BOSTON, Mass. — When Jackson Johnson took Newman’s head coaching job in 2022, the program was making a rapid transformation, and he almost didn’t even have time to think.
Newman was moving up to NEPSAC Class AAA, and upon Johnson’s hiring in June that year, they added 17 players in seven weeks. The Cardinals were thrown straight into the fire in their first year in New England’s highest class, finished the season with a 14-24 record, but had some positive developments, including winning at Brewster. Then last season, they quickly kicked it into high gear. With a surplus of Division 1 prospects, Newman went 26-12 as one of the best teams in the region.
Now, as the Cardinals head into Year 3 under Johnson, the growing pains are over. Newman is here to stay.
“It’s cool to see,” Johnson said. “Now we’re a staple in New England, and I think we’re going to be a top-5 program for a long time.”
Newman should once again be one of the top teams in New England this season, and certainly a contender to win its first NEPSAC championship. Playing in a new home at the Track at New Balance, the Cardinals have tons of talent and newfound depth that will make them tough to beat every night. Here’s what to expect from Newman boys basketball in 2024-25.
A deeper understanding
One big lesson Johnson has learned over the last two years: Depth matters, especially in Class AAA, which plays by NCAA rules. The games are 40 minutes with a 30-second shot clock, and there are 35 regular-season games in a tightly condensed schedule because there are full winter breaks.
Last year, I thought we were good, but we didn’t have enough depth, and we wore down,” Johnson said. “This year, we have that.”
Newman graduated some of the core from its first two seasons in Class AAA but still return a bunch of talent from the program, including 2025 third-year guard Aidan Losiewicz (Douglas, Mass.), 2025 guard Reggie Grodin (Greenwich, Conn.), 2025 forward Carson McDonald, 2026 guard Chase Geremia (Madison, Conn.), 2026 forward Quinn Costello (Medford, Mass.) and 2026 big man Collins Onyejiaka.
Johnson is excited about his newcomers, including dynamic 2025 guard Jalen Harper and 2025 forward Riley Dering, who’s physical and athletic and will be important. Timmy Bollin (Brockton, Mass.), a 2026 guard, should be in the mix, too. Johnson has shooters everywhere on the roster, including Geremia, Costello, and 2026 guards Bennett White and Louis O’Keefe.
The backcourt is loaded, with McDonald ready to take a leadership role and Grodin as a guard who makes the right plays. But versatility will also be a strength.
“I think we have a nice combination of shooting, size, switchability, some interior forces, and then across the board, we have really good IQ,” Johnson said. “The ball moves.”
With its depth, Newman wants to play as fast as possible and increase possessions.
“We think we can wear you down in the last eight minutes,” Johnson said. “We think we have a ton of skill, so our goal is we’d love to score 100 points a game if we could. … We want to take the first good shot and we think that increasing possessions allows our program’s IQ to really create an advantage.”
Collins Onyejiaka’s next step
Newman boasts one of the most dominant big men in New England in Collins Onyejiaka. Listed at 6-foot-11, 280 pounds – that’s not a typo – there isn’t anyone like him in the region with his combination of size, strength and skill.
“He protects the rim sometimes without even jumping,” Johnson said. “He deters people from coming in the paint just by his presence, like, you can feel it. I don’t know, there’s not many of those in our league. … He can be the best screener, he’s got a go-to move in the post, he can be unstoppable in the post and he has the ability to guard on the perimeter and inside. I just don’t think there’s anybody like him in our league.”
After a strong summer with BABC, Onyejiaka will look to carry that momentum this winter. Johnson is hoping to see more consistency from him.
“When he’s playing hard, he’s as impactful as anybody in our league, so we want him to just play harder for longer,” Johnson said. “That’s our main goal is, how long can he play at his top level?”
'Everybody can eat'
Johnson isn’t focused on winning championships. His primary goal is to help prepare his players for the college level, but that also comes with teaching them winning habits.
“If that’s (winning a championship) important to the kids, then we’ll talk about it more, but that’s not our main motivation,” Johnson said. “We want to teach the kids how to win and teach them how to be accountable, and to chase how good they can be on a daily basis, and make it super tough in here.
“I don’t really have goals, like I do think we will be really good, and obviously I’d love to win a national championship and all that, but my main thing is trying to get these kids tough and ready to play at the next level, because that’s why they come here.”
Johnson is very excited about his group, which can do a little bit of everything. Harper was a standout at the NEPSAC showcases this summer with his dynamic transition skills, Geremia is one of the best shooters in the region and Costello had made big strides. Newman may not have an alpha star, but it has a wealth of contributors who have the ability to make an impact every night.
“I love my team. They compete,” Johnson said. “I think it’ll be a different guy every night, and that’s a strength, and as long as they’re understanding that everybody can eat, then we’re going to be really hard to beat.”
