The MIAA Division 1-5 boys’ basketball state finals will be held Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at Tsongas Arena in Lowell, the culmination of the inaugural statewide tournament. Here’s a look at all the matchups.
Division 1
Matchup: BC HIGH (24-0) vs. NEWTON NORTH (21-3)
Sunday at Tsongas Arena, 6 p.m.
Coaches: Bill Loughnane, 18th year (BC High), Paul Connolly, 21st year (Newton North)
BC High starting 5: F Will Doyle (Sr.); F Mahari Guerrier (Sr.); G Greg Cooper (Sr.); G Mike Loughnane (Sr.); G Ivan Yhomby (So.)
Newton North starting 5: F Holland Hargens (Sr.); F Florian Kuechen (Sr.); F Will Davis (Jr.); G Marat Belhouchet (Sr.); G Jose Padilla (Jr.)
Player to watch/BC High: The third son to play for Bill Loughnane, Mike Loughnane is averaging 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists while shooting 49 percent from the floor this season. Both Loughnane and senior Greg Cooper are explosive leapers who can pick off passes and throw down in transition. At 6-foot-4, Loughnane is a point guard who can rebound and push the ball, and see over the defense in the half court.
Player to watch/Newton North: A 6-foot-6 senior with guard skills, Florian Kuechen can impact a game with his scoring, rebounding, and defense, as he sealed a 44-43 win over Westford in the Round of 16 with a clutch block. Along with 6-foot-8 junior forward Will Davis, Kuechen will be tasked with protecting the rim and controlling the boards.
The lowdown: These programs have been mainstays over the past 15 years, but have had trouble navigating the gauntlet of the Division 1 South bracket. In the first year of the statewide format, they meet in the final, with BC High seeking its second title. The Eagles won it all in 2007, the year after Connolly steered North to its second consecutive title with Anthony Gurley and Corey Lowe leading the way in a perfect 27-0 season. Now the Eagles look to put a stamp on an undefeated season in which they’ve won their games by an average of 16.5 PPG.
Division 2
Matchup: MALDEN CATHOLIC (21-2) vs. NORWOOD (21-2)
Saturday at Tsongas Arena, 4 p.m.
Coaches: John Walsh, 2nd year (Malden Catholic), Kristen McDonnell, 3rd year (Norwood)
Malden Catholic starting 5: F Jahmari Hamilton-Brown (Jr.); F KC Uguawakazi (Jr.); G Tony Felder Jr. (Sr.); G Nick Martinez (Sr.); G Buckley Moody (So.)
Norwood starting 5: F Ryan Fitzsimmons (Sr.); F Branden Francis (Sr.); G Noah Beaudet (Jr.); G Matt Mahoney (So.); G Joey Steeves (Sr.)
Player to watch/Malden Catholic: Tony Felder, Jr., a senior from Quincy, is a four-year starter with a quick first step and great court vision. Felder is averaging 21.2 points and 5.2 assists per game this season after leading the Lancers to a Catholic Conference title during the abridged 2020-21 season. He works in tandem with pick-and-roll partners Jahmari Hamilton-Brown, a 6-foot-7 junior from Salem, and 6-foot-6 junior KC Uguawakazi, from Stoughton.
Player to watch/Norwood: Junior guard Noah Beaudet averaged 22.6 points and 7.1 rebounds while shooting 55 percent from the floor and 40 percent from 3-point range this season. Beaudet scored 16 points with a pair of clutch baskets in a 57-51 win over Mansfield in double overtime, then dropped 20 points in a 69-66 overtime win over Burlington in the state semifinals.
The lowdown: Both of these coaches brought championship experience when taking on new challenges at these programs. Walsh won three state titles with Danvers in 2012, 2013, and 2015, before guiding Central Catholic to a 52-16 record and a Division 1 North finals appearance from 2017-2020. McDonnell posted an incredible 211-32 while guiding the Braintree girls’ program to four state titles over 10 years. The Mustangs went 9-11 in her first year, then McDonnell guided the program to a 9-2 record during the 2020-21 season, and has Norwood in the state final for the first time in program history.
Division 3
Matchup: ST. MARY’S (26-1) vs. WATERTOWN (17-7)
Friday at Tsongas Arena, 7:30 p.m.
Coaches: David Brown, 9th year (St. Mary’s), Steve Harrington, 28th year (Watertown)
St. Mary’s starting 5: F Omri Merryman (Jr.); G Ali Barry (Sr.); G David Brown Jr. (Jr.); G Derick Coulanges (Sr.); G Henri Miraka (Sr.)
Watertown starting 5: F Adam Patterson (Sr.); F Tyler Timperio (Sr.); G Paul Pierre Labossiere (Sr.), G Sean McCusker (Sr.); G Joe Spinelli (Sr.)
Player to watch/St. Mary’s: David Brown, Jr., the co-MVP of the Catholic Central League and the Globe’s Division 6 Player of the Year during football season shared CCL MVP honors this winter with backcourt mate Ali Barry. Brown Jr. is averaging 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists per game and Barry is at 17 points and 6 assists for the Spartans. The 5-foot-10 junior is an explosive leaper and strong finisher, who is already approaching 1,000 career points.
Player to watch/Watertown: After missing the first 10 days of the season due to health and safety protocols, senior Adam Patterson has ramped up along with the rest of the Raiders. Patterson, who is averaging 15 points per game, dropped 26 points with nine rebounds in a 56-51 win over New Mission in the D3 quarterfinals, and helped punch Watertown’s ticket to the state final with seven clutch free throws in a 59-50 win over TechBoston in the semifinals.
The lowdown: When these teams met in the Division 3 North final in 2018, Watertown slowed the game down and led 11-10 at the half before earning a 44-36 win en route to a state title. Harrington is no stranger to deep runs in March, having led the Raiders to nine sectional crowns, five finals appearances, and three state titles over 28 seasons. Brown Sr., a former stalwart at St. Mary’s, guided his alma mater a state title in 2016, advanced to the state finals the following year, and earned a D3 North title in 2020.
Division 4
Matchup: RANDOLPH (22-1) vs. SAINT JOSEPH PREP (22-1)
Saturday at Tsongas Arena, 2 p.m.
Coaches: Kalon Jenkins, 13th year (Randolph), Kyle Callanan, 1st year (Saint Joseph Prep)
Randolph starting 5: F Evans Appiah (Sr.); G Stevens Joacine (Sr.); G Lenny Tangishaka (Jr.); G Malik White (Sr.); G Marquis White (So.)
Saint Joseph Prep starting 5: F Ethan Robertson (So.); F Nate Robertson (So.); G Anthony Agard (Jr.); G Kendric Davila-Diaz (Jr.); G Darius Peterson (Sr.)
Player to watch/Randolph: While junior Stevens Joacine leads the Blue Devils in scoring at 14.6 points per game, Evans Appiah is their most versatile defender. The 6-foot-2 senior earned All-Scholastic honors after helping Randolph win its first Super Bowl this past fall, and his athleticism has been on full display in the tournament, as he’s capable of guarding every position on the floor.
Player to watch/Saint Joseph Prep: Both Ethan Robertson and his twin brother, Nate, are crafty wings who can get to the rim or set up their teammates. Both sophomores are good rebounders at 6-foot-3, and Nate has led the Phoenix in scoring in each of the past two seasons. Junior guard Kendric Davila-Diaz suffered an injury in the state semifinals that could keep him out of the state final, putting even more on the shoulders of those sophomores.
The lowdown: The Blue Devils have been on a roll with 22 straight wins since dropping their opener (42-20) at Middleborough. Jenkins has been building his program for over a decade and has his team in uncharted waters with many of the key football players that led Randolph this fall looking to bring the school its second state title in any sport. Saint Joseph Prep had never even won a state tournament game when Kyle Callanan, a former scholarship player at Armstrong University, took over this year. The Phoenix made the state tournament for the first time in 2020 after failing to top six wins in any of their previous six seasons. The Brighton Catholic school, which became co-educational in 2012 with the merging of Newton’s Trinity Catholic and the all-girls’ Mount St. Joseph, is in the final after holding off Boston City League powers Burke (66-63) and Snowden (68-65) this past week.
Division 5
Matchup: MAYNARD (24-2) vs. PAULO FREIRE (14-7)
Sunday at Tsongas Arena, 12 p.m.
Coaches: Paul Howes, 25th year (Maynard), Jonathan Davila, 1st year (Paulo Freire)
Maynard starting 5: G Adam Fowler (Sr.), G Connor Capone (Sr.), G Kyle Monahan (Sr.), F Abraao Alencar (Jr.), C Nolan Currier (Jr.)
Player to Watch/Maynard: Kyle Monahan averaged 20.8 points per game as the senior leader for the Tigers. He can score at all three levels and will play collegiately at Roger Williams.
Paulo Freire starting 5: F Christian Fontanez (Sr.); G Emmanuel Cruz (Jr.); G Darrell Daniels (Sr.); G Sandro Diaz (Jr.); G Bryan Jimenez (Sr.)
Player to watch/Paulo Freiere: Senior point guard Darrell ‘DJ’ Daniels is averaging 13 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game. Daniels played elite defense and hit the clinching free throws to lead Paulo Freire past top-seeded Taconic, 47-45, in the state semis.
The lowdown: Howes and his wife, Kristyn, have created a Central Mass. dynasty over 20-plus years as the coaches of the boys’ and girls’ basketball programs at Maynard. The Tigers are playing in their third state final since 2016 and seeking a second state title. Maynard has won 20 straight games and won four tournament bouts by an average of 24.5 ppg. The Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School is in its ninth year, and its seventh year with athletics. The school is seeking its second state title in any sport after the girls’ volleyball team went undefeated last fall. Davila took over early in the season after six years as an assistant coach when former coach Steven Rodriguez departed the program.
Nate Weitzer can be reached at nweitzer7@gmail.com. Follow him on X @nweitzer7.