Prep Profile – Phillips Exeter Academy

New England Recruiting Report | Friday, October 23rd, 2009

Phillips Exeter Academy operates within two very distinct worlds.  Academically, they are one of the top secondary schools in the country.  Athletically, their basketball team competes in Class A of the NEPSAC, arguably the most competitive basketball conference in the country. 

Occasionally, those two worlds can be at odds with each other, creating challenges for the Exeter basketball program that other schools in the league don’t have to consider.  To put it into perspective, imagine if Yale or Harvard was asked to compete in the Big East for a season. 

The greatest of these challenges lie in recruiting.   Because of the rigorous academic requirements on the school, Exeter is forced to recruit from a much smaller candidate pool than any other school in the league.  Timing and depth are also big factors in the recruiting process, as there is very little flexibility with Exeter’s January admission deadline, nor are they allocated the same number of spots for basketball players as the rest of the schools in the league.  

Knowing that they will be forced to compete with deeper and seemingly more talented teams on a nightly basis during conference play, Exeter coaches Jay Tilton and Malcolm Wesselink have built their program around a certain system. 

For several years now Exeter has run the Princeton offense, and depended on their ability to slow the game down, space the court with shooters, and out execute the opposition.  And while each year has brought a new wrinkle to their system, the plan has yielded consistent results as it has allowed them to compete with anyone in their league on any given night. 

Within that context, this year’s Exeter team looks poised to do some damage this season as they have a number of guys who are perfect fits for their system.   

Kevin McCarthy, a six-foot-ten center from St. Claires Shores, New York is already committed to Lehigh and should be capable of anchoring the team’s interior on both ends of the floor. 

Mike Kastel is a coach’s dream because he simply produces by being tougher and working harder than anyone else on the court.  His impact will be maximized in this system because his ability to step out and shoot allows him to pull opposing big men away from the basket at either interior position while his size, strength, and toughness will enable him to defend those same players around the bucket on the opposite end. 

Tommy Folliard is a six-foot-six forward with the sweetest shooting mechanics we’ve seen all fall.  He has some of the same toughness that Kastel shows, along with the perimeter skill set to be effective facing the basket from either forward position.  He also projects to be one of Exeter’s most highly recruited players this season. 

Robert Edwards, a slightly undersized but extremely athletic interior presence, gives the team a different dimension with his explosiveness around the rim at both ends. 

James Herring is a wing with a scorer’s mentality.  He can heat up in a hurry from behind the arc and also has the ability to make tough shots.  More than any other player on the team Herring may benefit from Tilton’s guidance.  He has obvious skills and talent, just needs to learn to utilize them within the team concept.  He won’t have any choice in this system and once he does his game will go to a new level. 

The backcourt will be led by Greg Newton who we profiled last week.  He’s coming off a very successful summer and is one of the region’s more underrated players with a great combination of talent and tenacity. 

Showly Nicholson also returns for his second season at Exeter.  Still just a sophomore, the New Hampshire native had some flashes as a freshman, and after a solid summer on the AAU circuit, appears poised to inherit a bigger role. 

Xenan Robinson, a six-foot post-graduate from California, also figures to be a key contributor in the backcourt.  He’s pretty dynamic, plays the game with flair, and is able to produce with both his dribble penetration and his perimeter jumper. 

Two local New England products will provide backcourt depth while laying the framework for the future as Massachusetts native David Gabeau and New Hampshire native Justin Norris are both juniors. 

When it’s all said and done, will Exeter be the last team standing at the Class A tournament?  Maybe not…but that might not be their goal anyway. 

Instead, you can bet that by the time the year has come to an end they will have won their fair share of big games, knocked off some heavy hitters, and once again proven that academic elite and athletic elite don’t have to be mutually exclusive.