NEPSAC Class A Preview Part Three

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2023

This is part three of our NEPSAC Class A preview. 

Brunswick School: Brunswick has several college-level prospects on their squad. NYU commit Jonathan Sigurdsson makes his mark down low. He can score on the block, rebound, or provide consistent rim protection. Wyatt Treistman will be one of this team’s main scoring threats. The 2023 forward is a threat to hit shots from deep or in the mid-range. 2023 guard Malik Samms will be one of the primary playmakers. He can handle against pressure, hit open standstill treys, and find teammates for cutting layups. A trio of underclassmen also will be contributors as guards. These prospects are Will Graves, Ethan Long, and Jack Stevens. 

Salisbury School: Kyle Dudley is back at the helm to lead this team. Connecticut College commit Dylan Watson has been an impact player. The forward consistently impacts a game defensively with his rebounding, rim protection, and ability to draw charges. Another 2023 forward who will be relied upon for consistent production is Ashton Khoorchand. He can hit treys when spotting up, make heady off-ball cuts, and is regularly in the right spots defensively. Hayden Barnes is a 2024 forward who also plays football. His toughness carries over from the gridiron as he bodies up against bigger defenders and comes up with 50-50 rebounds. Some other key cogs in the rotation are 2024 guard Holleder Novogratz and 2025 forward Will Judge. Novogratz is from a family that has been featured on several different TV programs. Judge is a native of Barcelona, Spain. 

Suffield Academy: Suffield has played a difficult schedule so far which they hope will pay dividends in the end. 2023 forward Jason Ofcarcik has been a reliable producer so far. He has ball skills attacking closeouts, IQ as a cutter, and is consistently active crashing the glass at both ends. Mason Wright has also been a key cog. The 2024 forward is a capable standstill three-point shooter, threat when pulling up from fifteen feet, and helps out on the defensive glass. 2024 big man Greyson Trubia will help out inside. He has touch for finishing and some sneaky bounce to provide rim protection. 2024 wing Alexander Hochberg is going to be important on the wing. His smooth shooting stroke will help open up space for others in the paint. Another forward who contributes is Darian Thomson. He can hit open treys, rebound, and rotate quickly from the weak side on defense. Owen Moreira adds to Suffield’s deep forward group. The 2024 prospect can make three-pointers off the catch and put the ball on the floor when attacking closeouts. 

St Paul’s School: Maine commit Logan Carey is back. He is an athletic 6’3 guard who play-makes at both ends. Landon Clark is a 2025 forward who will be one to watch. He was part of the talented Maine United EYBL team this past summer and has a good early blend of 6’8 size with floor spacing ability. Colby commit Matt Lamy will provide more outside shooting and a complementing floater game in the lane. Sam Andreottola is another high academic D3 commit heading to Carnegie Mellon. The big man needs to be accounted for from long-range and is solid on the defensive glass. 2023 guard Savion Stroud can make his presence felt in a game without scoring. He is a tenacious on-ball defender with vision to find others for high-percentage shots. Luke Newhall is a 2024 prospect from Illinois who provides more scoring punch on the wing and rebounds well for his position. 

Phillips Exeter Academy: It was a successful season last year for Phillips Exeter as they earned a four seed in the NEPSAC Class A Tournament. Davidson commit Mike Loughnane headlines this squad. The 6’3 guard is an elite shooter and crafty passer in the half-court. UMass commit Rollie Castineyra is another sharpshooter who can also stop and pop from fifteen feet when attacking closeouts. 2023 prospect TT Valocek from Nevada will be another scoring option. He is a wing with strength, three-point touch, and some bounce off two feet in space. Aidan Burke is a 2023 from California who did some impressive things last year at Archbishop Mitty HS. He earned WCAL Player of the Year and San Francisco Chronicle Peninsula Player of the Year honors. Two others who could contribute are big men Nihaal Rana and Tristan Zhang who are both natives of Canada. 

Thayer Academy: Thayer enters 2023 coming off a double-digit victory at the NEPSAC A Showcase. Lenny Tangishaka Jr is an intriguing 2024 wing with his projectable shooting stroke, explosive leaping ability, and glimpses of making plays for others on ball screens. Jamari Antoine handles much of the ball-handling duties. He is difficult to stay in front of with his burst, hits open treys, and uses active hands to create steals. Jaaden Simpkins will be relied upon from the guard spot. He is a 2023 prospect with strength, explosiveness, and pull-up shooting ability. Harry Salters is a 2024 forward who makes his presence felt throughout a contest with his toughness and finishing ability around the rim. Two others who will be part of the rotation are 2025 big man Nye Small and 2024 wing Xander McTeague.