By Nick Pantages
@nick_pantages22
New England has produced a number of standout athletes in sports like baseball and hockey. However, despite the success of the region’s only NBA team, the Boston Celtics, and collegiate programs like the University of Connecticut, the area has not produced the amount of standout hoops stars as expected.
But that is beginning to change.
The region has produced multiple five-star talents in the last decade. Among them include the late Terrence Clarke and TJ Power, both from Massachusetts, as well as the last two No. 1 recruits, Cooper Flagg from Maine and Brockton, Mass. native AJ Dybantasa. Next up is Sebastian Wilkins, a 6-foot-7 small forward from Canton, Mass. who attends Brewster Academy.
Wilkins, who is ranked 40th in ESPN’s class of 2026 rankings, believes that a lot of the success New England recruits have is due to the fact they compete against each other consistently.
“I think all of us working and competing against each other helps,” Wilkins said. “I trained with and against AJ [Dybantsa], played with Cooper [Flagg]. We all worked together, getting each other better.”
Clarke also serves as a massive inspiration for Massachusetts high school players like Wilkins. He was a Kentucky commit in the class of 2020, but his presence in Boston felt like more than that. He was the city’s highest ever rated recruit, but before he was set to be drafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, he tragically died in a car accident. Wilkins emphasized Clarke as someone he admired growing up in the Boston area.
“Terrence Clarke had an influence on a lot of us, a lot of players in Boston especially,” Wilkins said. “He was the biggest thing when I was growing up and in middle school.”
Wilkins followed in Clarke’s footsteps by continuing his high school career for Brewster.
As the most successful high school basketball program in the area, and one of the only ones in New England to play a national schedule, Brewster is extremely well known in Massachusetts, with NBA players like Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star Donovan Mitchell as alums of the school.
Brewster’s success and regional fame is one of the reasons why Wilkins feels he fits in at the school so well.
“Everyone in Boston knows what Brewster is,” Wilkins said. “Everyone wants to play for us, so being able to play for them means a lot.”
Hoophall also gives New England natives the chance to shine locally, but also allows a chance for friends and family to watch. Flagg and Dybantsa faced off in the 2024 edition, and it was one of the biggest games of the tournament, with each of their families sitting courtside. While traveling for Brewster, Wilkins’ schedule is so busy that even playing an hour and a half from his hometown gave him a chance to invite some friends and family to the game.
“I have a couple friends and family that came down and that truly means a lot because I don’t really get to go home that often, especially in season,” Wilkins said.
He showed out as well, scoring 22 points and hauling down eight rebounds to win the MVP award of the Brewster vs Oak Hill game on Sunday.
Although the region is not a basketball powerhouse, top recruits like Wilkins are helping New England rebuild its basketball identity.
Photo by Reese Merritt/The Student