All winter, we talked about the quality of depth in NEPSAC Class AA boys basketball. From top to bottom, there was rarely a night off.
Quality college prospects – from Division 1 to Division 3 commits – lined every roster. Cushing headlined the AA season with its perfect 17-0 campaign, but the winter was fascinating to watch with many NEPSAC unknowns and newcomers defining the playoff race. It made for very competitive awards selections.
Our awards include two All-Class AA teams of five players each in addition to our Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year and our first Marksman of the Year, recognizing the best 3-point shooter.
Let’s hand out the 2026 Class AA boys awards.
NEPSAC BOYS AWARDS: Class AAA
Player of the Year: Ryan Moesch, Cushing
Class of 2026, 6-0 guard
Hometown: Chittenango, N.Y.
NCAA: Syracuse
Moesch was a known commodity in New England entering the winter after his electric 2024-25 NEPSAC debut and he was even better in leading the Penguins to the championship. In total, he averaged 16 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two steals per game. He was efficient in AA play, scoring 15.1 points and shooting 38 percent from 3 on 10.5 field goal attempts per game with a 3.2 assist-to-turnover ratio against class opponents. He was the best player on the best team; opponents did all they could to slow him down but he kept dominating as a brilliant playmaker who ran the show at a high level.
This award had multiple candidates. Lawrence Academy star Alex Egbuonu (Nashua, N.H.), NEPSAC’s Class AA Player of the Year, demanded serious consideration. St. George’s star Dywane Chess, who led the Dragons to the No. 2 seed and the ISL championship, also garnered attention here.
Defensive Player of the Year: Theo Edema, Cushing
Class of 2027, 7-foot center
Hometown: Delta State, Nigeria
Edema was a premier rim protector as he collected three blocks per game and consistently deterred opponents from challenging him at the rim or even entering the paint because of his presence. Put simply, he was the best defensive player on the best defensive team in the class.
His teammate Brady O’Connell (Bedford, N.H.) also deserved consideration here as one of the best perimeter and 1-on-1 defenders in the class. He led Cushing in plus/minus this season.
Coach of the Year: Jim McCarthy, Cheshire
Cheshire won just 10 games last season and had not been to the playoffs since 2020 before having one of the best turnarounds in NEPSAC basketball this season. With underrated Division 3 commits and several more NEPSAC unknowns on his roster, McCarthy guided the Cats to 21 wins, the No. 3 seed in Class AA and an appearance in the championship game. I weigh my Coach of the Year selections heavily on success relative to expectations. McCarthy was already a highly respected coach within NEPSAC circles, but the job he did this season cemented that.
Class AA has no shortage of high-level coaches, many of which were considered for this award. Cushing’s James Cormier deserves recognition for assembling a roster that went undefeated in Class AA while navigating injuries. St. George’s coach Dwayne Pina lost several starters from last year’s team, but the Dragons still earned the No. 2 seed in AA and a second consecutive ISL title. Winchendon’s Alex Popp returned to the region and guided the Wapiti to 22 wins and a top-four seed, and Albany Academy’s Jim Driggs led the Cadets to the playoffs in their impressive first NEPSAC season.
Marksman of the Year: Christian Zarzycki, Cheshire
Class of 2027, 6-3 guard
Hometown: Penfield, N.Y.
There were games this season when Zarzycki simply looked like he couldn’t miss from beyond the arc. In his first NEPSAC season, he shot an absurd 54 percent from long range as he made 70 of his 130 attempts. That includes going 7-for-8 from deep, including the go-ahead triple in the final minute of the Cats’ comeback quarterfinal win over Lawrence Academy.
There were a lot of incredible outside shooters in Class AA this season. Kimball Union’s Zach Romich (Groton, Mass.), Brimmer & May’s Windston Legentus (Raynham, Mass.), MacDuffie’s Brayden Harris and Winchendon’s Brady Sehlhorst all deserve a shout, among others.
Class AA First Team
Dywane Chess, St. George’s
Class of 2026, 6-4 guard
Hometown: Bethlehem, Pa.
NCAA: Marist
Chess took on a bigger role and thrived as one of the best players in the region. His breakout winter included scoring a team-leading 18.6 points per game while shooting 42.5 percent from 3-point range as he made 76 triples. He was also the team’s leading rebounder at seven boards per game. He led the Dragons to an undefeated season in ISL play as they claimed a second straight title.
Theo Edema, Cushing
Class of 2027, 7-foot center
Hometown: Delta State, Nigeria
Our Defensive Player of the Year also contributed 12.2 points, eight rebounds, two assists and more than one steal per game for the Class AA champions.
Alex Egbuonu, Lawrence Academy
Class of 2026, 6-7 wing
Hometown: Nashua, N.H.
NCAA: Marquette
Egbuonu was a two-way monster all season. He averaged 25.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 36.2 percent from 3-point range en route to being named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Massachusetts and leading Lawrence Academy to the No. 6 seed in the AA playoffs. His outstanding winter included a memorable week in which he set his career high in points twice, including a 46-point outburst on 10 3-pointers in a win over Cheshire.
Ryan Moesch, Cushing
Class of 2026, 6-0 guard
Hometown: Chittenango, N.Y.
NCAA: Syracuse
Our Player of the Year was one of the class’ most durable players, too, as he played every game. During a season in which Cushing dealt with injuries and players in and out of the lineup, Moesch was a hallmark of consistency for the Penguins and proved his value every night.
John Spinoso, Cheshire
Class of 2026, 6-4 forward
Hometown: Port Washington, N.Y.
NCAA: Trinity
One of Class AA’s most unique talents and best passing big men, Spinoso averaged 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds per game while shooting 40 percent from 3-point territory and 58 percent from 2-point range. His season included a near triple-double of 15 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in Cheshire’s road semifinal win over St. George’s.
Class AA Second Team
Quinn Gibson, Winchendon
Class of 2026, 6-6 forward
Hometown: Cherry Hill, N.J.
NCAA: Cornell
Gibson arrived at Winchendon uncommitted and earned an Ivy League commitment by February. He was a double-double machine, averaging 21.8 points and 11.4 rebounds per game as he showcased one of the best motors in the region.
Brayden Harris, MacDuffie
Class of 2026, 6-5 wing
Hometown: San Jose, Calif.
NCAA: UC Riverside
Harris broke out in a big way in his NEPSAC debut, averaging 20 points on 43 percent 3-point shooting as one of the best shotmakers in Class AA. He added 6.7 rebounds, two assists and two steals per game, earning a commitment to UC Riverside in February.
Jack Louridas, Albany Academy
Class of 2026, 6-3 guard
Hometown: Delmar, N.Y.
NCAA: Yale
Louridas proved himself as one of the best scorers in the class as he averaged 23.4 points per game while shooting 39 percent from deep. His season included an electric 49-point performance in a win over Brimmer & May in December.
Talib Martin, St. Andrew’s
Class of 2027, 6-6 wing
Hometown: Staten Island, N.Y.
Martin emerged as one of the best juniors in Class AA. He averaged 18.3 points and seven rebounds per game while providing strong, versatile defense to help lead the Saints to the playoffs as the No. 7 seed.
Hudson Scroggins, Kimball Union
Class of 2026, 6-8 forward
Hometown: Lake Forest, Ill.
NCAA: Valparaiso
Scroggins was one of the toughest covers in the class as a dominant scorer in the paint. He averaged 23 points, nine rebounds and three assists per game as he led Kimball Union to the No. 5 seed and another semifinal appearance.
Honorable mentions: Brandon Arnold (Kimball Union), Kenny Benedict (St. George’s), Windston Legentus (Brimmer & May), Aidan Maguire (Cheshire), Evan Mitchner (Lawrence Academy), Darren Moore (Northfield Mount Hermon), Brady O’Connell (Cushing), Chinedu Okpara (Wilbraham & Monson), LaDanion Payne (Brimmer & May), Brady Sehlhorst (Winchendon)
