Difference-makers: 30 local basketball players to watch in upcoming MIAA playoffs
Game-changers.
They come in handy at this time of year when the MIAA basketball playoffs roll around.
That unstoppable post player or quick-as-a-cat guard can spell the difference between moving on and packing up the winter gear for good. We've chronicled the exploits of all the local stars throughout the regular season, including anonymous coaches surveys for Patriot League boys, Patriot League girls, South Shore League boys and South Shore League girls.
Now it's time to present a postseason blueprint of sorts as we try to predict which players will have the most impact on the upcoming state tournaments.
More: An up-and-down season: South Shore high school boys basketball rankings
The following is not a comprehensive list of all the good local talent that will be showcased in the playoffs. Instead, we kept a narrow focus and tried to identify 30 players (15 girls, 15 boys) who could fundamentally alter the postseason landscape if things break the right way for them.
More: It's tournament time: South Shore high school girls basketball top 10 rankings
Here then are 30 South Shore players to watch as the playoffs loom:
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Reese Bartlett, Bridgewater-Raynham
Senior guard is part of B-R's Big Three with sophomore forward Camden Strandberg and junior guard Brenna Woodbury. They have the Trojans (14-6) in line for another Div. 1 title chase.
Lilly Blow, Fontbonne Academy
Senior center from Hanover has been a double-double machine down the stretch for the Div. 3 Ducks (12-8), hitting double-digits in points and rebounds in six straight games this month.
Ava Bryan, North Quincy
Senior swing player capped her standout regular season with 19 points in a win over King Philip for the Div. 2 Raiders (12-9). One Patriot League coach called her the best player in the league, noting, "Her poise is unmatched and she has the purest shot in the game."
Sunali Carter, Brockton
Senior forward was our High School Girls Basketball Player of the Week in early January for a performance against Cardinal Spellman that showcased her all-around game -- 16 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 steals -- for the Div. 1 Boxers (10-10).
Sarah Chenette, Cohasset
Senior became the program's all-time leading scorer this winter, passing Molly Greer. The South Shore League Tobin Division MVP will hope to lead the Skippers (14-7) on another deep Div. 4 playoff run; they made the quarterfinals last season.
Megan Doyle, Weymouth
Senior forward, who will play lacrosse at Yale, just became the program's all-time leading scorer. The Wildcats (18-4) will take an eight-game winning streak into the Div. 1 tournament, where they are the No. 7 seed.
More: Two tall, too good: Weymouth girls basketball scaling new heights with star post players
Mary Kate Flynn, Hanover
Senior forward had at least five double-doubles this month for the Hawks (15-5), who are a legitimate title contender in Div. 3 (No. 4 seed). Was just named to the all-tournament team at the Norwell Invitational.
Avery Gamble, Oliver Ames
Sophomore point guard scored 18 points in a recent 43-24 win over Andover. An All-Scholastic last winter, she has the No. 5 Tigers (14-6) well-positioned for a Div. 2 playoff run.
More: Years ago, Derba sisters didn't share the court. Now OA's star duo, "It’s the best thing"
Julia Grimes, Carver
Her recent 28-point outing vs. Pope John Paul II means she can impact a playoff game in a big way for the No. 12 Crusaders (13-7) in Div. 4.
Alyssa Hopps, Quincy
Junior forward is widely regarded as the Patriot League's top player. She can score in bunches and also has a knack for buzzer-beaters -- a skill that could come in handy for the No. 9 Presidents (17-3) in the Div. 1 playoffs.
More: Stars shine brightly as Quincy girls basketball edges Pembroke in Patriot League thriller
Ava MacDonald, Braintree
Senior guard leads a Wamps team that is far better than its 10-10 record might suggest. Braintree has finished strong, winning four of five heading into the Div. 1 playoffs as a No. 15 seed, and owns eye-opening recent victories over NDA and Needham.
More: 'They've had it rough': Despite turbulence, Braintree girls competing with the best again
Alissa Marcella, Pembroke
Coach Tim Lopes says of his sophomore guard: "The sky's the limit for her. She's very clutch, very skilled." Will be key for the No. 18 Titans (13-7) in Div. 2.
Jenna Mishou, Whitman-Hanson
Sophomore is the Panthers' leading rebounder and led W-H (16-4) to a third straight Patriot League Keenan Division title. The Panthers are the No. 13 seed in Div. 2 and host No. 20 North Quincy in an intriguing, all-Patriot League first-round game.
Madison Oliver, Norwell
Six-foot forward averaged a double-double last winter as a sophomore, was the South Shore League Sullivan Division MVP and led the Clippers to the state semifinals. She and Norwell (19-1, No. 2 seed in Div. 3) are even better this winter.
More: Madison Oliver, a rising star on the hardwood, has created her own path at Norwell High
Ava Orlando, Notre Dame Academy
Silky smooth junior guard is a terrific scorer and a relentless defender. She and younger sister Elle are the twin engines of the Cougars' rise to Div. 2 powerhouse status. NDA is seeded third, second-highest of any local team across the five divisions.
More: This Orlando is no vacation for opponents: NDA guard records 11 steals vs. Fontbonne
BOYS BASKETBALL
Isaiah Bean-Brittian, Whitman-Hanson
Sophomore forward has been one of the key cogs in the Panthers' 16-6 regular season. He had a combined 31 points in the two games as W-H finished third at its own Panther Winter Classic last week. The Panthers are the No. 21 seed in Div. 2.
More: Baker bothers grew up watching Whitman-Hanson teams cut down the nets. It's their turn now
Will Bostrom, Norwell
One South Shore League coach tabbed him as the league's best defensive player. The fifth-seeded Clippers (18-2) could go on a long Div. 3 playoff run.
More: The best boys basketball team on the South Shore doesn't have a starter over 6 feet tall
Christian Dalton, New Heights Charter
Sophomore point guard has made a big splash in the Brockton-based Phoenix's first season as an MIAA member. He's had big recent games vs. Excel Academy (24 points, 6 assists, 5 steals), Dennis-Yarmouth (16 points, 10 assists) and Roxbury Prep (22 points).
More: Meet the MIAA's newest basketball contenders: The New Heights girls and boys
Matt Delcore, Pembroke
Senior forward recently dropped 35 points on Plymouth North in a 76-61 win. It was his third 30-point game of the season for the Titans (13-7, No. 13 seed in Div. 3).
Aiden Flaherty, East Bridgewater
At last check this senior forward was the South Shore League's fourth-leading scorer at 16.8 points per game. He'll have to post some double-doubles if the No. 18 Vikings (14-6) want to make some noise in Div. 3.
Tyler Lennox, Carver
Quarterbacked the Crusaders to a Super Bowl appearance at Gillette Stadium in December. He still runs the show in basketball as a point guard and was a top-10 scorer in the South Shore League. Carver is a No. 19 seed in Div. 4.
Edric Louissaint, Weymouth
Senior swingman is the leading scorer on a Wildcats team (14-7, No. 26 seed in Div. 1) that can hurt you in a number of different ways. Reached the 1,000-point mark for his career recently.
More: Worth the wait: Caldwell's late heroics lift Weymouth boys basketball over Braintree
Chase Mello, Hingham
He wasn't going to be on this list until Wednesday night, when he hung a program-record 45 points on Archies in a must-win game that got the No. 38 Harbormen (11-11) into the Div. 2 playoffs. You gonna bet against him after that?
Armani Perkins, Holbrook
In December, the senior swingman became the program's 10th player to score 1,000 career points. He's playoff-tested, having led the Bulldogs to the Div. 5 semifinals last winter. They're 15-5 this season and seeded seventh.
More: Fast-forward to 1,000: Holbrook's Perkins wastes no time reaching milestone in blowout win
Michael Porter, Scituate
Senior tri-captain missed eight games with an illness this season but is averaging more than 16 points per game for a Sailors team (18-4) that could be a Div. 2 dark horse as a No. 15 seed.
More: Healthy and whole: Porter, Scituate boys hoops putting the winning pieces together again
Jeremiah Predin, Canton
Since the New Year, this senior wing player twice has been named our High School Basketball Player of the Week after big games vs. Stoughton (19 points, 18 rebounds to share the honor with teammate Jamal McConnell) and Milford (23 points, 9 rebounds). Canton (14-6) in No. 13 in Div. 2.
Tristan Rodriguez, Archbishop Williams
Senior guard from Braintree had consecutive 40-point games recently as the Bishops (10-10, No. 34 in Div. 2) put on a late-season push to ensure that they would have a chance at winning another state title.
Tyler Staiti, Abington
South Shore League coaches were almost unanimous in voting him the SSL's top 3-pointer shooter, with one of them calling him "as pure a shooter as I have seen in the league in years." The Green Wave (17-5) could be a tough out in Div. 3 as a No. 16 seed.
Ivan Yhomby, BC High
Senior point guard from Quincy has been a "rock" for the Eagles (13-7), according to teammate Dan Civello. He had a huge fourth quarter in a win over Malden Catholic in January and could make a similar impact for No. 6 BC High in the Div. 1 playoffs.
More: They saw BC High hoops win it all in 2022. Yhomby, Civello steering Eagles at winning pace
Matt Youngquist, Middleboro
Senior guard got a couple of votes as the South Shore League's top overall player in our survey of league coaches. "He's a three-level scorer who can score from anywhere over half court," one said. Was averaging a league-best 19.1 ppg at last check for the Sachems (12-8, No. 37 in Div. 2).
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: 30 high school basketball players to watch in MIAA state tournament
