With the AAU season now in the rearview mirror, it’s already time to start thinking about the 2025-26 NEPSAC basketball season. Open gyms are right around the corner.
That means it’s a perfect time to debut our NEPSAC boys’ coaches survey.
We sent our first survey to coaches across NEPSAC earlier this summer to get a better sense of who they think are the top players and teams in the league right now, and they were also given open-ended questions about the state of prep school basketball right now. Coaches were granted anonymity so they could more freely express their opinions.
Thanks to all the coaches who participated. We had more than two dozen boys coaches submit responses, which gave us a ton of variety in the answers.
Part 1 of our survey results focuses on the top players returning or entering NEPSAC this season. Let’s dive in.
Who is the best overall player in NEPSAC?
The slight edge, among NEPSAC coaches, goes to Alex Egbuonu.
The Lawrence Academy star is coming off a monster junior season that translated to a big grassroots spring and summer with BABC. Egbuonu (Nashua, N.H.), a 6-foot-6 forward, is a physical freak and arguably the most complete player in the region. He averaged 25.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 2.7 blocks per game last season while leading Lawrence to a Class AA playoff berth.
“Controls the pace of the game,” one coach said. “Versatile, size that translates to numerous positions, drills it. Upside as a big point guard.”
“He's got the combination of size, speed, strength, inside/outside game, as well as all the intangibles,” another coach added.
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Egbuonu is now ranked No. 48 on ESPN’s Top 100 for the Class of 2026, with strong interest from Marquette and several other high-major schools. His impact on the court is undeniable and translatable to the next level.
“He affects the game without scoring on both ends,” a coach said. “He is the best rim protector in AA. You can play 30 seconds of great team defense against him and he’s still going to score more times than not.”
Right behind Egbuonu was Newman star Lucas Morillo, who was named our Class AAA Player of the Year after leading the Cardinals to the AAA championship in March in his first season in the region. The 6-foot-7 point guard is a matchup nightmare and delivered on the biggest stages as he averaged 16 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
“Size, skill, highly productive at the highest level and makes an impact in every facet of the game,” one coach said.
“He is so crafty with the ball and he can get to his spots regardless of who the defender is,” another coach said. “Can pass at a high level, rebounds and can score from anywhere. Has a mature poise to his game and can lead.”
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Cushing point guard Ryan Moesch was the next highest vote-getter as coaches praised his skill and winning pedigree. He led the Penguins to the NEBL championship and Class AA regular-season title.
“Most complete basketball player,” one coach said. “Scores, leads, toughness, skill, IQ.”
“He makes everyone else around him better and he wins,” another said.
Newman forward Quinn Costello (Medford, Mass.), St. George’s guard Dywane Chess, Cushing center Theo Edema and Hotchkiss wing Preston Merrick all earned one vote each. Worcester Academy guard Cam Hailey (Dorchester, Mass.) also earned a selection after helping the Hilltoppers win last season’s Class AA title. The coach said Hailey reminds him of Shabazz Napier, a former NEPSAC star from Boston who went on to win two championships at UConn and play in the NBA.
“One of the most pure basketball players I’ve seen,” the coach said of Hailey. “His feel is unmatched in today’s game.”
Who is the best guard in NEPSAC?
Moesch was the runaway winner here after the Cushing star earned more than half the votes among the coaches who responded.
“He knows the answer to every test you put in front of him and makes the right reads and plays while always dictating the pace, rarely getting sped up,” one coach said.
There were many ways that coaches described Moesch’s unique game. Crafty, tough, dynamic, clutch. One coach described him as must-see TV. Another said he’s “miles ahead” of any other guard in the pick and roll and can score 25 on any given night if needed. Most coaches admire his creativity, offensive processing and high feel for the game.
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One coach went out of his way to catch Moesch at June’s NEPSAC showcases.
“(I) now believe the social media hype,” the coach said. “I always appreciate guards who create their own pace and cadence within the overarching pace of the game. He seems to control things. I think he generals the floor well, passes with precision, and is a third level threat. The responsibility of being a PG in the NEPSAC is tremendous, but fundamentally, the position breaks down into three things: Floor generalship/IQ, FT conversion, and making layups. He does all that and more.”
Worcester Academy’s Amir Jenkins (Worcester, Mass.) and New Hampton’s Ty Tabales (Worcester, Mass.) each received multiple votes on this question before they both reclassified to 2025 and committed to West Virginia and Bryant, respectively.
Morillo and Hailey each earned one vote, and Dexter Southfield’s Malik Adamson (Dorchester, Mass.) got a nod as the best returning guard in Class A.
Who is the best wing/forward in NEPSAC?
Egbuonu, the coaches’ pick as the top overall player, earned the most votes here. The Lawrence Academy star is among the best wings in the country, and he clearly has earned a strong reputation among coaches in New England.
“He is so strong and is so good in open space,” one coach said. “He is an above the rim athlete that has continued to add skill out to the perimeter. Can really defend his position as well. Hard worker.”
It was interesting to see how coaches viewed Morillo’s position. At 6-foot-7, he’s ball-dominant with playmaking skills, and he could theoretically qualify as both a guard and wing. Five coaches picked him as the best wing in NEPSAC.
“Scores from everywhere, passes well, tough matchup with size and physicality,” one coach said.
Costello, his teammate at Newman, was the third highest vote-getter here. The 6-foot-10 forward was arguably the country’s biggest stock-riser over the grassroots season with the Middlesex Magic, and is now universally considered as a Top 100-ranked recruit. He now holds 38 Division 1 offers, most of them from the high-major level.
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“I think his productivity throughout each respective live period has been undeniable,” one coach said. “I'd be hard pressed to find someone at the forward position with a more complete and college-ready game – very curious to see where he lands.”
Added another coach: “Size and shooting at this level is rare. Doesn't try to do too much off the dribble and extremely low turnover rate which is why he gets the nod over Egbuonu.”
The rest of the vote-getters, who got one each, include: Chess, Merrick, MacDuffie’s Brayden Harris, Vermont Academy’s Kamari Whyte and Avon Old Farms’ Declan Griffiths (Simsbury, Conn.). Chess was also among the region’s biggest stock-risers this summer with the Magic.
“He has to be right up there,” one coach said of the 6-foot-4 Chess. “Blew up this summer. Currently holds 15 legit offers at the (mid-major) level. Tough, skilled, scores at all three levels.”
Who is the best post player/big in NEPSAC?
Most of the voters were split between two choices: Cushing’s Edema and Bridgton’s Cheick Sylla. Edema got the edge with 11 votes to Sylla’s seven.
Edema has blossomed over the last calendar year, cracking the national 2027 rankings – No. 54 on 24/7 Sports – and earning high-major offers from the likes of Kansas, Tennessee and Alabama. The coaches came to a general consensus – the 7-footer dominates with his combination of skill and size, and he’s an elite rim protector and rebounder who can also shoot it.
“Incredible post presence,” one coach said.
“Theo has come a long way,” another said.
“Protects (the) rim, rebounds, most effective pick and roller,” a coach added.
Edema was an honorable mention in our Class AA awards last season after averaging nine points, 10 rebounds and four blocks per game for Cushing, and there’s an expectation that the rising junior will take another leap this winter. He has a bright future – and one coach had especially lofty praise.
“He has all (the) qualities of an NBA big,” the coach said, adding that he’s a vertical spacer, growing threat in stride on short rolls and roll catches and a rim protector.
Sylla is still something of a hidden gem after averaging 24 points and 14 rebounds per game last season – landing him on our Class AAA second team – but his reputation is growing. NEPSAC coaches lauded him for his production in the paint, footwork, physicality and touch around the basket.
“From what I witnessed at the NEPSAC showcase at Avon Old Farms, he seems to be the most dominant big man in the NEPSAC,” one coach said. “He has the engine, toughness, and physicality that sets him apart. I like the dynamic of stretch bigs; but, a traditional, hard-nosed big man, there is just something that I love about it.”
“He was a physical force in every game I saw, imposed his will,” another coach said of Sylla. “Competed. A lot of upside especially with his body type.”
“So good at carving out space in the paint and has gotten into strong shape,” added another coach. “Has a high motor and rebounds extremely well. Takes up so much space in the paint defensively and has added an outside game. Focal point of his team.”
Costello earned multiple votes in this section, too, and Milton Academy’s Spencer Booth (Scarborough, Maine) received a shout for one of the top big men returning in Class A.
Who is the most underrated player in NEPSAC?
This question is where this survey got really fun. A whopping 19 different players earned a mention from the coaches.
Darrow’s Hunter Te Ratana earned multiple votes after the 2026 guard’s strong debut NEPSAC season translated to the spring with BABC as he grabbed multiple mid-major offers. Teammate Nalajah Christopher (Worcester, Mass.), a 2027 guard, was also picked.
Cushing received a lot of love in this section. One coach emphasized that Moesch, while he’s known in New England, is still underrated nationally. Another coach mentioned both 2026 guard Brady O’Connell (Bedford, N.H.) and 2027 wing Elliot Erickson (Gardner, Mass.).
“Seems like he is always hitting big shots or making huge plays on defense,” the coach said of O’Connell.
Jack Hynes (Milton, Mass.), a 2026 wing transferring from Roxbury Latin to Cushing for a postgraduate season, earned a shout.
“He's not flashy or the most athletic, but he simply gets it done on both ends,” the coach said.
Brunswick’s Rhaki Lum, a 6-foot-2 point guard in the 2026 class, earned multiple votes. A three-level scorer and playmaker, he was an All-NEPSAC selection in Class A last season after averaging 22 points per game.
“Steady as it gets, not playing on a large stage as say a AAA school but will have an improved roster around him,” one coach said. “Excited to see what he can do.”
Class B warranted some love for some more underrated prospects. Finn Brennan (Newburyport, Mass.), a 6-foot-4 guard for Holderness, caught one coach’s attention at both NERR’s E75 North college showcase and the NEPSAC showcases.
“I think Finn makes a strong case,” the coach said. “I really liked his game this past season – a glue guy with a bit more to him. I think he makes a serious impact on both sides of the floor and is very consistent/reliable.”
Another coach picked Middlesex guard Jake Freeman (Providence, R.I.), who landed on our stock-risers list from the second half of the AAU season after strong showings at the NEPSAC showcases and then the July live period with BCRI.
“A lot less underrated than he was three months ago but he can really shoot it, does a little bit off the dribble and seems to grow every time I see him,” the coach said. “Great kid who is coachable and cares about winning.”
Several more aforementioned names from this story – including Chess, Tabales, Hailey and Sylla – were chosen as underrated. One coach said that Milton Academy will go as far as Booth can take them, and that the rising junior big man is primed for a breakout winter.
Isiah Rose, who left Vermont Academy last week to join Overtime Elite, earned a vote. One coach said that Kimball Union’s Merrick Smith (Belgrade, Maine) – another one of our stock-risers – is an “outstanding post player and defender.” St. Mark’s guard Alex Echevarria, MacDuffie guard Keyshon Joyner (Worcester, Mass.) and Avon Old Farms guard Joel Nash all earned a vote.
