Andrew James Lawson Foundation Preview: Newman vs. Cushing

On Sunday, the <a href="https://www.tdgarden.com/events/detail/andrew-lawson-invitational">Andrew James Lawson Foundation Invitational</a> will be played at the TD Garden. On the boys side, 2 prep school and 2 MIAA games will be played. I'll be covering players from both leagues in some preview articles and will also be there on Sunday to cover the event.   I can't wait to cover some high school games at the Garden. There's one game I'm admittedly most excited for, though.   There's no other way to put it: Sunday's Newman School vs. Cushing Academy is the best high school basketball game of the 2026 New England basketball season so far. Both teams are currently ranked in the top 10 in the <a href="https://www.neprepbasketball.net/news/2025-26-national-prep-computer-rankings/25106">National Prep Computer Rankings</a>, and for good reason.   Both teams are filled with college-ready prospects. There are a number of D1 prospects (both committed and uncommitted) on both sides, as well as a number of high level D3 players who have major game. Each team is coached quite well, too; they both play team basketball and have ultimate buy-in from everybody.   During Sunday's game, you'll see lots of off-ball movement, good spacing and shooting, and supreme decision making by players on both teams.   Let's take a look at my 5 players to watch out for below.    I've been around basketball as a coach at the high school and college level, a player, a scout, a commentator, and a writer—I've seen thousands of high school basketball players. But Moesch is on a short list of the players I've had the most fun watching. The 6-foot guard has a rhythm and bounce to his handle that makes him incredibly difficult to stay in front of, and he has special hops for his size. He can shoot it from three, he can throw any pass you'd want him to, and he can finish at the rim with great athleticism. The feel, skill, and explosiveness are there in spades, and he does it all while giving the fans a show. Bring some popcorn, because Moesch is an absolute joy to watch compete. He'll be a mid-major star for Siena next season. Mark my words.     Moesch is one of the best pick and roll passers in the region, but who is his partner? That's where Edema comes in. The 7-footer is committed to Alabama and looks ready to play college ball right now as a junior. He has a built upper-body and great strength in the paint, and he has solid hands and good finishing ability. Defensively, Edema causes problems for the offense as a rim deterrent and shot blocker; his length and size allows him to get a contest on basically every paint attempt, and he has great instincts and timing on the weak side. Edema is still somewhat raw, but he gets better every time I watch him. I can't imagine that'll stop now.     Costello is Newman's most well known player and one of the biggest risers nationally as of the past year. The 6-foot-10 big man is a stretch forward who has a beautiful shot release from downtown; he gets it off quickly, he has great rotation on the ball, and he can even shoot it on the move (rare for someone his size). The Michigan commit has also improved his ability to drive closeouts and take contact at the rim, and I've been pretty impressed with the strides he has made in terms of rebounding and defending recently. Costello is a matchup nightmare for opposing bigs and can get flaming hot very quickly, so the defense must have eyes on him at all times.     Morillo missed some of the beginning of the season with an injury, but he's starting to round into form and Sunday's TD Garden matchup is an awesome opportunity to showcase that. The 6-foot-7 point-forward is probably Newman's best passer and excels from the post and the nail as a result of his ability to see over the defense and make reads. He also loves using his strength and physicality to bully his way to the rim for finishes and floaters with both hands, as well as turnaround jumpers. Morillo is committed to Illinois next year and is exactly what NBA scouts are looking for out of a modern-day wing. He's a special talent who could go a long way with basketball.     O'Keefe has been an absolute star for Newman this season. The 6-foot-4 lead guard excels in transition because of his speed and ball handling ability—when he's coming at you downhill, he's impossible to stay in front of—but he makes under-control reads once he touches the paint. He can also get extremely hot shooting the ball from three and is ALWAYS in attack mode when the rock is swung to him. O'Keefe is committed to Princeton next season, and they got an absolute steal; he'll walk into college hoops as a plus defender and someone who's ready for the physicality and toughness of that level.    Prediction: Cushing in a nail biter   [player_tooltip player_id='2465117' first='Ryan' last='Moesch'] and Cushing seem to always bring it when it matters most. On the biggest stages and against the best teams, they consistently rise to the occasion—and I don't think Sunday will be any different. I think Edema can use his strength to get offensive rebounds and protect the paint (though Costello bringing him out of the paint on defense could be an interesting wrinkle for Newman), and I think Moesch will be able to get into the paint and consistently kick out to shooters ([player_tooltip player_id='2696669' first='Brady' last='O'Connell'], [player_tooltip player_id='2470887' first='Elliot' last='Erickson'], [player_tooltip player_id='2875570' first='Jake' last='Nosek'], etc). That being said, these teams are so closely matched that anything can happen. Boy am I excited!

On Sunday, the Andrew James Lawson Foundation Invitational will be played at the TD Garden. On the boys side, 2 prep school and 2 MIAA games will be played. I'll be covering players from both leagues in some preview articles and will also be there on Sunday to cover the event.