2025 Class A Preview Part One

Billy Murphy | Tuesday, December 9th, 2025

Kicking off our Class A previews, we will take a look at various programs across New England, spanning Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and a team out of New York for this piece. 

Avon Old Farms: Head Coach Matt Mihalich enters the season with two cornerstone talents capable of elevating his program. Leading the way is point guard Joel Nash, a New Haven area native ready to take another major step. Nash impacts both ends of the floor, blending capable playmaking with the ability to score at all three levels. He excels at getting downhill, absorbing contact, and finishing through physicality, making him a difficult guard to contain. Complementing him is top-75 national recruit Declan Griffiths, a 6’6” wing with multiple high-major offers. Griffiths provides stability and versatility, boasting elite perimeter shooting and a polished scoring game. He excels at finding his spots and creating clean looks, making him a reliable second option alongside Nash. Together, this duo gives Mihalich a dynamic backcourt foundation to build around this season. Expect big man Grant Mordini, wing shooter Michael Hoffman and big guard Tyler Bergquist to be important pieces as well.

Berkshire: The stacked guard room is loaded with athleticism and versatility from top to bottom, led by two senior transfers, Jacob Rice and Jordan Suiter. Rice, a 6’4” guard, has a knack for putting the ball in the basket, excelling at creating his own shots and navigating traffic to finish tough plays around the rim. Suiter, standing 6’6”, brings a complete all-around game. Defensively, he moves well laterally, can guard positions one through four, and uses his active hands to disrupt passing lanes. Offensively, he stretches the floor with his perimeter shooting while also confidently attacking the heart of the defense. Adding even more firepower, the team returns junior guard Michael Ervin Jr., a 6-foot speedster who thrives in transition and excels at finding open teammates. As last season’s team leader in three-pointers made, Ervin Jr. rounds out a deep and dynamic backcourt with a talented supporting cast ready to contribute.

Kent School: The focus for Kent this season is physicality and aggressive attacks at the rim. Wings JJ Carter and Seediya Jabbi excel at driving to the basket, drawing contact, and finishing through traffic, making them a constant threat in transition and half-court sets. Both players also possess exceptional footwork, allowing them to create space for themselves in the mid-range game and knock down pull-up jumpers with consistency. To fully capitalize on their attacking style, Kent surrounds these wings with guards who can space the floor and knock down deep shots when defenses collapse in the paint. Nathaniel Howell and Miles Wurmfield provide that floor-stretching ability, giving defenses a difficult choice between contesting drives or respecting the perimeter. This combination of interior aggression and reliable outside shooting should make Kent’s offense both versatile and difficult to defend all season long.

Loomis Chaffee: This group is headlined by two-guard Nick Sangermano, a senior returner to the team. The super-athletic guard is at his best from beyond the arc, where his shooting stretches defenses and opens the floor. He plays with a high basketball IQ, consistently finding ways to get to his spots, and he’s explosive enough to rise above the rim while absorbing contact. Adding even more athleticism are two football players, Caden Voltaire and Peyton Flint, who bring their physicality to the hardwood and give Loomis great size in the frontcourt. Voltaire has a strong feel in the low post and can also step out to knock down mid-range shots. Flint makes his largest impact defensively—he battles on the glass, secures rebounds, and quickly outlets to ignite transition, all while sprinting the floor to keep the tempo high. The backcourt has some high upside underclassmen to watch in Chase Smith and Luca Balducci who both flashed this fall at the Frosh/Soph Elite 75 as well.

St. Sebastian’s: This season, St. Seb’s success will largely hinge on the growth and consistency of Solis Blue and Tim Civello. Blue, a speedy 6’0 guard, thrives in transition, pushing the pace and creating scoring opportunities in the open floor. Over the summer, he showed continued improvement as both a three-point threat and a slasher who can finish through contact, all while maintaining smart decision-making and high basketball IQ. Complementing him is Tim Civello, a high-IQ wing and lights-out shooter who consistently impressed with his perimeter accuracy this summer. Civello moves exceptionally well without the ball, reads the flow of the offense, and knows exactly how to get open, making him a reliable scoring option. Together, Blue’s playmaking and driving ability paired with Civello’s shooting and off-ball movement give St. Seb’s a dynamic backcourt duo capable of keeping defenses on their heels and setting the tone for the team’s offensive identity.

St. Paul’s: Another team with no shortage of experienced wings and guards, this group has a roster built to complement one another seamlessly. Everything begins with Patrick Ricca and Mekhi Simmons. Ricca is a gifted playmaker who prioritizes creating quality looks for his teammates and has a strong command of pace, knowing exactly when to push in transition or slow things down to get the offense organized. Simmons brings quickness to expose lanes, spray the ball around to teammates and creation off the dribble. Wesleyan commit, Trey Miller thrives on the low block, using his length and touch to score inside, but he also has the ability to step out to the perimeter and knock down threes with confidence. On top of his offensive versatility, Miller is a relentless rebounder on both ends, consistently extending possessions and preventing second-chance opportunities for opponents. Liam Henaghen, Ray Farmer and Tighe Arache are a few more pieces expected to contribute for St. Paul’s.

Trinity Pawling: This squad features several intriguing pieces who will be counted on to take meaningful steps forward this season. It all starts with post-grad transfer Owen Iannuci, a true volume scorer capable of creating offense from virtually anywhere on the floor. His perimeter shooting is a major weapon, but he’s far from one-dimensional—he can put the ball on the deck, get downhill, and finish through contact at the rim. Fellow senior Michael Malachi thrives in the open floor, pushing the pace and attacking space to get to his preferred spots. He’s a confident driver who forces defenses to react, but where he truly separates himself is on the defensive end. Malachi has a natural instinct for reading ball-handlers, often anticipating their next move before they even commit to it. His timing, footwork, and defensive IQ allow him to pressure opponents, force turnovers, and ignite transition opportunities. The Walters twins of Aaden and Anthony will be huge as well for Trinity Pawling as the two sophomores bring electric guard play and high energy to the defensive end of the floor.

Taft: A team loaded with experienced players is poised to make a major impact this year. Leading the way is Alexavier Saunders, a dynamic 6'2 guard and 1,000-point scorer at his previous school. Saunders is capable of scoring in bunches and remains just as dangerous off the ball, constantly attracting defensive attention and creating space for others. Joining him is 6'7 wing Isaac Spurrier, an ideal pick-and-roll partner who thrives when attacking downhill and finishing through contact. Spurrier also brings valuable floor-spacing, having made noticeable strides as a reliable three-point shooter. Complementing the duo is another versatile wing in Medi Angyal, who elevates the team with his ability to impact the game in subtle but important ways. He can create for himself, make sharp reads as a passer, and consistently provides the connective plays that keep the offense flowing smoothly. As a trio, they give this group a strong foundation of scoring, versatility, and high-IQ basketball.