State of Sports: Observer's best guess at best high school basketball players
Dec. 13—THE START of the Division I and Division II seasons Tuesday night means NHIAA basketball is now in full swing. The best team in each division will be determined on the court over the next three-plus months.
Who are the best players in the state? That's more of a subjective question. The New Hampshire Basketball Coaches' Organization will select the state's Ms. Basketball and Mr. Basketball when the season is over. Here's our best guess as to who those players will be:
MS. BASKETBALL
In the conversation: Jasmine Becotte (Pelham), Stella Galanes (Hanover), Sydney Gerossie (Pinkerton), Liz Lavoie (Pinkerton), Lana McCarthy (Bedford), Brooke Paquette (Bishop Guertin), Meghan Stack (Bishop Guertin), Ava Winterburn (Goffstown).
Our pick: Ava Winterburn.
MR. BASKETBALL
In the conversation: Tyler Bike (Trinity), Anthony Chinn (Pinkerton), Aiden Scott-Beaulac (Manchester West), Trevor Labrecque (Nashua North), Jackson Marshall (Pinkerton), Mark Nyomah (Manchester Central), Aiden O'Connell (Bedford), Jalen Reese (Gilford).
Our pick: Tyler Bike.
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While we're on the subject of top players, New Hampshire's Gatorade Player of the Year for football is scheduled to be announced on Jan. 6. Bishop Guertin QB/DB Matt Santosuosso, Londonderry QB Drew Heenan, Nashua North DE/OT Toby Brown and New Hampton RB/LB Frank Daniley are among this year's candidates.
The Keene State men's basketball team is 10-0 overall (3-0 Little East) and ranked No. 6 in the latest D3hoops.com national poll. It's the highest the Owls have been ranked in the program's history.
Keene State is one of 15 undefeated teams in Division III, and the 10-0 start is the third-longest winning streak in school history. The Owls won 12 in a row during the 2018-19 season, and had a 17-game winning streak in 2001-02.
Keene State has made 125 3-pointers in its 10 contests, and has made at least 10 3-pointers in seven of its 10 games. Senior captains Octavio Brito (23.8) and Jeff Hunter (20.3) are each averaging more than 20 points per game.
The Owls won't play again until Dec. 30, when they will face Emerson College at home.
UNH's Clarence Daniels, a 6-foot-6 junior forward, leads America East in rebounding (11.9) and ranks fourth in scoring (15.7). He tossed in a career-high 34 points when UNH upset Boston College 74-71 earlier this month.
Daniels spent last season with Lake Region State College, a junior college in Devils Lake, N.D.
Three UNH football players have entered the transfer portal since the end of the 2022 season: quarterback Brody McAndrew, quarterback Zane Olmstead and wide receiver Griffin Helm.
In addition, at least three New Hampshire residents are in the portal: Colorado State offensive lineman Owen Snively (Fremont), former UCLA quarterback Parker McQuarrie (Weare) and Merrimack quarterback/wide receiver Henri Bourque (Claremont). McQuarrie spent last season at Independence Community College.
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Goffstown's Connor Hujsak and Durham's Brennan Oxford will both be playing college baseball at a new location next spring.
Hujsak, a shortstop who attended Goffstown High School, spent two seasons at Virginia Commonwealth, but has transferred to Mississippi State. He hit .289 with 55 RBIs last season, when he had 20 doubles and 12 home runs.
Oxford, a left-handed pitcher, made 46 appearances for Wake Forest from 2019 to 2022, but is now at Florida State. Oxford tossed four consecutive no-hitters for Oyster River High School in 2017.
FYI: College baseball isn't as far off as you may think. Southern New Hampshire is scheduled to play its first game Feb. 17 at Colorado Mesa University.
Hopkinton's Henry Yianakopolos has declared for the NFL draft. He played both safety and linebacker during his career at the University of Rhode Island.
Yianakopolos walked on at URI, but earned a full scholarship and served as a team captain last season.
