NEW LEBANON, N.Y. — Antonio Anderson concluded his first season as the head coach at Darrow with just seven wins, but it didn’t matter. He had higher goals to chase. The Lynn, Mass. native, who scrapped and clawed his way to Memphis, an NCAA national championship appearance and then the NBA wasn’t going to give in. Anderson’s never backed down from a challenge.
So, after that seven-win season in 2024, Anderson saw an opportunity to elevate his NEPSAC Class AA program to Class AAA, the highest level of prep basketball in New England. He went to Darrow’s administration – Head of School Andrew Vadnais and Athletic Director Kris Magargal – with the request.
“I was like, ‘I don’t want to be in AA, I want to be in AAA,’” Anderson recalled. “They’re like, ‘What? You were just 7-22.’
“I’m like, ‘I don’t give a (expletive). We’ll be good enough. Trust me.’ And they did.”
