STOUGHTON, Mass. — The 2025 Zero Gravity Prep Classic saved its best for last.
The three-day signature boys prep event of the season in New England couldn’t get much better in the final hours on Sunday. Across three courts at the Dana Barros Basketball Club, there were must-see matchups everywhere. Brimmer & May vs. CATS Academy EYBL, St. George’s vs. Winchendon, Lawrence Academy vs. MacDuffie, Hotchkiss vs. Tabor. When one heart-racing game ended, there was another high-level game coming down to the wire on the next court. The action didn’t stop.
It concluded another successful and highly entertaining weekend of prep basketball that sets the stage for a fun winter across the region. The weekend featured a bit of everything – emotional finishes, game-winners, upset victories, star performances and teams making early-season statements. There’s a ton to unpack.
We have lists of standout performers from the weekend coming, but here are 10 initial takeaways from the 2025 Zero Gravity Prep Classic, which includes several of the best moments from the event.
A signature win for Brimmer & May
The best win of the weekend came late on Sunday, when Brimmer & May knocked off CATS Academy’s EYBL in a 75-70 thriller on the center court. It was an emotional game. The two teams needed to be separated twice – once midway through the second half, then again after the final buzzer – but cooler heads prevailed. There was no beef or wrongdoing involved, just some competitive fire between Brimmer guard Ladanion Payne and CATS guard Josiah Adamson, two lifelong friends, that escalated a bit in the heat of battle.
More importantly, Brimmer created a special moment in the upset of CATS, which is new to the Nike EYBL Scholastic and shorthanded – missing Division 1 commits Jaxson Terry and Desmond Bellot – but still more talented on paper. The Gators suffered a tough last-second loss to Worcester Academy last week, but head coach Tom Nelson’s group grew significantly from it. He saw a change in the way they kept each other accountable in their group text chain and around each other, and their leaders continued to evolve. Payne, their star 2027 guard, made a phone call to Brimmer program greats Andre Mills and Kyrell Luc, who reinforced the importance of trusting himself and being unafraid to fail. It all came together in two wins this weekend, first over Rivers on Friday and then CATS on Sunday, when they finally put together a complete game.
The leadership was there amongst players in tough moments, and the focus was there for 40 minutes. It translated to their performances. Some sacrificed playing time and each of them played their role, big or small, at a high level. Windston Legentus (Raynham, Mass.) scored 27 points, Payne (Mattapan, Mass.) added 20, Tyson Robinson (Newton, Mass.) continued his growth as a physical interior presence, and John Fitzgibbon (Weston, Mass.) and BJ Dawan-Abdullah (Boston, Mass.) helped Brimmer reach the finish line with tough plays.
The win was special, but it wasn’t all about the final outcome for Nelson.
“It’s more that they can see what you can do when you do things as a group, and you do things together and find your purpose in why you’re playing,” Nelson said. “And that the purpose is bigger than the wins and losses. They now can experience what that looks like and what that success can bring when you do things as a group, rather than when you do them as individuals.”
Lawrence Academy’s special tribute to Kevin Wiercinski
After longtime Lawrence Academy coach Kevin Wiercinski died this summer after a courageous cancer battle, it quickly became apparent and important to find a way to honor him and his legacy. Jason Smith, the director of basketball operations at Zero Gravity, and Lawrence Academy head coach Mike Foustoukos came together and put it into action on Saturday at the Prep Classic, which was one of Wiercinski’s favorite events. Four years ago, Wiercisnki emcee'd a special pregame ceremony at the Prep Classic to honor former coach Kris Johnson. On Saturday, Wiercinski earned that treatment.
Saturday’s matchup between Lawrence Academy and Mount St. Charles was the first Kevin Wiercinski Memorial Game, and it’s the plan moving forward to make that an annual tradition for Lawrence’s first game at the Prep Classic. Lawrence also unveiled white warmup shirts with the words “Ski Strong” to honor Wiercinski, and Wiercinski’s wife Kristen and son Brandon were in attendance for the game. They were given a poster that included a photo of Wiercinski and signatures from members of both teams.
Spartans star Alex Egbuonu (Nashua, N.H.), who scored 26 points including some jaw-dropping dunks, won the first Kevin Wiercinski Memorial MVP award, which will be given to the game’s top performer – regardless of team – every year.
“If the other team has a player who goes off, they would be the MVP and they would be worthy of it, because that’s what (Wiercinski) would want,” Foustoukos said. “The best player on the floor to receive that and be recognized for it.”
It was fitting that Egbuonu won the game’s first MVP. Wiercinski was Egbuonu’s teacher and advisor, and the two were very close.
“Kevin went out of his way to make him feel welcomed and part of the community,” Foustoukos said. “He had Alex meet his whole family within five minutes of being there and made him feel a part of it. It’s great that he won that because he’s essentially part of Kevin’s family.”
ALL-TIME GREAT: Remembering legendary Lawrence Academy coach Kevin Wiercinski
Dexter’s emotional comeback
One of the best moments of the weekend came Saturday on Court 5, where Dexter Southfield erased a five-point deficit with 90 seconds remaining to pull out a 53-48 victory over Choate. Lateef Afolabi (Dorchester, Mass.) was massive down the stretch, including a three-point play with 1:24 left to cut it to two. Moments later, Will White’s (Roxbury, Mass.) steal and score tied it at 48. That set the stage for Malik Adamson’s (Dorchester, Mass.) heroics. After Choate missed the front end of a 1-and-1, Adamson pulled up from the left wing and drilled a 3-pointer, which was ultimately the winner.
After a tough season-opening home loss to Nobles last Wednesday, Dexter responded with two wins at the Prep Classic. They fed off the infectious energy of Afolabi and Adamson, and head coach Matt Droney was proud of their resilience.
“I think it’s great for them to be able to show that on a great stage. I’m not surprised because they’re a really good group of kids that work really hard,” Droney said. “I think they did a great job playing with composure and playing with toughness and I think that’s who our team is. I think we have a lot of tough kids who want to win, and I think it showed in the last two minutes.”
Nobles found a 2028 gem in Jack Charchaflian
It couldn’t have been a better season-opening week for Nobles, which went 3-0 vs. Class A teams, including victories over Brunswick and Loomis Chaffee at the Prep Classic. Second-year head coach Lambros Papalambros has loved the resilience of his team after trailing in two of the wins, and he praised the unselfishness. “There are no egos; nobody cares who scores, nobody cares who shoots,” he said. Returners Jack Mullins (Westwood, Mass.), Raul Cruz (Dorchester, Mass.) and Zach Baum (Needham, Mass.) have all been impactful, but the addition of 2028 guard Jack Charchaflian (Winchester, Mass.) has been a game-changer.
Charchaflian, a standout at Winchester High School last season, scored 24 points in his NEPSAC debut vs. Dexter and then followed that up with eye-opening performances at the Prep Classic. He was extremely reliable as a lead guard who consistently made plays for himself and his teammates.
“Raul said it. When the ball’s in his hands, it’s safe,” Papalambros said. “We didn’t really have that guy, so having him is amazing. The thing about Jack is he’s a soft-spoken leader. He does it in doses. He doesn’t speak much, but when he does, he has the room’s ears. He’s been amazing.”
Albany Academy continues to impress
One of the early-season surprises of the NEPSAC season has been Albany Academy, which is 4-1 with three Class AA wins over MacDuffie, Mount St. Charles and Worcester Academy to start its first year in the league. Or maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise. The Cadets have five seniors – including Yale commit Jack Louridas – who have plenty of experience together, and that continuity has been a big benefit. It also doesn’t hurt to have head coach Jim Driggs, who has college coaching experience. Albany is well-coached and detail-oriented, and that has been apparent in the team’s first five games.
Louridas has been exceptional, and 2027 forward Logan Rodriguez had another big weekend. The unsung hero has been 2027 guard Elijah Taylor, who Driggs said is difficult to take out of games. Driggs has a mature group who have a consistent focus on what it takes to win.
“They understand from a systematic standpoint how we want to play and they understand our expectations, from how do we leave a locker room, how do we travel, how do we prepare, all that stuff,” Driggs said. “Forget about the X’s and O’s, all that stuff that people don’t always think about that goes into having a program, they kind of know. That’s been a huge help.”
St. George’s looks scary good
The defending ISL champions lost significant pieces from last season – including stars Dylan Veillette and Barrett Loer – but if there were any questions about them going into this year, the Dragons answered with an emphatic opening weekend.
St. George’s beat Tilton and Winchendon on back-to-back days with 98-77 and 97-90 victories. Star guard Dywane Chess had a monster weekend, 2029 forward Chance Finlayson (Newport, R.I.) had 19 points in his NEPSAC debut, and Kenny Benedict provided major contributions. I was really impressed with the speed and pace the Dragons played with – it looked like they were playing with a five-second shot clock at times – which didn’t surprise me given their personnel. This team is going to score a lot of points and they look poised to not only win another ISL title, but make a run in Class AA.
Class A is a gauntlet this season
The weekend only reinforced my belief that Class A is the deepest in NEPSAC. Beyond the aforementioned Nobles and Dexter, more than a handful of teams impressed. Milton Academy – my preseason championship pick – looked as good as advertised with two victories. A young Thayer Academy squad led by 2028 Brayden Buckley (Dorchester, Mass.) and 2027 forward Michael McNamara (Needham, Mass.) opened with strong wins over Suffield and Kent. Hotchkiss, one of my preseason sleepers, dug an early 13-0 hole on Sunday vs. Tabor before responding with an emotional 57-52 win against a Seawolves team that should be in the hunt.
Phillips Andover had one of the best wins of the weekend, toppling Class AA opponent Northfield Mount Hermon by 22 before beating Rivers. Head coach Terrell Ivory has a promising group that looks ready to make noise. St. Paul’s enjoyed a 2-0 weekend, and Williston Northampton, despite losing by 23 to Bridgton, showed fight after letting a comeback slip away. And look out for BB&N after a strong win over Phillips Exeter. It’s early December, but I’m already salivating over the Class A playoffs and the matchups we could be seeing come March. This class is wide open.
Concord Academy wins a wild one
It was something of a bizarre sight on Court 5 on Sunday morning, where Brooks and Concord Academy opened their Class B Large schedules … wearing the same color uniform? Both teams wore similar-looking white and green uniforms, but credit to both teams for pushing through the unique circumstances and delivering one of the best games of the weekend. It tested both teams’ focus and familiarity and chemistry with their teammates.
Concord Academy emerged with a 53-50 win after a wild finish. Brooks forward Riley Clarke (Winchester, Mass.) hit a game-tying 3-pointer in the final minute before beautiful ball movement resulted in Matt Ross’ go-ahead and ultimately game-winning 3-pointer for Concord Academy. Terrell Hollins’ group is a team to watch this winter.
Putnam Science’s big weekend
The defending national prep champions had the two highest-scoring performances of the weekend, beating Crestwood Prep, 125-79, before dominating Diamond Doves (OTE), 116-67. It was a bummer that Crestwood was missing Isaiah Hamilton, the No. 2-ranked player in the 2028 class, due to injury, but Putnam handled business in moving to 14-0. More importantly, the Mustangs are getting healthier. Siena commit Parrish Edmond (Norwalk, Conn.) returned after missing several months, and guard Kamai Samuels also returned after suffering an injury a few weeks ago. Fairfield commit Jah Hatchett, who has missed the start of the season, is hopeful to return soon. Head coach Tom Espinosa is finally starting to see the team he envisioned – with depth and a full rotation – and that’s a scary thought for the rest of the prep landscape.
The depth of NEPSAC continues to be very strong
The Prep Classic served as something of a showcase for how good NEPSAC is, regardless of class. The aforementioned wins – Brimmer over CATS, Andover over NMH – were proof, and there were several more results that showed the depth.
Canterbury, a Class B Large school, beat Class AA’s Mount St. Charles by 14. Cheshire took down Kimball Union, 57-45, and though both are Class AA squads, it was another reminder that there isn’t a single night off in that class. Class B Large favorite St. Mark’s showed well in a loss to St. Andrew’s, closing a first-half double-digit deficit to three in the second half. Don’t let class differences fool you; there are a few exceptions, but on any given night, any team is capable of a win.
