NEPSAC Class B 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. Here is my <a href="https://prephoops.com/2025/03/napsac-class-aa-playoff-preview/">NEPSAC Class AA playoff preview</a>. Here is my <a href="https://prephoops.com/2025/03/napsac-class-a-playoff-preview/">NEPSAC Class A playoff preview</a>.   Now, let's move on to the NEPSAC Class B playoff picture.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-05-at-1.24.25-PM.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-05-at-1.24.25-PM.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2800767" /></a></figure>   Most intriguing first round matchup: (4) The Governor's Academy vs. (5) The Rivers School   Rivers School will travel to Governor's Academy for an awesome first-round matchup in one of the most fun gyms in the region -- small, packed in, and loud. Governor's Academy will likely have a difficult time handling Rivers' front line of [player_tooltip player_id='1489265' first='Andrew' last='Alekseyenko'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1529125' first='Ryan' last='Altman']. These guys both attack the boards relentlessly and can score in a variety of ways. Alekseyenko is really the x-factor for this group. He missed a lot of the season but is back and looks great; he's a hub for them offensively, dishing out passes from the high post and scoring on the block. My guess is that [player_tooltip player_id='2638185' first='Tait' last='Christensen'] will spend a lot of time on him, and that'll be a difficult matchup for him. I would imagine [player_tooltip player_id='1532445' first='Will' last='Wertz'] or [player_tooltip player_id='1106071' first='Joey' last='Hart'] will guard [player_tooltip player_id='1529125' first='Ryan' last='Altman']. Each of these matchups are opportunities for a bunch of hard-nosed D3 guys (Wertz - Skidmore, Christensen - Johns Hopkins, Hart - Claremont McKenna) who take pride in their defense to guard a couple of D1 guys (Altman - Penn, Alekseyenko - Colgate).   It'll also be interesting to see who guards the backcourt of [player_tooltip player_id='1532626' first='Thomas' last='Ferdinando'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2396729' first='Momo' last='Nkugwa'] for Govs. These two have a great chemistry with each other and can really get it going offensively. Nkugwa is amazing in transition -- a complete freight train who cannot be stopped -- and Ferdinando is one of the best shooters in the region. I'll be curious to see which one of these guys [player_tooltip player_id='2325737' first='Robby' last='Fiore'], who's a great defender, spends the most time on.   Players to Watch   Cj Ferrell: Ferrell is St. Mark's best shooter; he can get hot quickly and shoot it with a ton of range. He's also very comfortable handling the ball and facilitating for teammates. He gets into the lane using his quick dribble moves and has really solid vision when it comes to finding kickout shooters. It'll be nice for Ferrell to rely on [player_tooltip player_id='2341414' first='Alexander' last='Echevarria'] to dribble the ball up against [player_tooltip player_id='2325869' first='David' last='Dix'], who makes up Canterbury's one-man press, in their first round matchup.   [player_tooltip player_id='2325869' first='David' last='Dix']: As I just stated, Dix is a one-man press for Canterbury. He slides his feet incredibly quickly and has super active hands, making him a nightmare to dribble against for 94 feet. Offensively, Dix isn't a knockdown shooter but he's lightning quick and impossible to stop from getting into the lane. He consistently gets paint touches and finds his teammates for kickout opportunities. He'll be going against Echevarria in his first round matchup, which will be an awesome battle of short, quick guards.   [player_tooltip player_id='2396716' first='Alex' last='Wilkins']: Wilkins has it all offensively. He can shoot it from virtually anywhere over half court, he can get to his spots in the mid-range and elevate, and he can use his length and athleticism to glide to the rim for crafty finishes. He's an extremely tough matchup. But for Brooks to win a couple games in this tournament, he'll have to have a really special scoring run. If there's anyone that can put the team on his back and do just that, though, it's him.   Zoumana Traore: Traore is a 6-foot-8 Brown commit from Millbrook who will cause LOTS of problems for King School in the first round. He's a great athlete and will definitely look to use his size driving to the rim and crashing the glass. Amadou Fall, who's 6-foot-9 and raw, should also find lots of success on the boards and in the paint against a King School team that doesn't have anyone over 6-foot-5. These two should have a field day using their size and strength.   Aj Trimboli: Trimboli is electric with the ball in his hands. The junior guard has already scored 1,000 points and does a lot of his damage from the outside. He can stroke it off the catch and off the dribble. However, he can also get into the paint using his shiftiness and change-of-speed dribble moves. If King is going to put up a fight against Millbrook, they'll have to be shooting it well from three and moving the ball like the prime San Antonio Spurs. It it happens, it'll be led by Trimboli.   [player_tooltip player_id='2325870' first='Yusuf' last='Dakane']: Dakane is a senior for Pomfret who absolutely strokes it. He's always shot-ready on the catch and can absolutely light it up from anywhere on the court. Defensively, he slides his feet incredibly well and has very active hands. I doubt he'll be the one to guard Wilkins in his squad's matchup against Brooks, but perhaps he'll spend time on [player_tooltip player_id='2341336' first='Trokon' last='Harris'], Brooks' PG who can get it going offensively.   Champion Prediction: Rivers School   I know that Rivers is only a 5-seed, but that doesn't tell the true story of this squad. For most of the season, they were without their best player Alekseyenko. But what that did is allow Altman and Fiore to further develop their offensive games and be more ball dominant. Fiore had a ridiculous shooting season and Altman showed his incredible versatility on the offensive end. Now, they get Alekseyenko, who's a seamless fit and only an additive piece, back into the fold. This big three rivals the Milbrook big three of Zoumana Traore, Amadou Fall and Chase Garcia, and they're a perfect fit. One point guard, one wing, and one big, each of which is willing to take a backseat to whoever's hot. This team plays the right brand of basketball and I think they're clicking at the right time. They'll be a very difficult out and ARE NOT the typical 5 seed.

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!