HoopWise from New England Basketball Journal

In this episode, Ethan Fuller interviews Scott Papek, a mindset coach from Max Out Mindset with a background in music and sports psychology, about mental performance, stress management, and the importance of self-awareness for athletes. They explore techniques like reset words, dealing with social media comparison, and the role of discipline in athletic development.

In this episode, Ethan Fuller and Steve Hewitt discuss the latest updates in the New England basketball scene, including rankings, player development, and the impact of grassroots play versus school ball. They analyze key players in the 2027, 2028 and 2029 classes, offering insights into talent evaluation and future prospects.

In this episode, Vin Pastore, the longtime program director at Mass Rivals, joins to discuss his 17U team’s remarkable run to the final of the Adidas 3SSB championships, the rise of star guard Antonio Pemberton and his young core, highlighted by nationally ranked 2028 prospect Derek Swartz.He shares insights on youth development, the impact of reclassification, the importance of relationships in coaching, and the evolving landscape of high school and prep school basketball.

Ethan Fuller and Steve Hewitt buckle down indoors to wrap up a non-stop three weeks of basketball coverage. Steve breaks down his major takeaways from attending both NEPSAC Boys Scholastic Showcase weekends at Worcester Academy, sharing why he believes this is the most crucial stretch on the prep basketball calendar.  
The guys discuss the shifting talent landscape, a wave of new coaching faces, and how rosters are shaping up ahead of the July live period. Plus, Steve shares some incredible full-circle UMass throwbacks and a fun trivia note involving two 2008 Boston Celtics champions spotted in the gym.  
Key Discussion PointsThe Most Important Stretch of the Year: Steve drops his "hot take" on why the NEPSAC showcases have become the most valuable evaluation and recruitment window of the prep calendar.  
A Shift in Talent Dynamics: An honest look at the lack of elite, high-major national talent compared to last year. Steve notes that this year's showcase served as a massive breeding ground for prominent mid-major, low-major, Division II, and Division III programs. 
 Roster Overhauls & Standout Teams: * Newman & Cushing: How these powerhouse programs are reloading after losing major senior talent.  * Mount St. Charles: Kyle Delves’ explosive athleticism and the team's blazing court pace.  * Winchendon & Masters (NY): Navigating roster turnover and Damian Mojica’s thrilling buzzer-beating dunk.  * Quick Hits: Shoutouts to undefeated showcase runs by Beaver Country Day and Rivers.

Steve Hewitt and Ethan Fuller recap the 2026 NEPSAC Girls Scholastic Showcase at Worcester Academy, widely praised by prep and college coaches for smooth logistics, three adjacent courts, competitive games, and time efficiency. A tornado warning on Thursday forced everyone into the lobby for about an hour and led to shortened games (running clock) before the schedule largely recovered. Fuller shares weekend vignettes, including photographer Doug Leclerc’s shooting, Malia Pierre’s notable “milk and cookies” sneakers, insights from Twin Visuals and a referee, and his commuter-rail trip. They discuss what the showcase reveals about team development and recruiting, with over 120 programs attending, and outline early team takeaways, plus early thoughts on AAA contenders.
 
Topics
00:18 Showcase Recap and Praise
02:35 Tornado Warning Chaos
05:07 Schedule Adjustments
07:08 Weekend Vignettes
08:55 Shoes Film and Refs
11:17 Commuter Rail Adventure
12:31 Why NEPSAC Matters
13:31 Evaluation Takeaways
14:50 Recruiting Class Priorities
16:53 Why This Showcase Works
17:52 Which Colleges Attended
20:14 How Teams Were Evaluated
24:36 More Teams That Impressed
27:58 Triple A Is Loaded
29:25 Rankings Updates and Wrap-Up

Ethan Fuller and Steve Hewitt preview the upcoming NEPSAC/NESA Scholastic Showcases in June, with two boys weekends and a girls showcase in between, all at Worcester Academy. They discuss why June and July form a crucial stretch for recruiting, chemistry-building and early looks at new prep rosters amid heavy turnover and the evolving college coaching calendar, noting limited 2027 commitments. Hewitt explains how he evaluates showcase games and cautions against overvaluing team results while still gleaning projections. They highlight matchups such as Nobles vs. Exeter, Putnam Science vs. Cushing, Milton Academy vs. Hotchkiss, St. Paul’s vs. Austin Prep, and New Hampton vs. St. Thomas More, plus teams and players to watch. They note the event is typically coaches-only and draws major college coaches, and they tease extensive coverage and a new magazine release.
Topics
01:03 Podcast Kickoff
01:34 June Recruiting Rush
04:08 Showcase Preview Setup
05:01 Covering the Event
08:27 Do Results Matter?
10:53 Games to Circle
16:15 Teams With Storylines
17:40 Players to Watch
22:49 Why This Showcase Matters
24:47 Worcester Logistics
25:51 Wrap-Up and Plug

Ethan and Steve interview Worcester Academy girls coach Dan Sullivan, a two-time NEPSAC Class AA Girls Coach of the Year who won a Class AA title in his first season and reached the final again despite injuries and limited depth. Sullivan explains his transition after 11 years as a Worcester boys assistant, what he learned from Jamie Sullivan, and how his style adapts to roster strengths, including faster, guard-heavy play and effective late-season zone defense. He discusses differences in girls recruiting timelines, the role of AAU relationships, and the impact of the transfer portal on families’ expectations. The group previews Worcester Academy hosting three weekends of NEPSAC showcases in its new Capozzoli Athletic Center and discusses NEPSAC girls’ structural growth with AAA/AA. The episode ends with an NBA “last team played for” trivia game won by Hewitt.
 
Topics
01:33 Switching To Girls Coaching
02:40 Learning From Jamie Sullivan
05:30 Building Worcester Identity
06:42 Offense Defense Philosophy
09:15 Injuries And Team Resilience
10:57 Season Long View Nickerson
14:08 Recruiting Timeline Differences
16:06 AAU Network And Relationships
19:08 Hosting NEPSAC Showcases
21:39 New Athletic Center Impact
23:35 Boys Vs Girls Coaching
25:50 NEPSAC Structure Evolution
29:34 Future Of Girls NEPSAC
30:00 NEPSAC Depth Boom
30:36 Scheduling and Class Moves
31:13 Upsets and Rising Programs
32:34 Showcase Team Preview
34:01 Recruiting Through Showcases
35:12 Full Court Press Trivia
41:32 Final Score and Wrap

Steve Hewitt and Ethan Fuller recap the Atlantic City Showcase during the May live period, discussing heavy college coach attendance, why May recruiting is picking up amid transfer-portal effects and coaching-staff turnover, and how Ethan covered the event after taking a 10-hour bus from Boston. Ethan explains his approach to large showcases — building a detailed schedule, watching full games when possible, taking notes in real time, and evaluating AAU play as a role-based, college-like environment. They promote Ethan’s 40-standout coverage and preview upcoming AAU content and a late May/early June magazine.
Atlantic City Showcase, basketball, recruiting, AAU, prep basketball, New England basketball, HoopWise podcast
 
Topics
01:12 Heat And AAU Grind
01:51 Bus Trip Debate
04:02 Atlantic City takeaways
07:33 Ethan's scouting process
15:32 2027 standouts
19:28 2028 standouts
24:55 2029 and 2030 standouts
30:20 Final takeaways

Ethan Fuller and Steve Hewitt talk with with Medfield High girls coach Mark Nickerson and longtime Andover boys coach Dave Fazio to discuss the evolving MIAA public school vs. NEPSAC prep dynamic, focusing on player retention, recruiting and program impact rather than specific teams. Nickerson describes losing top players to Nobles despite efforts like the Eastern New England Showcase, which he fears has become a scouting tool for prep programs, and notes limited engagement from Division 1 coaches. Fazio shares similar experiences, including a player reclassifying and ultimately leaving for Brewster, and argues many families believe prep is necessary for Division 1. Both emphasize relationships, community and youth pipelines, while proposing changes such as a summer coaching window, earlier season starts, exemption games, and formats like a Super 8 or statewide tournament to improve exposure and competition.
Topics
01:51 MIAA vs Prep Setup
11:42 Hard Transfer Choices
17:03 Biggest Disadvantages
21:32 MIAA rule changes
32:22 Coach collaboration
46:14 Leveling the Playing Field
51:50 Would a Super 8 tournament work?
53:22 Final Thoughts

Ethan and Steve welcome Newman School coach Jackson Johnson after Newman’s second straight NEPSAC AAA title and its first National Prep School championship, plus an NEBL title, with 11 college commits (nine Division I) on the roster. Johnson reflects on how connected and resilient the championship group was, the difficulty of turning from the AAA playoffs into the National Prep Tournament, and how more intentional January recovery planning helped avoid late-season fatigue. 
 
Topics
01:23 Coaching and New Dad Life
02:16 Processing a Title Season
03:42 Gauntlet to National Prep
06:50 Managing Fatigue and Prep
11:37 Illinois Fit and Growth
15:38 Building Leaders on Stacked Roster
20:06 Ivy Commits and Unsung Heroes
23:06 Relating to Modern Players
28:00 Program Rise and Recruiting Buzz
33:05 Helping Players Get Recruited
33:36 Coaches as Experts
34:26 Navigating Agents
34:53 How Recruiting Changed
35:59 Building Next Season
36:39 Player Development Focus
37:58 Full Court Press Begins
38:49 Best Ball Handlers
41:46 Best Shot Blockers
45:01 Overrated Stats Debate
52:57 Rebounding and Margins
57:11 Wrap Up and Thanks