CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – When many think of prep schools, chances are boarding schools come to mind first. While they dominate the landscape, Brimmer and May is the only day school in NEPSAC Class AAA or AA. This year, Tom Nelson’s team has a good deal of youth, but also some talent both on and off the court, as his team is full of good students as is usually the case at the school. The Gators should likewise field a competitive team on the court that will need to grow as the season goes along.
The young talent can be most clearly seen up front, where the Gators have some length. David Watkins (6’6″ So. SF-PF, Dorchester (MA)) might have the highest ceiling of anyone, as he’s long and a plus athlete and more potential than player right now. His body isn’t there, and the skill package needs to come along, but already there are hints, and they were visible on Tuesday. He has a high release on his jumper, which he can make at times, he will play physical inside instead of shying away from contact, and he shows some ball skills now although he needs to keep developing them.
The next “potential” player up front is Mark Gasperini (6’9″ So. PF, Brookline (MA)), who has a good frame and battled Watkins often on Tuesday. In drills, he hit shots from mid-range, although he has a slow release, then in game action he hit from there again and also showed a jump hook and that he has some post moves, although his moves aren’t very quick right now. In addition, he took contact inside at both ends, and as his body matures he’ll absorb that better.
Moving up a class, one finds the team’s most exciting newcomer, David Labossiere (6’3″ Jr. SG, Stoneham (MA)). A classic example of an athlete who doesn’t know the game, Labossiere’s body has a ways to go but his skill package has even more to go. However, he’s very quick, athletic and aggressive, and he had the highlight of the day when he drove in and dunked on a defender. While he can hit jumpers, that’s far from his forte, and he did post up and score once as well, though he’ll need to score more away from the basket at his size.
Classmate A.J. Simpson (6’5″ Jr. SF, Roxbury (MA)) has a slight frame but a relatively mature body. He was quiet for a lot of game action, but then the light bulb went on and he hit a couple of long jumpers right in a row. He’ll be in the mix on the wing, especially if they go with four perimeter players often, and is another player trying to raise his recruiting stock with a season of good development.
Also in that class is Bobby Brooks (6’4″ Jr. SG-SF, Norwell (MA)), who had his moments on the day and figures to be a good complementary piece. He’s not lacking athleticism and his effort wasn’t in question.
The seniors start with recent Drexel commit Sammy Mojica (6’3″ Sr. SG, Chelsea (MA)), who looks ready to come into his own. His body can mature more, and after seeing him shoot the ball well out to long range on Tuesday you start to see more clearly what he can become. He also made a quick drive and finished with the left (off) hand, made another layup with his man riding him, and later chased down a loose ball and then made a quick pass for a layup.
A few players will join the team when other sports are done and contribute. Quinn Iuliano (6’2″ Sr. SG, Chestnut Hill (MA)) and younger brother Keenan, a junior, both play soccer and were not at Tuesday’s workout. Quinn is the goalie for the team. Calvin Alexis (6’3″ Sr. SG-SF, Waltham (MA)) returns from last season and is currently running cross country.
Brimmer & May will host the BallasTV Invitational this season and also play in the BABC Prep Classic. They are also planning on at least one game in Chelsea as a homecoming for Mojica, whose family moved out of the city after a fire gutted their home early this year. Fortunately, his family has recovered and life is back to normal now.
In the very competitive Class AA of NEPSAC, Brimmer and May won’t be the first team to come to mind as a contender for the crown. There are others who bring back a lot from last season that will be fresh in people’s minds. This is a young team, and it’s clear there is not only room for growth but a need for it. How quickly that happens will tell the story of this team’s fate, and with Nelson on the bench there’s reason to believe some of that can happen in time for this team to be one of the eight in the Class AA Tournament.
