The New England prep basketball scene gets to collectively exhale now that we've entered winter breaks.
It's been a whirlwind first month of the winter season, but no stretch was more impactful than this past weekend. Between the highly-anticipated Nickerson Showcase and a bunch of other holiday tournaments, practically every top team was involved in one or multiple meaningful games.
We have a clearer picture of where the top programs sit after a month. Some rose to the occasion with victories in head-to-head top-10 matchups, while others showed they have a lot of growing left to do.
This will be the last NEPSAC power rankings of the calendar year before teams return to action in early 2025.
MORE: Upperclassmen standouts from Nickerson | Underclassmen standouts from Nickerson
1. Tabor (8-0)
Previous ranking: 1
Next game: vs. Lawrence Academy, Jan. 8, 4:45 p.m.
The Seawolves had a huge 4-0 week that included wins against three teams in our rankings. It started Wednesday with a 62-50 home victory against Tilton. Then at Nickerson, Tabor downed Loomis Chaffee, Wilbraham and Monson and Worcester Academy. Their senior Big Three is humming, underclassmen are stepping up off the bench, and coach Will Becker is comfortable rolling out 10 or more players even when a game is undecided. Getting most of the roster involved early should help build a confident rotation for the later months.
2. Nobles (7-0)
Previous ranking: 2
Next game: vs. Beaver Country Day, Jan. 3, 3:45 p.m.
Nobles got pounced on by a tough Hoosac team to start the Nickerson Showcase but fended off the challenge, winning 77-68 in overtime. After that, the Bulldogs stomped two top-notch opponents, beating Loomis Chaffee and New Hampton each by more than 20 points. It's hard to picture a better start for their own Big Three of Jasmyn Cooper (North Easton, Mass.), Ashley Dinges (Haverhill, Mass.) and Christina Pham (South Boston, Mass.). The blowout wins are also giving Nobles chances to give its younger depth extended run time.
3. Tilton (7-2)
Previous ranking: 3
Next game: at Austin Prep, Jan. 10, 6:00 p.m.
The Rams took their lumps in Wednesday's loss to Tabor, but they bounced back with one of the more convincing performances from any team at the Nickerson Showcase. Tilton defeated Wilbraham and Monson, Sacred Heart and Northfield Mount Hermon each by double digits. They held all three opponents under 50 points, a testament to the caliber of defenders across most of the roster. After playing one of the toughest early-season schedules, the Rams can really stack some wins in January.
4. Northfield Mount Hermon (7-2)
Previous ranking: 4
Next game: vs. Storm King, Jan. 8, 4:30 p.m.
Northfield Mount Hermon missed head coach Grace Rehnquist for the Nickerson Showcase due to her wife's childbirth. Kaiyah Corona filled in admirably as the interim leader for the weekend, helming the squad to a 2-1 showing. NMH out-executed New Hampton in crunch time for a statement 49-44 win Saturday before dropping Sunday's contest against Tilton. At this point, they've separated themselves as the clear top team in Class AA.
5. New Hampton (6-2)
Previous ranking: 5
Next game: vs. Dexter Southfield, Jan. 10, 4:00 p.m.
Nickerson was an important test for the young, then-unbeaten Huskies. They prevailed in a wild, 49-47 thriller against Worcester Academy, a contest where they both trailed and led by at least 13 points. New Hampton then dropped a back-and-forth Saturday game against Northfield Mount Hermon and suffered a blowout loss to Nobles Sunday. Still, Elyse Ngenda (Bedford, N.H.) shined, Serenity Lancaster (New London, Conn.) withstood tough matchups and several of New Hampton's guards had bright moments. The Huskies start 2025 with a big home rematch against Dexter Southfield, who they beat by a point Dec. 7.
6. Hoosac (6-6)
Previous ranking: NR
Next game: vs. Newman, Jan. 11, 1:00 p.m.
Hoosac has played one of the more unique schedules in NEPSAC, with a ton of early travel that included a loss to powerhouse Montverde Academy and four total defeats to non-NEPSAC schools. But back in New England, they gave us a show at Nickerson. Hoosac nearly took down Nobles in Friday's overtime classic. Then they cruised past Winchendon and Rivers to cap the weekend. They boast an elite backcourt in Carolina Williams and Anna Moser (Rutland, Vt.), plus a ton of size and physicality in the frontcourt.
7. Loomis Chaffee (4-2)
Previous ranking: 6
Next game: vs. Kent, Jan. 11, 3:00 p.m.
Losing Alicia Mitchell to an ankle injury during Friday's matchup against Tabor, with two more games coming in two days, was a tough hurdle for the Pelicans to overcome. They still managed to give Tabor a great test in a 50-41 loss before being stomped by Nobles, 68-30, and bouncing back with a win against Greenwich Country Day. Fortunately, coach Adrian Stewart doesn't believe Mitchell's injury is serious, and he expects her back after winter break. I wouldn't read too much into the results from this week.
8. Wilbraham and Monson (8-5)
Previous ranking: 7
Next game: vs. Greens Farms, Jan. 11, 2:00 p.m.
I am giving the Titans some grace. Their 0-3 weekend at Nickerson included two daunting opponents in Tilton and Tabor. Their one-point loss to St. George's came on the last day of the three-day stretch, and they do have the November win against Dexter Southfield as a notable positive on their resume, plus last Wednesday's victory against Darrow. However, WMA is vulnerable in these rankings. The Titans get 2025 going with some key matchups against top-10 hopefuls like Greens Farms and Newman (Jan. 18). We'll see if the break gives them the reset they need.
9. Dexter Southfield (4-4)
Previous ranking: 8
Next game: vs. St. Luke's, Jan. 3, 2:00 p.m.
Dexter Southfield went 1-3 in the loaded Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona. Their results included blowout losses to PHH Prep (Ariz.) and Spire Academy (Ohio), a win against Harbour (New Zealand) and a one-point loss to AZ Compass Prep (Ariz.). It's hard to glean a ton from those matchups, but Dexter is another young team that could really use the holiday break. They have a gauntlet of a January schedule that includes eight games in 18 days — and six straight matchups against the top five programs.
10. Darrow (7-5)
Previous ranking: NR
Next game: vs. Newman, Jan. 12, 2:00 p.m.
I've been quite impressed by how Darrow has ascended from Class D to Class AA under first-year coach Abby Streeter. The Ducks have several losses, but they're competitive ones. Among them: an OT loss to Dexter Southfield, a four-point loss to NMH, a 13-point loss to Tilton and a seven-point loss to Wilbraham and Monson. Darrow is allowing just 42.3 points per game and consistently drags opponents into rock fights. They defeated Sacred Heart and Choate at Nickerson this weekend.
On the radar: Hamden Hall, Berkshire, Newman, Greens Farms, Sacred Heart
