2025 Prep Profile: NMH

Thursday, November 13th, 2025

Northfield Mount Hermon aims to contend in NEPSAC AA this season under Head Coach Mike Shelton. One of the top programs in the region for sending players on to play at high-academic universities, this year’s squad is once again full of academic prospects for schools at multiple levels. 

The Returners

Will Higgs headlines the returners to the team in the class of 2026. The 6’11” forward was starting to pick up traction as a prospect in the fall last year before unfortunately losing his season to a torn ACL. His inside/out play will be key for NMH, and he will be called upon to go head-to-head with some talented bigs both in and out of the region.

Isaiah Aminzadeh has cemented himself as a solid academic prospect in the class of 2026. He’ll contribute in the backcourt with his ability to impact the game in different facets as a 6’4” guard with defensive versatility. Fellow 2026 forward Nate Djanogly will be another key piece to the NMH frontcourt as a 6’9 forward with a stellar perimeter game. The British native has picked up scholarship looks with his ability to shoot it consistently at his size.

Freddie Bacon (2027), Caiden Manning (2028), and Maxxwell Thorpe (2028) all return to NMH as juniors and sophomores, respectively, and will play their roles well.

Bacon, a 6’2 point guard from Vermont, will be an important backcourt piece that can make plays with his smooth passing skills and ability to slow the game down, getting to his spots and making shots. Manning, a local 6’2” guard, has come along nicely and will be a nice piece to the squad moving forward. He’s a sharpshooter who makes winning plays when he touches the floor. Thorpe will be yet another frontcourt piece for NMH, who will be key with his rim-running skills. At 6’9”, Thorpe has a developing body with smooth footwork to score, and good hands to rebound and alter shots.

The Newcomers

CJ Azor, Destine Evans, Imangali Imbergen, Darren Moore, Merrick Rillstone and Brayden Thayer all combine to make a large class of 2026 prospects for Mike Shelton this season.

Azor has picked up high-academic Division III looks as a scrappy defensive specialist in the backcourt who makes plays on that end of the floor. His quickness off the bounce allows him to get inside consistently, and she hoots the ball well off the catch. Evans joins NMH from NJ as a 6’6” wing who has picked up scholarship looks. He’s a multi-level scorer with a strong physique who will surely be a key piece this season. 

Darren Moore, a former Stonehill commit from the DMV, looks to find another D1 spot this season as he postgrads at NMH. His ability to impact the game defensively with Azor will cause problems for opposing offenses all winter. Imangali Imbergen is a native of Kazkhstan looking to make a strong impression in New England. A 6’7” forward, Imbergen can pressure the rim with his athleticism and use it as a tool to make plays defensively too.

Merrick Rillstone is another big forward for NMH who is expected to be a big part of their season. At 6’8”, Rillstone is an intriguing piece that has some three-level scoring in his arsenal and can make plays off the dribble with his ball-handling ability. Thayer’s a local of Northfield MA, who we came to know from his success at Pioneer Valley HS. His backcourt size and shooting make for another threat for NMH this season.

Blake Bastani and Kaya Birsen round out the newcomers in the class of 2027 and 2028. Bastani transfers in from New Hampton and will look to put his big guard skills and notable shooting on display throughout the season. Birsen is just a sophomore this season, and will be one to watch as he develops as a point guard within the program.

Defining Characteristics

Size and maturity are a common theme with this year’s NMH squad, a trend across the upper levels of the NEPSAC that will certainly be key to winning. NMH has a strong rotation of wings forwards and bigs who can switch around a bit defensively, carry some of the offensive load, and play off of each other well. The tenacious on-ball defense the pairing of Azor and Moore brings may be trouble for opposing squads throughout the season, and if that energy sticks with the rest of the team, NMH will win a lot of tough games.

The Bottom Line

NMH has a load of experience on this squad and will once again look to be a part of the AA tournament in what is a pretty stacked field this winter.