Division 3-4 boys basketball preview

Abington has been the hallmark of consistency the past two seasons.

With 42 wins in that stretch, the Green Wave has appeared in a Div. 4 state final two years and were co-champs last March. Abington returns four key players from the 22-win squad — guards Matt Maguire, Tommy Fanara and Antwonne Graham as well as forward Derek Nuttall.

Cohasset is a team which has battled Abington over the past few years. Guard Liam Cunnie, who is closing in on 1,000 points, figures to lead the way for the Skippers.

Cape Cod Academy gave Abington a run in the sectional final and have high-scoring guard Jaeden Greenleaf back. Southeastern will look to forward Kelvin Cheridor and center Andrew Flavin.

Cathedral had been the beast of Div. 4 South for years before stumbling in 2020. New coach Jamall Griffin is ready to lead the Panthers back and he’ll lean on guards Anthony Coke and Kamari James as well as forward Gerald Dottin.

Snowden captured the Div. 4 North title last year and returns some quality talent led by swingman Lansana Kaba, forward Marquise Miller and guards Carlos Ortiz, Omari Brooks and Richard Capellan. Georgetown should be in for a solid season as guards J.T. Murphy and Jack Lucido are back along with forward Harrison Lien.

The Catholic Central League has no shortage of teams who should be in for a good winter. Div. 4 North finalist Austin Prep has guard Lence Altenor returning along with guards Mike Gizzi and Adrian Quezada, while Lowell Catholic will lean on high-scoring guard Isaiah Taylor and forward Keenan Rudy-Phol.

Bishop Fenwick returns a pair of all-league guards in Jason Romans and Alex Gonzalez as well as forward Christian Loescher and swingman Max Grenert. St. Joseph will depend on forward Ethan Robertson and his brother, swingman Nate Robertson, while Cristo Rey brings back star forward Ray Bosquet.

St. Mary’s had little trouble rolling to the Div. 3 North sectional title, winning its three games by an average of nearly 24 points a game. The Spartans will be solid in the backcourt with David Brown, Sammy Batista and Ali Barry alongside forward Henri Miraka.

Hamilton-Wenham had a solid postseason run and has forwards Markus Nordin and Ryan Hutchinson back as well as guard Carter Coffey. Newburyport will lean on guards Jacob Robertson, Max Gagnon and Jack Fehlner, while Amesbury has forward Kyle Donovan back for his senior season.

Sectional finalist Weston has one of the top centers in the state in Sawyer Mayhugh to team with guards William VanHouten and Alton Jenkins. Standout point guard Gabe Spinelli is back at Watertown as well as forward Adam Patterson. Arlington Catholic will rely on guards Andre Perez and Jimmy Ball.

Burke captured the Div. 3 South sectional title, then knocked off St. Mary’s to earn a share of the state championship. Highly-touted forward Ethan Daleba is back to team up with guards Ramsay Checo and Takei Galloway.

Norton should be solid in the backcourt with the trio of Josh Coffey, Marquise Pina and Brian Miller. Rockland has one of the better frontcourt duos in Derek Williams and Hunter Wardwell, while Bishop Stang is banking on guards Declan Markey and Ethan Clark in the early going.

The South Coast Conference is always ultra-competitive and this year is no different. Fairhaven won 15 games and has center Logan Berube and forward Ryan Deslausiers back, while Wareham could have the league’s premier player in guard Darien Gibson.

Seekonk has a solid returning cast led by guards Kyle Blanchard and Jacob Barreira and forward Nathan Clarke. Apponequet is loaded with frontcourt talent led by Jake Generazzo, Mike Hendricksen and Patrick White.

FIVE TEAMS TO WATCH IN DIVISION 3 NORTH

St. Mary’s (23-3)

Weston (13-11)

Hamilton-Wenham (15-8)

Watertown (16-6)

Newburyport (16-6)

PLAYERS TO WATCH IN DIVISION 3 NORTH

C – Sawyer Mayhugh (Weston)

F – Kyle Donovan (Amesbury), Ryan Hutchinson (Hamilton-Wenham), Henri Miraka (St. Mary’s), Markus Nordin (Hamilton-Wenham, Adam Patterson (Watertown)

G – Jimmy Ball (Arlington Catholic), Sammy Batitsa (St. Mary’s), David Brown (St. Mary’s), Cody Cannalonga (North Reading), Carter Coffet (Hamilton-Wenham), Jack Fehlner (Newburyport), Jack Ford (Lynnfield), Max Gagnon (Newburyport), Connor Gilmartin (Stoneham), Alton Jenkins (Weston), Myles Manalaysay (Saugus), Andre Perez (Arlington Catholic), Jeremy Perez (Shawsheen), Jacob Robertson (Newburyport), Gabe Spinelli (Watertown), Will Taylor (North Reading), Jake Tyler (Shawsheen), Williaam VanHouten (Weston)

FIVE TEAMS TO WATCH IN DIVISION 3 SOUTH

Burke (18-8)

Bishop Stang (10-11)

Norton (19-5)

Wareham (19-5)

Rockland (19-3)

PLAYERS TO WATCH IN DIVISION 3 SOUTH

C – Logan Berube (Fairhaven), Jarrod Sutcliffe (Case)

F – Nathan Clarke (Seekonk), Ethan Daleba (Burke), Ryan Deslausiers (Fairhaven), Jake Generazzo (Apponequet), Mike Hendricksen (Apponequet), Aidan Melton (Monomoy), Derek Williams (Rockland), Hunter Wardwell (Rockland), Patrick White (Apponequet)

G – Jacob Barreira (Seekonk), Kyle Blanchard (Seekonk), Hayden Cayton (Case), Ramsey Checo (Burke), Ethan Clark (Bishop Stang), Josh Coffey (Norton), Chris Cronin (Sandwich), Takei Galloway (Burke), Darien Gibson (Wareham), Jeff Lam (East Bridgewater), Blake Maguire (Norwell), Declan Markey (Bishop Stang), Brian Miller (Norton), Tate Pike (Bellingham), Marquise Pina (Norton), Jo Jo Powers (Dedham), Evan Skeary (Dover-Sherborn)

FIVE TEAMS TO WATCH IN DIVISION 4 NORTH

Snowden (18-5)

Austin Prep (16-5)

Lowell Catholic (12-9)

Bishop Fenwick (11-10)

Georgetown (12-11)

PLAYERS TO WATCH IN DIVISION 4 NORTH

C/F – Ray Bosquet (Cristo Rey), Cam Conway (Winthrop), Mike Gizzi (Austin Prep), Lansana Kaba (Snowden), Harrison Lien (Georgetown), Adrian Quezada (Austin Prep), Ethan Robertson (St. Joseph), Keenan Rudy-Phol (Lowell Catholic), Jack Shaw (Manchester-Essex)

G – Lence Altenor (Austin Prep), Alex Gonzalez (Bishop Fenwick), Max Leger (Nashoba Tech), Jack Lucido (Georgetown), Ian McBournie (Essex Tech), J.T. Murphy (Georgetown), Carlos Ortiz (Snowden), Nate Robertson (Bishop Fenwick), Jason Romans (Bishop Fenwick), Isaiah Taylor (Lowell Catholic)

FIVE TEAMS TO WATCH IN DIVISION 4 SOUTH

Abington (22-5)

Cohasset (16-6)

Cathedral (2-18)

Southeastern (14-9)

Cape Cod Academy (15-9)

PLAYERS TO WATCH IN DIVISION 4 SOUTH

C/F – Kelvin Cheridor (Southeastern), Gerald Dottin (Cathedral), Andrew Flavin (Southeastern), Owen Kibbe (Carver), Derek Nuttall (Abington), Evan Ochenduszko (South Shore)

G – Lucas Arieta (Rising Tide), Anthony Coke (Cathedral), Liam Cunnie (Cohasset), Tommy Fanara (Abington), Antwonne Graham (Abington), Jaeden Greenleaf (Cape Cod Academy), Ryan Hendricks (Mashpee), Kamari James (Cathedral), Matt Maguire (Abington), Matt Myron (Bishop Connolly), Amari Robinson (Sturgis West), Matthew Veiga (South Shore), Aidan Viveiros (Westport)

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3rEorVT