Prep Profiles 23-24 - Cushing

Owen Carlson | Thursday, December 28th, 2023

Cushing Academy, another member of both the elite NEPSAC Class-AA and the new elite NEBL conference, has started the year on a great note with a renewed roster filled with high-level returners and some big newcomers. A handful of players have collected a few offers to continue their basketball careers in college. Let’s take a look at the intriguing lineup for this year…

“Cushing has had some big wins of note up to this point in the season. The Penguins are once again led by true 2025 point guard Ebuka Okorie who continues to expand his game. Postgrad Jaden Zimmerman has been a terrific addition and made a significant impact, as well as fellow PG Jayden Johnson. Theo Edema and Elliot Erickson have emerged as promising prospects in the 2027 class . Junior David Melson adds intrigue as a versatile 3&D defender, complemented by Jacob Davis, who has made a strong return from injury. Watch out for James Cormier’s Cushing squad this season.” -Dylan Thayer

3 Things You Need to Know About This Year’s Team

This team has a tough class of 2024:

Headlined by Jaden Zimmerman, this squad is another that has one of the best classes of 2024 in New England. Zimmerman has received offers from Bowling Green State, Hofstra, NJIT, New Hampshire, Robert Morris, Le Moyne, Northern Illinois, Siena, and Quinnipiac. He recently dropped 20 at the BasketBull HoopsFest.

Jayden Johnson has also taken on a leadership role for this squad. He has received an offer from Bryant. Johnson recently tallied 13 points and 4 rebounds against South Kent, as well as 10 points and 8 rebounds against The Academy of Central Florida. 

Still not done yet, as Greyson Trubia and Jack McHale continue the strength of this class of 2024. Trubia earned First Team All-Marquee Circuit honors for his performance this past summer with Rens United. McHale helped lead Fairfield Prep to the SCC Semifinals last season. 

That’s only the beginning…

Headlined by Ebuka Okorie, this class of 2025 is looking ready to fill the gap left by the 2024s. Okorie has received offers from Sanford, Bryant, Albany, and Fairfield. He dropped 23 points in a battle with South Kent.

Plenty more talent in this class, as Jacob Davis has received an offer from NC A&T. He recently tallied 15 points and 9 rebounds in a big win over Brimmer & May.

Still not done yet, as Ryan Ward and David Melson continue the strength of this class of 2025. Ward is a high-academic prospect who has proven himself to be an elite shooter. Melson earned 2023 All-FCIAC Second Team honors following his performance last year at Fairfield Warde High School. He recently charted 9 points and 4 rebounds at the BasketBull HoopsFest. 

But it still doesn’t end there…

As Cushing does not have any 2026s, we move right from the upperclassmen to the freshmen. Theo Edema is certainly a name worth getting to know, as he stands at a towering 7’0”. He earned standout recognition at the St. Andrew’s Holiday Classic. Finally, we round a great Cushing lineup with the only other underclassman and freshman, Elliot Erickson, who brings size to the perimeter as a 6’6” wing.

3 Questions Heading into the Season

Can they continue meshing? 

With a lot of talent on the roster, especially with so many impactful upperclassmen, it will be interesting to see how they can all play together throughout the year. Jaden Zimmerman has carved himself out as a leader… can anyone else use this season as a chance to step up to his level?

Can they maintain their current success? 

With big wins coming against some of the top-ranked preps in the country, where will they end up by the end of the season? As is the classic issue in the NEPSAC, it will be hard to compete with the highest level of talent and come out with a record that looks good, but it will be interesting to see how they can do.

How will they compare to last year?

Last season, the Penguins finished fourth overall in NEPSAC Class-AA after the regular season. They defeated Wilbraham & Monson in the first round by a margin of 15. They then faced 1st-seeded Bradford Christian, and they surprisingly won by 15. They fell in the championship game to Worcester Academy by just 2 points. Can they get to the finals again this year? 

So far this season:

The Penguins currently have a 7-3 record at the time of this article’s writing, with big regional wins, especially at the recent St. Andrew’s Holiday Classic against NEBL and NEPSAC-AA competitor Brimmer & May and another NEPSAC-AA competitor in CATS Academy. They have even seen wins on the national stage such as the victory over The Academy of Central Florida at the National Prep Showcase in November. While their loss to Bradford Christian came by 10 points, their other losses came by 2 points to New Hampton and 1 point to South Kent. They have proven that they can win a battle with just about any squad out there. It will be exciting to follow the Penguins throughout this season.