Pembroke basketball will look a little different without head coach Mike Donnell on the sideline this season. The defending champs, however, are carrying over a core of players and will look to defend their title under the leadership of Jim Cilley.
Cilley, who has worked as the assistant coach for Pembroke for multiple seasons, is as prepared for the role as he could ever be. The two basically operated as co-head coaches last season while Donnell battled cancer.
“I’ve had a huge impact on most of the decision-making over the last couple of years, but obviously I deferred to Mike to make the final call,” Cilley said. They agreed on most things and it clearly worked as they led the Spartans to a Division II title.
Backed by assistant coach Julia Valotto, the two will tweak some things but also stick to the things that worked well. Cilley and Valotto plan to design more plays for the team, while also allowing for a lot of the free-roaming play that Donnell gave his squad.
Cilley described the changes as “putting them in a position to make those choices, versus letting them come down the floor and make the choice.” Tempo and tough perimeter defense will be key for the team.
The Spartans are returning key guards, senior Zac Bemis and junior Andrew Fitzgerald, who both gave the team solid shooting and high energy to compete last season. Senior Javien Sinclair will also be a key piece of the frontcourt, defending big inside, spacing the floor, scoring in the paint and hauling rebounds.
Few places love basketball as much as Pembroke, and the whole team feels it. Throughout their postseason run last year, every gym was packed with fans.
“You’re supposed to win, especially at Pembroke Academy. They’re known for it. It’s probably the best job in Division II, maybe even the state, in terms of boys’ basketball,” Cilley said with pride.
Competition in the division will be tough as ever, especially in the capital region.
Bow continues to grow under coach Eric Saucier and will rely on its large personnel to challenge opponents. The perennially strong Coe-Brown Bears under coach Dave Smith will have a new look and try to surprise teams. Many teams will look to prove themselves this year, and Cilley will battle to get his team another chip.
Concord
Division: I
Coach: Tim LaTorra (fourth year)
Last year: 0-18
Returners: JD Nkurunziza, sr., G; Landon Perez, so., G; Jackson Harerimana, sr., G; Robby Marcelin, jr., G; Nick Marquis, so., G; Eddy Harerimana, so., G; Thomas Saysaw, so., F.
Top newcomers: Jaxson Leyton, jr., F; Oballa Ojullo, jr., F; Lucas Jefferson, so., G; Greyson Fisher, so., F.
Outlook: “The question we hear a lot is: What is going on with Concord Basketball? Here is the answer: We have been battling a quarter century of losing, but focusing on culture change the last few years has been our priority. You cannot win without first developing winning habits. We believe we have a group of guys throughout our entire program who are bought in to this culture change and will continue to compete and improve.” – LaTorra
“We are still very young. This is very exciting for the coming years, but our goal now is to be more competitive than we were a year ago. A lot of people run the other way when the things in front of them look challenging, or the results don’t show right away. Our group is committed to the process of building winning habits together.” – LaTorra
Teams to beat: Portsmouth, Trinity, Bedford, Bishop Guertin and Exeter.
Bishop Brady
Division: II
Coach: Bill Duffy (first year)
Last year: 3-15
Returning starters: Ryan Casey, sr., F/C; Alex Pelletier, sr., G.
Outlook: “This season marks a period of significant change for Bishop Brady basketball. The program welcomes a new coaching staff, with Bill Duffy stepping in as Head Varsity Coach and Josh LeClaire taking on the roles of Head JV Coach and Assistant Varsity Coach. With these changes, the team will feature a refreshed identity and a new style of play. Our focus throughout the preseason has been establishing a defense-first mentality. Our goal for the season is to earn a first-round playoff game, and we are committed to putting in the work necessary to achieve it.” – Duffy
Bow
Division: II
Coach: Eric Saucier (second year)
Last year: 13-7, reached quarterfinals
Returning starters: Ben Reardon, so., G/F; Peyton Larrabee, sr., F; Brendan O’Keeffe, sr., G.
Top newcomers: Kyle Cimis, jr., F; Giancarlo Diblasio, sr., F.
Outlook: “With a good number of returners and a solid core of new players, the team is excited about the upcoming season. Last year turnovers were an issue, but if this team is able to limit its turnovers, it believes it can play and compete with anyone.” – Saucier
Teams to beat: Hollis-Brookline, Manchester West and Pelham.
Coe-Brown
Division: II
Coach: David Smith (38th year)
Last year: 15-5, reached quarterfinals
Returning starters: Grant Hayes, jr., G.
Outlook: “Our team is working hard and we are excited to open our season on Friday! Grant Hayes logged a lot of Varsity minutes and is returning, we have youth and exciting players working hard to gain minutes through out the lineup! Division 2 is balanced again with each game being a test of will!” – Smith
John Stark
Division: II
Coach: Mike Smith (26th year)
Last year: 4-14
Returning Starters: Avery Grolljahn, sr., F; Carter Geaumont, jr., G.
Top newcomers: Desmond Bogle, so., G; Tom Gagliardi, jr., F; Owen Gitchell, so., G.
Outlook: “We will be a very young team, as we have just one senior on the roster, but I’m excited about how we have practiced. We have eager guys who are showing improvement everyday which will be really important for us as the season progresses.” – Smith
Merrimack Valley
Division: II
Coach: Kelly O’Brien (second year)
Last year: 11-8, reached preliminary round
Returning starters: Thatcher Stearn, sr., G; Brady Smith, sr., G; Ethan Dukette, sr., G.
Top newcomers: Carter Gabour, jr., C; Rodier Phaneuf, sr., F; Chris Babonis, sr., F; Rutger Gilliland, sr., G.
Outlook: “We have a solid core of returning players and look to build upon a winning season from last year. Our strength will be in our experience and our size. We look to play hard every minute of the game and make things difficult for our opponents.” – O’Brien
Pembroke
Division: II
Coach: Jim Cilley (first year)
Last year: 19-2, D-II champions
Returning starters: Zac Bemis, sr., G; Javien Sinclair, sr., F/C; Andrew Fitzgerald, jr., G.
Top newcomers: Brayden Provost, so., G; Danny O’Brien, jr., F; Nate Lawrence, jr., F; Devon Benton, jr., G.
Teams to beat: Pelham, Hollis Brookline, Merrimack Valley, Manchester West, Hanover, Bow and Coe-Brown.
Belmont
Division: III
Coach: Tony Martinez (fourth year)
Last year: 20-1, D-III champions
Returning starters: Brody Ennis, jr., G/F; Wyatt Carroll, sr., G; Owen Viar, jr., F.
Top newcomers: “Everyone!” – Martinez.
Outlook: “Last season was very special with a very special group of players and we are extremely excited for this season’s team. This offseason, the guys have put in a ton of work to prepare, not just to compete but to defend our state title. We know everyone is coming after us, so we have been preparing for that since last June. We have size, speed, depth, and experience, everything we need to compete at a high level. This has been one of the hardest and most determined groups I’ve ever coached.” – Martinez
Teams to beat: St. Thomas, Mascoma, Gilford, Fall Mountain, Hopkinton and Kearsarge.
Hillsboro-Deering
Division: III
Coach: Jeff Crowe (first year)
Last year: 2-14
Returning starters: Ethan Franklin, Alex Crowe, Ryan Shortt, Tony Harris and Dan Richard.
Top newcomers: Quinn Coombs, Grayson Ainslie and Oscar Poland.
Outlook: “Our goal this year is to bring back a tradition of competitive basketball. I feel we have a great mix of youth and experience with the skills and the will to restore that tradition. It will not be an easy climb back to relevance, but we have what it takes to be competitive each and every time we step on the court.” – Crowe
Hopkinton
Division: III
Coach: Liam McNicholas (second year)
Last year: 7-10, reached preliminary round
Returning starters: Ben Normand, sr., F.
Top newcomers: Edvard Lie Nauff, sr., C; Greyson LeFlem, jr., F; Leon Louca, fr., F.
Outlook: “We expect to be a very competitive team in Division III this year. We graduated seven seniors and had one player go to another school. But the six returners on the team are ready to take on expanded roles and have improved tremendously over the offseason. Our biggest strength is our size. We will be the biggest team in the division. I anticipate our biggest weakness to be general inexperience at the varsity level.” – McNicholas
Teams to beat: Kearsarge, Mascoma, Gilford, Belmont, and Fall Mountain.
Kearsarge
Division: III
Coach: Nate Camp (17th year)
Last year: 19-3, D-III runner-up
Returning starters: Eli Whipple, jr., G; Bragen Kinzer, sr., F.
Top newcomers: Blake LaMothe, jr., F; Rylan Fitzgerald, jr., G; Quinn Cusick, jr., F; Mason Prescott, jr., G; Tanner Stafford, fr., G; Hazen Weathers, fr., G.
Outlook: “We return 10 kids from a great finals run a year ago, however very few players got the crunch time minutes other than Whipple, Kinzer, Grieco, and Boehle. So early in the season, it’s going to be about gaining confidence and chemistry, especially down the stretch in the 4th quarter when games are won. Our team goals are always to get back to the Final 4 or beyond with this group. I think when we finally gel and play together, we will surprise some teams throughout the season. We will need to get a lot better at defense and rebounding in order to do so, as well as enhancing our ‘brotherhood’ mentality both on and off the court.” – Camp
Teams to beat: Belmont, St. Thomas, Mascoma and Gilford.
Winnisquam
Division: III
Coach: Kevin Dame (15th year)
Last year: 0-16
Returning starters: Ethan Poole, sr.; Carter Lloyd, so.; Dio Katsigiannis, sr.; Travis Tibbetts, jr.
Top newcomers: Owen Poole, fr.
Outlook: “The guys are working hard every day to improve. We didn’t have much experience returning last year. I feel that if we can continue to work hard and develop as a team, we could compete with every team that we face. We will be looking to play defense and rebound to get our transition game going.” – Dame
Teams to beat: St. Thomas, Belmont, Mascoma, Fall Mountain and Gilford.
Concord Christian Academy
Division: IV
Coach: Greg Farland (third year)
Last year: 20-1, reached semifinals
Returning starters: Luke Farland, jr.
Outlook: “We’ll be relying on role players from last year stepping into the starting positions. They are ready and eager to prove they are deserving of that new responsibility. They have worked hard in the offseason as well and have all improved. Just because we have a new look, it would be dangerous to underestimate us. These guys are hungry and ready to get after it!” – Farland
Teams to beat: Littleton and Portsmouth Christian Academy.
Franklin
Division: IV
Coach: Dylan Rowen (first year)
Last year: 9-10, reached preliminary round
Returning starters: Nathan Holmes, sr., G; Matthew Carlsen, sr., G/F; Cody Williams, sr., G/F.
Top newcomers: Thomas Nason, jr., F/C; Corbin Wyatt, so., G; Holden Douville, so., F; Tucker Pope, so., F.
Outlook: “We are looking to finish stronger this season, and it begins with focusing on the fundamentals.”We are talking every day about a focus on toughness, pace, and being connected as a group. We have thirteen players, and it’s going to take all of us to achieve our goals.” – Rowen
Teams to beat: Littleton, Portsmouth Christian Academy, Newmarket, Woodsville and Groveton.