Prep Profile – Cheshire Academy

New England Recruiting Report | Monday, December 1st, 2014

Just when it seemed like we knew everything there was to know about Class AA, there was one last wrinkle…and it was a big one.

Cheshire Academy has moved to Class AA for the coming season and in so doing added another contender while removing the defending champions and heavy favorites to repeat in Class B.

While Cheshire will certainly have to adjust to a new level of competition, there’s no denying they have the talent in place to do just that, even if this is an almost entirely new roster than the one that took a championship just eight months ago.

Tyler Hamilton, a six-foot-four guard from Georgia, is the most notable new addition in the class of 2015. He has a unique combination of size and playmaking ability in the backcourt and should be one of the best available guards in New England heading into the late signing period.

Hamilton isn’t the only important addition from the state of Georgia. Kairo Whitfield is a six-foot-seven big man who should help to spark the frontline, but Josh Ajayi, a six-foot-six big man from California, may be an even more important addition up front.  Together they’ll form an imposing tandem, capable of enforcing the lane like few other pairs.

The next important addition comes to Cheshire from Arizona where this year’s resident sharp-shooter, Austin Nehls, comes from. A high-academic sniper who has good athleticism and a well-rounded floor game to compliment his special skill from behind the three-point line, Nehls also figures to be heavily recruited this season.

Another critical newcomer, and perhaps the bridge to the future, is junior swingman Ray Jerome. The upstate New York native was known almost strictly as a high-major athlete coming up the ranks over the years, but has diversified his game by leaps and bounds within the last year and is now ready to play a major role from day one in the NEPSAC.

Perhaps the secret weapon of this year’s team is their second unit. Not only do they have quality depth, but they have outstanding role players with a perfect blend of intelligence, toughness, and skill.

Brody Peters joins Nehls as a top-notch shot-maker from behind the three-point line while Drew Peterson and Carlos Torres add two more ball-handlers to an already talented backcourt, making this a very difficult group to press or turnover. Ricky Leonard is a defensive specialist who comes to Cheshire from Windsor High School, where he won a state championship a year ago.

Dean Weiner is the only returning member of the rotation from last year’s championship squad. The six-foot-six forward could potentially challenge for a spot in the starting five, and at worst, will provide an interior playmaker for the second unit.

Freshman swingman Joshua Moncrieffe may not see much time this year but is an undeniable talent and big part of Cheshire’s future.

Put it all together and this group could have very well run away with the Class B championship this year. Instead, they’ll do battle every night in the deepest league in all of New England, and could very likely end up being a contender before it’s all said and done.