PUTNAM, Conn. — Tom Espinosa has built a national prep powerhouse with a specific model that has worked for Putnam Science.
He loves guards and bigs, believing that mix wins a lot of games. He teaches them to press and defend in a unique way that creates fits for opponents. He builds deep rosters, and shuffles lineups every few minutes. Want to play 30-35 minutes per game? Putnam isn’t the place for you; Espinosa likes to keep minutes low, knowing it will benefit them in March.
The formula works, evidenced by the hardware. The Mustangs have won four prep national championships since 2018, including what was essentially a three-peat from 2020 to 2023 because there wasn’t one played in 2021. Last season, Putnam lost in the national championship game. And while the Mustangs return only three players – including Ben Ahmed and Tony “Butta” Williams – Espinosa put together a group motivated to return to glory, with several young and promising players.
“Everyone has something to prove,” Espinosa said. “They’re here for a reason.”
Putnam Science will be in the hunt for another national championship in 2024-25. Here’s what to expect as the Mustangs – who began official practices last week – prepare for their season opener on Nov. 1.
Keel headlines newcomers
Warren Keel, one of New England’s best guards in the 2026 class, joined Putnam Science this summer after the closing of Bradford Christian, where he led them to a NEPSAC Class AA championship last season. Espinosa is happy to have him, and he senses Keel (Lynn, Mass.( is thrilled to unite with a team he’s struggled against.
“If you ask him, he’s excited to be here because he’s never beaten us,” Espinosa joked.
While lineups haven’t yet been decided, Espinosa knows Keel will be a significant contributor.
“We’re happy he’s joining us, because he is a player,” Espinosa said. “He’s really, really good. You can’t speed him up. His pace is unbelievable, and he’s battle-tested. He’s played at the highest level. He’s played in AA and won it, but he’s also played in the NEBL playing us and all the best teams. This isn’t going to faze him. We don’t have to worry about him. …
“His pace is great and he’s a winner. We expect him to have the ball in his hands a lot this year, for sure.”
Espinosa likes the makeup of the rest of his newcomers, too. Jamell Hatchett, a 6-foot junior from Michigan, has surprised Espinosa, and he’ll earn minutes in a crowded backcourt. Jaeden Roberts (Weymouth, Mass.), a 6-foot-3 junior guard who transferred from Burke High School, will be interesting to watch. He’s never played at this level, but Espinosa expects him to carry his scoring ability to Putnam and help with their shooting, which he said is their biggest weakness.
“We need guys to make shots, and we’re hoping he’s one of them,” Espinosa said.
Espinosa expects Jaymen Townsend, a 6-foot-7 forward who reclassified to the 2026 class after recently decommitting from Kent State, to be one of Putnam’s top scorers. In the frontcourt, the coach likes the pieces he has around Ahmed. Sam Osayi, a 6-foot-9 transfer from Tilton, will play as a 4 for Espinosa, who believes he’ll be a monster. Adama Tambedou, a 6-foot-8 junior big, and Rauan Rodriguez, a 7-foot senior center, will factor into the rotation, and Espinosa is eagerly anticipating the arrival of 7-foot freshman Marvellous Monday from Nigeria in the second semester.
Putnam also added 6-foot-5 wing Brayson Green last week, and Espinosa thinks he could surprise as a shot-blocker and shooter. Lazarus Mason and Parrish Edmond (Norwalk, Conn.) should also figure into Espinosa’s mix.
“We’re deep, athletic, tough,” Espinosa said. “We’re a tough matchup because we’re very unique.”
Ahmed, Williams emerging as leaders
In some cases, making a college commitment can make players relax for their senior seasons. For some, there’s nothing left to prove. But Espinosa doesn’t sense that with this group. Ahmed committed to Miami last week, and Williams (Norwich, Conn.) committed to Fairfield earlier this fall, but both are motivated to finish their high school careers as national champions.
“Tony has never won one, Ben has won one and he knows how great it was and he wants to end his career with another one,” Espinosa said.
Espinosa is expecting big things from Williams, who had a strong grassroots season with the New Haven Heat and could be a starter this winter. Williams began last season on Putnam’s second team, then impressed enough to be called up to the top team midseason. Espinosa said he played well off the bench despite some growing pains. Now, after a strong summer and fall, Williams will be counted on to be a leader of a young group.
He’s showing it. Williams commutes to school from Norwich, and despite that long drive to Putnam, he’s still in the gym every morning for 6 a.m. workouts.
“He doesn’t miss a beat,” Espinosa said. “Talk about leadership. He’s here every day. He could easily be late or miss it because he’s coming from far. He’s kind of on the quiet side but people respect him a lot. He’s been playing so well. We need his leadership, and we think he’ll be a leader.”
A fight for minutes
Putnam is loaded in the backcourt with several impact players in the frontcourt. Espinosa knows the competition for minutes will be fierce.
“There will be a fight (for minutes),” Espinosa acknowledged.
It’s a good problem to have, as long as everyone accepts the sacrifice that’s been at the core of the culture Espinosa has built. All of his rotation players play around 20 minutes per game, which is something that’s expressed to potential players during recruiting pitches. Espinosa said last season’s group didn’t fully embrace that, but it’s been the bedrock of his championship teams.
“We play 10-11 guys, we play five guys for like four minutes, come out, five new guys. We press, we’re in your face, we don’t let you run anything, we’ll run doubles. It’s tough to prepare for us because we’re so different. You can spend hours running your offense, but when you play us, you’re not running your offense. You have to beat us on basketball plays. That’s kind of how we’re going to play this year. …
“That’s why we’ve won (four) national titles. We're a fresher, healthier team than any other team in the country.”
