Three weeks of the MIAA season are in the books, and there are many big performances to sift through.
Most of the boys teams we expected to be good heading into the season have held serve and impressed through the early going. Individually, some of the established stars of MIAA have picked up where they left off. There are other newcomers who have surprised and have already put themselves on the map.
To highlight the MIAA standouts to start the season, we chose 15 players who have impressed through the first three weeks. Going forward, we intend to make this a weekly list, and we invite coaches and players to submit nominations. Please email Steve Hewitt at steve.hewitt@basketballjournal.com, or tag us on Twitter/X at @steve_hewitt or @nehoopjournal with your submissions.
Let’s dive into the first 15 standouts from the MIAA.
Isaiah Andino, Methuen
Class of 2025, 6-1 guard
Methuen has been a fun surprise, and Andino has led the charge as a two-way combo guard. He was named to the all-tournament team of the Commonwealth Motors Christmas Classic after scoring 24 and 22 points in wins over Newburyport and North Andover, before scoring 14 points and nearly leading a comeback against Andover in the championship game.
Matt Breen, Shawsheen
Class of 2025, 6-9 forward
Breen was named Large School MVP of the TBG Holiday Classic after scoring 28 points in the championship win over Hollis-Brookline (N.H.). He also has a 20-point, 22-rebound game to his name in a Dec. 20 victory over Lynn Tech. He’s led Shawsheen to a 5-0 start as one of the best big men in the state. Breen has gotten help from senior guard Franck Moron, who was named to the all-tournament team of the TBG Classic.
Niko Catalano, North Andover
Class of 2025, 6-4 forward
North Andover is off to an up-and-down 2-3 start to the season, but Catalano, a Merrimack Valley All-Star last season, has been steady for the Scarlet Knights. He had 25 points and six blocks in a win over Lawrence at the Commonwealth Motors Christmas Classic last week.
Collin Christiansen, Lowell
Class of 2027, 6-3 forward
Christiansen has been a force to start the season, averaging 20.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game through Lowell’s 6-0 start, including a 33-point, six-rebound performance in the Red Raiders’ blowout win over Pelham (N.H.) in the Greater Lowell Christmas Tournament last week.
Sam Concemi, Andover
Class of 2025, 6-8 forward
Owen Crowley and Josh Roux have each been critical in Andover’s 6-0 start, but Concemi has probably been the most consistent. The Babson commit was named MVP of the Commonwealth Motors Christmas Classic, with highlights including 19 points in the semifinal win over Central Catholic and some big plays on both ends in Sunday’s clincher over Methuen.
Mike Dankert, Bourne
Class of 2025, 6-5 wing
The Canalmen, the favorites in Division 4, are off to an undefeated start, and Dankert and classmate Nathan Reynolds – one of the best 1-2 punches in the state – are leading the mission. Dankert had 29 points and nine rebounds in a win over West Bridgewater, then put up another 29 points in a victory over Nantucket.
Jasaad Fenton, Holland School of Technology
Class of 2025, 5-11 guard
Holland (formerly Burke) lost some star power from last season’s squad, but Fenton is back – alongside Gerald Banks and Yassine Amghar – and is a big reason why they should still be a contender in the Boston City League. He had 30 points and 11 assists in Holland’s season-opening win over Lynn English and put up 23 points against Manchester Essex.
James Jones, BC High
Class of 2025, 6-4 guard
The senior guard has had a terrific start to the season with two 23-point efforts in wins over Lawrence and Algonquin.
Jacob Klass, Beverly
Class of 2026, 6-1 guard
The Team White Mamba guard already has three performances of 30 points or more, including a season-high 32 in Beverly’s season-opening victory at Peabody. The Panthers are off to a strong 5-2 start behind Klass, a smooth lefty who has become one of the best scorers in the state.
Javi Lopez, Central Catholic
Class of 2026, 6-2 guard
Lopez, who established himself as one of the best guards in the MIAA last winter, has unsurprisingly started strong in 2024-25 as a junior captain for the 5-1 Raiders. He has multiple games with 20 points or more, and he was named to the all-tournament team at the Commonwealth Motors Christmas Classic.
Jack Millward, Wakefield
Class of 2026, 6-4 guard
The junior guard, who’s coming off a standout soccer season for Wakefield, has had a monster start to the basketball season for the Warriors with two 40-point performances already. He had 40 in a Dec. 17 win over Woburn in which Wakefield stormed back from 13 down with two minutes left to force overtime, then dropped another 40 in a Dec. 30 victory over Needham.
Kordell Philemon, Stoneham
Class of 2025, 6-6 guard
Is Philemon the best newcomer in the MIAA? The guard from New Jersey transferred to Stoneham and has paced the Spartans to a 5-0 start, which included 32 points in their season-opening win over Muniz Academy and 17 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists in their win over Wilmington. He led Stoneham to the Triton Holiday Classic championship last week.
Tzar Powell-Aparicio, Lowell
Class of 2025, 6-0 guard
One of the best all-around players in the MIAA, Powell-Aparicio is off to another big start as the leader behind Lowell’s 6-0 start. He’s stuffed the stat sheet through the first three weeks and was named MVP of last week’s Greater Lowell Christmas Tournament, where he had 20 points, six assists and six rebounds in the championship win over Haverhill.
Zach Romich, Groton-Dunstable
Class of 2025, 6-3 guard
Groton-Dunstable is certainly a bit overlooked in Division 3, but Romich has had a strong start to the season with a few eye-popping stat lines: 32 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over Westborough and 29 points, four rebounds and four assists in a victory over Marlborough.
Caden Sullivan, Franklin
Class of 2025, 6-0 guard
Franklin’s 6-0 start has been powered by Sullivan, who is averaging 24.2 points per game, including a pair of 27-point performances. The Panthers had significant turnover from last season’s team that made the Division 1 championship game, but Sullivan, an Endicott commit, is making them look like contenders again.
