Podcast: Mass Rivals director Vin Pastore talks unforgettable run at Adidas 3SSB championships

Mass Rivals director Vin Pastore (right) coaches Derek Swartz during the Adidas 3SSB championships. (Thomas Netzer)

Mass Rivals’ July 2026 run to the final of the Adidas 3SSB Palmetto Road Championships won’t soon be forgotten.

Behind the brilliance of nationally-ranked star Antonio Pemberton, Rivals’ 17U team overcame the odds to reach the championship game of one of the best grassroots circuits in the country. Coach Vin Pastore’s young group featured five players in the 2028 or 2029 class and six players who played in the MIAA and NHIAA last season, but showed grit and toughness throughout the tournament, including beating Compton Magic – one of the best teams in the country – on its incredible run.

On the latest HoopWise Podcast, Pastore – the longtime program director at Rivals – joined the show to reflect on the season, the rise of Pemberton and the excitement surrounding his young core.

The conversation also touched on some big-picture subjects, including Pastore’s development approach at Rivals and his unique coaching style. The show concluded with a discussion on the battle public schools face in retaining their talent against the evolving influence of NEPSAC and prep schools.

Watch the video

Highlights

What impresses you the most about the way Antonio Pemberton take over big moments with his play and his leadership?

Pastore: “He has an unbelievable belief in himself. He has confidence. The nice thing about his confidence, he doesn’t have arrogance. It’s a high-level confidence that he can make plays at the end for himself and for others. He was the leader in scoring for the 3SSB over the summer, but that’s not what was the most impressive about him. The most impressive thing was that he was second in assists. I always said to him as a point guard, we need these guys to play on the other end, and the way you’re going to make them play on the other end is get them involved on the offensive end, because nobody wants to play defense when they get no contribution on the offensive end. And then at the end, you’ll close the games.”

What do you think about what the right decision is for players today as they consider going to prep schools?

Pastore: “The answer to that is always, it depends, right? What’s a good decision for you and your child might not be a good decision for somebody else and their child. … At the end of the day, you can get all the training, you want, you can win all the championships you want, but if you do not have a competitive gym, it’s hard to maximize your improvement. If you’re good enough, you have to be good enough, you don’t just tell every kid go to prep school and that’s like a wand that’s going to make you a Division 1 player because that’s a lie. But if you look at kids like an Antonio Pemberton, it was the right move for him because it helped him chase his dream. We can’t provide that in the NHIAA or MIAA, every day you’re going in and you’re the best kid in the gym. You can’t be the best kid in the gym every day. … So for some people, it makes absolute sense that they go to prep school. It’s opportunity-based.”

Listen

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