1/10 Andover 83, Choate 63
1/10 Andover 69, Brooks 50
Boys Basketball (7-0) started the new year with two home games. The team faced Choate on Saturday and Brooks on Monday. Although it faced tough matchups in both games, the team stayed consistent with its performance on both ends of the court, earning two victories overall.
Kosi Udeh ’27 emphasized the effort-and-intensity mentality, which was the foundation of the team’s mindset going into Saturday’s game against Choate. Understanding Choate’s basketball program as one of the top Class A teams in the league, the team focused on controlling what it could: defensive pressure, constant communication, and energy in the game.
“Team-wise, the tactic of our game is to go into it with a lot of effort and a lot of energy because that’s something that we can control. That varies night by night, but we knew that Choate was one of the better Class A teams out there. We were going to have to send a message, and it starts with effort and cleaning up our defensive end. We made sure to put in a lot of effort and do the little things, such as making Choate’s first passes difficult. It sets a precedent throughout the game that nothing they do will come easily. It comes from talking a lot and helping on defense. It comes from trapping when we need to. That was the plan we had going into the Choate game,” said Udeh.
Hunter Peabody ’27 highlighted the influence of the home crowd and the team in shifting and building the team’s momentum. Though the team generated its own energy early on, the crowd’s intensity added fuel to the team’s defensive efforts.
“At the beginning of the game, while we were warming up, we had to make our own energy and get all riled up. As the game progressed, especially in the second half, the crowd’s energy gave us that extra defensive boost. When trapping their ball handlers, just hearing their energy and hearing all that’s going on really gave us that extra boost for us to play as hard as we can defensively. That’s what really led to us winning– trapping their ball handlers and forcing turnovers,” said Peabody.
Kingston Johnson ’28 pointed out individual performances that embodied the team’s mentality on both ends of the floor. He praised Nick Hailey PG ’26 and Jabari Edmonds ’27 for their defensive pressure and efficient scoring, which made them the key contributors to the game.
“Someone that comes to mind is definitely Nick Hailey. He continues to use his athleticism to be physical and get stops on defense, which helps the offense. Another person who comes to mind is Jabari Edmonds. He does about the same thing. He’s a very efficient scorer. And he plays very hard,” said Johnson.
As the team chases a championship, Udeh emphasized the importance of adaptability and reflection after each game. To prepare for the game against Worcester Academy on Wednesday, the team planned to study game footage and focus on shooting.
“We’re going to look over the film. That’s what we do. No two games and no two practices are really the same. Based on the Brooks game, I assume that we’re just going to get up a bunch of shots. Tomorrow is just practice to prepare us for Worcester on Wednesday, since our shots weren’t falling. We adapt based on what has previously been happening. But the one thing that doesn’t change about who we are on the court is again, the effort and the intensity, because we can bring that no matter what, no matter if shots fall or not,” said Udeh.
The team will look to defend its unbeaten streak when it faces off against Worcester away this Wednesday.
