MIAA A Conference Preview: Red Division

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some teams within the MIAA have already officially tipped off their 2025-26 season, but for the majority, their journeys will begin tonight and as we continue our conference preview content here on Prep Hoops MD/DC, we move to the MIAA A Conference starting with the Red Division. Reminder that the top four seeds at the end of regular season play advance to the playoffs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>1. Archbishop Spalding</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The talent that head coach Josh Pratt has this season makes the Cavaliers true contenders for either title. There's a balance of senior leadership and young, promising talent that should provide a balance for success not only in the season ahead, but the future seasons as well. The senior class made up of&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2453521' first='Colt' last='Busse']</strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/colt-busse/"></a>&nbsp;(ETSU commit),&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1782656' first='TJ' last='Moultrie']</strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/tj-moultrie/"></a>&nbsp;,&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1782592' first='Kam' last='Carter']</strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kam-carter/"></a>&nbsp;, and Moe Longergan form one of the better backcourt rotations the BCL has to offer. Shifting gears toward their youthful frontcourt rotation of Braxton Bogard,&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2715192' first='Nash' last='Avery']</strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/nash-avery/"></a>&nbsp;, and&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2731358' first='Eli' last='Farmer']</strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/eli-farmer/"></a>&nbsp;and what you have are three names belonging to the 2028 class with extremely high ceilings as prospects.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2. St. Frances</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The transfer portal hit the Panthers hard but in typical Nick Myles fashion, he made sure to find other players to help fill the massive holes left behind by the likes of Kam Lawson and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1782591' first='Jasiah' last='Cannady']</strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jasiah-cannady/"></a> . The returners such as 2027 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2975252' first='TJ' last='Jones']</strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/tj-jones-3/"></a> and 2026 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2878470' first='Carter' last='Fisk']</strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/carter-fisk/"></a> have a chance to have breakout seasons, particularly for Jones who will play with the ball in his hands much more often than in years past. A new face in 2026 Anthony Smith will help provide the stability in the half court as a lead guard while bringing a balanced skillset and high IQ. 2026 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3026451' first='Arvin' last='Batsinda']</strong>provides much needed size and length to the front court alongside 2026 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1963385' first='Brian' last='McMahon']</strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/brian-mcmahon/"></a> and 2026 Mason Glover. While this St. Frances roster doesn't boast as much talent as they typically have, Myles seems to get the most out of groups like this and exceed expectations with their up-tempo, gritty style.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>3. John Carroll</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's a great chance that the individual scoring title for the league comes down between Ranson and John Carroll's&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1782586' first='Aidan' last='Able']</strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/aidan-able/"><strong></strong><strong></strong><strong></strong></a><a></a>&nbsp;(UMBC commit). The 6-foot-3 guard is one of the few in the MD/DC/VA area that can go for 40 on any given night. His ability to bury triples at a rapid rate has been proven in many different settings over the course of his high school career. Now, he holds the keys to the Patriots' offense and over the summer, flashed some expanded dynamism in his scoring approach. 2026&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2547300' first='Andrew' last='Clark']</strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/andrew-clark/"><strong></strong><strong></strong><strong></strong></a><a></a>&nbsp;mans the paint and cleans the glass while 2026&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2453731' first='Parris' last='Lee']</strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/parris-lee/"><strong></strong><strong></strong><strong></strong></a><a></a>&nbsp;and 2027&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2345828' first='James' last='Westervelt']</strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/james-westervelt/"><strong></strong><strong></strong><strong></strong></a><a></a>&nbsp;step in and accept increased roles as guys who need to hover around the 8-to-14 point range per game. The up-tempo, three-point heavy system that John Carroll can tap into makes them extremely dangerous as fits the mold as one of these three teams (3rd-5th) who can make a serious run as they typically begin to gain their momentum in January.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>4. Boys' Latin</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Head coach Dom Milburn boasts an interesting roster this season made up of mostly talented underclassmen. However, he does have one of the most experience senior point guards in the league in [player_tooltip player_id='2252278' first='Ghavyne' last='Saint Pierre'] to run his show, which should provide necessary stability as the Lakers take on the gauntlet of talented backcourt rotations throughout the league. The other senior who will be counted on to provide consistency will be Jaden Grady. Look for 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2621950' first='Noah' last='Sulaiman'] to take major strides and emerge as one of the more productive sophomores in the area while their talented group of freshman such as [player_tooltip player_id='2975696' first='Brayden' last='Whitaker'], [player_tooltip player_id='2973525' first='Austin' last='Pitts'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2702085' first='Grant' last='Puffenbarger'] among others look to make their impact in their given roles. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>5. Loyola Blakefield</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Dons enter into a new era under head coach Roger Garfield, who will bring valuable experience after long tenure as an assistant at Gonzaga College High School under Steve Turner. It'll be a process to turn the program around, but Garfield has the philosophy and systems to make the turnaround a successful one in in his first year, he'll depend on the sum of the parts rather than just one specific player. One player to keep tabs on though, would be&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2546118' first='Ayo' last='Olofintila']</strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ayo-olofintila/"></a>&nbsp;, a 6-foot-6 forward who logged meaningful minutes on last year's team. He steps in as a senior leader and will provide toughness, rim presence, and versatility on the defensive end. Long-term I am keeping eyes on&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2983862' first='Kaleb' last='Haysbert']</strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kaleb-haysbert/"></a>&nbsp;.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>6. Gilman</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's a bit unknown what exactly the Hounds will have to offer from a roster perspective this season, but one thing we do know is that head coach Will Bartz will have his team battling and prepared to catch any of the upper echelon teams off guard. They typically depend on a few dual-sport athletes to provide some versatility and physicality in their style of play. Considering they lost a few key pieces from last year's team to graduation, buying into Bartz's approach from day one will be even more important. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->