The 2025-26 NEPSAC boys basketball season is still more than four months away, but the excitement has already begun.
While the NEPSAC Scholastic Showcases gave hundreds of prospects an opportunity to play in front of college coaches all over the country, it also gave teams around New England a first chance to compete together ahead of the winter. Every team had new players to fit in or returners seeing elevated or different roles. Some even had new head coaches making their program debuts.
Over two weekends at Babson College and then Avon Old Farms, all these teams took the opportunities to reacquaint themselves with each other, introduce concepts and build chemistry. It gave them valuable time together before having to wait until later in the summer to start practices for the upcoming season.
Of course, it’s early – many of these teams will look different come the winter, and it’s hard to put too much stock into the results of these exhibition games. But that doesn’t mean they’re meaningless. The two showcases gave us an initial look at what teams might make some noise next season after producing strong performances. Here are eight squads that intrigued me over the two weekends.
New Hampton
Class: AAA
Head coach: Andrew Gale
Last season’s record: 29-6, advanced to Class AAA championship
It’s a difficult task for head coach Andrew Gale to replace the production of his star-studded trio of Keyshuan Tillery (Cincinnati), Mason Blackwood (Penn State) and Nasir Meyer (Wyoming), who are each off to play Division 1 basketball. But if you expected the Huskies to take a dip, think again. Ty Tabales (Worcester, Mass.), my biggest individual winner of the two showcase weekends, looks more than ready to take over as the lead guard, and returners Jayden Harrington and Chad Cook look improved, too. Add in a batch of transfers, including impressive newcomers Wesley Waddles and Stetson Merritt, and New Hampton looks reloaded and ready to challenge for a title again.
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St. George’s
Class: AA
Head coach: Dwayne Pina
Last season’s record: 25-6, won ISL championship
The Dragons were one of the most impressive teams across both weekends, including a pair of loud victories at Avon Old Farms; they beat Worcester Academy by 26 before taking down Brewster by 21. These results, of course, can be deceiving – but given the amount of experience they lost, it was significant. After the departures of Barrett Loer (Rhode Island), Dylan Veillette (Merrimack) and Allyn Wright (Keene State), head coach Dwayne Pina brings back several returners, and they all looked good in elevated roles.
Big guard Dywane Chess was dominant and efficient over the two weekends, while Ethan Njenga (Lowell, Mass.), Adriel Cantave (Carver, Mass.) and Casey Bazzano (Jamestown, R.I.) – all role players last season – stepped up in big ways. Chance Finlayson (Newport, R.I.), a 2029 forward, looked like a veteran and turned heads in his first NEPSAC run, too. St. George’s will most certainly be a team to beat again in Class AA and the ISL this winter.
MacDuffie
Class: AA
Head coach: Kurt Steiner
Last season’s record: 10-17, missed Class AA playoffs
Don’t tell MacDuffie that this was only a showcase or series of exhibition games. The emotion coming from head coach Kurt Steiner and his team after a thrilling comeback win over Bridgton to close their weekend at Avon Old Farms suggests it meant much more. The Mustangs stormed back from 13 down with three minutes remaining in regulation and beat the Wolverines in overtime on Keyshon Joyner’s game-winner with seconds remaining. The celebration looked like they had won a playoff game.
After missing the playoffs again last winter, MacDuffie is hoping that changes next March. The Mustangs wanted to set a winning standard at the NEPSAC Showcases, and they felt like they created some momentum after the two weekends, which included a convincing win over a strong Kimball Union team and Bridgton. They showed they were tough, competitive and resilient, and they’re excited about the talent. MacDuffie’s backcourt, which includes Joyner (Worcester, Mass.), newcomer Brayden Harris, Elijah Avery-Tunner (Madison, Conn.) and Patrick Sagna looked great in their roles, and center Mihailo Vojinovic stepped up with a double-double vs. Bridgton. MacDuffie looks poised to be a dangerous Class AA sleeper next season.
AVON SHOWCASE STANDOUTS: Top backcourt performers | Top frontcourt performers
Winchendon
Class: AA
Head coach: Kenny Green
Last season’s record: 11-15, missed Class AA playoffs
There’s a new, exciting energy at Winchendon following the arrival of Alex Popp, who was hired as the program’s Director of Basketball this spring. Popp has a long track record of success, including stops at Vermont Academy and most recently IMG Academy, and he’s back in New England to chase more success. The early returns looked promising. The Wapiti strung together five victories across the two showcases, with strong performances from wings Brady Sehlhorst and Cameron Blankenberg and guards Tavin Penix and Aidan Knight. With Popp, who was also doing some coaching on the sidelines alongside Kenny Green, in the fold, Winchendon should make some noise this winter in Class AA.
Hotchkiss
Class: A
Head coach: Joe Busacca
Last season’s record: 13-11, missed Class A playoffs
It was hard to miss the Hall of Fame royalty sitting on the Hotchkiss bench during both weekends. Ray Allen, whose son Walker transferred to the school, was a big presence during the showcases, as was the product on the court. The Bearcats went a perfect 6-0 across the two weekends. Their roster is loaded with athleticism, size and playmaking; 6-foot-8 Alonzo Archbold and 6-foot-5 Preston Merrick both shined, and Jordan Ghee and Owen Zabel (Greenwich, Conn.) were both dynamic as guards. Hotchkiss has not made the playoffs since winning the Class A championship in 2022 and looks poised to end that drought this winter.
BABSON SHOWCASE STANDOUTS: 2026 backcourt | 2026 frontcourt | 2027 | 2028
Rivers
Class: B
Head coach: Keith Zalaski
Last season’s record: 19-9, advanced to Class B championship
It’s something of a new era at Rivers after the Red Wings graduated the final members of the corps that won three Class B championships and made another title game this winter. But the first look at the new version of Rivers looked promising. After dropping the opening game to St. Luke’s at Babson, the Red Wings reeled off five consecutive wins, all by 15-plus points, including a dominant defensive effort against Marianapolis and a convincing victory over Tilton.
Returning guard Chais Harriette (Mattapan, Mass.) is bigger and stronger physically, which helped him generate a handful of steals per game and should help him as the team’s new lead guard. Patrick Costello (Natick, Mass.), who started as a freshman last year, continued to impress, and newcomers Ikenna Okafor (Easton, Mass.) and Jack Millward (Wakefield, Mass.) fit in well. This will be a new-look Rivers squad but it will carry some of the same DNA as past iterations, and they should continue to be a factor in Class B.
St. Mark’s
Class: B
Head coach: Justin Perron
Last season’s record: 16-10, advanced to Class B playoffs
The Lions made their first playoff appearance since 2015 last season, and they look like they’re ready for more this winter. The backcourt duo of 2026 guard Alex Echevarria and 2027 guard CJ Farrell (Milford, Mass.) were terrific over both weekends, and 2027 forward Luca Palermo (Andover, Mass.) was dynamic as a bruiser in the paint and ball-handling facilitator at 6-foot-7. Mekhai Bovell-Holmes (Newton, Mass.), a 2028 guard, also opened some eyes during the showcases. This team will be a contender again in both Class B and the ISL.
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Concord Academy
Class: B
Head coach: Terrell Hollins
Last season’s record: 10-9, missed Class B playoffs
Concord Academy is out to earn some respect. The Chameleons certainly got some at Avon Old Farms, where they grabbed an overtime win over Class AA opponent Wilbraham & Monson, fending off several runs and making some big shots down the stretch of regulation and overtime. Will Hoffmaster (Exeter, N.H.), their 6-foot-3 2026 guard, is the engine that makes them go, especially on the defensive side of the ball, and head coach Terrell Hollins has a young group around them that looks hungry.
Five more teams that impressed: Vermont Academy (Class AAA), Kimball Union (Class AA), Suffield (Class A), Milton Academy (Class A), Phillips Exeter (Class A)
