In just more than a month, the MIAA boys basketball season tips off. It’s time to take a look at the players and teams who will define this winter.
This fall, we sent our annual MIAA boys basketball survey to more than 50 coaches across the state, asking them a series of questions about the current landscape of the state. Coaches were granted anonymity so they could more freely express their opinions.
Seventeen coaches, ranging from multiple divisions in MIAA basketball, submitted responses. Here’s Part 1 of the survey, where we asked coaches who the best and most underrated players in MIAA are entering this season.
Who’s the best boys player in the MIAA? Why?
The answer to this question was nearly unanimous, and it wasn’t a surprise: Andover’s Josh Roux.
Roux, who has started since he was a freshman, was already one of the best players in the state last season. As a junior, he averaged 26.2 points, four rebounds and three assists and was named the Co-Player of the Year in the Merrimack Valley Conference as he landed on our All-MIAA boys first team. He led the Golden Warriors to the Division 1 Final Four and they’ll be one of the state championship favorites entering this season.
“Proven player, elite scorer,” one coach said.
“No weakness,” another coach said.
“Nothing he can’t do on both ends of the court,” one more added.
Many of those coaches raved about Roux’s elite 3-point shooting ability. He shot 38 percent from deep as a junior before delivering from beyond the arc in key moments this summer for Mass Rivals’ top 3SSB 17U team on its run to the Adidas championship game.
Multiple coaches voted for Salem’s Elian Rodriguez, who led the Witches to the Div. 3 championship last March as a junior with a flurry of huge scoring performances. He was named the Northeastern Conference Player of the Year after posting 22.1 points, 5.3 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game.
“Complete winner, and a very skilled player,” one coach said.
Masconomet star Thomas Denton, who helped the Chieftains reach the Division 2 championship game, earned a vote.
“Big, strong, not many in the state,” one coach said of the 6-foot-6 senior forward. “Scores inside and out!”
Archbishop Williams guard Jadon Beatty, who one coach described as “lightning quick, can score all three levels and defend,” earned a shout. New Bedford’s Camden Hill, who shined last season as a freshman, also received recognition.
Who’s the most underrated player in the MIAA? Why?
This question netted 14 different answers, several of which were exciting for me because they weren’t fully on my radar. One player earned multiple votes: Belmont’s Braiden Dargon, a 6-foot-4 forward in the 2027 class.
“Great passer for size and tough matchup with athleticism and size,” one coach said.
A couple of familiar names from the Merrimack Valley Conference were answers here: Beverly’s Eli Landman and Methuen’s Niles Scott.
Landman was a key member of the Panthers’ run to the Div. 1 quarterfinals last season, and the guard is poised for a bigger role after all-time leading scorer Jacob Klass graduated.
“Physical, tough, fearless guard,” one coach said. “Thinks he’s better than he is – plays to his advantage.”
Scott, a 6-foot-3 senior, is a matchup problem with his size and mobility. He averaged 17 points and seven boards per game at Methuen last season.
“He is a tough cover and not a guard,” one coach said. “He's not burying threes. He's doing all the physical dirty work that most kids do not want to do.”
One coach made a bold claim about Prospect Hill Academy’s Isaiah Richmond, a 6-foot-1 guard in the 2029 class who’s quickly gaining steam in the region. A member of Team New England, he has a ton of intriguing tools as a lead guard scorer with athleticism. He led Prospect Hill to the Division 5 Final Four last season.
“He might be top 5 in the MIAA but because he’s at D5 Charter School he won’t get the respect he deserves,” one coach said.
A couple of names from the Patriot League Fisher Division earned recognition: Plymouth South’s Logan Volkringer and Quincy’s Arber Beqaj. Volkringer averaged 20.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game as he led the Panthers to a 20-win season and a berth in the Division 2 Final Four. Beqaj, meanwhile, is a 6-foot-5 sophomore guard with loads of potential.
“Only a sophomore, but has the maturity and game of a senior,” one coach said. “Will be huge for a very good Quincy team.”
The rest of the players who received votes are: Mansfield senior guard Darrian Sanders, who the coach described as a great athlete and floor leader; Millbury senior guard Jayden Delaleu, who briefly transferred to Worcester Academy before returning to Millbury; Watertown senior forward Michael Nshanian was described as an old-school post player.
One coach said Marblehead senior guard Finn Baron is a “complete winner and skilled player.” Another gave love to Andover junior guard Charlie Tutwiler, considered one of the best defensive players in the state. Weston senior Christian Lago and Catholic Memorial’s Jacari Jenkins also grabbed votes. Even Elian Rodriguez earned another shout here. One coach said they didn’t think people understood how good he is on both ends of the court.
