We’re really excited about what the start of 2025 will bring in prep basketball, as teams fight to reach the playoffs and players continue to make a name for themselves.
But first, let’s rewind.
The first two months of the prep season – on both the boys and girls sides – have been so much fun to watch, and has helped us get a better idea of the bigger picture. Some teams only just started their seasons in December, but have already made their mark as surprise contenders.
With the season on a brief hiatus because of winter break, hosts Steve Hewitt and Ethan Fuller dished out some early takeaways on the latest HoopWise podcast. The discussion includes observations from recent tournaments and games they’ve been to, top players they’ve seen, a couple of incredible buzzer beaters and much more.
Watch the video
Highlights
What did the Nickerson Showcase show you about Tilton’s contender status in Class AAA against Tabor and Nobles?
Ethan: “Of the three, Tilton has the most year-over-year adjustment to do. Obviously, everyone knows about Ahnay Adams graduating, they also brought in some transfers who are playing really important roles right away, like Bella (Cucuta), so I think the adjustment early season is larger for them than the top two teams, and so that should make them feel good that they hung with Tabor and Nobles in both their games, so there’s more upside and room for growth with them, you would think.”
What have you seen from Lawrence Academy's Alex Egbuonu?
Steve: “I mean, he’s just built like an NFL linebacker. He’s 6-6, I think he’s listed at 220. I don’t know what he really projects as at the college level positionally right now. He’s a 2026, so he’s got a little more development to do, but he’s like a 6-6 freight train and he’s obviously big, but he’s got all the skills of a guard. He’s in transition so much with the ball in his hands. … There’s so many plays where he just gets the defensive rebound…and he just takes the ball coast to coast, like I just expect him to do that every time he gets the ball, and there have so many of those highlight plays where he just poster (dunks) some poor kid on the other side.”
Listen
The HoopWise podcast can be streamed here and on major platforms, such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.


