Prep Profiles 23-24 - The Newman School

Owen Carlson | Monday, December 18th, 2023

The Newman School, the newest member of the elite NEPSAC-AAA conference, has started the year strong with an updated roster filled with high-level talent. They already have players signed to play in college on full scholarships. Let’s take a look at the intriguing lineup for this year coached by Jackson Johnson, as they also take part in one of the first NEBL seasons…

“Newman School is in their second year of prep school basketball. They had two players sign with local high-major schools last week and have begun the season by knocking off multiple national programs,” said Adam Finkelstein about the Cardinals just last month.

“The Newman School has been off to a great start this season captained by Providence-commit Ryan Mela and Boston College-commit Luka Toews. Collins Chidera Onyejiaka is an emerging name amongst the ranks on the interior with Kesean Shillingford also notably holding down the paint. Hudson Geremia packs another outside scoring punch to go with gritty play from American-commit Wyatt Nausadis and Khalil Badru. Quinn Costello is an underclassmen floor stretching wing with size of note as well,” added Dylan Thayer.

3 Things You Need to Know About This Year’s Team

Three players have already announced their commitment to play at the Division I level, including some of the toughest conferences…

Luka Toews and Ryan Mela have been the clear leaders for this year’s squad. Both returners, the two were the team’s only 2022-23 All-NEPSAC honorees, as Toews earned First Team honors and Mela earned Honorable Mention. 

Mela dropped 17 points with 9 rebounds and 4 assists in a rout of Bradford Christian at the Scholar Roundball Classic. Most recently, he earned Player of the Game honors at the BasketBull Hoopfest in a close victory over Brewster Academy (Prep), with 13 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals, while Toews added 12 points, 7 assists, and 3 rebounds.

Both announced this past summer that they would remain in New England for the next chapter of their careers to compete for two of the top teams in the region in two of the best conferences in the country, as Toews heads to BC and Mela heads to Providence following this school year.

More recently, Wyatt Nausadis announced his commitment to American University for the 2024-25 season. The southpaw wing brings a high level of physicality to the perimeter to go with his shooting, which he uses to slash effectively and finish through contact. He recently tallied 14 points and 3 rebounds against Brewster (Prep) and 11 points against Bradford Christian, with 4 assists in both contests. 

There is still plenty of uncommitted 2024 talent…

Kesean Shillingford is a difficult presence to overlook, standing at a towering 7’0”. The big has received offers from Manhattan, Little Rock, and the Citadel. He is a problem in the paint, grabbing 11 boards in a win over IMG at the National Prep Showcase last month.

Kahlil Badru has consistently played a major role for Newman throughout this season. The 6’5” guard/wing is extremely athletic, regularly displaying acrobatic dunks. He has received offers from Central CT State and New Hampshire. Badru charted 10 points with 3 rebounds and 2 steals in a recent win over St. Andrew’s, as well as 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals in a win over Putnam Science. 

Hudson Geremia has found ways to contribute in a major way. He recently earned Player of the Game honors at the BasketBull Hoopfest, scoring 19 points on 4/7 from deep and grabbing 4 boards in a win over Worcester Academy. He really showed out at the Scholar Roundball Classic, scoring 20 vs Polaris Prep and leading Newman with 18 points vs Bradford Christian, maintaining a 3-point percentage of 57% through both contests. He has received a couple of Division II offers from Gannon University and Assumption University. 

And it doesn’t end there, as Tommy McKiernan recently earned Player of the Game honors at the BasketBull Hoopfest, dropping 21 points on 7/11 from deep with 5 assists in a win over IMG. Brandon Carney also earned Player of the Game honors at the BasketBull Hoopfest, scoring 16 points to go along with 4 rebounds and 3 assists. 

But there’s still more, as Sam Norris tallied 11 points in a tough loss to Phelps at the Scholar Roundball Classic, Coleman Hopson was named a standout last month in a close loss to South Kent, and Will Larson really impressed this past summer with Rens United. 

Big potential from the 2025s and underclassmen…

Newman has plenty more talent with at least another year of high school to go who will be ready to fill the gap left by their powerful class of 2024. Aidan Losiewicz has shifted between the National and Prep teams, but he has found big ways to contribute. He led Newman’s Prep team with 20 points on 7/13 from the floor in a tough loss to Pomfret at the Scholar Roundball Classic, also shooting 6/11 from 3-point range. 

Carson McDonald is another 2025 who has made some noise, adding 6 points, 3 rebounds, and a steal for Newman’s Prep team in the close loss to Pomfret at the Scholar Roundball Classic.

Newman’s class of 2026 might be an even more intriguing one, as it is headlined by 6’11” Nigerian big Collins Onyejiaka and 6’9” wing Quinn Costello. 

Onyejiaka dropped 11 points with 6 rebounds and 3 blocks in a recent win over Worcester Academy. He also had a double-double at the Scholar Roundball Classic, with 12 points and 11 rebounds to go along with 4 blocks in a victory over Polaris Prep. He has received offers from Bryant, Providence and George Mason.

Another “tweener” so-to-speak, Costello scored 19 points on 8/12 from the field for Newman’s Prep team in the tough loss to Pomfret at the Scholar Roundball Classic, leading the team with 7 rebounds. He has received offers from Holy Cross and Stonehill.

Another 2026 of note is Chase Geremia, Hudson’s younger brother, who has also found ways to contribute. He tallied 9 points, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds in a big win for Newman’s Prep team at the Zero Gravity Prep Classic.  

There is even some potential as young as the class of 2027, as Jack Olinto has begun making a name for himself. He is a “speedy guard with ability to get to the basket, and makes the right plays when creating for others,” according to our scouts. 

3 Questions Heading into the Season

Can they continue meshing? 

With a lot of talent on the roster, especially with so much of it coming from the class of 2024, it will be interesting to see how they can all play together throughout the season. Luka Toews and Ryan Mela have carved themselves out as clear leaders—can any other 2024s use this season as a chance to step up to their level? So far, it seems like everyone is getting a piece of the cake.

Which non-2024s will be most impactful? 

With Collins Onyejiaka already playing a major role on Newman’s National team, and having earned an offer from Providence, perhaps he could be the shining returner for next year’s squad. Quinn Costello could be in the same category, as he brings a virtually unmatched level of length to the perimeter. 

However, these are both 2026s, leaving room to wonder whether they will be ready to take on a leadership role. It will be interesting to see how 2025s such as Aidan Losiewicz and Carson McDonald step up over the course of this season. 

How will they compare to last year?

With a relatively successful first year at the NEPSAC Class-AAA level last season, how will this year’s results compare? Can they get their first NEPSAC-AAA postseason win and make it past the first round of the playoffs? 

So far this season:

Newman has had a great start to the year. At the time of this article’s writing, Newman’s National team holds an 8-3 record, with big wins coming against regional powers such as reigning back-to-back National Prep Champions Putnam Science Academy by one point at the NEBL kickoff, as well as against some national powerhouses such as IMG Academy. 

It will be exciting to track the Cardinals throughout the course of this season as they try to improve on a solid first year…