NEW HAMPTON, N.H. — For most of the last three years, New Hampton has been one of the best programs in New England with a very familiar look. A core that started with Keyshuan Tillery and Mason Blackwood, then added Naz Meyer and Ty Tabales, led the Huskies through an extremely successful run.
Now, with those four graduated and starting their Division 1 college basketball careers, it’s something of a new era at New Hampton. And there’s a breath of fresh excitement as the Huskies begin a new chapter.
New Hampton returns a handful of players, but with a roster full of newcomers who are about to compete in NEPSAC Class AAA for the first time, the Huskies are entering the 2025-26 season under the radar.
“I don’t think it’s disrespectful or anything. It’s just so unknown,” head coach Andrew Gale said about being under the radar. “Not a lot of people know about the guys that we have on our roster and we are so different, but I am excited about the group.
“I’m invigorated by how excited they are to do it, and there is something to be said about doing it for the first time.”
Despite the changes, New Hampton still has the pieces to be one of the top teams in Class AAA this winter. Here’s what to expect.
Jayden Harrington, Chad Cook stepping up as leaders
While the Huskies lost significant pieces, there are a pair of key returners in Harrington and Cook who have recognized their place on the leadership hierarchy as they both enter their third season with the program. There’s plenty of buzz about the leaps both of them can make this season.
Harrington has long established himself as one of the best 3-point shooters in New England, but this winter will present an opportunity for the 6-foot-5 guard, whose body is physically stronger, to show the rest of his game. So much of the offense the last two years has revolved around Tillery, Blackwood and Meyer – who could each create shots at a high level – that Harrington made his impact in the shadows of them. Now he’s ready to break out.
Q&A: Jayden Harrington on upcoming season at New Hampton, training with Jimmy Butler
“I think he was just trying to fit in, and this is the year he’s trying to establish himself as a guy,” Gale said. “He has stepped up to the challenge, he’s been a leader, he’s extremely vocal and his body has just allowed him to do more things. He’s far more aggressive with the ball in his hands, trying to create shots. He’s shown a huge growth in that.
“I think a lot of people look at him as just a guy who’s a catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter, and he has some stuff to him off the dribble now. He’s physical, (he) can win the bump. As we saw this summer, like he’s looking to try to dunk in games and he has this edge to him. When you lose those four guys that were with him, the runway is now kind of his and he sees that.”
Gale has seen a similar jump in Cook’s maturity. The skilled 6-foot-8 forward, who committed to Richmond on Monday, is putting his arm around teammates and speaking up more. On the court, he’s also shown improvements in his explosiveness to the rim and in his post game. Despite missing three weeks of open gyms as he recovered from an injury, he’s been New Hampton’s second-leading assist man this fall. He looks ready for a big year – on both ends.
“We’re going to have a lot of different looks that we can play out of and use him as a facilitator far more,” Gale said. “His activity defensively has been a big jump. … He has a hunger to him on that end.”
Impact additions
New Hampton has a lot of scoring to replace from last season; Harrington and Cook will take up a chunk of that, but a handful of exciting transfers – headlined by Wesley Waddles and Stetson Merritt – will come in and make an immediate impact. Waddles, a 6-foot-6 wing committed to Maine, will bring a high-level of shotmaking ability and creation, plus rebounding and defensive versatility with his size and effort. Merritt, a 6-foot-3 guard in the 2027 class, is the most gifted scorer on the roster, according to Gale. He had an impressive debut in June at the NEPSAC Scholastic Showcase, which included a buzzer-beating, game-winning 3-pointer.
“He has a really high ceiling,” Gale said of Merritt. “He’s going to be the guy who’s going to win us a game or two on his own. Naz is very different, but he has that scoring ability that Naz gave us. A little herky-jerky and plays with tempo rather than Naz, who was explosive and can elevate over guys shooting off the dribble. Stetson is really good at getting to the rim, finishing at the rim, being crafty.”
James Sanderson, a 6-foot-2 guard from Texas, is more of an unknown but will be a heavy contributor. Gale expects ball-handling responsibilities to be split mostly between Merritt, Harrington and Sanderson, who has a lot of excitement to his game. He’s a high-level one-on-one defender with great instincts and a knack for the ball. Offensively, Gale said he thrives on paint touches and making the right reads and plays.
Strength in depth and versatility
Gale should be able to go at least 10 deep with his roster. He doesn’t have a true big, but his team is full of different impact abilities. Ben Safran, another returner, has also made a big jump; Gale said he’s their best offensive rebounder, and he guards multiple positions, takes charges and does the dirty work. Edison Onwe and Tre Jones give them added length at the wing, and Brandyn Clarke, a sophomore wing, could be an X-factor. He’s already shown flashes of being a high-level player and he's still only 15.
Offensively, New Hampton will be different and try some new things with its new-look roster, which is a refreshing after having the same top personnel for the last handful of years. And defensively, Gale said he’s liked the Huskies’ edge with switchable wings and physical guards who will create problems.
“I like our depth; I like how the pieces fit together,” Gale said. “We have a lot of guys who complement each other well. We’ll see how many guys we have who can create offense or play at the level that those four guys who graduated did. But I do like the group. They’re eager; they’re hungry.”
