As the 2025-26 high school boys basketball season is set to begin on Thursday, MassLive is releasing its annual preseason Super 7 list which honors the top players heading into the winter campaign.
This year’s Super 7 features plenty of new faces, as six of the seven players from last year’s preseason list graduated. Still, there’s loads of talent throughout Western Massachusetts, and it’s shaping up to be another exciting season on the hardwood.
Sam Brigham, Pope Francis
The senior guard is one of the top scorers in Western Mass., and he enters this winter with 1,512 career points between two years at St. Mary’s and his junior year at Pope Francis.
Brigham reached the 1,000-point milestone during his sophomore year at St. Mary’s, and the step up in competition last year at Pope Francis didn’t deter his offensive capabilities. He averaged 18 points per game, including 22 points in the Cardinals’ WMass Class A title-game win over Springfield Central.
In the state tournament, Brigham toppled the 20-point mark in all three of Pope Francis’ games, helping the club reach the Division II quarterfinals. He had a season-high 26 points in an early-season win over Northampton, and hit the 20-point mark in 11 games overall.
Aden Cabrera, Springfield Central
The high-scoring senior guard transfers in from Holyoke for his final year of eligibility after helping the Purple Knights to a big season on the hardwood as a junior.
photo by J. Anthony Roberts
Cabrera will be an instant contributor for the Golden Eagles, which are looking to return to the top of Western Mass. Class A after falling to Pope Francis in the sectional final a year ago. The two teams will play twice, including a game at the Hoophall Classic at Springfield College in January.
Cabrera’s quickness and aggressiveness on the defensive end of the floor translates into transition opportunities, and that pace should help Central turn up the pressure this winter.
Cabrera poured in a season-high 28 points in a game against Pope Francis last year while at Holyoke. The Golden Eagles have a loaded independent schedule that features challenging games against the likes of St. Mary’s Lynn, Christ The King (N.Y., at the Hoophall Invitational) and West Haven (Conn.).
Brody Fay, Chicopee Comp
An immediate contributor since his freshman year, the senior power forward can do a little bit of everything for the Colts as they embark on a new challenge playing in the Valley League this winter.
photo by J. Anthony Roberts
Fay possesses some size to go with his athleticism, and can also stretch the floor in the pick and pop game with some outside shooting range.
Enters his senior season with more than 700 career points. Scored a season-high 25 points in a win over Northampton last season, and also notched 20-plus point games against Commerce (twice) and Taconic.
Miles Fergus, Minnechaug
The senior guard took a big step forward last year, averaging 19.4 points, four rebounds and four assists per game to help the Falcons reach the Division II Round of 32.
He should be in line to join the 1,000 point club this season, as he needs 341 more to hit 1K. Minnechaug coach Mike Orzech asks a lot from Fergus, who will likely be averaging around 30 minutes on the floor again this winter.
Last year, Fergus toppled the 30-point mark on four occasions with a season-high 35 points coming in a loss to Taconic. Perhaps his best game of the year came in the state tournament opener against Bishop Stang where he went for 33 points in a 64-50 victory.
Fergus utilizes his aggressiveness to get to the free throw line, where he’s an 83% shooter.
Noah Hambley, South Hadley
The crafty junior point guard has started every game in his South Hadley career, and runs the show for the Tigers.
photo by J. Anthony Roberts
He scored 30 points in his team’s wild triple overtime victory over Uxbridge in the MIAA Division IV state tournament last season.
South Hadley coach Chris Gerber thinks Hambley is the top returning player in Class B. He enters his junior season with 547 career points.
Jordan King-Perilli, Holyoke
The high-scoring senior guard will look to lead the Purple Knights this winter in a loaded Valley League with the likes of Central, Putnam, Pope Francis, Agawam and Chicopee Comp.
photo by J. Anthony Roberts
With Calvin Godbolt at Framingham State and Aden Cabrera now at Springfield Central, King-Perilli steps into the spotlight as a go-to option for head coach Juan Maldonado’s club that went 16-5 and reached the MIAA Division II Round of 16 last year and the Elite 8 in 2024.
King-Perilli has been a varsity contributor since his freshman year. He can score in multiple ways, according to Maldonado, who said he can attack the rim, hit mid-range shots and also knock down 3-pointers. Maldonado also said his senior star is a very capable and reliable defender.
King-Perilli topped the 20-point mark on six occasions last season, including a season-high 27 points in a win over Northampton. Also scored 24 points in a victory over Putnam.
Allen Miranda, Springfield Central
The senior guard is the only repeat Super 7 selection, though he transfers in from Duggan Academy after a standout career with the Jayhawks that saw him reach the 1,000 point mark as a junior last year.
photo by J. Anthony Roberts
Miranda, along with Cabrera, give the Golden Eagles an impressive backcourt tandem, as his ability to separate offensively should lead to plenty of open looks. The pair should have Central playing a fast-paced game.
It’s certainly a step up in competition for Miranda now that he’s playing in the Valley League. Last year in the Tri-County North, he scored 30-plus points on multiple occasions, including a season-high 32 points in a win over Hampden Charter. He also scored 30 points in wins over Mount Everett and Westfield Tech, two games where Duggan reached the 100-point mark.
