As much as prep schools make many of the headlines across the New England scholastic basketball space, there is no shortage of talent across the CIAC.
The CIAC boasts the best players in all of Connecticut, including a four-star recruit committed to Arkansas, and many other talented players either already committed to play in college or hoping that a strong season will carve out a desired collegiate path.
A new season is about to begin, and we have listed below 12 CIAC players who should be on your radar.
There will certainly be other players who break out and earn recognition this season. But these players have already caught the attention of the competitive field.
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Missoni Brown, Windsor
Class of 2027, 6-0 guard
Brown is a physically imposing guard and a strong competitor who can get to the rim at will. He’s received praise for his ability to do many different things at a high level. Brown was named to the CHSCA Division 1 All-State team last season. The year prior, he helped Windsor to a Division 2 state championship, earning Most Outstanding Player honors by notching 14 points and eight rebounds in the title game. Brown is an all-around athlete who also stars as a wide receiver on the gridiron and claims, despite no longer playing, that soccer is his best sport.
Josh Charlot, Notre Dame Prep
Class of 2027, 5-11 guard
The returning All-State selection is widely regarded as the best point guard in Connecticut. Charlot is an elite playmaker who can score, distribute, and create separation all at a high level. He has a strong basketball IQ and is a 94-foot defender. Charlot was the Most Outstanding Player at the 2024 Pangos All-East Freshman/Sophomore camp. He has started in every game for the Lancers in his first two seasons and owns an exceptional 3.73 to 1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Sam Clachko, Staples
Class of 2026, 6-0 guard
NCAA: Connecticut College
Clachko got injured before the playoffs last season, but he hasn’t left the minds of coaches across Connecticut, who all agree that he’s one of the premier point guards in the state. He is a 2024-25 CHSCA Division 1 All-State selection and a two-time All-FCIAC First Team selection. Clachko ranks fifth on the Staples all-time scoring leaderboard and became the first Wrecker to surpass 1,000 career points since 2004. He controls tempo and has shot the 3 at an above 40 percent clip for his career.
Drew Dargati, Northwest Catholic
Class of 2026, 6-4 guard
Dargati is one of the best shooters in the state. Last season, he averaged 12 points, four rebounds and three assists for a 23-3 Lions team. Dargati’s dangerous 3-ball sets up the drive, where he can penetrate off the dribble and get to the rim. He sports an array of counter-moves and is an aggressive driver.
Sincere Folk, East Catholic
Class of 2026, 6-0 guard
The senior guard’s game is just as good as his name. Folk is a shifty point guard who can get to the rim at will, has great vision and is an elite defender. After transferring from South Shore High in Brooklyn, N.Y., he was selected to the All-State team and led the Eagles to the Division 1 semifinals in his first season in the CIAC. East Catholic coach Luke Reilly is excited by the strides Folk has made this offseason and the familiarity he’ll have with the system this season.
Aaron Johnson, Jr., West Haven
Class of 2026, 6-2 guard
Johnson, Jr. was an All-State and first team All-SCC selection last season, averaging 17 points, seven rebounds, three blocks and two steals for the Blue Devils. Johnson, Jr., an athletic guard with a larger frame, is a strong 3-point shooter, a good ball handler and shot creator, and can finish above the rim. He led the Blue Devils to an SCC title game appearance and the Division 2 quarterfinals last season.
Landon Krygier, Notre Dame-West Haven
Class of 2026, 6-5 forward
NCAA: Sacred Heart
Krygier is a physical and athletic 6-foot-5 wing committed to Sacred Heart. Last year, Krygier was an All-State selection, averaging 15.5 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting over 40 percent from deep and helping NDWH to another state championship. He owns the best shot in Notre Dame-West Haven history, drilling a buzzer-beating 3-pointer against Notre Dame Prep in the 2024 state semifinal, sending the contest to overtime, where the Lancers eventually won, 73-71, in double overtime.
Rody Ricketts, Bunnell
Class of 2027, 5-10 guard
Ricketts is a three-sport athlete — football, basketball and track — with Division 1 football offers to Syracuse, UMass and Central Connecticut State. On the court, he was a CHSCA Division 3 All-State and first-team All-SWC selection. A hyper-athletic shooting guard, Ricketts has helped propel Bunnell to back-to-back Division 3 state championships. He scored a game-high 21 points in last season’s state title game.
Jayvon Robinson, New London
Class of 2026, 6-0 guard
Heading into his senior season, Robinson is a three-time CHSCA All-State selection. He was selected twice as a Division 3 All-State player during his freshman and sophomore seasons at Fitch. Last year, in his first season at New London, Robinson averaged 11.8 points, 3.8 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.9 steals, shooting 55 percent from the field to earn D2 All-State honors. His contributions helped propel the Whalers to the D2 state championship game.
Abdou Toure, Notre Dame-West Haven
Class of 2026, 6-6 wing
NCAA: Arkansas
Toure, committed to Arkansas, is the reigning Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year and the 31st-ranked recruit by ESPN in the Class of 2026. He averaged 25.1 points and six rebounds through 25 games while shooting over 75 percent from the floor. Representing Guinea at the 2024 FIBA U-17 World Cup, Toure scored 50 points against China, tying the single-game record. He only missed three shots in that game. Toure is an explosive wing with a lethal midrange, and he’ll be a nightmare for opposing defenses all year long.
ARKANSAS BOUND: What Abdou Toure brings to John Calipari and the Razorbacks
Alex Weaver, Windsor
Class of 2028, 5-10 guard
Weaver was an All-CCC selection as a freshman last season and the most highly regarded sophomore in the CIAC. He is a shifty guard who can get past defenders at ease, finish with crafty moves around the rim and knock down pull-up jump shots at a high level. Weaver is also a good passer and a fast and pesky defender who flies around to generate steals on Windsor’s press defense.
Sean Wilson, Trumbull
Class of 2026, 6-1 guard
Wilson was named the FCIAC Player of the Year and a CHSCA Division 2 All-State selection last season. He is an athletic lefty three-level scorer and a strong passer. Wilson led Trumbull, the No. 20 seed in Division 2 last season, to the semifinals, scoring 36 points in the second round to beat Hillhouse, 70-67, and 37 in the quarterfinals to take down East Hartford, 64-61.
Other names to know
Jayson Geneva, junior guard, Ridgefield; Jaise Greaves, junior guard, Notre Dame Prep; Jameer Reed, senior forward, Notre Dame Prep; Kadrian Reeves, junior guard, Notre Dame-West Haven; Ty’Jhaun Rogers, senior guard, Hillhouse; Jordan Sirabionian, senior guard, West Haven.
