continue their careers next season at Drexel. Before that takes form, though, they have some unfinished business at Archbishop Carroll.
Springfield will take its best shot ... Like the boys side, Lower Merion appears to be the heavy favorite. Among Delco's contenders, it could be Springfield's year.
Some big questions as new season approaches ... Is the Del Val League up for grabs? What's life like at Delco Christian, without all-time leading scorer Emily Homan?
Five players to watch

So there you have it. I think we've covered all the bases with the season preview. If I missed anything, be sure to leave a comment or send an email (cvito@delcotimes.com).

Only one day away until tipoff.