Emptying the Notebook - Best of January

With the month of January quickly coming to a close, I figured it was a good time to empty my notebook from the month and share some insights from my travels throughout New England.   I'd argue that January is one of the top months of the year for basketball in the region, with the six state associations and all the preps in the thick of their seasons, working towards playoff bids.   Here are four thoughts that I'll take with me at the close of the month.   There's a 3 team race at the top of Division I in Vermont!   Rice Memorial and St. Johnsbury Academy are no strangers to the top of the standings in the VPA, as both programs have finished in the Top 3 of the standings each of the last three seasons. This winter however, there's a new contender that's making is a three team race, Burlington. As of January 28th those three programs have established themselves as the class of the VPA with Rice Memorial sitting at 10-2, Burlington at 11-1, and St. Johnsbury at 10-3. Each team has a dynamic duo of upperclassmen, while also relying on the contributions of underclassmen for their team's success.   Rice Memorial leans heavily on the Eaton twins, [player_tooltip player_id='2325800' first='Evan' last='Eaton'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2325785' first='Owen' last='Eaton']. Two of the top scorers in the state, both brothers have the ability to get 20 on any given night, have proven to have winning pedigrees, and can make an impact on the defensive end of the floor. Owen provides some serious three level scoring punch, while Evan is a dynamic defender that creates for others off the bounce.   St. Johnsbury Academy gets major contributions from [player_tooltip player_id='2396750' first='Rex' last='Hauser'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2546968' first='Kerrick' last='Medose']. A Division I baseball commit, Hauser is a versatile forward that impacts a game on both ends of the floor. He can defend in the post and on the perimeter, rebounds at a high rate, and gives St. Johnsbury a scoring option on the interior. Medose is a big time scorer from the perimeter that consistently knocks down threes to open up the floor. This year, he's also playing more of a creator role, initiating offense and handling against pressure.   Burlington's dynamic back-court duo is [player_tooltip player_id='2325846' first='Abdi' last='Sharif'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2553700' first='Byron' last='Robertson Jr.'] A standout two-way wing, Sharif has exploded as of late as a scorer. He has great size on the wing, is comfortable operating as an isolation scorer, and continues to show off an improved shooting stroke from behind the arc. Robertson is a knock-down shooter from behind the arc, a premier floor spacer in the VPA. Beyond his shooting ability, he's comfortable handling against pressure, guards on the ball well, and makes good decisions as a passer in the half-court.   Competition in the NEPSAC is as high as it's ever been.   A few weeks back I was able to head to Maine to take in a mid-week game between Bridgton Academy and St. Thomas More. I had known that this year's St. Thomas More squad, led by long-time head coach Jere Quinn, had a big time reputation, but was excited to see them play for the first time; meanwhile, Bridgton Academy seemed to be flying a little more under the radar, but I expected them to be a gritty and competitive squad as they traditionally are under legendary coach, Whit Lesure. The game didn't dissapoint as it was a back and forth affair that wasn't decided until the final minutes, proving that the margin for error on any given night is slim.   Bridgton traditionally operates as a post-graduate only program and while they leads to plenty of year to year roster turnover, it also allows for a new class of prospects to gain recognition each winter. One of the most impressive aspects of this year's squad is the sheer amount of New England based talent on the roster, with five prospects from Massachusetts alone. Notably, guards [player_tooltip player_id='2379278' first='Ajay' last='Lopes'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2546906' first='Theo' last='Moore'] have done a great job of carving out roles for themselves, playing at the highest level of prep school basketball. Lopes is a bigger guard that has a score first mentality, but on this occassion, proved to be a capable perimeter defender and strong secondary ball-handler that could initiate offense. Moore is a true lead guard that showed a quick first step, the ability to finish in a variety of ways over size in the paint, and the composure needed to effectively run an offense at the next level.   St. Thomas More offers a more traditional high school experience, with prospects ranging from first years all the way to post grads. They too have a strong contingent of local prospects and on this night got major contributions from each of them. London Jemison is the standout and it's easy to see why; he has great positional size, can get into his shot any time he wants, and never seems to be sped up or play out of control. [player_tooltip player_id='2325740' first='Tahlan' last='Pettway'] ran the show for STM, showing off his trademark quickness and the ability to finish in a variety of ways at the rim; he's electric in the open floor, continues to improve as a shooter, and is a standout on-ball defender. Lastly, I was impressed with [player_tooltip player_id='2341434' first='DJ' last='Hawkins'], a long and lean sophomore that seemed to improve as the game went on. His physical gifts stand out immediately, but it was the smoothness of his game and ability to make big time shots that really stood out.   These are just two of dozens of prep teams in New England and only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the amount of prep talent in the region.   Maine's senior class has plenty of college ready talent!   As more and more prospects in the Class of 2025 come off the board throughout the region, my attention headed north to Maine, where it appears that many of the state's most notable prospects are still on the board.   Arguably the top guard in the state, and the recent winner of the Fitzpatrick Trophy, awarded to the state's top senior football player, [player_tooltip player_id='2325850' first='Jamier' last='Rose'] has had a special season for Noble. A lead guard that brings his toughness over from the football field, he's a definite college prospect that should have plenty of local Division III programs following. He scores it at all three levels, shows a good feel for the game as a playmaker, and can guard either position in the back-court.   One of the state's best big man comes from the northern part of the state, where [player_tooltip player_id='2396798' first='Emmitt' last='Byther'] continues to be a nightly double-double threat for Old Town. A physical forward that can play in the post or on the perimeter, he's also one of the more athletic big men in the state. He plays with a good motor, controls the defensive glass, and has shown the ability to handle in transition while making good decisions with the basketball. He's another prospect that should be getting a lot of attention from regional D3s.   Edward Little is home to the state's best wing, [player_tooltip player_id='2546901' first='Diing' last='Maiwen'], who also falls into the category of one of the region's top athletes. He's a scholarship level athlete on the wing that has clearly put in the work to improve his skillset. He's a big time scoring threat in transition, can guard up and down a lineup with his combination of length and athleticism, and is starting to show signs of an ability to score on the perimeter in isolation situations. He's the type of late blooming prospect that could benefit from a prep year or he could make a D3 really happy by showing up on camus next fall.   The southern part of the state is home to two more of the top unsigned seniors, Westbrook's [player_tooltip player_id='2547091' first='Moses' last='Semuhoza'] and Thornton Academy's [player_tooltip player_id='2547136' first='Wyatt' last='Benoit']. A big man that can control the paint while also scoring on the perimeter, Semuhoza is all of 6'7" and does a nice job of filling multiple offensive roles. He projects as a nice prospect at the Division III level that has the chance to make an immediate impact in the right system. Benoit, another standout on the gridiron, is a big time perimeter scorer that can change a game when he heats up from behind the arc. He's more of a two than a lead, but has good size on the perimeter, plays with that football toughness, and could contribute right away at for a D3 next fall.   Can anyone dethrone Malden Catholic in Division II of the MIAA?   The three time defending state champions Lancers seem poised to again make a deep run in the MIAA tournament this winter, having gotten off to a 10-1 start to the season, with their lone loss coming to Catholic Memorial, a contender in Division I. Malden Catholic sat at #1 in the most recent Division II Power Rankings, trailed closely by Mansfield (10-2), Pope Francis (12-1), Whitman-Hanson (11-1), and Plymouth South (9-3).   Everything starts and ends at Malden Catholic with [player_tooltip player_id='2546769' first='Matt' last='Gaffney']. Already a three time state champion, not only is Gaffney one of the state's most winningest players, but he's also one of the best leaders. While he can fill up a stat sheet, he continues to do the little things that need to be done to win games. He's a big time scorer, great decision maker, and tough on-ball defender that seems to be at his best in the biggest moments.   The Lancers also get major contributions from junior [player_tooltip player_id='2341420' first='Aboubakar' last='Nimaka'] and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2826490' first='Mamadou' last='Camara']. A big time athlete, Nimaka provides toughness and physicality on the wing. He's a terrific multi-positional defender that has stepped into a bigger scoring role this winter. Camara has filled a role as a shot maker and seemingly gets better with each passing week. He'll be a big piece to the puzzle in the post-season with his on-ball defense and ability to space the floor.   Division II is shaping up to produce another great state tournament, but as of now, all roads go through Malden Catholic.

With the month of January quickly coming to a close, I figured it was a good time to empty my notebook from the month and share some insights from my travels throughout New England.