ECC Large

East Lyme

Coach: Jeff Bernardi (2nd year).

Key returnees: Sr. G Christian Brown, Sr. F Mark Powers, Sr. G Kosta Lanis.

Top newcomer: Fr. G Dev Ostrowski.

Outlook: The Vikings were forced to completely rebuild during Bernardi's first season, finishing 1-19, but East Lyme returns some experience (Brown averaged 12.4 points per game as a junior) and has some talented newcomers. Bernardi is confident this team has the ability to qualify for the ECC and Class L state tournaments.

Fitch

Coach: Alick Furtick (3rd year).

Key returnees: Sr. G Eddie Volkerts, Sr. G Ryan Rueling, Sr. F Greg Cooper.

Top newcomers: So. G Jalen Benson, Jr. F Hendrik Khoury, Sr. C Juwan Leftridge, So. G Justice Farris, So. G Eduardo Gonzales, Jr. C Derek Jones.

Outlook: The Falcons were soaring last season until a four-game losing streak late in the season knocked them out of the Large Division race. Still, Fitch finished 13-9 in Furtick's second season and look to contend again. Volkerts, an all-state guard, is one of the ECC's top returning players, while Cooper, Rueling and Khoury figure to be major contributors. Three sophomore guards, Benson, Farris and Gonzales, provide depth in the backcourt while newcomers Jones (6-foot-8) and Leftridge (6-7) give the Falcons great size and a defensive presence close to the basket.

Ledyard

Coach: David Cornish (5th year).

Key returnees: Sr. Scott Whipple, Sr. Anthony Viteritto, Jr. Isiah McNair, Jr. Isaiah Campbell.

Top newcomers: Sr. Dakota Kilgore, Sr. Kevin Hutchins, Jr. Steven Fletcher, Jr. Alexander Genova, So. Mychal Sebastian, So. Trevor Hutchins, So. Julio Nieves, Fr. Ken Turner.

Outlook: After finishing 21-5, reaching the ECC tournament final and the Class LL quarters — where they lost in overtime to Hillhouse — the Colonels were decimated by graduation losses, losing eight seniors, including The Day's All-Area Player of the Year in DeAnte Bruton. But while Ledyard is young and inexperienced, Cornish said there is plenty of talent and is confident the Colonels will show great improvement during the season.

NFA

Coach: Chris Guisti (3rd year).

Key returnees: Sr. F Isaiah Joyner, Sr. G Tyler Sholes, Sr. F Alain Maceno, Jr. G Luis Rivera, So. G Brenden Sholes.

Top newcomers: Jr. G Perry Cruz, Jr. F Tyler Sebastian, So. G Seth Thomas, So. G Aidan Miller, So. F Carter Ward, So. Tyler F Tyler Briggs. So. G Caleb Parker, Fr. G Jalen Graham.

Outlook: Guisti calls his sophomore class "large and talented." It's also inexperienced, which means the Wildcats will rely on veterans Joyner, Tyler Sholes and Maceno to help bring the newcomers along. NFA was 10-13 a year ago and the development of those younger players will determine whether or not the Wildcats can qualify for the ECC and Class LL tournaments.

ECC Medium

Montville

Coach: Derek Wainwright (1st year).

Key returnees: Sr. F/C TT Bowens, Sr. G Cody Calash.

Top newcomers: So. F Eric Beavin, Sr. F Isaiah Mack, Jr. G Gilbert Calash, Jr. F Seamus Barry, So. C John Domijan, So. G Gennaro Davis, Sr. G Christian Benjamin.

Outlook: After enjoying tremendous success with the girls' program, Wainwright takes over the boys' team this season and will try to incorporate plenty of new faces into the system. Bowens and Cody Calash, the leading scorer on a 5-15 team last year, are back to give the Indians leadership and experience while Mack returns to the program after taking the year off. Beavin will help provide anotrher inside presence. Wainwright likes Montville's depth at guard, where four players are battling for minutes.

New London

Coach: Craig Parker (22nd year).

Key returnees: Jr. F/C D. Major Roman, Sr. F Tyrel Martinez, Jr. G Nakwan Keith, Sr. G Isaiah Cunningham Hodge.

Top newcomers: So. G Gio Lopez, Fr. G Nick Fleetwood, Jr. C Devaughn Fisher-Exum, Sr. F Matt Parker, Sr. F Parker Clark, So. G Hank Fleetwood, So. F/C Elijah Parker, Sr. F Ariel Cruz, Sr. F Melquann Gomez.

Outlook: The Whalers were perfect until running into hot-shooting South Windsor in the second round of the Class L tournament. But after finishing 23-1 and dominating the ECC, New London must replace its entire starting five — Seth Lake, Collin Sawyer, C.J. Parker, Nabate Metts and Bryan Cespedes. Roman and Martinez are the Whalers' most experienced players and will be a solid inside tandem, but the guards are inexperienced. "We're a relatively young, athletic team," said Parker, who expects the Whalers to improve as the season progresses.

Stonington

Coach: John Luzzi (2nd year).

Key returnees: Sr. C Amadi White, Sr. G Bobby Atkins, Jr. F Matt Schmeelk, So. G Ben Dellacono, So. G Lennox Deer.

Top newcomers: Fr. G R.J. Parrilla, Sr. F Marcus Harris, Sr. G Billy Keane, Jr. F Drew Bailey, Jr. F Conor Woodworth, Jr. G Jack Yandow.

Outlook: White is the Bears' returning scorer from a that went 7-13 a year ago and just missed out on a postseason bid, so Luzzi's second team is very young. Luzzi has been impressed with the offseason improvements made by Atkins and Schmeelk and expects to get key contributions from a number of newcomers, including freshman Parrilla. Challenging to make the ECC and Class M state tournaments is reasonable goal.

Waterford

Coach: Bill Bassett (1st year).

Key returnees: Sr. G Landon Peabody, Sr. G Kevin Johnson, Sr. F Jake Mangual, Sr. G Mike Gianakos, So. G Michael Buscetto.

Top newcomers: Sr. F Jamel Iturrino, Jr. F Jeff Evans, Jr. G Adam Pinch.

Outlook: Bassett takes over for his former boss, Greg Gwudz, who led the Lancers to a 19-6 season a year ago that ended with a loss to East Catholic in the Class M quarterfinals. Waterford must replace two talented big men in Connor Lewis and Kyle McComic, which means the Lancers will be a guard-oriented team that will try to push the tempo. Peabody, who was named to the Class M all-state team a year ago, and Johnson are capable 3-point shooters who also have the ability to get to the basket, while Gianakos and Buscetto played valuable minutes a year ago.

ECC Small

Wheeler

Coach: Neal Cobleigh (8th year).

Key returnees: Sr. G Mike Dellaporta, Sr. F Alex Haines, Jr. F Ryan Dussault, Jr. G/F Dylan Wilkinson, Jr. F Chris Munzer, Jr. G Michael Anderson.

Top newcomers: Jr. G Roger Watrous, Sr. G/F Kendall Sullivan, So. G Ryan Condon, So. G Nate Bruce.

Outlook: The Lions are coming off a 10-10 regular season and have a quality mixture of experience and youth. Said Cobleigh: "Our goals, as they are every year, are to prepare, show up and compete hard in every game. If we accomplish that we expect to be contenders in the ECC Small and state tournament."

Others

Grasso Tech

Coach: Gregg Antoch (12th year).

Key returnees: Sr. F Cyrus Connor, Jr. F Marquez Hamilton, So. G Ocyrus Vazquez, Sr. G Kendrick Amaro, Sr. F Jake Christian.

Top newcomers: Jr. G Kariath Wiggins, Jr. G Greg Turner, Jr. F Chris Rivera, So. G David Georges.

Outlook: The Eagles return some valuable experience, but Antoch is excited about some of his younger talent and believes that mixture will allow Grasso Tech to be very competitive in the Constitution State Conference this season.

Norwich Tech

Coach: Jeff Brown (5th year).

Key returnees: Jr. G Jared Neal, Sr. F Alex Casillas, Sr. F Jacob Sulik.

Top newcomers: Sr. F Michael Dewaine, Jr. G Owen Duff, So. G Tom Simone, Jr. G Malachi Jarmon.

Outlook: The Warriors have experience, but Brown feels like the development of a number of first-year varsity players will hold the key to Norwich Tech's ability to be competitive within the Constitution State Conference.

Old Lyme

Coach: Kirk Kaczor (15th year).

Key returnees: Sr. F Drake Gavin, Sr. G Josh Turkowski, Sr. C George Doll, Sr. G Matt Watts-St. Germain.

Top newcomers: Jr. G Dean Palenski, Jr. G Graham Aird, Jr. G Danny Marinelli.

Outlook: The Wildcats, who were 19-6 last year and lost in the Shoreline Conference tournament final to rival Valley Regional, suffered some major graduations, but the cupboard is hardly bare. Kaczor has four returning seniors who played major roles for Old Lyme a year ago and some talented newcomers that should make the Wildcats a factor in the Shoreline again.