#BeSeen Prep Profile - West Nottingham Academy
The Be Seen Tour made its farthest trip south recently to visit West Nottingham Academy in Maryland, the country’s oldest prep school, founded back in 1774.
The school’s basketball tradition began almost 25 years ago when Raphael Chillious pioneered a program that featured future UConn big man Josh Boone before heading to South Kent.
His departure led to a hibernation of the prep program but when Kris Johnson made the move from Lawrence Academy, he was able to revitalize it alongside his assistant Tommy Fabian.
Johnson moved on last year, giving Fabian the opportunity to take over, and no one has more pride or enthusiasm for the job. In fact, Fabian essentially gave up a career in engineering…that’s right engineering…in order to pursue coaching.
Those academic roots are an emphasis for the program though and the proof is in the pudding with five different players registering a 3.6 GPA or better to start the year and multiple others holding leadership positions on campus ranging from dorm prefects to various club presidents.
From a basketball standpoint, the pandemic prevented West Nottingham from playing games for most of the season but their safety protocols paid off as the school hasn’t had a single case of Covid on campus all year.
The team has still been on the floor though, using the time to develop what is predominantly a young roster while making practices as competitive as possible.
The overall theme is to keep building. If Johnson set the foundation, then Fabian wants to keep adding new layers.
“I keep our tradition and the standard of excellence that KJ and Chillious established in mind,” Fabian says, “and while I still have a ways to go to catch those two as a coach, I hope people understand how hungry I am to get there and that I’m insistent on doing that the right way.”
There remains a strong commitment to international talent. This year’s roster includes players from the Netherlands, Cameroon, Chile, Serbia, Lithuania, and France.
The most impactful player on the roster is Jedy Cordilia, a 6-foot-9 big man who is already committed to Mount St. Mary’s, who just made their first trip to the NCAA tournament under Dan Engelstad. Cordilia is an inside scorer and defender with a soft touch that should allow him to continue to stretch his game in the coming years.
The other notable senior on the roster is Glenn Osemeha, a 6-foot-2 guard from West Orange, New Jersey. Osemeha knocks down open shots but also has a solid build and an ability to drive through contact.
The class of 2022 has tremendous depth in the backcourt. Vakaris Grauslys is 6-foot-2 and a true point guard. The Lithuanian native can shoot but he’s a pass-first player who is fundamentally sound across the board.
Jaheim Nyam is a bigger guard at 6-foot-3 with a strong build. He’s grown up around the game, can make plays going to the rim, and has a feel for maximizing his physical tools.
Srdan Vejuanovic comes to WNA from Serbia and he provides the shiftiest threat of the junior guards. He really understands how to change pace, has a good feel for the game, and can also knock down open shots.
David Vazques Rivera, who comes from Puerto Rico, is a pesky defender and maybe the team’s most disruptive player on that end. Keshawn Gardner is a skilled, verbal, and high energy guard who completes the deep backcourt rotation.
The best long-term prospect on the roster though is freshman Yves Missi, a 6-foot-9 big forward from Cameroon. He’s still in the early stages of his development but has clear long-term tools and the work-ethic to develop those abilities in the coming years. He’s long and athletic, is already building up his frame, and starting to develop his face-up skills.
In total, this is a program that hasn’t been able to play as many games as they hoped this year, but has nonetheless made it a year of progress. They’ve gotten better, both individually and collectively, been pushed by their coach’s endless enthusiasm and are building towards a bright future.
Jedy Cordilia