NEW HAMPTON, N.H. – Last season, few expected the NEPSAC Class AAA final matchup of New Hampton vs. Maine Central Institute. Although the two were seeded third and fourth among the eight schools, they showed what can happen when it comes down to one game in single elimination. This year, few will be surprised if New Hampton gets that far, as Pete Hutchins has a team with more talent, albeit a little more youth as well.
Although there are talented underclassmen here, the best player on the floor on Wednesday was Olivier Hanlan (6’2″ Sr. PG, Hull (Que.)). A plus athlete with some leadership abilities, he shot the lights out from all over the floor, mostly off the dribble and several times going behind a screener with the defender going behind the ball screen. It seemed like he didn’t miss all night.
Hanlan will have plenty of help on the perimeter. It starts with veterans Aaron Hendricks (6’1″ Sr. SG, Del Oro (CA)) and Seth Liebert (6’1″ Sr. PG, Alamo (CA)). Hendricks has a good frame and showed a touch from long range on the evening, while Liebert has a slight frame and had some good moments running the team. Evan Manning (6’0″ Sr. PG, Lawrence (KS)) did not work out due to injury and will add further depth at the point. Also in the mix off the ball will be James Dunivan (6’3″ Sr. SG, Richmond (VA)), who has committed to Williams and showed a good mid-range jumper off the dribble and later made a nice pass on the move, and Tim Mohr (6’4″ Sr. SG-SF, Davis (CA)), who figures to swing between the two wing spots.
Adding further to the riches is one of the newcomers, Jared Terrell (6’2″ So. SG, Weymouth (MA)). Fresh off a breakout spring and summer, the well-built athlete has shown he can score in a wide-open game and at times has shot the ball well. The big thing for him to do is gain a feel for the game, something he lacks right now and at times hampers him as his shot selection leaves a lot to be desired and he’s inconsistent defensively, although he’s shown himself to be very capable at that end of the floor.
The frontcourt appears to be in great shape and will have more size than last year. Recent Notre Dame commit Zach Auguste (6’9″ Sr. SF-PF, Marlborough (MA)) returns for his second season at the school and has improved noticeably in the last year. His body is more mature, he’s finishing better and especially when there’s contact, and he continues to run the floor well.
Noah Vonleh (6’7″ So. SF-PF, Haverhill (MA)) comes to the school with quite a reputation to date, and some of it is earned. He’s got a fine post game right now, but has to improve on the perimeter at the offensive end. Defensively and on the glass, he’s already in good shape, as he’s a solid rebounder. The ability and work ethic is there, and he’s athletic enough to play small forward one day, but the skill set needs to catch up.
One player sure to play a key role up front is Towson commit Barrington Alston (6’7″ Sr. PF, Wilmington (DE)). The well-built lefty really competes and ably defended Auguste at times inside, finished well with contact and is a plus athlete. He won’t get the attention of Auguste or Vonleh, but he’ll surely be as important to the team’s success as they will. Expect him to get the assignment of guarding the opposing team’s best post player on most nights.
Jeremy Miller (Fr. PF-C, Milton (MA)) will also figure into the picture up front, but he may be a little bit away from being a serious contributor. He’s long and can block shots inside, but he’s raw on offense and tended to hang on the perimeter during their workout. He looked like a different player back in the spring, when he started to play more like a dominant inside player amongst his peers, so there’s reason to think he can develop.
Lew Evans (6’8″ Sr. PF, Salt Lake City (UT)), who has a mature body and ran the floor a few times, will also get his share of minutes, and Mike Auger (6’6″ So. PF, Hopkinton (MA)), who has a good frame, is also in the frontcourt mix.
New Hampton is usually a team composed almost exclusively of post-graduates, and this year’s team still has plenty of them. But there are some younger players that help add to the talent level, and they along with returning seniors Hanlan and Auguste are part of the reason it wouldn’t be a surprise this time if New Hampton were playing on a Sunday in early March.
