Prep Profile – Brewster Academy

New England Recruiting Report | Monday, September 26th, 2011

They’ve won two of the last four NEPSAC championships, are one of two schools in the country to play in four straight National Prep Championship Final fours, and are the only program to win both a NEPSAC title and National Prep Championship in the same year. 

And so there is absolutely no denying that Brewster Academy has solidified itself as one of the perennial powerhouses in all of prep school basketball. 

For all of the success that the program has had over the years the one constant has been the presence of head coach Jason Smith.  Now entering his 12th season at the Academy, Smith has literally built the program from the ground up and won over 250 games along the way. 

This year’s Brewster Academy squad looks to be the odds on favorite heading into the 2011-2012 season as Smith has assembled one of his most talented rosters ever. 

It all begins in the middle with the return of the second ranked prospect in the ESPNU 100, Mitch McGary.  The six-foot-nine big man has taken his game to another level since the conclusion of last season, and appears determined to etch his name in the Brewster record books by leading the team to a championship of his own. 

Also returning to the academy is six-foot-eight forward Jakarr Sampson, who originally committed to St. John’s in the class of 2011, only to return to Brewster as a post-graduate and re-open his recruitment in the class of 2012.   

McGary and Sampson will be joined by Jalen Reynolds and T.J. Warren to form the most talented frontline in the entire country.  Reynolds is a six-foot-nine forward who is already committed to Xavier, and if the open gym workout we saw was any indication, this guy is a star in the making and a total steal, even for a program of Xavier’s stature. 

At six-foot-eight Warren is a big perimeter forward and one of the most recruited players in the national class of 2012.  The North Carolina native is still considering UNC, N.C. State, Kentucky, Florida, and Georgetown. 

The high-major talent doesn’t end there though as the wings are populated by the likes of Florida State bound swingman Aaron Thomas and junior Deonte Burton, who returns for his second season after committing to Marquette over the summer. 

The biggest question in Wolfeboro this summer was who would replace Naadir Tharpe, a three year starter at the point.  Semaj Christon inherits that unenviable task, but he may be just the man for the job as the Xavier bound quarterback looks poised to flourish with so many talented receivers to choose from. 

From one to seven, Brewster is flush with high-major talent, but if prep school history has shown us anything it’s that high-major talent alone won’t win championships without the help of the proper role players. 

Enter Joe Bramanti and John Edwards. 

A post-graduate from Andover and junior from North Carolina, Bramanti and Edwards are two of the toughest players you’ll find in New England this year.  They are physically strong, competitive, and take a back seat to no one.  In fact, when paired up in the open gym we watched, they didn’t lose a game, and didn’t mind challenging anyone on the roster along the way. 

The final piece to the puzzle is depth, and that too appears to be covered.  Gilbert McGregor is a powerful six-foot-four athlete with the potential to play multiple positions for this team while Richard Obrien and Rudolfs Arnicans are skilled players with the potential to contribute minutes in the backcourt.

Put it all together and you have a recipe for a potentially special season in Wolfeboro, as Jason Smith leads Brewster Academy on their latest championship conquest.