WORCESTER, Mass. — The 2027 and 2028 classes are appropriately getting much of the attention right now in the boys basketball recruiting space. But among the many different valuable factors of the NEPSAC Scholastic Showcase, the next wave of talent gets a stage to perform.
I made a concerted effort to get my eyes on some of the up-and-coming 2029 and 2030 talent ready to make their mark in NEPSAC during the second weekend of the showcase. Several – even some 2030s – are ready to make an impact now.
Three prospects on this list of standouts come from the Class of 2030 who will be entering their first year at their prep schools. There are a handful of other 2029s who have already emerged as rising stars in the region. But I came away from the weekend with a few new names that I’m excited to see develop over the next few years.
Here are 10 standouts from the 2029 and 2030 classes.
SHOWCASE STANDOUTS: 2027 backcourt | 2027 frontcourt | 2028
Tighe Arache, St. Paul’s
Class of 2029, 6-4 guard
Hometown: Lawrence, Mass.
Arache was already one of the best players on St. Paul’s as a freshman last season and the Mass Rivals guard looks like he may be shouldering even more responsibility for his prep team. I saw him take over to close out a win over Suffield with at least 13 points down the stretch; he hit three consecutive 3-pointers, including a four-point play, made a strong take and finish with his left off the window and made a great crossover move to his left for a three-point play. The NEPSAC showcases only further established Arache as a top 2029 prospect.
Josiah Broko, Cushing
Class of 2029, 6-8 forward
Hometown: Bronx, N.Y.
Broko spent last season at the Peddie School in New Jersey as a 2028 and reclassified to 2029 upon his move to Cushing. He has the tools to be among the best in this class – certainly in the region. At 6-foot-8, he has a mature, physical frame and possesses two-way versatility, great feel for the game and strong shooting mechanics. James Cormier and his staff do as good of a job as anyone developing prospects and I’m excited to see the trajectory of Broko, who’s the only 2029 on the Penguins’ roster.
Klei Alimadhi & Ricky Hurley, Nobles
Alimadhi: Class of 2029, 6-3 guard; Hometown: Lexington, Mass.
Hurley: Class of 2030, 6-3 guard; Hometown: Hingham, Mass.
With a handful of Nobles players missing during the NEPSAC showcase, Alimadhi and Hurley earned some valuable playing time and impressed. Alimadhi showed a high-level 3-point shooting ability. I also thought he never forced anything or made mistakes when he had the ball on the perimeter, making smart passes and keeping the offense flowing. Hurley is a true workhorse on both ends of the floor; he grabbed at least four offensive rebounds vs. Taft, was constantly active defensively and stayed in front of his man, and I also saw him dive on the floor for a loose ball. At full strength, these two will probably come off the bench for Nobles, but they’ve earned valuable trust for when they’re needed next season.
Chance Finlayson, St. George’s
Class of 2029, 6-7 wing
Hometown: Newport, R.I.
I don’t think there’s a more athletic player in New England’s 2029 class than Finlayson, who has video-game jumping ability with the way he gets up for offensive rebounds, blocks and dunks. He showed off the full arsenal in my viewing of St. George’s vs. Tilton, and I thought he held up well physically against Tilton big Salim Diaby. Finlayson also continued to show his good touch on floaters and mid-range shots.
Justin Frye, Rivers
Class of 2030, 6-2 guard
Hometown: Attleboro, Mass.
Frye might be the best 3-point shooter at Rivers, which is high praise considering the roster also includes Jack Millward and Patrick Costello. He had 17 points on 4-for-7 shooting from deep vs. Loomis Chaffee but also showed an ability to play off the bounce and make plays in the mid-range, at the basket and via good cuts. He was also Rivers’ third leading rebounder for the weekend and showed a relentless motor. Frye is a mature player for his class and it looks like he’ll be a central figure for years on a promising young core for coach Jacob Werrick.
TJ Holt, Hamden Hall
Class of 2029, 6-3 guard
Hometown: Branford, Conn.
Holt is a new name for me and he really impressed me with his high feel and IQ for the game as someone who facilitates and shoots it well from deep. He hit several triples in a win against Groton, including one at the first-half buzzer, and made some crafty moves to the basket. Holt has good size as a lead guard and I’m buying stock on him as a promising guard in Class C.
Aiden Richard, Brooks
Class of 2030, 5-11 guard
Hometown: Tewksbury, Mass.
Don’t let Richard’s size fool you – he has plenty of time and room to grow as an incoming 2030 and he’s already impacting the game at a high level anyway. The transfer from Tewksbury High was a complete pest on the defensive end, and grabbed four steals in the second half, including the game-sealing swipe and layup in the dying seconds in a Sunday morning victory over St. Mark’s. He also showed great burst offensively with the ball getting to the basket, and I saw him drill a 3 and mid-range pull-up as part of his big second half.
Evan Seitz, St. Luke’s
Class of 2029, 6-9 forward
Hometown: Stamford, Conn.
Seitz might be one of the most physically mature forwards right now in this 2029 class; I saw him back down and overpower defenders in the post and finish through contact, and he’s mobile at his size with an ability to shoot from deep. With skill, size and shooting, Seitz is a frontcourt prospect to watch in the coming years.
Massa Toure, Hamden Hall
Class of 2029, 6-3 guard
Hometown: New Haven, Conn.
The younger brother of Abdou – the former Notre Dame New Haven star who’s now at Arkansas – Massa is carving out his own path, and there’s a lot to be excited about with his ability to score. The All-NEPSAC Class C selection, who plays with BABC, was cooking from all three levels throughout the weekend, especially from the mid-range. He has great skill, body control and pace, especially in transition, where I saw him make a slick between-the-legs crossover move into a bucket at the rim.
