Quarterbacks of the Court

Dylan Thayer | Monday, February 10th, 2025

In the spirit of the Super Bowl taking place last night, we wanted to take a look at some of the top “quarterbacks” on the court. You may be asking, what does this have to do with basketball? Well, oftentimes in basketball, the point guard is considered the quarterback as they run the offense and are in charge of making sure things are running smoothly.

Here’s some guys who have taken the reins of their respective teams this year, and factored into success.

It’s hard to make a quarterback analogy to the New England basketball scene without starting with New Hampton’s Keyshuan Tillery. The future Cincinnati Bearcat has been the lead guard for the Huskies for years now, with this season being their most promising yet. The Huskies currently sit at 19-3, and have been widely recognized as a National Prep Championship contender with their star-studded trio of Tillery, Naz Meyer and Mason Blackwood. With Tillery leading the charge, the Huskies should remain optimistic and stay in line to make a run at both the local and national levels.

Caden Sullivan is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the MIAA, as the point guard has his Franklin High School squad positioned for another postseason run. In fact, the Panthers have yet to lose a game this season as they stand at 18-0. One of Sulivan’s best quarterback-esque traits is his competitive drive and ability to will his team to wins. He reads the floor, makes the right passes, and is an efficient outside shooter. In a big game with Attleboro the other day, he finished with a game-high 26 points.

Desmond Bellot has run the offense for CATS all year as they jumped out to a 20-3 record in their second season in NEPSAC-AA. While Bellot is the key facilitator for the offense getting the ball to the right spots and running plays, his defensive prowess is well noted. At 6’3” he brings versatility, able to defend multiple spots in the backcourt with his quick footwork and ability to defend the whole floor.

Nik Boateng has quarterbacked his Lexington Christian squad to the top spot in Class-C this season, and has the team positioned to defend their championship title in the postseason. The sophomore took home MVP honors following the title game last year for his heroics in the contest. Boateng holds the keys to the LCA offense, using his quick handle and floor vision to power the offense. As a scorer, he can really light it up from outside or in the lane.

Alexander Echevarria has been the spark plug of the St. Mark’s Lions strong season thus far. The junior guard has poured in multiple 30+ point outings throughout the year. Echevarria plays with a running motor, getting in the grill of opposing guards on defense, chasing down rebounds, and penetrating the paint to score inside. While CJ Farrell has stepped up during the year as well, Echevarria has definitely made big strides with his game.

After transferring to Rocky Hill this season, Devin Sone has stepped up his game and taken on a leadership role for the squad. On the year, Rocky Hill stands at 13-4, making noise in the state of Rhode Island. Sone, a 6’2 guard, has been the primary scorer for the team as he’s shown in the past he can really get it going. While he can shoot it, or get to the rim, his agility with the ball and decision-making are worth noting.

New Hampshire commit Tyler Bike’s quarterbacking of the Phillips Exeter squad last year resulted in a NEPSAC Class-A title. Well this year, Exeter is right back on the top as they just suffered their first loss on the season over the weekend. Bike has been nothing short of spectacular with an impressive cast around him including Notre Dame commit Ryder Frost. With Bike running the offense, and guys like Frost, Luke Soden, Jordan McConnell, Cade Furse and more around him, expect Exeter to compete come playoff time.

Jamier Rose is quite literally a quarterback on the gridiron, but the Noble High senior has had one of the best years of anyone playing in a state association across the entire New England region. Like he does on the football field, Rose leads his team with his charismatic personality and natural ability to be a captain. The guard won Maine’s Fitzpatrick award for the best senior football player in the state. He threw for 1,518 yards, ran for 938 and scored a whopping 32 times, while intercepting four passes and racking up 60 tackles at free safety as well. With senior running mate Bryce Guitard at Noble HS, Rose has the squad sitting at 19-3.

Matt Gaffney may very well complete his high school career with four MIAA DII title’s. The Navy commit has been a mainstay of the Malden Catholic squad over the years, and won his first league title this winter despite winning numerous state titles already. Gaffney’s ability to read the floor, make winning plays, and come up in big moments are all traits that you’d look for in your star quarterback. 

Quarterbacks-by-committee aren’t found that often at the highest levels of the game (unless you’re the Steelers) but Manchester High School has what I would consider a committee of lead players. On any given night, Derrick Sheets, Will Oden-Tan, or Chance Clark can lead the team in scoring, and all three guys embrace each other. Sheets is the lead scorer from outside with a consistent three ball, while Oden-Tan and Clark thrive off the ball. The highly-regarded CIAC trio has their school off to a 17-1 record on the year.