It looks like there could be a changing of the guard in MIAA boys basketball this winter.
Three state champions from last season are going through significant changes. Worcester North, the back-to-back champion in Division 1, had its roster depleted amid defections to prep schools, and head coach Al Pettway left for Worcester State. Charlestown, the reigning Div. 3 champ, lost Jaylin Williams-Crawford and Jaylen Hunter-Coleman to prep. Wareham, after repeating in Div. 4, had six seniors depart.
While those teams reboot, there’s a collection of new blood ready to assume the mantle this winter. Some teams knocked on the door last season, and there are others who are expecting big jumps. But there's one team that remains at the head of the class, with a potentially historic winter ahead of them.
Here's our first crack at the MIAA boys power rankings, which we will update throughout the winter.
1. Malden Catholic
Coach: John Walsh
Last season: 16-9, won Div. 2 championship
Players to watch: Matt Gaffney, G; Ben Howard, F, Colin Mannke, G; Abe Camara, G; Mamadou Camara, G; Jalil Lawson, G
Outlook: Gaffney is the headliner as arguably the best returning player in MIAA, but he’s supported by a strong cast that includes Howard and Mannke, who were big contributors in last season’s third consecutive state championship. Malden Catholic has the pieces to do something very special this winter. A four-peat hasn't been done since Charlestown from 2000-03.
GOING FOR FOUR: Inside Matt Gaffney's pursuit of storybook ending at Malden Catholic
2. Lowell
Coach: Bob Michalcyzk
Last season: 16-7, lost in Div. 1 round of 8 to Worcester North
Players to watch: Tzar Powell-Aparicio, G; Jason Kamau, G; Jack Soucy, G; Collin Christiansen, G
Outlook: The Red Raiders bring back a wealth of experience, including a strong senior group that made a run in the state tournament last season. Powell-Aparicio is the star of a guard-oriented roster. Kamau is a true floor general, a good decision-maker who rarely turns the ball over, and Soucy does a little bit of everything for Lowell.
3. North Andover
Coach: Paul Tanglis
Last season: 18-5, lost in Div. 1 round of 8 to Xaverian
Players to watch: Niko Catalano, F; Zach DesRochers, G; Bryan Gyorda, G; Cam Bethel, G; Angel Sanchez, F; Trey Martin, G
Outlook: This group graduated one of the best players in program history in Zach Wolinski, but Tanglis’ message to them has been not to worry about filling his shoes. The Scarlet Knights have a talented, senior-laden group that’s been part of the school’s success the last few years, making the Final Four in 2023 and the Round of 8 last winter. “They’ve tasted the success and I know they want to keep it rolling,” Tanglis said.
4. Central Catholic
Coach: Mark Dunham
Last season: 14-8, lost in Div. 1 round of 16 to Lawrence
Players to watch: Javi Lopez, G; Antonio Lopez, G; Elias Ynoa, G
Outlook: The Raiders return six of their top eight players from last season’s team that lost by two to Lawrence in the state tournament, including Lopez, their All-Merrimack Valley Conference guard. The group includes three starters. It doesn’t bring back a lot of size, but Dunham is excited about playing faster this season. They’ll be tested early with non-conference games against Catholic Memorial, Newton North and Needham.
5. Newton North
Coach: Paul Connolly
Last season: 15-7, lost in Div. 1 round of 16 to North Andover
Players to watch: Teagan Swint, G; Nick Spinelli, G; Jake Lyons, G; Mathaios Stamm,G; Julian Zakak, G; Luke Washek, G
Outlook: After graduating 10 seniors from their Final Four team two years ago, the Tigers needed some time to figure things out last season with an inexperienced roster. Still, they ultimately won the Bay State Conference and a game in the state tournament. This winter, the group is more seasoned and ready to take another step. Swint and Spinelli drive the bus as three-year varsity players, and watch out for Lyons, who started as a freshman and is one of the area’s more promising underclassmen.
6. Attleboro
Coach: Mark Houle
Last season: 14-9, lost in Div. 1 round of 32 to Putnam Vo-Tech
Players to watch: Hayden Crowley, G; Dante Monestime, F; Brady Erwin, G; Emmett Hill, F; LaDainian Rodrigues, G; Connor Houle, G
Outlook: How’s this for continuity? The Bombardiers averaged 61 points per game last season, and they bring back 60 of those points this winter – that’s rare for Houle, who enters his 30th season on the sidelines for Attleboro. He boasts a skilled, hard-working group that gained some valuable experience last season, which included some good battles against Franklin and even an upset win over Catholic Memorial. Houle is hopeful that will carry over. Attleboro will be the favorite in the Hockomock.
7. Andover
Coach: Dave Fazio
Last season: 16-6, lost in Div. 1 round of 16 to Lowell
Players to watch: Sam Concemi, F; Owen Foley, G; Cam Gath, F; James Flagg, F; Jack Cooper, F; Josh Roux, G
Outlook: The Golden Warriors lost Merrimack Valley Conference MVP Luca Palermo, who became the first player in Andover history to leave for a prep school, but they still have a talented group that should contend for another league championship. Concemi is a skilled, 6-foot-7 stretch four, who is expected to have a big winter, and he’s surrounded by several returners who got valuable experience last season. Roux started as a freshman and will be a big piece for Fazio as one of the best shooters in the state.
8. Franklin
Coach: CJ Neely
Last season: 25-2, lost in Div. 1 championship to Worcester North
Players to watch: Caden Sullivan, G; Justice Samuels, F; Seth O’Donnell, F; Jake Olmstead, G; Joe Conlan, G
Outlook: The Panthers had a dream season that came just short of a state championship last winter, and Neely graduated six of his top eight players from that squad. But they still return Sullivan, one of the best players in the state, and Samuels, the younger brother of Jermaine (in the Houston Rockets system). O’Donnell is a co-captain and leads a large group of seniors who would have played more as juniors if they were at another school. Franklin might take a step back with a more inexperienced squad, but should still have a strong winter as a contender in the Hockomock.
9. Bourne
Coach: Scott Ashworth
Last season: 22-2, lost in Div. 4 championship to Wareham
Players to watch: Michael Dankert, F; Nathan Reynolds, F; Quinn Moriarty, G; Emery Robbins, F; Dylan Lyons, F
Outlook: The Canalmen will have four senior starters coming back, and they’re hungry to finish the job this winter after falling in last season's Div. 4 championship. Dankert and Reynolds are the headliners of this group, which will be big and physical on the interior. Bourne graduated two dynamic guards, Leo Andrade and Dom Quelle, but they feel like they have the pieces necessary. They’ll be a Div. 4 favorite.
10. Catholic Memorial
Coach: Denis Tobin
Last season: 19-5, lost in Div. 1 Final Four to Franklin
Players to watch: Aiden Pires, G; DJ Overall, G; Josh O’Grady, G; Jacari Jenkins, G; Jadon Beatty, G; John Hoenscheid, C Graham Horowitz, F
Outlook: The Knights lost some huge pieces from last season’s team that made the Div. 1 Final Four. Ryan Higgins graduated, and Josiah Adamson and Jake Cofield left for prep schools. But CM always seems to find a way to reload. Pires, who impressed as a freshman starter last season, is back, and Jenkins is a promising freshman prospect. The Knights are young, so it might take time for them to come together, but they should be in the mix again.
On the radar: Burke, Oliver Ames, Mansfield, Xaverian, Lawrence
