The boys basketball rivalry in Vermont between Burlington and Rice is one with a storied history.
The Seahorses and Green Knights have met several times on the state championship stage, including the last two winters, where each side has emerged victorious. In 2023, it was Rice holding off an upstart Burlington squad, but last year, it was the Seahorses as the dominant Division 1 force.
Both have expectations of remaining in that title hunt this year and a little more juice was added to their rivalry with the transfer of Pascal Munezero from the defending champion Seahorses to the perennial-contending Green Knights.
Munezero is one of many star players in the state this winter. Let’s take a look at 15 boys basketball players to watch for this season in Vermont.
Note: This is not a ranking of the state’s best players, but a look into some boys we expect to shine this year.
Kayden Anderson-Hall, Montpelier
Class of 2026, 6-0 guard
Montpelier is the five-time defending Division 2 state champions and the core of that run has graduated, so it will be on a new group to take the baton. Anderson-Hall could be one of the guys to do just that. He was really impressive during the Solons’ playoff run last year, most notably in their semifinal win against Otter Valley.
Oliver Avdibegovic, South Burlington
Class of 2026, 6-5 forward
Avdibegovic stands at 6-foot-5, so he’s an imposing presence in the middle for a South Burlington team that seems to be strong year in and year out. He does everything you want out of your bigs with the ability to score and rebound. Similar to Rutland’s big-man guard duo, South Burlington has the combination of him and standout guard Paul Comba, both VBCA outstanding underclassmen last year, so they’ll be well-versed in playing different ways.
Andrew Barker, Fair Haven
Class of 2026, 6-2 guard
Barker is a 3-point marksman for Fair Haven and really broke out last year in a much larger role as a junior, so you’d only expect that to continue this year. Barker possesses great size for a player that often is playing on the wing and is a relentless rebounder. Seeing how Fair Haven uses him this year will be interesting because the Slaters lost a ton of size in 1,000-point scoring big man Phil Bean.
Brayden Brown, Twin Valley
Class of 2027, 6-1 forward
Brown was a key cog in Twin Valley’s boys soccer championship this year and should be the leader of their basketball team once again this year. He reached 1,000 points as a sophomore and could be in the running to hit 2,000. He is relentless in the paint and very tough to keep in check for opponents.
Connor Denis, Otter Valley
Class of 2026, 5-9 guard
Denis is on the smaller side for guards, but he makes up for it with tenacity. He is tough and shifty and always finds ways to put the ball in the basket, whether he’s hitting a jumper or driving to the hoop. Denis has been a key player for OV, but that will heighten in a major way this year after some crucial graduation losses.
Peter Guay, West Rutland
Class of 2027, 6-1 guard
The younger brother of Vermont girls basketball’s all-time leading scorer Peyton Guay, Peter is a stud in his own right. Guay reached 1,000 points last year as a sophomore, having not even turned 16 years old yet and if he keeps on his current pace and is healthy 2,000 points is likely. You’d be hard-pressed to find a stronger guard physically as Guay is always in the gym working on his body and his game.
Noah Jenks, Hartford
Class of 2026 guard
You could point to a bunch of different Hartford players to watch this year, but Jenks is as good a choice as any. After transferring from Windsor, Jenks picked up right where he left off last year and was a key scoring threat for a Hurricanes team that got back to the Barre Auditorium for the second straight season. With most of their core back, Jenks and his Hartford teammates have sights on another Barre trip.
Cooper McCurley, Essex
Class of 2026, 5-11 guard
McCurley is coming off a standout campaign on the football field as a wide receiver for Essex, and he's an excellent combo guard on the basketball court for the Hornets. Essex is coming off a five-win campaign so he could play a major role in bringing them back to contention.
Hussein Mohamed, Winooski
Class of 2027, 5-9 guard
Mohamed was a Mountain League All-Star last year and one of VBCA’s outstanding underclassmen. He’s a sharpshooter that can rack up points in a hurry and could be asked to shoulder a big offensive load this season.
Pascal Munezero, Rice
Class of 2027, 5-9 guard
Munezero is a very talented 5-foot-9 guard who played a key role in Burlington winning it all last year and their rise over the last few seasons. Rice graduated the three-headed guard monster of Evan Eaton, Owen Eaton and Dallas St. Peter, so Munezero figures to be thrust into a major role in his first season wearing green and black.
Steele Nelson, Harwood Union
Class of 2026 forward
Nelson has been a part of multiple championship teams at Harwood, winning on the soccer pitch and most recently a title on the golf course. A star forward on the basketball court, Nelson is a constant double-double threat for a Highlanders team that made the state finals last year and has the returning talent to make another run.
Cooke Riney, Middlebury Union
Class of 2026, 6-6 center
Riney is committed to play football at Yale, but he is a force on the basketball court as well. Riney has an imposing size and strength that few, if any, big men have in the state. His size makes him a rebounding force and a constant threat for putback buckets.
Byron Robertson Jr., Burlington
Class of 2026, 5-11 guard
Robertson Jr. is a strong leader and facilitating guard for a Burlington team with high expectations. His role should be even more important this year with Munezero’s transfer to Rice. Robertson Jr. and fellow guard Sawyer Judkins, returning from an injury suffered last year, form one of the best backcourts in the state. Judkins, like Robertson, is a natural playmaker.
Michael Rodriguez Guerrero, St. Johnsbury
Class of 2027 guard
Rodriguez Guerrero can get hot quickly shooting the ball, and he could be the focal point for St. Johnsbury’s offense with the graduation of Gatorade Player of the Year Rex Hauser, who will be playing collegiate baseball at the University of Maine. St. Johnsbury is a team that has contending hopes every year and he could be a big piece of that.
Cooper Sparks, Rutland
Class of 2026, 6-5 forward
Sparks had a breakout campaign last winter for a Rutland team that is always in contention in Division 1. At 6-foot-5, Sparks has size that not many teams can match in the southern half of the state. Sparks is a quality rebounder and was a lot more aggressive in finding his shot last year, with the ability to shoot from in or out. Along with senior point guard Cellan Wood, he will be called upon to lead an RHS team with high expectations.
