NEW LEBANON, N.Y. — Antonio Anderson concluded his first season as the head coach at Darrow with just seven wins, but it didn’t matter. He had higher goals to chase. The Lynn, Mass. native, who scrapped and clawed his way to Memphis, an NCAA national championship appearance and then the NBA wasn’t going to give in. Anderson’s never backed down from a challenge.
So, after that seven-win season in 2024, Anderson saw an opportunity to elevate his NEPSAC Class AA program to Class AAA, the highest level of prep basketball in New England. He went to Darrow’s administration – Head of School Andrew Vadnais and Athletic Director Kris Magargal – with the request.
“I was like, ‘I don’t want to be in AA, I want to be in AAA,’” Anderson recalled. “They’re like, ‘What? You were just 7-22.’
“I’m like, ‘I don’t give a (expletive). We’ll be good enough. Trust me.’ And they did.”
Anderson rewarded their faith. In their first season in Class AAA, the Ducks went 23-10, including marquee wins over programs around the country. They earned the No. 3 seed in the Class AAA playoffs and qualified for the national prep championship tournament as one of the top 16 prep teams in the country.
Anderson’s program has arrived. Entering Year 3, the Ducks are humming out of the quiet Taconic Mountains in upstate New York, and are firmly on the national map. They’re joining the New England Basketball League, and Anderson believes this group could be even better than last year. They’re only getting started.
“For us, it’s a relentless mindset,” Anderson said. “That’s kind of been leading to where we’ve been trending right now.”
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When Raphael Chillious, the former head coach at South Kent and Anderson’s mentor, called him in 2023 telling him that Darrow had an opening, Anderson quipped, ‘Where’s that?’ But he quickly got familiar. He soon connected with Magargal and visited campus to meet Vadnais. They were transparent about what the road looked like for Anderson if he took the job.
“They weren’t telling me that everything is sweet here,” Anderson said. “(It was) you’re gonna have to scratch and crawl here. I’m like, ‘Look, as long as I got the support of you guys and you let me build it, I’ll be OK.’ You don’t have to hold my hand.
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“But I knew coming in, I took it in like October, so I knew the first year, I was going to get my head beat in a bit.”
Anderson had full support from the school, and they aligned about needs for the basketball program while also fulfilling the mission of the school. But it was certainly rough that first season. Anderson was proud to place four scholarship players from that team, but he knew improvements were needed.
During that season, Anderson was starting to recruit for the future. But it was a challenge.
“Some people are like, ‘Where the hell is Darrow?’ ‘What is this?’” Anderson recalled.
Anderson knew he couldn’t do it alone. He reached out to Brandon West – a well-respected and connected coach in the region who has experience at every level – to inquire about being his assistant.
“I needed a shark with me,” Anderson said.
West, who was then at Belmont Hill, wondered about what the scope of their recruiting efforts would look like, and Anderson assured him they could go after anyone they wanted. After briefly pondering the move, West agreed to join him and they immediately started working the phones.
Anderson said the hardest challenge was convincing kids and families to understand and trust their vision. In moving up to Class AAA, they were recruiting against the likes of Newman and other established programs like St. Thomas More and Vermont Academy. They pivoted their efforts to recruit outside the region, and find under-the-radar gems within the region who they could develop. And they sold themselves.
“We sold who we are as people, we sold how we operate with families and how we invest in kids,” Anderson said. “We’re going to rebound for your son, we’re going to make phone calls, we’re going to advocate, we’re going to do our part on social media, we’re going to play in the best events possible where coaches are going to be, and play against the best teams possible.”
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West, a native of Massachusetts, grew up watching Anderson, who starred at Memphis under John Calipari. He knew how unique Anderson’s basketball journey looked; he played alongside Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans, and had a brief stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Those experiences gave their recruiting pitches more weight.
“He can FaceTime Kevin Durant right now, there’s not too many people who have that,” West said. “Not that we use it, but it’s just that experience. He’s been there before. Nobody can really say (expletive) to him. He’s walked in those shoes. And he got everything because he worked his ass off. He’s a hell of a defender, he worked harder than everyone else.
“And that’s what it is at Darrow. We’re not promising anything cute … but you’ll work your ass off here, and we’ll show you how to work at a pro level. We can show guys what that looks like and what that schedule looks like, the consistency and things like that.”
Anderson lived the life he was selling.
Part of why he wanted the Ducks to move up to Class AAA is because he played in it at Maine Central Institute; he knew what it demanded and how it would prepare his players for college basketball. But he was never a highly-ranked, four-star recruit. When he transferred to MCI, he was only getting recruited by Endicott, Salem State and some other local Division 3 schools. He had to fight for what he earned in his career.
“I changed because I showed coaches I belonged and I wasn’t afraid,” Anderson said. “We’re trying to get guys to understand how to find a role, because when you go to college that’s what you’re going to have. We’re trying to teach that now. …
“When we moved to AAA, that was our mission. We’re going to show you how to play the right way and be disciplined and thrive in that role, and coaches can envision you being in their system. … It wasn’t easy, but it’s a gauntlet. Great coaches top to bottom, playing (against) guys who can play. You can’t duck it. Why not try to be part of that?”
Within a week of West joining the staff, they had Teshaun Steele – who was ultimately named our Class AAA Defensive Player of the Year and earned a commitment to New Haven – on campus for a visit. They filled the roster with talented, high-upside players, and got to work.
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Anderson saw the potential last June, when his group competed hard, performed well and looked together at the NEPSAC Scholastic Showcase. During the summer, he held Zoom calls for his team with NBA connections he had – including former players and skill development coaches – on what it required to succeed at the next level. Then, during open gyms that fall, Anderson was blown away with what he saw. He sensed a special group.
In the first game of the season, they lost by 11 to an incredibly talented New Hampton team. Despite the defeat, Anderson was encouraged.
“I walked away saying, I wanted to win, but I got some dudes who aren’t afraid to play dudes,” Anderson said. “Every game built confidence.”
Anderson loved the competitive level of his team, and they maintained consistent focus during film sessions and practices. It eventually carried to the court. Two weeks after the New Hampton loss, they beat a talented Fork Union team by 30. The Ducks experienced their expected bumps throughout the winter, but scored more signature wins over Cushing, Western Reserve and Newman. They won a playoff game over South Kent and took Newman to the wire in the semifinals.
“Last year people were like, ‘Oh you want to play in this event? Are you guys good enough?’” Anderson said. And then we go play Fork Union and beat them by (30) points and people are like, ‘Holy crap. OK.’ They can play. It takes that sometimes. We were OK with that. We were like, we have to earn respect. You have to show them.
“We said, this is where we belong. We can hang with some of the best teams in this region and in the country.”
The buzz picked up quickly. Before Christmas, Anderson already had several prospective recruits send in their applications to Darrow. By the end of the season, his 2025-26 roster was essentially finished.
The excitement is overflowing for this season. Darrow brings back three returners to the AAA team – Haisi Mayben, Nalajah Christopher and Mercyhurst commit Hunter Te Ratana – and welcome 11 newcomers. Anderson says they have everything – shooting, rebounding, toughness, togetherness and important intangibles. Most importantly, the program is set up for success. The roster boasts eight players across the 2027 and 2028 classes, meaning they’ll be back next season.
“We’re trying to build something that’s long-lasting,” Anderson said.
It looks to be on the right track. High expectations are the new standard at Darrow.
“We want to compete for a national title, we want to compete for a NEPSAC title and NEBL title,” Anderson said. “We feel like we have the group to do it, but you have to go show it, too. You can’t just talk about it. …
“Going forward, that’s our expectation. That has to be the expectation. I think that’s where we are as a program.”
