For Dual Valley Conference hoop junkies, your time is at hand.

Over the course of the next six days, the best three teams in the most competitive conference in Central Massachusetts will hold their version of a mini-survivor series.

At the end of said time, the conference race will be as clear as the view from Wachusett Mountain in January or murkier than the Blackstone River in October.

In round one, Sutton travels to Blackstone-Millville tomorrow night with the victor's booty being sole possession of first place. Each school enters the fray deadlocked at 7-0 overall, 6-0 DVC.

On Tuesday, Nipmuc, a game back in second at 5-1, plays host to arch-rival Sutton. A year ago, Sutton swept the regular-season series with the Warriors. However, Nipmuc eliminated the Sammies, fresh off winning the Clark Tournament, in the opening round of the Division 3 playoffs.

DISAPPOINTING LOSS

"Disappointing, real disappointing," recalled Andy Niedzwiecki, Sutton's 5-foot-11 point guard extraordinaire. "I don't think, as a team, we were ready to play. We beat them twice during the season and thought they couldn't beat us. They played a good game."

But, sparked by Niedzwiecki, the Sammies have walloped the DVC pretenders during the opening month. Niedzwiecki tops the conference in scoring at 19 points per game. In one memorabe outing, he torched Bromfield for 29 points in 17 minutes, not missing any one of the 12 shots - both of the field and free variety - he attempted.

"From what you hear talking to different people, it seems Sutton stands a little bit above everyone else," said Jim Grant, for two decades the head coach at Nipmuc. "They have size - I believe they're 6-5, 6-6 up front - everyone else doesn't have, they have a good shooter in the Niedzwiecki boy and I believe Steve (Romasco) can bring eight or nine off the bench. I don't believe the rest of us in the league can do that."

For the record, center Adam Petkus stands 6-4 and power forward Jason Anderson checks in at 6-3. Rounding out the Sutton starters are small forward Justin Brigham and off-guard Matt Stockhaus.

DEFENDING CHAMP

Sutton is the defending conference champion, but if not for beating Nipmuc on the road in the last game of the 1993-94 season, the DVC would have ended in a four-way tie. Instead, Nipmuc, Blackstone-Millville and Hopedale finished a game behind the Sammies with 13-3 marks.

You don't win the DVC so much as survive it.

Take for example the evening of Jan. 6. The Chargers of BMR and Nipmuc were locked up in a doozy and headed for overtime when 6-foot-2 junior Ryan Donlon connected on a 35-foot turn-around jumper with two seconds left. It was Donlan's first basket of the evening, but it accounted for the decisive points in a 46-43 victory. Folks, games like that are the rule, not the exception down here.

The versatile Donlon is seventh in the DVC scoring parade with a 12.7 ppg average while sophomore teammate Dennis Seeley is one spot ahead at 14.2.