Two weeks of MIAA boys basketball action is in the books, and there are plenty of standout performances to sift through.
The first stretch of the season has been defined by excitement, including several buzzer-beaters, that should set the tone for a wild winter. Several stars have picked up where they left off last season. And my favorite part of every new season is discovering some new breakout talent. Several names have announced themselves in a big way.
Coaches and players are welcome to submit nominations for our stars of the week by emailing Steve Hewitt at steve.hewitt@basketballjournal.com or by messaging/tagging him on Twitter/X (@steve_hewitt). This will be run weekly until the state tournaments begin.
Here are 15 stars from the first two weeks of the season, covering Dec. 12-23.
MIAA TOP 10: Andover cracks the rankings after big win
Jayden Delaleu, Millbury
Class of 2027, 6-2 guard
Delaleu is back after missing a significant part of the spring and summer with an injury, and he looks strong. He did a little bit of everything in Millbury’s thrilling 48-46 victory over Abington on Dec. 17 – scoring, facilitating and causing havoc on defense, and he made the defining play of the game with a buzzer-beating layup to win the game. With three seconds remaining in a tied game, Delaleu leapt to catch an inbounds pass at mid-court, tip-toed the sideline with the ball on his left hand and made a strong drive to the hoop for the winning bucket. It was an impressive display of skill, awareness and poise in a big moment.
Millbury beats Abington at the buzzer, 48-46. What a finish.
Jayden Delaleu with the game-winning layup for the Woolies as time expires. pic.twitter.com/j6kNgjc1Eu
— Steve Hewitt (@steve_hewitt) December 18, 2025
Nick Fein, Norwell
Class of 2026, 6-1 guard
Fein has one of the most memorable performances of the season’s opening two weeks, producing 29 points and a thrilling game-winning layup in Norwell’s victory over Middleboro on Dec. 19. Moments after teammate Bret Amorosino hit a game-tying 3-pointer, Fein grabbed a steal and took it back for the winning bucket. The Clippers, who went undefeated en route to the Division 3 championship last season, underwent significant turnover but are now 3-0 behind Fein.
Jackson Hines, Arlington Catholic
Class of 2030, 5-8 guard
The eighth-grader has been unfazed by the moment despite his youth. In the season opener against Revere, Hines hit a game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime, then scored four more points in the extra frame to secure a 62-55 victory. He has scored in double figures in every game of Arlington Catholic’s 3-0 start.
Jacob Lok, Oliver Ames
Class of 2026, 5-7 guard
The Tigers are 3-0 to start the season and entered this week’s updated MIAA Top 10 behind Lok’s steady play at point guard. A three-year starter at OA, Lok averaged 14.0 points, 7.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds in the Tigers’ first two wins. That included an 18-point, four-assist performance – including four 3-pointers in the third quarter – as OA snapped Franklin’s 39-game Hockomock League winning streak on Dec. 16.
Kingston Maxwell, Abington
Class of 2026, 6-4 guard
One of the best guards in the state, Maxwell is showing it to start the season. He’s averaging 27 points per game, including a 33-point effort in a two-point loss to Millbury, where he nearly led a comeback victory after the Green Wave trailed by double digits. Abington is 2-2 after his 22-point, six-assist effort in Tuesday’s dominant win over Carver.
Ryan McDonald, Walpole
Class of 2026, 6-1 guard
A returning Bay State Conference All-Star, McDonald has led Walpole to a 4-1 record to start the season. That included a memorable 37-point performance in a victory over Milton on Dec. 16, when he hit his eighth 3-pointer of the night for a buzzer-beating winner.
Teddy O’Neill, Swampscott
Class of 2028, 6-2 guard
The highest reported single-game point total of the season so far belongs to O’Neill, who poured in 42 points, including seven 3-pointers, in Swampscott’s win over Winthrop on Dec. 16. O’Neill also posted 24 points, nine rebounds and four steals in the Big Blue’s season-opening win over Gloucester. Swampscott is 3-0 to start the season.
Ian Piper, Holland Tech (Burke)
Class of 2026, 6-3 guard
Piper, who helped Holland win the Boston City League championship last season, is continuing to be a two-way threat for the 3-1 Bulldogs. He put up 20 points, seven rebounds and four steals in a season-opening win over Newton South, and had 22 points, eight rebounds and five steals in a dominant win over Lynn English on Dec. 19.
LaDainian Rodrigues, Attleboro
Class of 2026, 6-3 guard
The big, athletic scoring guard and reigning All-MIAA second-teamer has paced the Blue Bombardiers to a 3-0 start behind averages of 18 points, 9.3 rebounds, four steals, four assists and two blocks per game. That includes a 28-point, 11-rebound double-double in Attleboro’s win over Taunton on Dec. 22.
Josh Roux, Andover
Class of 2027, 6-0 guard
Roux is averaging 25.3 points per game over Andover’s 3-0 start, including a 33-point performance in a victory over Acton-Boxborough, where he made four 3-pointers, went 11-for-11 from the free-throw line and tallied four rebounds and three assists. He also added 19 points in the Golden Warriors’ signature win at Central Catholic on Dec. 19.
Cam Santos, Bridgewater-Raynham
Class of 2026, 6-5 guard
Santos has filled the stat sheet in the No. 2 Trojans’ 3-0 start. He scored a game-high 24 points in B-R’s dominant season-opening win over Durfee, tallied 13 points, nine rebounds, three blocks and three steals in a victory over BC High, then posted 19 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two blocks in a big win over New Bedford on Dec. 22.
Mathaios Stamm, Newton North
Class of 2026, 6-1 guard
Stamm has been the Tigers’ top scorer after the departure of Teagan Swint last season. He averaged 24.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists during the opening week, and he led Newton North to two more wins over the last week. He scored 20 points in a thrilling comeback win over St. John’s Prep, then posted 22 points and eight rebounds in a 70-58 win over Brookline on Dec. 22.
Alex Ste. Marie, Manchester Essex
Class of 2027, 6-5 forward
Ste. Marie has enjoyed a dominant stretch to start the season while leading Manchester Essex to a 4-0 record. He’s averaging 25.3 points per game, including a 31-point effort in the season-opening victory over Rockport and a 25-point, 15-rebound performance in a victory over Ipswich.
Aiden Walter, Lowell
Class of 2026, 6-1 guard
A retooled Lowell team is 2-1 after Walter’s heroics in a victory over Georgetown on Tuesday. The senior guard scored 30 points, including 25 in the second half and the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Red Raiders a thrilling 65-63 win.
Foster Wilinski, Needham
Class of 2026, 6-5 forward
Needham is off to a 5-0 start, and Wilinski has been at the center of the success. He had 22 points and nine boards in a 65-55 win over Brookline on Dec. 16, and he posted 16 points and 10 rebounds in a 66-57 win over Catholic Memorial on Dec. 20.
