2026-27 St. Thomas More School, High Major Crusaders
St. Thomas More School is a college-preparatory school in Oakdale, CT. The school serves grades 8–12 and postgraduate courses. It was established in 1962 by James Hanrahan, a former Fairfield University D1 basketball coach. Over the years, the Crusaders' athletics program at St. Thomas More gained national relevance, especially in basketball, with athletes joining the school to improve their grades and get better opportunities to play at DI level.
For the 2026-27 season they will again run two college prep teams. St Thomas More NEPSAC and St Thomas More NEIBL.
The NEPSAC team is head coached by the Basketball Hall of Fame Nominee Jere Quinn, who is in his 49th season at the helm, and he has never had a losing season. He is ably assisted by Milo Luciano. They compete in the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) AAA Division.
The NEIBL team is coached by Cane Broome and his assistant is Philip Simplicio. They compete in the New England Independent Prep League.
The 2026-27 St Thomas More School National Team roster is as stacked with High Major prospect talent as any program in the country.
Dillon Callahan (2027) 6’4 guard - #8 ranked player in Connecticut by NERR. 2025-26 All NEPSAC AAA Honorable Mention. Callan transferred in from Iona Prep (NY) where was 2024-25 LoHud Westchester/Putnam All-Star Second Team and 2024-25 CHSAA AA Second Team as a sophomore. He is a high motor connector who can slot in at the 1, 2, or 3. He has an appetite for rebounding on both ends. He has a functional and improving shot and which is leading to an increase in 3pt volume. He has a high feel in the pick-n-roll game and is a creator in transition. Has been offered by Iona, Siena and Oral Roberts. Plays club ball with Middlesex Magic. PH profile RTB profile
Toby Gass (2027) 6’7 small forward - 2026 Great Britain 18u National Team. Gass is a shooter that can attack close-outs and get to the rim. He makes self-created 3s and spaces the floor.
Declan Griffiths (2027) 6'6, 185 lb wing - Griffins transferred in from Avon Old Farms School (CT) where he earned 2025-26 All NEPSAC A, #4 ranked prospect in Connecticut by NERR and #7 ranked prospect in New England by Prep Hoops. #9 ranked player in New England by NE Basketball Journal. One of the purest shooters and shot makers in New England. 2025-26 All Founders League First Team. Has received multiple D1 offers, including High Point, Ole Miss, Yale, Temple, Harvard, Boston College, Albany, Bryant and LaSalle. Plays club ball for Middlesex Magic. High gpa NERR profile PH profile RTB profile
DJ Hawkins (2027) 6’8 wing - #100 ranked player in the nation by On3. #6 ranked player in New England by NE Basketball Journal. #5 ranked player in New England by Prep Hoops. #2 ranked player in Connecticut by NERR. 2025-26 All NEPSAC AAA Honorable Mention. Hawkins is an athletic and fluid scoring guard who can play between the slots as a pick-n-roll threat or on the wings in a secondary handler role. He is a smooth off-the-dribble shooter, and his pace and ability to play at several speeds and levels gives him promising upside as a high usage creator. Has received multiple D1 offers, including by Syracuse, St Louis, West Virginia, Bryant and Sacred Heart. Plays club ball with BABC 17u. NERR profile PH profile RTB profile
Jayden Johnson (2027) 6’1 guard - Transferring in from Elizabeth High NJ) where he averaged 24.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 4.4 apg. Johnson is an elite shooter and can operate as the team's secondary ball handler. Has received substantial D1 interest, including Syracuse, Marquette, High Point, St Louis, Fordham and Seton Hall. Plays club ball with New Heights NYC. Video highlights
Greyson Pierce (2027) 6'8 small forward - #10 ranked player in New England by Prep Hoops. #8 ranked player in New England by NE Basketball Journal. #5 ranked prospect in Connecticut by NERR. Pierce is a big framed , skilled shooter, who also attacks close-outs with lot of ability. He has good instincts and competes on both ends. Offered by Bryant, and drawing serious interest from Quinnipiac, Merrimack, Longwood, Brown, Cornell, Notre Dame, Old Dominion, Pittsburgh, Rice, and Buffalo. Plays club ball with BABC 17u. NERR profile PH profile RTB profile
Josh Okoduwa (2027) 6'9 forward - From London, England, Okoduwa has a lengthy 7' wingspan and verticality. He has a great scoring touch, mobility and ability to handle the ball. Okoduwa provides an incredibly versatile skillset, all whilst taking advantage of his natural length. Has been offered by Bryant. Plays club ball with Rhode Isand Elite. Video highlights
Patrick Otey (2027) 6’5, 175lbs, guard - #61 ranked player in the nation by On3. #13 ranked shooting guard in the nation by ESPN. #1 ranked player in New England by Prep Hoops. #3 ranked player in New England by NE Basketball Journal. #1 ranked player in Connecticut by NERR. 2025-26 All NEPSAC AAA. Otey is an elite off-ball scorer with real feel and creativity. He flows well with the ball and scores efficiently from all areas of the floor. He has an amazing feel and is never in any sort of rush offensively. He uses slow steps very well and also gets into the body of the defender to offset their balance and strength. Has received multiple D1 offers, including Providence, Florida State and Villanova. Plays club ball with Expressions Elite. NERR profile PH profile RTB profile
Filip Raicevic (2027) 6’5 guard - From Serbia, Raicevic is a solid play creator with a good feel for the game. He is a good shooter
Nagi Sato (2027) 5’10 point guard - From Tokyo Japan, Sato is a high level processing point guard with high level play experience. He is crafty pass-first pick-n-roll creator.
Tesilan Doumbouya (2028) 6’9 small forward - 2026 Ivory Coast 17u National Team. Doumbouya is a lengthy shooter with budding creation skills.
Alex Hutchison (2028) 6’5 guard - From Las Vegas, NV, Hutchinson is athletic and has a strong frame with blossoming guard tools. Plays club ball with Las Vegas Knicks.
Ryan Trimboli (2028) 6'1 guard - Trimboli transferred in from King School (CT) where he earned 2025-26 All NEPSAC B-Small Honorable Mention. 2025-26 All FAA Honorable Mention as a sophomore. Trimboli is a versatile guard who is a knockdown shooter with a smooth handle and strong feel for the game. He plays with poise. His mentality to want to take and make big plays in big moments will suit him well for his future career. Plays club ball with Dribble Drive. 3.5 gpa RTB profile
The 2026-27 St Thomas More School NEIPL team roster is profiled below.
Ryder Rasch (2027) 6'0 point guard - From Riverdale Country Day School, (NY), Rasch can lead any offense and score at all three levels. Great mentality and high IQ and character player. 3.6 gpa RTB profile
Toby Foster (2027) 6'2 guard - From East Hampton High (NY), Foster can score at all three levels. He can guard 1-4 and is a plus rebounder. Scored over 1,000 points. 3.5 gpa
Michael “Rocket” Schwertley (2027) 6'6 small forward - From Brophy High (AZ), Schwertley is a 4/3 that can spread the court with a high level 3 pt shot. He is a high-level rebounder and has the ability to change games on defense. 3.1 gpa
Pranav Ganatra (2027) 5'11 guard - In from a great career at Dwight-Englewood High (NJ), Ganatra is a combo guard that can play at all three levels. 3.3 gpa
Leith Uwaydah (2027) 6'5 wing - From Beirut, Lebanon, Uwaydah can do it all. He has the ability to score at a high level and facilitate an offense. He can guard all 5 positions and has shown this throughout his competitions. 4.0 gpa 1560 SAT
Mehmet Ali Tansug (2027) 5'11 guard - From Turkey, Tansug can score at all three levels and is returning from a roster that made the NEIPL Finals. His game has grown defensively and will be relied on to make big stops in big games. 3.8 gpa
Leonardo Bowman (2028) 6'5 wing - From London, England, Bowman that can run an offense and provide scoring on the wing. He is a high-flyer that is a plus rebounder on both sides of the court. 3.8 gpa
Brady Dunne (2028) 6'1 guard - From Poughkeepsie, NY, Dunne is a high level facilitator that has a plus three point shooting ability. He is a high level perimeter defender. Plays club ball with Crown Basketball. 3.1 gpa Video highlights RTB profile
To accommodate college scout visits, St Thomas More holds a schedule of Fall Open Gym runs, the details of which can be found here.
The NEPSAC Team’s 2026-27 game schedule and results will be found here.
The NEIPL Team's 2026-27 game schedule and results will be found here.