Newman School open gym: best 8

I attended Newman School's open gym on Tuesday, September 9th, to check out some players who will play for both their A and B teams. The reigning NEPSAC AAA champions have certainly lost some firepower, but they come back with a loaded group that's ready to defend their title. Their B team also has some intriguing D3 players.   Below are the best 8 players I saw at the open gym. I'll be shouting out a next best 5 tomorrow.    UCLA, Minnesota, BC, and many others were in the gym to watch Costello, one of the fastest stock risers of any 2026 in the country. The 6-foot-10 forward continues to develop his handle and is really beginning to see his dribble moves come together. The shot has always been there, but he's starting to get it off in different ways, which opens up his offensive skillset and versatility. Defensively, he's getting stronger and continuing to understand how to use his length and athleticism. This will be a big year for Costello's development and the HM offers will probably keep rolling in, though I'm sure he's close to committing somewhere.     It's clear Morillo had one goal at yesterday's open gym: to show D1 coaches that he has gotten stronger, tougher and more athletic. And that he did. The 6-foot-7 point forward is ridiculously powerful and physical on drives to the rim, effortlessly shucking off defenders and carving out space in the paint. He had no problem going into the body of opposing players yesterday and elevating for middies, threes, and layups at the hoop. He will be one of Newman School's leading scorers and assist guys this season, and I personally think he has a very bright college career ahead. You don't see many guys with his combination of size, skill and passing ability. Special.     Hunter-Coleman comes to Newman from NMH, where he averaged 11.7 points and 8.5 rebounds last season. The 6-foot guard had the quickest first step in the entire gym yesterday and was personally my biggest surprise of the day. His shot has really come along from both the mid range and three, and he is really beginning to understand how to play at his own pace. Defensively, he's a total dog who's impossible to screen and is ridiculously physical when defending on the ball. He's a definite D1 player who should get major minutes this upcoming season and will likely get more offers once he proves he can defend any guard in the region.     I could genuinely watch Geremia shoot all day. The UPenn commit has such a beautiful shot and makes it at a ridiculous clip. When I first saw him, he was mostly a standstill shooter that didn't shoot with movement. Now, the shooting guard is flying off screens and cutting with great regularity. He's also a lot stronger and bigger. Furthermore, he continues to develop his off the dribble game, which is huge for someone who constantly has defenders closing out hard to him. Geremia is going to be solid for UPenn and should rip the nets this season for Newman.     O'Keefe didn't shoot the ball well for most of the small sided games during the first hour of open gym. He made the right decision for himself and his teammates, but the shots weren't falling. Once they switched to full-court 5's, the 6-foot-4 guard started to rip the chords; his shooting is ridiculously streaky but is quite impressive once he gets going. O'Keefe is also a phenomenal athlete who might be one of the best conditioned players in the region, which helps him consistently push the pace and put pressure on the defense. The Princeton commit will be a key cog for Newman this season, both on and off the ball offensively and as a defensive stopper.     This was my first time seeing Meribe in person, and I was quite impressed with his strength and athleticism. The 6-foot-8 forward is a great rim runner who seems to be in excellent physical condition, allowing him to beat opposing bigs up and down the floor. On the glass, he uses his quick first and second jumps and length to come down with rebounds, and his wide body to carve out space. He almost hit his head on the rim a couple times. Meribe's offensive skillset is certainly still coming along, but he finishes well above the rim and should spend lots of time in the dunker spot for Newman. He'll garner D1 looks because of his physicality and athletic ability.     Bollin is a unique player who does a little bit of everything on the court. If you walked into the gym and didn't know what sport he played, you'd think he's a D1 tight end who's garnering NFL looks; the 6-foot-7 forward is huge in the upper body and has a great base. He uses this strength to punish guards on switches and bulldoze through opposing wings in the paint, and he also moves like a guard on the perimeter. The outside shot could be a bit more consistent and he could be better at finishing near the hoop, but he should be a key player for Newman this year and will add to their versatility on both ends.     Richmond is really interesting as a role player who does all of the things you want a role player to do. He shoots it well from three, he moves well without the ball, and he knows what he's going to do with the rock whenever he gets it. His quick decision making, combined with his size and shooting, makes him a great plug and play guy. Additionally, his strength, length, and lateral quickness allows him to guard a variety of different players from point guards to big wings and small bigs. He should be an effective piece for Newman and will have a nice college career at Columbia.

I attended Newman School's open gym on Tuesday, September 9th, to check out some players who will play for both their A and B teams. The reigning NEPSAC AAA champions have certainly lost some firepower, but they come back with a loaded group that's ready to defend their title. Their B team also has some intriguing D3 players.