Prep Profile - Northfield Mount Hermon

New England Recruiting Report | Thursday, September 25th, 2014

Brewster Academy might be AAA’s best team on paper, but do a quick poll of the coaches and ask them who this year’s favorite is and you’ll hear a lot saying Northfield Mount Hermon.

NMH returns virtually their entire rotation from a team that advanced to both the semifinals of the AAA tournament and the National Prep Championship a year ago and in a league where the teams typically turnover the vast majority of their line-up on an annual basis, that’s a decided advantage.

While NMH should be more cohesive and experienced than any team in the league, especially early on, they’re also big and talented.

The team features a pair of top 100 players in the country, and the two best available prospects still left on the board in New England’s 2015 class in Josh Sharma and Aaron Falzon.

Sharma is an athletically gifted big man who can change ends and play above the rim like few others while Falzon is one of the best shooting forwards in the country. For this team to reach their potential, both will have to play a starring role, Sharma on the defensive end and Falzon on the offensive end.

A.J. Brodeur has come a long way in the last year and figures to be a very important part of NMH’s potential success this season and likely starting at the four-spot, essentially pushing Falzon to the wing to give NMH great size across all three frontcourt spots.  

Canadian sensation Jerome Desrosiers is also back and may just be the most efficient player in New England’s 2017 class. The sophomore returns a step quicker after sculpting his physique and will likely see time at both forward positions as a result.  

Collin McManus is also back, fresh off his commitment to Penn from earlier this summer, and he’ll provide a true center off the bench capable of spelling Sharma with an equally big body and quality post defender.  

The backcourt pieces don’t have the same reputation as some of their frontcourt counterparts, but could be the true key to this year’s team.

Daquon Ervin missed the summer with injury but is presumably eager to remind people why he was an All-NEPSAC selection a year ago. Jackson Donahue, another early Penn Pledge, is coming off a big summer and joins Falzon as the resident sniper.  Junior guard Ian Sistare could be the glue that makes the team stick, providing leadership with both his toughness and intelligence. 

Future Brown swingman Chris Sullivan is back for his second year but hopes to make a more consistent impact after being challenged by injury last season. Nick Seretta and Jashanti Allen are back as well, both of whom appear to be playing some of the best basketball of their careers.

The five newcomers include three freshmen, one sophomore, and one junior. It was the sophomore, Tomas Murphy, that was perhaps the best player in the entire gym the day we watched, asserting himself on the glass in a big way while also showing his typical high I.Q. and skill.

Junior forward Patrick Racy was especially efficient that day as well and seems poised to carve out a niche for himself this year with the versatility to play either forward position.

Chuck Hannah, Calvin Whipple, and Akeil Shakoor make up the team's freshmen class. Hannah is a strong and athletic lefty forward while Whipple is a shot-making big guard. Shakoor is an undersized point with absolutely no fear and a tight handle. Together the trio will accumulate valuable experience this season and be part of the bridge to the future.

Collectively, this is a roster that has been strategically put together over the course of the last two years. They have more experience and chemistry than any team in the league, plenty of sheer talent, and loads of depth all designed to make the best run possible this season while keeping the foundation solid for years to come.