COLUMBUS, Ohio -- One of the very best conferences in Central Ohio, the Central Catholic League looks to be as good as it has ever been this winter. After all, the CCL sent two teams to the state final four in 2014 and will look to do the same this season. With programs like St. Charles, DeSales and Bishop Hartley all possessing enough talent to make deep runs, the CCL will be an all-out war to the finish in 2016-17.

Let's take a look at the official Central Catholic League season preview, only on 270 Hoops.

Nick Muszynski (Sr. C, St. Charles)

In a league with all types of top-level talent, Muszynski is our pick for MVP of the Central Catholic League. Muszynski is a shot-blocking force around the basket whose dominance was a reason for St. Charles' second-straight league title last year. Much improved from last season, Muszynski is primed for a huge year, as the Belmont commit has the recruiting process behind him and is ready to go. 

Morgan Safford (So. SF, Bishop Hartley)

The 6-foot-3 Safford will be a key cog for Bishop Hartley this season, as the transfer of senior Jake Fischer to Huntington Prep will open up a spot for Safford to shine. Safford brings great length, upside, athleticism and a presence on both ends of the floor that will be very useful for Hartley this year. Look for Safford to shine in his role and help the Hawks compete for a league title. 

Ryan Peaks (Sr. PG, DeSales)

Garrett Tipton (Jr. SG, Bishop Hartley)

Tavon Brown (Sr. SF, St. Charles)

Caden Sanchez (Sr. PF, DeSales)

Nick Muszynski (Sr. C, St. Charles)

2015-16 record: 22-2 (7-1)

Result: Division I district semifinalist

Top returning players: Nick Muszynski (6'11 C / 2017 / Belmont), Tavon Brown (6'8 SF / 2017 / Hillsdale), Braden Budd (6'0 PG / 2017), Bryce Todd (6'1 SG / 2018)

Question: St. Charles has won back-to-back CCL titles. Will the Cardinals finally break through in the Division I tournament?

Outlook: Coming off two-straight league titles, St. Charles will look to keep the momentum rolling in a 2016-17 season with very high expectations. Led by the towers in the front court with senior center Nick Muszynski and senior forward Tavon Brown, St. Charles has the length and versatility to compete with just about anyone. Already one of the area's most disciplined teams, the Cardinals are a well-oiled machine that mixes inside and outside scoring. For as good as Muszynski and Brown are from 18 feet and in, St. Charles will need to retain the stellar guard play it had last season. The Cardinals will look to do that behind senior point guard Braden Budd, who was one of the better scoring guards that we watched all last season. Budd can stretch the floor and hit jumpers, but is also quick enough to take defenders off the dribble and score inside. With its top three returning, St. Charles will need contribution from a host of guys that were mainly JV players last season, highlighted by junior combo guard Bryce Todd. The emergence of Todd to go along with the Cards' talented trio could create for another CCL title and run to the district finals. 

2015-16 record: 21-7 (5-3)

Result: Division II regional finalist

Top returning players: Caden Sanchez (6'8 PF / 2017 / High Point), Luke Hippler (6'6 SF / 2017), Ryan Peaks (5'10 PG / 2017), Abdul Kanu (6'4 SF / 2017), Lelan Johnson (5'9 SG / 2018), Anthony Sciarroni (6'0 G / 2019), Kai Derden (6'2 SG / 2019)

Question: In some circles, DeSales is the regional favorite to make a run for state. Do the Stallions have what it takes?

Outlook: This could be the year for DeSales. The Stallions return a wealth of talent, starting up front with senior power forward Caden Sanchez. Sanchez, a High Point commit, brings a dominant presence on both ends of the floor and could be due for an even bigger season than he had last year. The Stallions have even more length with senior wing forward Luke Hippler, who had a bit of a coming out party last season during DeSales' run to the regional finals. Hippler and senior point guard Ryan Peaks bring with them a ton of experience and belief, which creates for as good of a three-man trio as there is in the league. The Stallions have several other key players that could make an impact, including senior wing Adul Kanu, whose length and versatility could really benefit DeSales this season. Junior shooting guard Lelan Johnson is a knockdown shooter who can be really effective when he's in a rhythm, while sophomore wing guards Anthony Sciarroni and Kai Derden are two athletic pieces that will likely be used off the bench. With the most depth of any team in the league, DeSales has the guard play, athleticism, size and outside shooting to make a deep run, as we are predicting them to win a regional title in Division II and return to the state final four. 

2015-16 record: 18-7 (5-3)

Result: Division II district semifinalist

Top returning players: Garrett Tipton (6'5 SG / 2018), Grant Smith (6'8 C / 2017), Terrell Crowder (6'0 PG / 2017), Connor Collins (6'6 PF / 2017), Morgan Safford (6'3 SF / 2019)

Question: Can Hartley find its identity this season and make a deep run in the Division II tournament?

Outlook: A team that had a bunch of talent last season but could never seem to get in a rhythm, Bishop Hartley returns to the floor in 2016-17 with a lot of confidence and belief. The Hawks return a talented cast of players across all positions, and should be poised to be a force not only to win the CCL, but to compete for a Division II district title. Starting off with junior wing guard Garrett Tipton, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard is our pick for CCL Breakout Player of the Year, as a strong AAU season has the junior heading in the right direction. An athletic slasher that can make shots from all over the floor, Tipton will be the featured scorer for a Hartley team that is not lacking for options. Senior center Grant Smith is much-improved and brings a big body at 6-foot-8 underneath, as he has elevated his level of play with increased toughness and motor. Smith and senior guard Terrell Crowder bring a great deal of experience to Hartley, which will be key as the Hawks are looking for increased production from its top underclassman prospect in sophomore wing Morgan Safford. The emergence of Safford could be key this winter for the Hawks, as the 6-foot-3 wing is as athletic as they come, and could be the secondary scorer Hartley needs to win big. Also look for senior forward Connor Collins to contribute, after he flirted with the idea of transferring to Gahanna, but ultimately returned to Hartley. With the pieces, size and athletes in place to make a run, Hartley should be on pace to win 18 or more games this winter. 

2015-16 record: 15-10 (5-3)

Result: Division II district semifinalist

Top returning players: Alex Will (6'3 SG / 2017), Shawn Parker (7'0 C / 2017), Nick Janning (6'1 SG / 2017), Derek Etgen (6'0 G / 2017)

Outlook: A few years removed from back-to-back trips to the Division II state championship game, Watterson has remained a competitive program. Making it to the district semifinals the past two seasons, Watterson returns to 2016-17 with a tough task on its hands. Graduating a great deal of talent in the 2015 and 2016 classes, the Eagles will be young in 2016-17, but we expect them to still fight tooth and nail in the CCL. Returning for Watterson are a cast of seniors, starting off with wing guard Alex Will, who played a lot last season. Will is a knockdown shooter who should be one of the Eagles' top scorers, while Watterson also gets a transfer in the form of 7-foot center Shawn Parker from Dublin Jerome. Parker is massive, improving and should excel in his role with Watterson. Look for senior guards Nick Janning and Derek Etgen to also contribute for an Eagles team that comes in underrated, but could end up surprising people this winter. 

2015-16 record: 6-16 (0-8)

Result: Division III sectional semifinalist

Top returning players: Dominick Volini (6'6 PF / 2017), Chanc Dawson (6'4 SG / 2018), Brady Thomas (5'10 PG / 2018)

Question: Is this the season Ready makes its way into the top three of the CCL or will the Knights fall to the bottom once again?

Outlook: There really isn't a bad team in the CCL this season, as we expect Ready to be much improved from last season and to compete for a Division III district final. The fact that we have the Silver Knights predicted to finish fifth in the CCL and still compete for a district title shows how strong the league is. Ready will be led by senior forward Dominick Volini, who has seen major time on the floor for the last two years. Volini offers good size, athleticism and toughness around the basket, and should be able to help the Silver Knights compete against everyone in the league. Outside of Volini, Ready has a strong backcourt, highlighted by emerging 6-foot-4 junior guard Chanc Dawson. Dawson has great length, ball skills and scoring ability, as there is not much he can't do on the floor, and we expect him to follow up a strong sophomore season with an even bigger junior year. Dawson and fellow junior guard Brady Thomas are a terrific duo in the backcourt for Ready, who we expect to battle with Watterson for fourth in the division this season. While a CCL title may be out of reach, a Division III district title certainly is not, as Ready has the pieces to make a run.