BOYS HOOPS PREVIEW
How will Valley teams fare this season?
Encore, please? No doubt about it, last year was a very good one for local boys basketball. Three teams advanced to the divisional finals (St. Raphael, Shea, Cumberland) with the Raiders facing the Clippers for D-II supremacy. That same trio was joined by Tolman in the 16-team R.I. Open State Tournament.
SRA and Shea kept area fans intrigued right until the very end and ended up meeting with a spot in the state championship on the line. That day belonged to the Raiders, who gave Bishop Hendricken everything they had before the Hawks pulled away late and took the crown.
While the majority of last season’s high-volume scorers have since moved on, there’s still a few notable holdovers who should be prepared to grab even more headlines. Team-wise, Cumberland and Shea have enough returning pieces to once again challenge for Division II supremacy while teams like Woonsocket and North Smithfield could prove to be surprise-worthy.
Amidst the hope of a special season, questions persist. Coaches are worriers by nature. Do we have enough shooting to combat a zone defense? What happens when a key player heads to the bench with two quick fouls? Everything will become clearer with time as teams seek to become more polished, a trait that at this juncture of the season remains very much in the evolving stage.
That said, here are in-depth team profiles broken down by division and alphabetical order:
DIVISION I
ST. RAPHAEL Head coach: Tom “Saar” Sorrentine 2016-17 league record: 15-3 (D-I North)
2016-17 postseason results: Defeated Classical, 60-57, in D-I quarterfinals; Defeated North Kingstown, 5343, in D-I semifinals; Lost to Bishop Hendricken, 63-54, in D-I finals; Defeated Classical, 51-40, open state tournament first round; Defeated Cumberland, 64-50, in open state tournament quarterfinals; Lost to Shea, 66-55, in open state tournament semifinals.
Returning players: Zaheer Santiago, senior, guard; Huascar Beato, senior, forward.
Key newcomers: Manee Castillo, senior, guard/forward; Avion Bloe, junior, guard; Nick Allienello, junior, center; Mike Harris, junior, forward; Matt West, junior, center; Devin O’Malley, sophomore, forward; Alex Della Rosa, sophomore, guard; Jayden Gomes, freshman, forward; Ameir Gomes, freshman, guard.
Outlook: The Saints might be down a peg or two based on losses due to graduation and transfers, but still figure to be competitive. … Beato and Santiago are the captains and the most experienced players on the roster. How they fare figures to go a long way in determining SRA’s fate. Santiago is one of the best long-distance artists in the state while the 6-4 Beato needs to be a double-double threat every night. … The addition of Bloe has already proven to be a godsend. A point guard who flashed an impressive shooting touch in the recent Donaldson-Lynch Tournament, the 5-10 Bloe transferred in from North Providence. He played on the Cougars’ junior-varsity team last season. … Harris is being asked to help on the backboards, an area that has Sorrentine a tad concerned. Harris can also step outside and keep defenses honest with his shot. … The 6-2 Allienello is an undersized center who gets the most out of his ability. West will serve as his backup. … Gomes will serve as Bloe’s backup while Garces, his fellow ninth grader, is an able scorer. Gomes is the son of former PC Friar Ruben Garces.
Coach’s take: “They’re picking things up and we’re moving along. At the beginning, we were trying to get a lot in and they may have doubted themselves. Now, it’s starting to flow a little bit,” said Sorrentine. “We have a long way to go, but they’re gradually getting it. We’re getting better because they’re understanding what their roles are.”
WOONSOCKET Head coach: T.J. Ciolfi 2016-17 league record: 6-12 (D-I North) 2016-17 postseason results: Lost to Mount Pleasant, 60-56, in D-I preliminary round.
Returning players: Tyheem Gray, senior, guard; Ke’Vaughn Davis, senior, guard, Jaelin Jackson, senior, guard; Richard Carriere, senior, center; Roger Bissonnette, senior, guard; Ababacar Ndiaye, senior, forward; Denzel Lyles, junior, forward; Dwayne Robinson-O’Hagan, junior, guard; Justo Colon, junior, guard.
Key newcomers: None Outlook: With just about every- one back, it’s enabled the Villa Novans to be in midseason form and hit the ground running. The only player of note who’s not returning is T.J. Cahill, a dependable 3-point shooter who graduated. … Woonsocket captured the Mount St. Charles Summer League and Ciolfi has already talked to his team about increased expectations. On paper, the Novans have enough talent to crack the top half of the Division I rankings. In the past, such a distinction has proven good enough to qualify for the Open state tournament. Woonsocket has yet to qualify for the all-inclusive event since its inception in 2010. … A three-guard rotation featuring Gray, Davis, and Jackson figures to give opposing teams fits. Gray is the point guard and the lone captain while Davis and Jackson are capable scorers. … Having Lyles for the start of the season as opposed to welcoming him midway through the campaign, which was the case last year, has already made a huge difference. Blessed with a quick first step and a rugged determination that serves him well on the glass, Lyles is the Novans’ best player and might prove to be of the top talents in the state. … You can’t coach size, and the 6-6 Carriere took another major step forward stamina-wise in his quest to become more of a factor. He shed 25 pounds during the offseason. … Robinson-O’Hagan will provide some scoring punch off the bench. He can play multiple positions and might be the Novans’ best on-ball defender. … Colon, Bissonnette, and Ndiaye are three more options off the bench. Bissonnette was mainly a junior-varsity player last season and could slide into the long-distance role previously held by Cahill. … Woonsocket’s last winning record came in 2009-10 (14-4).
Coach’s take: “We started calling plays on the first day of practice and it was a good feeling. We didn’t have to start from scratch. We just picked up where we left off. Last year at this time, we had to walk through every little step. It’s been refreshing to come in every day and just coach,” said Ciolfi. “As far as depth and speed, we’re right there.”
DIVISION II
CUMBERLAND Head coach: Gary Reedy 2016-17 league record: 14-4
2016-17 postseason results: Defeated Portsmouth, 84-38, in D-II quarterfinals; Defeated Narragansett, 57-53, in D-II semifinals; Defeated Shea, 7264 (OT), in D-II finals; Defeated La Salle, 66-54, in open state tournament first round; Lost to St. Raphael, 64-50, in open state tournament quarterfinals.
Returning players: Tyler Kolek, junior, guard; Jackson Zancan, junior, forward.
Key newcomers: Matt Remavich, senior, forward; Jeff Ferreira, senior, forward; Nick Morey, senior, forward; Mitchell Lydon, junior, guard; Evan Marcet, junior, guard; Jake Morey, junior, guard; Dante Aviles-Santos, sophomore, guard; Ben Keeler, sophomore, guard; Brandon Raferty, sophomore, forward.
Outlook: Reedy feels the makeup of this year’s squad will translate into a fast-break lot that should have no trouble scoring. The Clippers are loaded with guards and for now are committing to a three-guard lineup. … Kolek and Zancan are the returning starters from a CHS squad that enjoyed considerable success. Both are expected to take an even bigger leap this season. They are the captains along with Ferreira and Morey. … Kolek possesses deep shooting range and can get to the rim. A year ago, there were questions about whether his knees hold up. Those concerns have completely disappeared. … Cumberland has Mr. Inside/Outside in Zancan, who slides into the No. 2 scoring slot that last year was held by Kolek, who is now the primary focal point after older brother Brandon graduated last year. Lydon owns a high motor that figures to be tapped quite often in Cumberland’s quest to run. ... Aviles-Santos is an exciting young talent who was the starting point guard when North Cumberland Middle School captured its third straight Northern Division championship in 2016. … Marcet’s biggest mark last season came when he took a charge in the closing seconds of the Clippers’ D-II semifinal win over Narragansett. … Ferreira will supply toughness off the bench. … Reedy believes he has more options off the bench this year and counts rebounding as his chief worry.
Coach’s take: “They want to repeat, but they also know who’s tough and understand they have to come to play every single game. They’re already in that mode, which is great to see,” said Reedy.
SHEA
Head coach: Steve DeMeo 2016-17 league record: 18-0
2016-17 postseason results: Defeated Moses Brown, 85-75, in D-II quarterfinals; Defeated Westerly, 79-58, in D-II semifinals; Lost to Cumberland, 72-64 (OT), in D-II finals; Defeated Pilgrim, 93-70, in open state tournament first round; Defeated Mount Pleasant, 67-56, in open state tournament quarterfinals; Defeated St. Raphael, 65-57, in open state tournament semifinals; Lost to Bishop Hendricken, 66-55, in open state tournament finals.
Returning players: Gerald Soe, senior, guard; Joseph Adegboyega, senior, forward; Erickson Bans, sophomore, guard.
Key newcomers: Lucas DeSilva, senior, forward; Ruben Delgado, senior, forward; Marquis Jones, junior, guard; Stenio Lopes, junior, forward; Nate Rodrigues, junior, guard; Tahkwan Gates Brown, ºsophomore, forward;
Outlook: The Raiders are perimeter-oriented team headlined by two of the state’s best in Bans and Soe. Those two will help to ignite a fast-break attack that teams may have a hard time keeping pace with. … There’s an intriguing collection of bigs that should keep opposing teams honest and help keep Shea in the title mix once again. … After a season for the ages that ended with a strong effort against perennial power Hendricken in the state title game, the Raiders made a switchv with DeMeo replacing Matt Pita as head coach. DeMeo joined the Shea coaching staff last season as an assistant after spending many years as the head coach at Johnston. … Everyone likes to talk about Bans’ scoring ability, but he’s a pass-first, shoot-second guard. As a freshman, he served as the perfect complement to Abdul Ajia. Now Bans is primed for an even great-P er workload that should help his candidacy as one of the state’s top talents. … Soe goes about his business withR very little fanfare. As Shea’s best defender, he welcomes the challenge of checking the opposition’s top perimeter threat. He’s also a very capable inside/ outside scorer. … The hope is that the 6-3 Adegboyega becomes a consistent double-double threat. He’s strong to the basket and knows exactly what to do on the offensive glass. On a team loaded with perimeter threats, Adegboyega is being looked upon to do the dirty work.
Soe, Adegboyega, and Bans are the captains. Of the three, Adeboyega is the most vocal. … Rodrigues is a transfer from Tolman and a very good ballhandler, per his coach. He’s also one the Raiders’ top defenders. … Gates Brown at 6-4 is a high-upside type. He owns a rebound-first mantra and knows how to clear space underneath the backboards. Extending that confidence beyond the snatches is something DeMeo says he’s working on with the 10th grader. … The left-handed Jones is another good defender who can slide between off-guard and small forward and not skip a beat.
Coach’s take: “Basically, we’re running the same stuff that Matt ran with a few new wrinkles, but we’re stressing to push the ball. We’re not really a half-court team,” said DeMeo. “We’ve got quickness and speed and we’ve got to utilize it.”
TOLMAN Head coach: Bill Coughlin 2016-17 league record: 13-5 2016-17 postseason re
sults: Lost to Westerly, 6155, in D-II preliminary round; Lost to North Kingstown, 6251, in open state tournament first round.
Returning players: None. Key newcomers: Connor Duhamel, senior, forward; Malcolm Lopes, senior, guard; Gianni Garcia, senior, forward; Isaiah Falcon, senior, forward; Justin Carvalho, junior, guard; Brandson Mesquita, junior, forward; Malik Ogundare, junior, guard; Justin Klemanchuck, junior, guard; Salim Chakhsi, junior, forward.
Outlook: Whether it was via graduation or players leaving for prep school, no team in the area was hit harder by offseason subtractions than Tolman. That left Coughlin with a roster that’s the equivalent of a blank slate. The early returns have the coach optimistic and believing that with time, things will come together. … Carvalho figures to be the Tigers’ go-to option in crunch time. Per his coach, he’s very composed and steady. Those are two traits that are prerequisites for any starting point guard. He can also shoot and defend. … Joining Carvalho in the guard rotation will be Lopes, a tough-nosed kid, and Ogundare. Coughlin believes that guard play could prove to be the hallmark of this season’s squad. … Tolman will be noticeably smaller up front this season. The 6-3 Mesquita will be part of a low-post group that also includes Duhamel and Chakhsi. … Klemanchuck is new to the program and will be counted on to provide a spark off the bench.
Coach’s take: “It’s about establishing a culture regarding what we want the program to become. Right now, they’re finding out about me as much as I’m finding out about them,” said Coughlin. “The kids have been great. They’ve brought a great attitude to practice every day and really seem to like playing with each other. Very coachable bunch.”
DIVISION III
BURRILLVILLE Head coach: Kevin Randall 2016-17 league record: 10-7 (D-III North) 2016-17 postseason re
sults: Defeated Mount Hope, 60-56, in D-III quarterfinals; Lost to Tiverton, 59-34, in D-III semifinals.
Returning players: Dominic Esposito, senior, guard; Jason Cabral, senior, guard/ forward; Ethan Prario, senior, guard/forward; Brandon Rogers, senior, forward; Quentin Dearden, senior, F/C; Connor Clifford, senior, guard. Key newcomers: Jake Gelinas, junior, guard; Sam Clifford, sophomore, guard. Outlook: The new nor- mal at Burrillville is to win on that final football weekend and quickly shift gears to the hardwood. Randall is also an assistant on the BHS football staff, thus he’s well equipped to handle the challenges when it comes to playing catch-up with his basketball group. … Scrappy defense will once again serve as the Broncos’ calling card, yet Randall is looking to see his group get up and down the floor more than the teams of recent vintage. … Esposito has been starting since his sophomore year and the expectations to finish his interscholastic career on a high note are there. Everything the Broncos do offensively will run through him. … Dearden has the potential to be a major factor in the middle. He also possesses a shooting touch that could result in favorable mismatches for himself and his teammates. … Cabral is the starting point guard, a position that features plenty of options. … Clifford is a breakout candidate and figures to see time handling the ball, which is his strength, per Randall. … Esposito, Cabral, and Clifford are the captains. … Leadership shouldn’t be a concern with six seniors on the roster, many of whom played in the D-III title game two seasons ago and made it back to the semis last year.
Coach’s take: “We’re a little more skilled offensively than we have been, but we’re always going to hang our hat on the defensive end,” said Randall. “I love having football players in the basketball program. They bring a unique toughness that you can’t really coach. They have it. Also, there’s not much that this group hasn’t experienced before. Hopefully that takes us to where we want to go.”
CENTRAL FALLS Head coach: Jeff Doucette 2016-17 league record: 8-8 (D-III Central) 2016-17 postseason re
sults: Defeated Mount St. Charles, 65-49, in D-III preliminary round; Lost to Tiverton, 75-40, in D-III quarterfinals. Returning players: Emanuel Division, senior, guard; Dutchie Arroyo, senior, guard.
Key newcomers: Elton Soares Sequeira, senior, forward; Dominick Dagraca, senior, forward; Bryan Doua, senior, forward; Marcos Negron Medina, junior, guard; Kelvin Almonte, sophomore, center.
Outlook: Defenses figure to have a hard time containing Arroyo, who opened plenty of eyes with his 32-point outburst against St. Raphael in last week’s Donaldson-Lynch Tournament. Like all accomplished scorers, he knows how to draw contact once he gets into the lane and earn free throws. … Division is a steady contributor who in many ways is perfect to serve as Arroyo’s sidekick. … Finding a third scoring option is a must, yet the biggest area that Doucette has stressed is the Warriors’ attention on the defensive end. C.F. gave up far too many points to the coach’s liking last season, though still managed to go .500 in league play and host a playoff game. … There’s plenty of size down low in Dagraca (6-4), Soares Sequeira (6-4), and Almonte (6-2). … The Warriors open league play with games against Tiverton and Wheeler. Those are the two team that met in last year’s D-III title game.
Coach’s take: “The confidence is there and we’re much quicker than last year. Plus, we’re more committed to playing defense. We can’t give up 80 points like we did at times last year,” said Doucette.
DAVIES TECH Head coach: Bill Meekins 2016-17 league record: 1-15 (D-III Central)
2016-17 postseason results: None.
Returning players: Gio DePina, senior, guard; Gio Gonsalves, senior, center; Nassir Rodrigues, senior, center; Karell Jones, junior, forward; Luis Rosa junior, guard; Mikhail Algoo, sophomore, forward; Nashawn Dalomba, sophomore, guard.
Key newcomers: Roberto Maldonado, senior, guard; Derek Villegas, senior, forward; Raheim Rainey, freshman, guard.
Outlook: It’s back to the future for the Patriots as Meekins returns to lead the program. He was the head coach at Davies as recent as 2015. He also became the school’s athletic director this year. … DePina coordinates the offense and always has his eye out when he comes to rewarding his running mates. … Dalomba can create his own shot and get to the rim. … Jones is the Patriots’ Mr. Everything. He shoots, drives, and rebounds. … Algoo can shoot from the outside, yet per his coach, he’s more valuable down low. … Rainey is an up-and-comer who figures to be the first player off the bench. His offensive game is very polished and could directly led to an increased role by season’s end. … Maldonado made the varsity team as a freshman but didn’t play the past two winters due to work commits. His foot speed should prove handy when the Patriots are looking to press. … Rosa is a shooter who can get hot in a hurry. … Expect Davies to add several players after the next wave of report cards is distributed. Meekins is keeping a close on those potential reinforcements to the point where they’ll sit behind the bench during games. … The Patriots conclude a threegames-in-three-nights stretch on Wednesday against Mount Hope, one of the favorites in D-III.
Coach’s take: “I’ve got to see what I’ve got because there’s a lot of young kids,” said Meekins. “It’s a pleasant group to be around.”
LINCOLN Head coach: Kent Crooks 2016-17 league record: 9-7 (D-III Central)
2016-17 postseason re
sults: Lost to North Smithfield, 60-53, in D-III preliminary round.
Returning players: Brandon Kelly, senior, forward; Brett Bessette, junior, G/F; Declan Quinn, junior, G/F; Randall Hien, sophomore, guard.
Key newcomers: Luis Russo, senior, center; Nick Villanova, junior, guard; Tyler McNulty, junior, G/F; Aaron DeSousa, junior, center; Marty Gaughan, junior, F/C; Josh Jahnz, sophomore, guard;
Outlook: Understandably, Crooks and longtime assistant coach Jay Kelley are on Cloud Nine as both return to the bench after missing most of last season. … Many of the players who proved instrumental in the Lions’ D-III junior varsity state title last season are eager to prove their mettle on the varsity level. … The captains are Bessette and Kelly, one of two seniors on this year’s squad. … The offguard spot will be rotated between Quinn, McNulty, and Villanova. … The Lions have the size and toughness angles covered in the 6-5 DeSousa and Gaughan. … A feel-good story might be the 6-5 Russo, who finally made varsity after missing the cut in previous years. He’s another low-post option for Crooks. … For Jahnz, the long wait is finally over. A heady and toughnosed point guard, the 10th grader missed all last season after undergoing ankle surgery due a soccer-related injury. Jahnz shined during the summer league for the Lions and should prove to be one of the team’s top scoring threats. … Hien is a capable shooter and can also handle the ball. … Crooks believes he has a few candidates for unsung hero. McNulty and Villanova are at the top of the list.
Coach’s take: “For us, it’s really position-less basketball. Other than the guy you chose to throw inside, the other four players are like hands on a clock. They’ll be constantly rotating,” said Crooks. “They’re all great kids and great students. We knew when we selected them last year that we would have a group that would prove to be successful on the court as well as off it.” MOUNT ST. CHARLES Head coach: Henry Coleman 2016-17 league record: 6-11 (D-III North) 2016-17 postseason results: Lost to Central Falls, 65-49, in D-III preliminary round.
Returning players: Isaiah Lee, senior, guard; Paul Brodeur, senior, guard; Joe Calabrese, senior, forward; Tom Calabrese, senior, guard; Tristan Cox, junior, forward; Dan Johnson, junior, forward; Christian Corriveau, junior, center; Aidan Cox, sophomore, guard;
Key newcomers: Xueyan (Dony) Feng, senior, forward; Ben Ellis, sophomore, guard; Jack Bennett, freshman, guard.
Outlook: Live by the three, die by the three. That’s the mantra for the Mounties this season as Coleman plans to spread the court with shooters galore. Understandably, the challenge will be to find other ways to score on nights when the shots from the outside aren’t falling. … Brodeur is a three-year varsity player who brings shooting and energy on both ends of the court. Coleman believes he’s one of the better defenders in D-III. … Lee is another three-year varsity contributor. As the point guard, he’s the catalyst and in charge of running the show. …At 6-4, Tristan Cox can score in a variety of ways and should be the Mounties’ go-to option. … Aidan Cox will be asked to provide aggressive defense and shooting off the bench. … Ellis has the potential to get hot from distance in a hurry, so don’t be surprised if his teammates keep feeding him the ball. … Corriveau added muscle in the offseason to his 6-3 frame, no doubt in anticipation of supplying the Mounties with a reliable post presence. A capable rebounder, he can also step outside and has the footspeed to beat his opponent off the dribble. … A foreign exchange student from China, Feng’s biggest assets are shooting and rebounding. … Johnson is a capable scorer with a nice mid-range game. … Bennett’s biggest asset is his versatility. He can run the fast-break, finish inside, and like a lot of his MSC teammates has the green light to fire away. … Selected as captains were Lee, Brodeur, Corriveau, and Tristan Cox. … The Mounties will play four league games before the Christmas break. Coach’s take: “It’s a hard- working group that gets after it every day in practice,” said Coleman. “We’ll be looking to push the ball as much as possible and with our speed and quickness, that should play into our strength, which is shooting. With the new hardwood surface, it’ll help as far as traction. We’ll be more apt to extend our defense.”
NORTH SMITHFIELD Head coach: Brandon DiPaola 2016-17 league record: 6-11 (D-III North) 2016-17 postseason re
sults: Defeated Lincoln, 60-53, in D-III preliminary round; Lost to Wheeler, 6540, in D-III quarterfinals.
Returning players: Ethan Savoie, junior, guard; Steve Goulet, junior, guard; Kyle Haner, junior, guard.
Key newcomers: Ryan Deslauriers, senior, forward; Micah Camble-Meriweather, junior, forward; Jason Meriweather, junior, guard; Aldrec Viera Dones, sophomore, center; Josh Carufel, sophomore, guard.
Outlook: Despite losing six seniors, DiPaola pointed to his Core Two of Savoie and Goulet, who have been major factors and have seen considerable action since joining the varsity ranks as ninth graders. Both are on pace to reach the 1,000-point plateau this winter. That upcoming benchmark suggests they have the scoring part down pat, yet DiPaola noted that Savoie and Goulet have improved their court awareness as it relates to finding their teammates. … The captains are Savoie and Deslauriers, the squad’s lone 12th grader. Deslauriers will be the first big man off the bench. … Haner is the starting point guard who DiPaola labeled a defensive specialist and can hopefully average around five assists per game. … The presence of the 6-4 Veira Dones completely transforms a Northmen squad that under DiPaola has predominantly run a fiveout motion offense. Now, there’s a legitimate low-post threat who figures to command plenty of attention. … By pure luck, the Northmen landed twins who moved from Indiana to the Ocean State. Jason Meriweather is lock-down defender who can score from deep. Micah Camble-Meriweather is quick and will run the attack if Haner isn’t on the floor. … Carufel is another point guard option off the bench.
Coach’s take: “This year is going to feature a learning curve for us, but we don’t want it to be just that. We’re trying to win now,” said DiPaola. “A lot of guys are already saying that we’re returning everyone for next year, but we did lose a lot and we’re mixing in some new pieces. It’s going to be an adjustment, but it’s a close-knit team. They’re all best friends so that helps.”