The top returning boys talent in the NHIAA features a bit of everything.
There are senior guards with returning experience as the lead scorers on top Division 1 teams. There is a high-major college prospect in Portsmouth. There are other emerging young talents primed to break out.
In between, there are a number of veteran talents who will become their team’s go-to option, including several who will anchor Division 1 contenders.
Below are 15 players to watch in the NHIAA this season, listed alphabetically.
Collin Charbeneau, Trinity
Class of 2027, 6-2 guard
Charbeneau transferred to Trinity ahead of last season and immediately made an impact as a big-time shotmaker, averaging 11 points and shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc on one of Division 1’s top teams. Coach Ray Farmer sees Charbenau as “one of the best, if not the best shooter in the state,” and expects him to expand his game this season by utilizing pump fakes to get into the lane and create for his teammates.
Landon Elsemore, Bedford
Class of 2026, 6-2 guard
Elsemore pairs with Logan O’Connell to form one of the state’s best backcourt duos, and he was the second-leading scorer on Bedford’s Division 1 state title winner last year while also doubling as the team’s top defender. Elsemore “brings a lot of toughness to the team and an attitude that we need,” said coach Frank Moreno, and is a high-IQ player that Moreno trusts to execute in big spots.
Garrett Hall, Alvirne
Class of 2026, 6-6 forward
After forming a one-two punch with star guard Sammy DeWitt for the past three seasons, Hall will become the veteran leader and go-to scoring option on a young Alvirne squad that is flying under the radar. Hall has averaged double figures in each of his first three varsity seasons, and coach Sam Bonney-Liles said Hall has “turned into a freak” who will use his physical advantages to dominate defensively and on the glass.
Daniel Karavanic, Nashua South
Class of 2027, 6-7 forward
Karavanic is the tallest player on this list, but he plays with guard skills and is a knockdown shooter. He averaged 10 points last season as a secondary scoring option behind Division 1 player of the year Josh Caruso, and is primed to break out as a focal point in Nashua South’s offense. Karavanic has gotten stronger over the offseason, and coach Nate Mazerolle envisions him scoring often in the post and also anchoring the backside of the defense.
Connor McGowan, Bishop Guertin
Class of 2026, 5-10 guard
McGowan was one of the state’s top scorers last year at over 22 points per game, and coach Wil Horne said “he's only added to his bag this summer.” McGowan is on the smaller side, but he’s relentless pushing the pace in transition and also has a quality outside shot. Already established as a high-motor, star-level player in Division 1, Horne envisions McGowan’s playmaking ability taking a leap in his senior season.
Logan O’Connell, Bedford
Class of 2026, 6-0 guard
O’Connell was a centerpiece of last year’s state title winning team, averaging 17 points per game and earning second-team Division 1 honors. He plays bigger than his size, utilizing crafty moves to finish at the rim in addition to excelling on the perimeter. O’Connell made strides on the defensive end last season, which Moreno, his coach, believes will continue rounding into form in his senior campaign.
Josh Phanor, Pinkerton
Class of 2027, 6-1 guard
Phanor is a lights-out shooter who averaged 13 points last year as a freshman, highlighted by a 37-point game against Bishop Guertin in January where he tied a school record with 11 three-pointers. Phanor has gotten stronger over the summer and coach Mike Dunham expects him to get to the rim more often this season in addition to shooting it “from anywhere on the court.”
Isaiah Reis, Portsmouth
Class of 2026, 6-0 guard
The only non-senior to make the last year's Division 1 first team, Reis averaged 21 points per game last season and can create his own shot from just about any spot. Now a senior leader on a Division 1 state title contender, coach John Mulvey views Reis’ next step to continue improving his playmaking and creating more opportunities off the bounce for the star cast around him.
Sam Roidoulis, Windham
Class of 2027, 6-4 forward
Roidoulis averaged a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double as a sophomore, one of only three players in Division 1 to do so. He is a top athlete at 6-foot-4 and imposes his physical edge as both a rebounder and finisher around the rim. Roidoulis has also worked this summer to improve his outside shot, and coach Carson Desrosiers expects his numbers to climb across the board with another year of development.
Marcel Rose, Spaulding
Class of 2026, 6-2 guard
Though Spaulding hasn’t competed near the top of Division 1 in recent years, Rose has led his team in scoring in each of the past two years and earned Division 1 second team honors last season after averaging over 17 points. Rose is an effective slasher who gets downhill with force, and also has proven he can shoot from deep.
Jamal Stanley, Keene
Class of 2026, 6-2 guard
One of the premier two-way players in the state, Stanley is an explosive finisher at the rim and was also named to the Division 1 All-Defensive Team last season. He will take on the lead scoring role following the graduation of Division 1 first teamer Javon Massiah, and will be the anchor for a Keene squad looking to build on last year’s Division 1 state championship appearance.
Brady Sullivan, Pinkerton
Class of 2026, 6-2 guard
Sullivan was a role player on Pinkerton’s 2024 state title-winning team, but seized the increased opportunity last year and averaged a team-high 18 points per game as a junior. Sullivan excels finishing with both hands around the rim, and has taken strides over the summer to improve his jump shot and round out his offensive skill set to help lead an improved Pinkerton squad.
Derek Swartz, Portsmouth
Class of 2028, 6-5 guard/forward
Swartz was one of the state’s top players as a freshman last season, averaging over 17 points despite still filling out his frame. An unstoppable force around the basket, Swartz shot over 75 percent from around the rim last season and is also lightning quick in transition. He earned multiple verbal offers from high-major Division 1 schools over the summer and was ranked No. 63 nationally in 247 Sports’ initial class of 2028 list, both of which are extreme rarities for returning players in the NHIAA.
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Jordan Torres, Trinity
Class of 2027, 6-4 guard
Torres averaged over 14 points last season and was the state’s lone sophomore to earn a Division 1 honorable mention, and he returns to a state title contender as the clear top option following the graduation of backcourt mate Shawn O’Neil. Torres is arguably the top mid-range shooter in the state — excelling from 12 to 16 feet out in particular — and also shoots well off the catch from three-point range.
Eli Youssef, Bishop Guertin
Class of 2026, 6-3 guard
Youssef is a strong, physical guard who requires a big body to get in front of, and he averaged 13 points last season as part of a one-two tandem with fellow senior guard Connor McGowan. Youssef has worked throughout the summer to hone his shooting from three-point range and the free throw line, both of which Horne, his coach, believes will tick up this season to help him round out his offensive game.
