It’s hard to believe, but the MIAA basketball season is already hitting the halfway mark.
Games began on Dec. 11 around the state, and the MIAA’s cutoff date for the last day of the regular season comes on Feb. 19, so Thursday represents the exact midway point with five weeks before the state tournament bracket release. That makes now a good time to review our early takeaways from the season, and look ahead to an exciting stretch run.
There’s a lot to unpack from the first half. Several teams and players have met expectations, and others have surpassed them. The Division 1 and 2 pictures have become more clear, but there’s still so much more to go. Conference title races are about to heat up and marquee matchups are on deck. The next two months are about to be wild as teams across the state set their paths for the state championships in Lowell.
Here’s our annual MIAA boys basketball midseason report, including surprises and several questions for the second half.
MIDSEASON REPORTS: NEPSAC boys | NEPSAC girls | MIAA girls
As good as advertised
1. Central Catholic (7-1) – Our preseason No. 1 team briefly slipped in its Dec. 19 home opener, falling to league rival Andover in an uncharacteristically sloppy performance. But the Raiders have since reclaimed their status as Division 1’s team to beat. They’ve won six in a row against Massachusetts opponents, including capturing the Commonwealth Motors Christmas Classic championship. They’re getting contributions from everyone on their deep and experienced roster, including co-captain Jeremiah Almanzar, Drew O’Keefe and Jordan Marion.
2. Bridgewater-Raynham (8-1) – Ranked No. 3 in our preseason Top 10, the Trojans have fallen just once, a 67-64 loss to Bishop Feehan on Dec. 28. Coach Doug Alves’ squad has otherwise rolled and they’re No. 1 in the MIAA’s Div. 1 power rankings that were posted on Tuesday. Depth has defined B-R’s hot start, with the likes of Cam Santos, transfer guard Aiden Pires, Luke Tirrell and Lee Williams fitting well around star Cason Faulk.
3. Attleboro (8-1) – The preseason Hockomock League favorite has met expectations, with a 7-0 league record that includes wins over Mansfield and Oliver Ames. Coach Mark Houle has one of the best 1-2 punches in the state with his son, point guard Connor Houle alongside athletic guard Ladainian Rodrigues. But the Blue Bombardiers have also received important contributions from Isaiah Outland, Devin Dufresne and Shane Hanrahan. A tough second-half schedule includes matchups with Bishop Feehan, Catholic Memorial and potentially B-R at the Blue Bombardier Classic.
4. Winchester (11-0) – The Red & Black saw stars Jack Charchaflian and Alex Casey depart from last season’s team, but they’ve been just fine. The trio of Dawson English, Harrison Burbine and Carson Sarpong have carried them to an undefeated mark and they’ve already qualified for the state tournament with at least 10 victories. They sit one game ahead of Lexington and Arlington in the Middlesex League Liberty Division standings, and they have three remaining games against them – two against Arlington and one against Lexington, who they beat 77-74 on Dec. 22.
5. Beverly (6-2) – The Panthers were No. 2 in our preseason Top 10 and fell to No. 8 after last week’s loss to Salem, but they’ve still shown to be a formidable contender in Division 1. Their six wins – including one over Andover – have been by an average of 31 points, and they hung tough with Central Catholic despite losing by 14. Transfer Domenic Panniello-Torres has fit in perfectly as a do-it-all player, and this group’s depth has been a strength. Their second-half schedule includes matchups with Lowell, Charlestown, Abington and two games against Masconomet, which should help decide the Northeastern Conference title.
MIAA Top 10: Our latest rankings update
3 surprises
Malden Catholic, St. Mary’s reload as state title contenders – I didn’t fully know what to expect from Malden Catholic and St. Mary’s after both teams underwent coaching changes, significant roster turnover and moving up divisions, but both programs emerging into state championship contenders in Division 1 and 2, respectively, is a relative surprise. MC is 10-0 and No. 2 in the Div. 1 power rankings under new coach Mark Garrity, while St. Mary’s is 9-0 and No. 1 in the Div. 2 power rankings under new coach Josh Keilty. There’s plenty left to go, but both teams have surpassed my expectations after preseason uncertainty.
Andover is back in the Div. 1 and MVC mix – The Golden Warriors may have been overlooked heading into the winter after the departures of stars Sam Concemi and Owen Crowley, but we probably shouldn’t underestimate longtime coach Dave Fazio. They sit at 8-1 with a 5-0 mark in the Merrimack Valley Conference – including that signature win at Central Catholic – with a young group headlined by junior star Josh Roux. Sophomore guard Charlie Tutwiler has excelled in an expanded role, and freshman Logan Sullivan has cracked the starting lineup after a terrific debut in his first month.
Needham emerges as Div. 1 threat – The Rockets have hit the midway point of the season with a 9-1 record, with their lone defeat coming on the road to Newton North. After an 11-11 campaign in 2024-25, their breakout season has included wins over Brookline, Braintree, Catholic Memorial and two over Xaverian, and they sit at No. 5 in the Div. 1 power rankings. A balanced attack that includes Ben Marino, Matthew Cloonan and Foster Wilinski has Needham suddenly dreaming big this winter.
Player of the Year candidates
Several of the players we expected to be among the best in the state this season have performed at a high level through the first half, and some even better than we thought. Let’s break down some of the names in the early running for our MIAA Player of the Year award by the top three divisions.
In Division 1, Central Catholic’s Javi Lopez – who was voted by coaches as the MIAA’s best player before the season started – is living up to his billing. He won MVP of the Commonwealth Motors Christmas Classic and has three games of 30 or more points, including 33 in the CMCC clincher. Andover’s Josh Roux has continued his trajectory as one of the state’s premier players as a junior; through nine games, he’s averaging 26.2 points per game while shooting 47 percent from 3-point range to go along with five rebounds and four assists per game.
Beverly’s Jacob Klass is living up to his reputation, too, averaging 22 points per game and shooting 91 percent from the free-throw line while contributing three rebounds and three assists per game. And Bishop Feehan’s Brody Bumila, an elite baseball prospect who’s committed to Texas, has emerged as one of the state’s best on the hardwood. The 6-foot-9 forward is fueling the Shamrocks’ strong 6-2 start with several monster 20-point double-double performances.
In Division 2, several high-scoring guards are making a case for themselves. St. Mary’s sophomore Jake Fortier was named MVP of the Boverini Tournament, and Masconomet’s Jimmy Farrell and Oliver Ames’ Justin Grimaldi have filled it up at a high level. Don’t sleep on Pope Francis senior Sam Brigham, who’s averaging 22.6 points per game for the 7-1 Cardinals.
DIV. 2 CLASH: 8 standouts and takeaways from St. Mary's Jan. 12 win over Masconomet
From Division 3, a quartet of players are leading their teams to strong winters so far. Salem’s Elian Rodriguez has filled up the box score for the 6-0 Witches, who have a win over Beverly, and Jonny Sullivan has led Tewksbury to the No. 3 spot in the power rankings. Sophomore Teddy O’Neill has powered Swampscott to an 8-0 start, which includes a 42-point performance. And Abington’s Kingston Maxwell has dominated for the 7-3 Green Wave. He has posted several 30-point double-doubles, including a 41-point, 12-rebound effort.
3 questions for second half
Who will be the No. 1 seed in Division 1?
There will be a new favorite in Division 1 this winter with reigning finalists Franklin and Newton North catching up after experiencing turnover. Right now, it looks like a three-horse race for the top seed in the state tournament, with Bridgewater-Raynham (11.1744 rating), Malden Catholic (10.7846) and Central Catholic (10.7529) separating themselves from the pack. I can also see a path for Attleboro (No. 8 currently in the power rankings), with its tough second-half schedule, to crack the top four and earn home-court advantage through the quarterfinal round.
Can anyone challenge St. Mary’s in D2?
The Spartans look like the clear-cut favorite, and I wouldn’t be stunned if they ran the rest of their regular-season table and entered the tournament undefeated. The question then becomes: Is anyone capable of knocking them off? Masconomet lost to them by 14 on Monday in Lynn, but it was closer than that score indicated. Masco led early in the second half, and Farrell was playing through a fever. If they match up again on a neutral floor, they have as good of a shot as anyone. Pope Francis is the only team that has lost to St. Mary’s by single digits this season. The Cardinals, with experience from last season’s run to the quarterfinals, could give them a challenge, too.
Who will emerge in Division 3?
This division looks wide open. Ten of the 16 teams in this week’s power rankings have one or fewer losses, including undefeated teams Hanover (8-0), Weston (7-0) and Swampscott (8-0). Old Rochester, last season’s 20th-seeded darling that made the championship game, is 6-3 with the hardest strength of schedule in the division, and they have several players back from last year’s team. And we can’t forget about reigning champion Norwell, which went undefeated last season and now sits at No. 10 in the power rankings with a 7-1 record. This promises to be another wild race.
