WORCESTER, Mass. — Time to take a breath.
The first NEPSAC Boys Scholastic Showcase went by in a flash this weekend at Worcester Academy. Three days and 117 games across about 33 hours of basketball are not for the weak.
The opening NEPSAC showcase is always fascinating. The hundreds of prospects who shuffle through the doors feature a mix of newcomers and players in very different roles or ascending into new individual capabilities. Most of the teams experienced significant turnover, and a handful even have new coaches. It’s our first look at a lot of things ahead of next season. And with dozens of college coaches from every level sitting, watching and evaluating courtside, it can be a difficult environment to perform in, especially for those newcomers.
But it gives us a great starting point to work from. And for the 2027 class specifically, it’s a huge opportunity to make a strong impression as the coaches watching on get a critical look at them as this recruiting cycle gets going. The 2026 class is in the rearview mirror and all eyes are firmly on these rising seniors. One of my biggest impressions from the weekend? The 2027 guards from the region are incredibly stacked with future college talent at every level.
I was in attendance at Worcester Academy for all three days and nearly every hour of the showcase. With three games happening simultaneously throughout the weekend, I didn’t get to see everyone, but we’ll get another look in two weekends for the second showcase. Here are 15 guards who caught my eye.
Solis Blue, St. Sebastian’s
6-1 guard
Hometown: Milton, Mass.
The Arrows had a strong weekend which included wins of 20-plus over Trinity Pawling and BB&N, and another victory over Nobles, and Blue’s impact was a big reason for the success. He’s added strength to his frame this spring and that, combined with his athleticism and burst were on full display. He couldn’t be stopped getting to the rim and into the paint, including one play vs. Nobles when he split two defenders, then beat a help defender to the bucket and finished through contact for a loud three-point play. He was efficient with his shot selection, made good reads and even made a few plays out of the post.
Sam Brigham, Cushing
6-3 guard
Hometown: Springfield, Mass.
The 2,000-point scorer at Pope Francis brought that ability to his opening weekend with Cushing. I caught his impressive scoring flurry late in a comeback victory over Putnam Science, when he scored at least 15 points in the last eight or nine minutes. He did so from all three levels, including three 3-pointers, a mid-range and a go-ahead driving layup. He also took a charge in the late stages. The early returns are that Brigham’s scoring should translate to the NEPSAC level.
Dillon Callahan, St. Thomas More
6-4 guard
Hometown: Croton-Hudson, N.Y.
There was a smile on Callahan’s face all weekend, and it wasn’t only because his Knicks won an NBA championship. He plays with great joy. He dominated the defensive boards, took on the top defensive assignment and, with Patrick Otey missing this weekend due to a minor injury, he had the lead guard keys to make plays. I was really impressed with his speed with the ball – he was always looking to push the pace – and ability to make paint touches and fire perfect passes to the shooters around him. He also created plenty for himself, including one play when he corralled a defensive rebound and took it coast-to-coast for a one-handed dunk. He has great finishing ability around the cup. The Middlesex Magic guard has Division 1 offers this spring from Oral Roberts, Siena, Iona and Tennessee Tech, and more coaches on hand this weekend saw the consistent winning impact he makes.
Nalajah Christopher, Darrow
6-4 guard
Hometown: Worcester, Mass.
This was easily the best I’ve seen Christopher play. He was dominant on both ends in an early Sunday morning win over Northfield Mount Hermon and he probably had at least 30 points in a close loss to St. Thomas More. You wouldn’t have thought the morning game tipped at 8:50 a.m. with how hard Christopher played. He was making constant hustle plays. I saw him on the floor at least five times in the first half alone, including diving for steals, blocking a 3-pointer in transition and taking a half-ending charge. He was also cooking as Darrow’s lead guard with a mix of scoring for himself on pull-ups, 3-pointers and dynamic finishing moves around the hoop while also facilitating. It was an eye-opening day for Christopher.
Raul Cruz, Nobles
6-3 guard
Hometown: Dorchester, Mass.
There’s a nonchalance about Cruz’s game, and that’s meant as a compliment. He just gets it done. He has one of the highest IQs in this class, processes the game at a high level and lulls you to sleep before making a play. His decision-making was at a high level in the game vs. St. Sebastian’s, he made smart passes and impressive dimes, including going behind the back or finding teammates across the court with his vision. He was also drilling from 3-point range, including a few deep ones.
Teddy Cyr, Deerfield
5-11 guard
Hometown: Hadley, Mass.
Cyr is in the conversation for one of the toughest guards I watched this weekend. As a smaller guard, he plays with such a high motor and edge, and he wins battles on both ends with his pure effort, whether it being strong as a lead guard fighting through contact and pressure or making defensive hustle plays. He caught my eye with several plays vs. Phillips Exeter, including stripping an opponent and throwing the ball off him out of bounds, and he was very active blowing up passing lanes for steals. Cyr also made a great backdoor cut for a score. He doesn’t stop moving.
Ty Grudzien, Putnam Science
6-2 guard
Hometown: Uncasville, Conn.
One of my most surprising discoveries of the weekend was seeing Grudzien on the Putnam Science roster, and the former Marianapolis guard impressed in his first weekend with the Mustangs, who brought a small roster to Worcester. A crucial piece of the Middlesex Magic’s HGSL team, I’ve really liked Grudzien this spring as a confident lead ball-handler and smart decision-maker, but he was also a disruptor on defense this weekend. I counted six steals in Putnam’s game vs. Cushing, including one sequence when he produced a theft in the backcourt on an inbounds pass for a score, and several more he took advantage of for transition assists. He was also consistently beating defenders off the dribble and creating advantages.
Keyshon Joyner, MacDuffie
5-10 guard
Hometown: Worcester, Mass.
I feel like whenever I see Joyner play in Worcester, he takes it up a level in his hometown. But that also may speak to his consistency because I rarely see him have a bad game anyway. He was really good in a Day 1 win vs. St. George’s with his creative scoring ability. He’s so good at understanding how to use his leverage, body and low center of gravity to create advantages. I saw him lower his shoulder and stop on a dime to create a pull-up, then hold off a defender on a drive from midcourt before taking the space for a hard drive to the basket. He hit 3s off the catch, made athletic finishes against contact and showed more playmaking chops with a backdoor pass to help seal the win. Not news: Joyner is a gifted prospect at the point guard position.
Stetson Merritt, New Hampton
6-4 guard
Hometown: Troy, N.Y.
Merritt was one of my favorite NEPSAC guards to watch last season in his New Hampton debut and he continued to impress this weekend with his scoring ability. I caught a viewing against St. Thomas More in which he hit at least three triples and was getting to the basket consistently, including one play where he made a filthy crossover into a difficult three-point play finish. Merritt should command more of the ball next season with the Huskies and I’m excited to see his continued growth.
Jelani Middleton, St. George’s
6-5 guard
Hometown: Mount Vernon, N.Y.
Middleton was one of the breakout players of the weekend. With Dywane Chess and some others graduated, there’s more opportunity for Middleton to impact the game with the ball and he delivered. He was dominant vs. MacDuffie on Day 1 of the showcase on both ends. Middleton caught my attention with a terrific sequence in which he hit a 3-pointer, then forced a stop at the rim before going coast to coast for a behind-the-back finish at the rim. He made at least three triples – including a really deep 3 – and he was physical getting to the rim, drawing fouls and making hustle plays defensively. He’s a versatile prospect who should be getting high-academic Div. 1 looks.
Jaaziah O'Brien, Redemption Christian
6-3 guard
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
O’Brien was a completely new name for me and he was really impressive as a lead guard against Mount St. Charles on Day 1. He was scoring and facilitating at a high level, with pull-ups, getting to the rim and drawing fouls, finding others with skip passes and making the right plays off drives and rim reads. He had one sequence where he made a left-handed drive for an assist under the hoop, then punched out a steal before making a perfect pass on a pick and roll play. He also showed his athleticism with a pump fake from 3 before taking it baseline and getting by another defender for a dunk. O’Brien earned his first Division 1 offer earlier this month from Alabama A&M.
LaDainian Rodrigues, Suffield
6-4 guard
Hometown: Attleboro, Mass.
Among the biggest stock-rising names this spring with Team Sims, Rodrigues carried that momentum to Worcester. A big, physical and athletic guard, Rodrigues was most impactful in transition, where he was getting defensive rebounds regularly and pushing fast breaks himself and getting his teammates involved. I saw him take on a 3-on-2 fast break, make one defender miss and lay it off with ease to a teammate, and I saw him score seven points in a two-minute stretch that included a 3-pointer and another defensive board that he pushed for a one-handed dunk. The postgraduate guard’s phone is buzzing after a strong weekend. According to Super Prep Hoops, he’s hearing from Division 1 and 2 schools including Vermont, Quinnipiac, Holy Cross and Brown.
Jalen Taggart, Putnam Science
6-4 guard
Hometown: Rochester, N.Y.
On a talented Putnam Science squad last season, I only really saw Taggart in a role as a lethal 3-pointer shooter. But with the Mustangs still building their roster for next season, we saw Taggart carry greater offensive responsibility this weekend. He still had a quick trigger from 3-point range, but I also saw some flashes of athleticism – which included an explosive dunk in transition – and some playmaking ability in different offensive actions.
Jonathan White & Aiden Holness, BB&N
White: 5-10 guard/Arlington, Mass.
Holness: 6-5 guard/Malden, Mass.
Backcourt teammates on the grassroots circuit with Team Spartans, White and Holness played really well off each other in my viewing of their game vs. Loomis Chaffee. White, a breakout performer this spring, showcased some elite vision and playmaking with a lethal first step that allowed him to get into the paint consistently and find cutters backdoor or score for himself. I saw him literally circle the defense on one play, and roam around the baseline before hitting a cutter for a score. Holness was the recipient of some of those cuts and he was impactful defensively with his length and athleticism while also hitting 3-pointers and making plays with the ball in transition. This is a fun backcourt.
Julien Wiggins, Westminster
6-0 guard
Hometown: New York, N.Y.
Wiggins was dominant in Westminster/Portsmouth Abbey’s victory over Pingree/Middlesex; I counted him for 35 points and seven assists as he found the right balance between finding his shots and setting the table for his teammates. He made at least five 3-pointers – including one at the first-half buzzer – and I really liked his off-ball movement where he was rewarded with several scores off backdoor cuts. The speedy guard averaged 25 points, six assists and three steals per game throughout the weekend.
Quick shouts: Dexter Southfield guard Malik Adamson (Dorchester, Mass.) was completely dominant getting to the rim in my first-half viewing against Salisbury. He scored at least 16 points, which also included a couple of mid-range pull-ups. … Reece Ayala (Lawrence, Mass.) is back with Milton Academy and should form one of the most dangerous backcourts in Class A with returner Ryan McLaughlin (Hanover, N.H.). They were impactful on both ends throughout the weekend. …
Winchendon’s backcourt duo of Treddy Faison and Jayce Johnson were terrific throughout the weekend with their ability to penetrate and get to the rim consistently. … St. Andrew’s guard Elijah McNair (Providence, R.I.) had a dominant stretch during a win over Lawrence Academy on Sunday, hitting jumpers from 3 and the mid-range while also being impactful with paint touches. …
Vermont Academy’s Mamadou Camara (Salem, Mass.) looked like he was in full command as the Wildcats’ point guard and the leader of the team. He got into a rhythm from 3-point range but was also taking strong drives to the basket and setting the table for his teammates. That includes newcomer Cam Santos (Bridgewater, Mass.), a 6-foot-5 guard and former Bridgewater-Raynham standout who had a strong debut weekend. He looked comfortable handling the ball, hit a few 3-pointers, took a charge and had success scoring from at all three levels. …
Rivers guard Jack Millward (Westwood, Mass.) has been consistent all spring, and that didn’t change in Worcester with his 3-point shooting ability, finishing around the rim and hustle. He has good positional size at 6-foot-5. … I liked what I saw from the Choate backcourt trio of Sean Wilson (Trumbull, Conn.), Sincere Folk (Meriden, Conn.) and Jack Stevens, who each bring some different skill sets to the table. I want to get a closer look at them in two weekends.
