NEPSAC Class AA Playoff Preview

The NEPSAC playoffs are finally here! I'll be doing previews of the AAA, AA, A, and B classes that'll include the most intriguing first round matchup, players to watch and my champion prediction. To be clear, if a player is discussed in the “first round matchup” or “champion prediction” section, they won't also be written about in the “players to watch” section, though those are certainly also players to keep an eye on. These previews will all be coming out before the games start on Wednesday, March 5th. Happy playoffs!   Here is my <a href="https://prephoops.com/2025/03/napsac-class-aaa-playoff-preview/">NEPSAC Class AAA playoff preview</a> if you missed it.   Now, let's move on to the NEPSAC Class AA playoff picture.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-04-at-4.07.25-PM.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-04-at-4.07.25-PM.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2799241" /></a></figure>   Most intriguing first round matchup: (4) St. George's School vs. (5) Worcester Academy   Both St. George's and Worcester are teams that could make a run to win this class. The matchup I look forward to the most in this game is [player_tooltip player_id='1157225' first='Payton' last='Kamin'] (Worcester) vs. [player_tooltip player_id='2341299' first='Dywane' last='Chess'] (St. George's). These are two big-bodied, college-ready wings who play both ends of the floor and can erupt at a moment's notice on the offensive end. I'll be very curious to see whether they guard each other and if so, who gets the upper hand. The front-court matchup of [player_tooltip player_id='2325866' first='Ryan' last='Sullivan'] (Worcester) vs. [player_tooltip player_id='1532412' first='Dylan' last='Veillette'] (St. George's) will also be interesting; Veillette likes to step out and play on the perimeter -- either as a post hub or as a shooter -- but Sullivan certainly has the speed and maneuverability to contend with that.   The backcourt features a few SUPER QUICK guards -- [player_tooltip player_id='2325746' first='Amir' last='Jenkins'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2341335' first='Cam' last='Hailey'] for Worcester and [player_tooltip player_id='2325770' first='Allyn' last='Wright'] for St. George's. Wright, who's committed to Keene State (D3) next year, has a chance to compete with a couple of guys who will play D1 basketball. I wouldn't be shocked if he got the upper hand. Oh, and [player_tooltip player_id='1532431' first='Barrett' last='Loer'] (St. George's) or [player_tooltip player_id='2325736' first='Jake' last='Blackburn'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2325772' first='Connor' last='Swider'] (Worcester) can swing the game quickly with their microwave outside shooting ability, so that could decide the game too. Whichever one of them wins will give Cushing a very tough out in the next round.   Players to Watch   [player_tooltip player_id='2396720' first='Isaiah' last='Henderson']: Henderson is a big guard/wing on Kimball Union Academy who can take over the game quickly. He can score from all three levels and is especially difficult to stop when he's shooting it confidently from beyond the arc and forcing defenders to close out hard on him. He'll likely try to body his way to some buckets in the paint, but [player_tooltip player_id='2546812' first='Nasir' last='Rodriguez'] -- another big-body wing -- will probably have something to say about that. Whether Henderson's shot is falling or not could decide the game for KUA.   [player_tooltip player_id='1532418' first='Vincent' last='Chaudhri']: Chaudhri is definitely the x-factor for Northfield Mount Hermon. I've seen games where he's ultra aggressive taking the ball to the hoop and making his outside shots, but I've also seen games where he takes a backseat and is passive. For NMH to be at their best, Chaudhri has to be in full attack mode in transition; that's where he's best and once he gets some easy baskets, it opens up everything else for him. What NMH does (or doesn't do) to get him some easy looks at the beginning of the game will be incredibly telling.   [player_tooltip player_id='1529071' first='Jaylen' last='Harrell']: Harrell is CATS Academy's best scorer. He's a matchup nightmare for whoever's guarding him and I'm not sure Wilbraham and Monson has enough man-power to handle him in the post and beyond the three-point line. He loves to take smaller players to the block but larger players to the perimeter, and my guess is that he'll see some of both of those in his first round matchup, especially against W&M's zone.   [player_tooltip player_id='2633517' first='Leo' last='Curtis']: Curtis is a super important defensive piece for CATS Academy, who has proven to be one of the better defensive teams in the region. The 7-footer has great length and timing and should have a field day against W&M's short front line. Also, he's a great passer, and I'd imagine he'll spend a lot of time in the middle of the zone against Wilbraham, which will open up shots for the rest of his teammates. Then, because he's playing against a zone, Curtis should be able to attack the offensive glass and make a killing. Look for a big first-round game from him.   [player_tooltip player_id='2818561' first='Chinedu' last='Okpara']: Okpara is the foundational piece for Wilbraham and Monson's thin front line. He's slightly undersized but uses his incredible length and athleticism to stymy shots at the rim and affect the offense. The only issue is that he'll be dealing with Curtis, a 7-footer who loves to attack the offensive glass and score over smaller defenders in the post. If there's any undersized big that can hold his own against Curtis, though, it's Okpara. The junior forward also plays a big part in W&M's offense; perhaps he can use his quickness and handle to blow past Curtis on the offensive end.   [player_tooltip player_id='2341363' first='Alex' last='Egbuonu']: There's no secret that Egbuonu will have to have a monster game against Cushing to give his Lawrence Academy squad any chance of competing. But, the 6-foot-5 wing is a freak athlete and could have one of those nights. He's unstoppable going to the rim and on the fastbreak, and he can even shoot it from three and the mid-range. He'll likely be guarded by [player_tooltip player_id='1204660' first='Jay' last='Jones'], who he'll have some inches and pounds on, so perhaps he can take some advantage there. He'll need a special performance to keep Lawrence alive.   Champion Prediction: Cushing Academy   Cushing Academy just seems like too much for the rest of the field to handle. With [player_tooltip player_id='2465117' first='Ryan' last='Moesch'] -- perhaps the best PG in the region and one of the most exciting players in the country -- at the helm of the offense, they're incredibly difficult to stop. They also have various other guys who can chip in offensively, like [player_tooltip player_id='1204660' first='Jay' last='Jones'], [player_tooltip player_id='2325768' first='Jacob' last='Davis'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2470882' first='Theo' last='Edema']. Defensively, they have one of the best perimeter defenders in the region in Jones and one of the better rim protectors in the region in Edema, making them a headache to score on. When you combine what they can do defensively with their explosive potential offensively, it makes it too hard to pick anyone else. Also, when you have (in my opinion) the best player in the tournament in Moesch, that always gives you an upper hand.

The NEPSAC playoffs are finally here! I'll be doing previews of the AAA, AA, A, and B classes that'll include the most intriguing first round matchup, players to watch and my champion prediction. To be clear, if a player is discussed in the “first round matchup” or “champion prediction” section, they won't also be written about in the “players to watch” section, though those are certainly also players to keep an eye on. These previews will all be coming out before the games start on Wednesday, March 5th. Happy playoffs!