Basketball games, at last.
After so much waiting, the boys prep basketball season has finally commenced for several teams across New England as the calendar turned to November. Most of the region’s prep teams have not begun just yet, but we’ve gotten a first look at some of the top boys squads. Putnam Science and Brewster Academy’s national team are several games in, while the season tipped off for most of NEPSAC Class AAA over the weekend.
So, which players have stood out? There are some you would expect, and some surprises, too. In our first installment of the top boys performers of the week, we picked out several standouts and named our first player of the week. This will be a recurring series throughout the winter as we aim to highlight the best performances of the season and keep tabs on the top players in New England.
Coaches — feel free to make submissions for consideration for our weekly top performers. If doing so, please email me at steve.hewitt@basketballjournal.com and include any notable stats or context to the player’s performance.
MORE: Preseason All-New England team | NEPSAC Power Rankings
Let’s get to this week’s top performers.
NEPSAC Class AAA
Player of the week: Keyshuan Tillery, New Hampton
Class of 2025, 6-foot-0 guard
Stats: 18.5 points, 9.5 assists, 4.5 steals over two games
The Cincinnati commit and All-New England selection wasted no time in reasserting himself as one of the best players in the region, as he led New Hampton to season-opening road victories over Hoosac and Darrow. The point guard posted 12 points with eight assists in Friday’s 74-54 win over Hoosac before filling up the stat sheet with 25 points, 11 assists and five steals in Saturday’s tough 90-79 win over Darrow. Expect to see Tillery’s name often in this space this season.
Other standouts
New Hampton is hoping for a big season from skilled 2026 forward Chad Cook after a strong spring and summer of development. The 6-foot-7 big made a great first impression with 19 points and seven boards in the Huskies’ win over Darrow.
Newman rolled to a 2-0 opening weekend with notable performances up and down the roster, including 2025 guard Jalen Harper (15.5 ponts, 6 rebounds, 3 assists per game), 2026 guard Chase Geremia (14.5 points) and 2025 forward Carson McDonald (11.5 points, 4:1 assist-to-turnover ratio). Lucas Morillo, a 2026 guard, emerged for 11 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and six steals in Sunday’s win over Ridley College, emblematic of the defensive disruption Newman created on the perimeter over the weekend.
Darrow impressed in its first NEPSAC Class AAA weekend as the Ducks performed well in its loss to New Hampton before holding off Bridgton, 93-91. Hunter Te Ratana, a 2026 guard from New Zealand, came off the bench to score 21 points – including five 3-pointers – in Sunday’s win over Bridgton, while 2025 wing Teshaun Steele (Worcester, Mass.) posted 18 points, seven rebounds and the game-saving block as he made a big two-way impact. Haisi Mayben, a 2026 guard, was strong all weekend; he had 17 points against New Hampton, then posted 14 points and seven assists against Bridgton.
NEPSAC CLASS AAA: Examining the teams for the 2024-25 season
Vermont Academy’s Jakye Rainey, a postgraduate guard from New York, shined in his first game with his new team with a team-high 19 points to go along with seven rebounds and three assists in a win over Ridley College. Bridgton’s Ajay Lopes (Wareham, Mass.), a 2025 transfer guard from Wareham High School, poured in 34 points against Darrow. His teammate, 6-foot-10 center Cheick Sylla, had a big weekend with 15 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Hoosac before putting up 16 points in the loss to Darrow.
Around the region
Elsewhere in New England, Putnam Science’s 7-0 start has been anchored by a familiar name. Ben Ahmed is averaging 13.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, including 17 points and 13.5 rebounds per game in the Mustangs’ two victories over Bridgeport Prep and Redemption Christian in the Power 5 Tip-Off event last weekend. Sam Osayi, a 6-foot-9 2025 forward, has impressed with averages of 8.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Fairfield commit Tony “Butta” Williams has scored 10.9 points per game in a crowded Putnam backcourt that has also had big performances from Jah Hatchett and Jaeden Roberts.
Brewster’s national team is off to a 3-0 start with an average margin victory of 59. The Bobcats have received big contributions from Preston Fowler (Vernon, Conn.), Sebastian Wilkins (Canton, Mass.), Ebuka Okorie (Nashua, N.H.) and Antonio Pemberton (Methuen, Mass.).
