MIAA Playoff Preview: D3 Final 4, Sleepers, and Stars to Watch

The MIAA playoffs are here! Five divisions of MIAA basketball action will commence this week, and over the next handful of days, I'll have previews for divisions one through three—including final four and championship predictions, sleeper teams, and stars to watch. I'll then have additional articles highlighting some players to watch from each of those three divisions.   With the number of teams included in the brackets, it was impossible to see every team play. With that being said, I've done my research and have watched as much MIAA hoops as you can as one human being (think you've watched more? I'll challenge you).   This is one of the most exciting times of the year, and I can't wait to see how this year's tournament plays out.   If you missed it:   D1:   <a href="https://prephoops.com/2026/02/miaa-playoff-preview-d1-final-4-sleepers-and-stars-to-watch/">MIAA Playoff Preview: D1 Final 4, Sleepers, and Stars to Watch</a>   <a href="https://prephoops.com/2026/02/miaa-playoff-preview-more-d1-players-to-watch/">MIAA Playoff Preview: More D1 Players to Watch</a>   D2:   <a href="https://prephoops.com/2026/02/miaa-playoff-preview-d2-final-4-sleepers-and-stars-to-watch/">MIAA Playoff Preview: D2 Final 4, Sleepers, and Stars to Watch</a>   <a href="https://prephoops.com/2026/02/miaa-playoff-preview-more-d2-players-to-watch/">MIAA Playoff Preview: More D2 Players to Watch</a>   Below is my full D3 preview.   The Bracket   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-27-at-4.17.31-PM.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-27-at-4.17.31-PM.png?w=787" alt="" class="wp-image-3528709" /></a></figure>   Final 4 Prediction   Hanover High School   Hanover is an extremely well-balanced and well-coached basketball team that'll wear you down with their ball movement, cutting, and screening and will have a bunch of guys who will give their all towards the goal of winning. They have some star power too, though. They're led by Ryan Mutschler, who has shown an excellent ability to score the basketball this season. He's an above-the-rim athlete who can take contact on finishes, and he can get to the rim using his speed and quickness. Brad Peterson also provides shooting from long range, and they have a host of other players who can step up as scoring options. They're the one-seed for good reason, but do they have enough experience playing difficult opponents? We'll find out.   Swampscott High School   Swampscott beat Salem High School recently, and that really opened my eyes to what they can do. I had only really known about Teddy O'Neil, their star point guard who I'll discuss more in my "stars to watch" section, but Connor Chiarello has also provided a solid scoring punch for them in their backcourt as of late, and they have a couple other big men—Chase Groothuis, for example—who do a good job manning the paint and doing their job defensively and on the boards. They have star power and solid depth, and they might have the best player in D3, so they always have a chance. The Salem win should give them some confidence that they can compete with anyone.   Salem High School   Salem is the two-seed, but they have a strong argument to be the overall favorites in D3. They're led by star junior point-guard [player_tooltip player_id='2826663' first='Elian' last='Rodriguez'] (who I'll discuss more in my "stars to watch" section), but they also have really solid depth alongside him. Nate Lane is an excellent second-side attacker who can shoot, dribble and pass. [player_tooltip player_id='3479515' first='Cleto' last='Deng'] is having a phenomenal season manning the paint; he has awesome touch around the hoop and is far more physical than most freshman. Matt Kenney can also get hot at any moment and is super skilled. Salem is legit and has played a tough schedule this season, so they should be ready to go.   Tewksbury Memorial High School   Tewksbury is led by one of the best players in D2, [player_tooltip player_id='2875575' first='Johnny' last='Sullivan']. I'll discuss him more in my "stars to watch" section, but he's an incredibly important part of TMHS's offensive attack. Gabe Keskinidis also shoots the lights out from three and has good footwork coming off screens. And then freshman Aiden Richard has been a nice piece for them as well, giving them solid rim attacks and another skilled guard who can handle pressure. Most notably, though, Tewskbury plays well as a team and is tough to guard because of everyone's combined buy-in to team basketball. They also have a mean full-court press.   Championship Prediction   Salem High School over Hanover High School   I think Hanover probably plays the best team style of basketball in D3, but when it comes down to it, I think Salem High School just has too much talent for them to handle. With their core 4 of Rodriguez, Lane, Deng and Kenney, Salem has so many guys who can make an impact on any given night, and on both ends. At some point, talent wins out, and I think this is Salem's year.   Sleeper Teams   Norwell High School   With Charlie Williams and Nick Fein, Norwell has one of the best one-two punches in division 3. Williams is a menace in the paint and has good touch around the hoop, so he's as good a big as you'll find at this level. And Nick Fein is a three-level scorer who can really get hot and get things going for Norwell. The two of them have the ability to make each other better, and if neither of them get tired or in foul trouble, they could shake some things up.   Charlestown High School   Charlestown has played a difficult schedule this season and is honestly a lot better than the typical 18-seed. If they weren't set to play Salem in the second round, I think there's a serious chance I would have them in my final four. The backcourt of Kamari Day and Jeremiah Brown is probably the best backcourt in this region. They compliment each other well and it seems like one of them is always lighting it up on the offensive end. With those two, along with a host of other wings and bigs who are willing to be physical and set screens, Charlestown could make a serious run.   Greater Lawrence Technical School   Greater Lawrence Tech is not a team you want to play. They're led by Amarian Lopes, who runs the show with comfort and poise and can score it as well as set up his teammates. Zayden Goicochea also provides shooting and rim pressure on the offensive end. But what impresses me most about this team is the intensity and toughness they play with. Everybody on the floor and on the bench is locked into the game, and if you don't play hard, you're coming right out. Their coaches will have them prepared to play anyone, and they won't be scared for the challenge.   Boston Latin Academy   [player_tooltip player_id='2967090' first='Will' last='Olinto'] (who I'll discuss more in my "stars to watch" section) and Krem Amparo are a top 3 duo in division 3. Olinto runs the show at PG and Amparo is an unbelievable rim protector and offensive rebounder. BLA also spaces the floor with shooters and guys who can attack off of the lack of attention they get because it's all on Olinto and Amparo. BLA was incredibly close to winning the Boston City League championship against Holland, and I wouldn't be remotely surprised to see them make a run in MIAA D3. They have played a solid schedule, too.   Stars To Watch    O'Neill is, in my opinion, the best player in MIAA D3. The 6-foot-2 point guard plays like a mini Luka Doncic—he moves at his own pace and uses his strong body to get to spots on the floor, but he can get to his shot whenever he wants and has a knack for finding his teammates with creative passes. O'Neill is only a sophomore but has maxed out what he can do at the MIAA level, so he'll probably be at a prep school in the near future. Maybe he can go out with a bang this season, though.     Rodriguez is a three-level scorer who puts tons of pressure on the rim but can also make you pay from long range if you don't get a hand up. The 6-foot-2 guard has above-the-rim athleticism, and he's willing to take contact at the hoop. But he also makes good reads at the rim and can set up his teammates for easy shots. He's a key player for Salem HS, who I think will win the championship this season.     Sullivan is an awesome two-way player who can score from all three levels and has way better athleticism than you'd think given his size and build. The 6-foot-1 guard has excellent instincts in the passing lanes and gets tons of breakaway steals, but he can also get into the paint in the half court for crafty finishes. And, he has really good footwork coming off screens and a quick, consistent shot release when the defense doesn't get a hand up. Reminds me of Reed Sheppard.     Olinto is such a joy to watch and is a pure show. The 5-foot-10 guard is undersized, but he's a dog and a relentless rim attacker when he has the rock. He's always driving at you downhill and has a knack for finishing below the rim with the trees trying to block him. His outside shot isn't super lethal, but he's one of the best downhill playmakers in D3 and is going to create easy opportunities for his teammates all night whenever he plays.     Babb is one of the most physically imposing players in the entire region and really impresses me with his ability to use physicality and strength to discard other big men in the paint. He's an excellent offensive rebounder, a solid finisher around the hoop, and a good rim protector defensively. We'll see if Babb has a good enough supporting cast around him for Lynn Classical to make a run.     Behrmann is one of the most skilled players in D3 and has consistently put Medfield on his back all season. The 6-foot guard is an incredibly lethal scorer in isolation and can finish over larger defenders in the paint with awesome touch but is also great at getting his three-point shot off under pressure. He has an awesome feel for the game and a beautiful shooting touch, which is a great combo. Expect some big performances from Behrmann moving forward.     Maxwell is an incredibly imposing forward who can score the ball at will. He's too strong for most players in this division and completely overpowers defenders in the paint, but he hasn't shown the ability to consistently knock down outside shots, so that limits him. Maxwell will need to lean into facilitating a bit more and hope that keeping his teammates confident can help Abington make a run.     Neal continues to improve every time I watch him and has had a phenomenal season for Lynnfield. The 6-foot-4 lefty has gotten more comfortable handling the ball and is quite difficult to stop at the rim with his combination of size, athleticism and length. He has a knack for finishing and he's relentless in his attacks to the hoop. His outside shot has improved this season, too, and he's an excellent rebounder and hustle player. Neal might not have enough help around him at Lynnfield to make a run, but perhaps some role players can make some shots and compliment what he brings offensively.

The MIAA playoffs are here! Five divisions of MIAA basketball action will commence this week, and over the next handful of days, I'll have previews for divisions one through three—including final four and championship predictions, sleeper teams, and stars to watch. I'll then have additional articles highlighting some players to watch from each of those three divisions.