Prep Profiles 23-24 - Class A (pt. 1)

Owen Carlson | Tuesday, January 9th, 2024

We continue our series of prep profiles with an overview of NEPSAC Class-A. In case you are not familiar, this class is home to some of the top teams in the region regardless of class, and it runs deep...

In alphabetical order, let’s take a quick look through how the seasons have begun for some of the squads in NEPSAC Class-A:

Avon Old Farms has gotten off to a solid start, as even though their record is 4-5, they have gotten some big wins, including the victories over Class-A competitor Deerfield and Class-B powerhouse Kingswood Oxford. Big performances have come from Ben Csernak, who dropped 23 points and 7 rebounds just recently in the win against Deerfield, as well as from Joel Nash, who posted 16 points, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds in the victory over Kingswood Oxford.

Belmont Hill has begun the year against some brutal opponents, including NEPSAC-AA powers CATS Academy and Brimmer & May. Though they have certainly faced hardship, they have seen big wins coming over Avon and St. Paul’s. We have already gotten to see a lot from Isaiah Langham, who is averaging 25 points per game, as well as from Jamari Robinson who dropped 34 points in a tough loss to Nobles. 

The Berkshire Bears have gotten off to a good start to the season, with big wins coming against Class-A competitors Nobles and St. Sebastian’s. Big outings have come from Anthony Nimani, who recently committed to Cornell, as well as from Dylan Gage and Omar Kulenovic, who attended our Elite 75 and stood out at the All Academic Basketball showcase.

Choate has had a very good start to the year, with big wins coming against The Hun School (MAPL), as well as NEPSAC Class-A competitors St. Sebastian’s and Belmont Hill. We have gotten to know star Christian McClease quite well, as he was a standout at the Scholar Roundball Classic, dropping 24 points, grabbing 5 boards, and shooting 70% from the floor in the overtime win against St. Seb’s. Adelphe Cisse and Jermai Stewart-Herring also play big roles for this squad. 

Deerfield has had some really big wins so far this season, coming against opponents such as The Hun School (MAPL), as well as NEPSAC Class-A competitors Loomis Chaffee and St. Sebastian’s. This team is led by Rochester-commit Justin Odibo, who dropped 20 points with 8 rebounds against Hun at the Scholar Roundball Classic, as well as Jonathan Ocasio, Liam McBride, and CJ Williams.

The Hotchkiss Bearcats have had a great start to the year, coming away victorious from games against Avon Old Farms, Trinity-Pawling, and Pomfret. Outstanding performances have come from Dean Hogans, who holds an offer from American and recently dropped 23 points and grabbed 7 boards in a big win, as well as from Davyn Dejongh, who holds an offer from Navy and stood out at the BasketBull HoopsFest.

Loomis-Chaffee has had a rocky start to the year, but they have also shown lots of potential, with a big win coming over Avon Old Farms. This squad runs deep, as they are led by Kingston Walker, who has received offers from Fairfield, Toledo, UMass, Gardner-Webb, Bryant, Albany, Manhattan, and George Washington, as well as Boluwasefe John, Charlie O’Sullivan, Ben Bradford, and more. 

Milton looks like one of the best teams in New England this year, with big wins coming against Berkshire, Deerfield, and other NEPSAC Class-A competitors, including a blowout win over a tough Belmont Hill team. This squad is led by Purdue-commit CJ Cox, Harvard-commit Austin Hunt, Princeton-commit CJ Happy, and Nick Petronio as he returns from injury. We are also excited about watching the development of the underclassman duo of L.J. Reddicks and Reece Ayala.

Stay tuned as we continue our preview of Class A with a look at the remaining schools tomorrow.