The Kimball Union Academy boys’ basketball program is a member of the highly competitive NEPSAC AA conference which has representation throughout New England. In addition to KUA’s NEPSAC AA competition, we schedule with some of the region’s top programs in NEPSAC AAA, A, and B. The program has historically achieved strong seasons that have garnered post-season tournament invites while seeing many of its student athletes land collegiate playing opportunities after graduating from The Hilltop. Many former Wildcat student athletes have played and continue to compete at top DI, DII, and DIII institutions. Recent graduates have moved on to programs such as NC State, William & Marry, Utah State, Towson State, Niagara, Dartmouth, Quinnipiac, Adelphi, Bentley, Lemoyne, Connecticut College, Ithaca, Pomona Pitzer, RIT, WPI, Kenyon, and Dickinson. Some former Wildcats have enjoyed professional careers with Nathan Knight ’16 the most notable, as a he heads into his third season in the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves franchise.
KUA got one final shot at a game-winning opportunity in OT but ultimately ran out of time in this back-and-forth affair. NEPSAC AA rival St Andrews School earned the hard-fought victory. KUA came out flat on the offensive end in the 1st half and found their stride in the second. Double-figure scoring from Brandon Arnold 18, Zay Henderson 20pts, John Kelley 16, and Charlie Williams 15pts paced the way for the Wildcats.
A much-anticipated Lakes Region rivalry match-up turned into a lopsided affair pretty quickly as New Hampton came to town with a veteran talented squad full of high major and mid-major Division I talent and showed the Wildcats what the top level of New England prep looks like. Few bright spots in this contest, but the Wildcats are finally getting healthy and will have many more opportunities throughout January and February.
KUA gets back on the right side of the win column!
The Wildcats traveled to the Hall of Fame Prep Classic in Springfield, MA, as part of the annual MLK weekend event. After two rough outings to start the new calendar year after the holiday break, KUA picked up a much-needed victory, and it was a league win as well, as MacDuffie was the opponent. 27 pts from Zay Henderson, 10 pts, 10 rebs, three blocks from Merrick Smith, and timely offensive contributions from several teammates paced the scoring attack. The defensive performance was strong throughout!
KUA got one final shot at a game-winning opportunity in OT but ultimately ran out of time in this back-and-forth affair. NEPSAC AA rival St Andrews School earned the hard-fought victory. KUA came out flat on the offensive end in the 1st half and found their stride in the second. Double-figure scoring from Brandon Arnold 18, Zay Henderson 20pts, John Kelley 16, and Charlie Williams 15pts paced the way for the Wildcats.
A much-anticipated Lakes Region rivalry match-up turned into a lopsided affair pretty quickly as New Hampton came to town with a veteran talented squad full of high major and mid-major Division I talent and showed the Wildcats what the top level of New England prep looks like. Few bright spots in this contest, but the Wildcats are finally getting healthy and will have many more opportunities throughout January and February.
The Wildcats traveled to the Hall of Fame Prep Classic in Springfield, MA, as part of the annual MLK weekend event. After two rough outings to start the new calendar year after the holiday break, KUA picked up a much-needed victory, and it was a league win as well, as MacDuffie was the opponent. 27 pts from Zay Henderson, 10 pts, 10 rebs, three blocks from Merrick Smith, and timely offensive contributions from several teammates paced the scoring attack. The defensive performance was strong throughout!
After digging an 11-point hole at halftime, the Wildcats stormed out of the locker room at halftime and turned the game around in a big way as the final scoreboard saw KUA victorious with a 31-point victory over the Warriors of Lawrence Academy! After a frustrating end to 2024, Brandon Arnold exploded for a 20pt second half with Zay Henderson chipping in with 11pts, and Mouse Williams with 10pts in the latter portion of the contest.
With every Wildcat entering this contest vs a young and talented Masters School squad, KUA's veteran leadership carrying the day. 10 Wildcats found their way into the boxscore and Zay Henderson led the way with an efficient 18pts. KUA's victory is another important NEPSAC AA victory.
Kimball Union Academy walks out of the gym for the last time in 2024 with solid team win over a talented Cegep Jean Brebeuf from north of the border. KUA picked up where they left off Saturday and jumped out to an early lead that they would never be in danger of losing. 8 of the 9 players that entered the game contributed to the scoring column. Zay Henderson, Charlie Wiliiams, Merrick Smith, and Mouse Williams all paced the majority of the offensive output. Tobey Bellows pitched in with a pair of 3's in the contest.
Mouse Williams had his break-out performance in a KUA uniform as he exploded for 30pts that included 8 3ptrs and a breakaway dunk for the 6'0" senior point guard. Not to be over shadowed, Zay Henderson put his own stamp on the contest with 27 pts of his own as the Wildcats took down Top-10 nationally ranked Cushing Academy in the Saturday night NEPSAC AA contest played at the BasketBull Hoopfest in West Hartford, CT. John Kelley, Charlie Williams, and Merrick Smith also made their way into the scoring column, but their real impact in the game was found on the defensive end of the floor and on the glass at both ends.
KUA opened the season at home vs NEPSAC AA rival Worcester Academy. The guests from MA led by double figures a majority of the game but KUA found it's stride in the second half to take a small lead with under 2 minutes remaining. Ultimately, the game slipped away in the final seconds an KUA went on to lose buy 1 pt, 70-69. Zay Henderson led the Wildcats in scoring with 22pts with several contributions coming from Brandon Arnold, Charlie Williams, Merrick Smith, Christian Williams, and John Kelly.
KUA Wildcats couldn't find their footing against a tough, physical Tilton School squad that kept KUA on it's heels for the entire contest. The boys had a few scoring flurries that kept the game close but ultimately couldn't find any consistency on the offensive end of the floor and fell short when stops were needed on defense. Zay Henderson and Mouse Williams paced the Wildcats scoring with 22pts and 19pts respectively.
KUA playing short-handed with two starters out with injuries until after the holiday break, came away with a defensively inspired NEPSAC victory. Holding a quality opponent to a season-low 44 points, a full and highly energetic alumni gym, and ultimately picking up a valuable NEPSAC AA victory all highlight this pre-holiday break contest in Meriden, NH. 6 Wildcats found their way into the scoring column, highlighted by Mouse Williams 21 pts, 16pts from both Zay Henderson and Merrick Smith, and another 10pts from Charlie Williams.
The Wildcats traveled south to Stoughton, MA to take part in the Zero Gravity Prep Showcase. Kimball Union Academy and Cheshire Academy have made this neutral site event it's annual meeting of the two NEPSAC AA rivals with the results flipping back and forth on a regular basis. The 2024 edition saw the KUA Wildcats walk away victorious with a 68-60 W. 31 points from Zay Henderson paced the way for KUA and contributions from Mouse Williams and John Kelley both found themselves in double figures...13 pts and 11 pts respectably!
This was a terrific bounce-back victory for the fellas after a lackluster Saturday contest. The defense was the story of the day and the Wildcats got significant contributions on that end of the floor by everyone that entered the game. The win over MacDuffie gave the Wildcats a very valuable NEPSAC AA victory. Zay Henderson paced the KUA scoring with 21 pts ...also chipping in were Charlie Williams 15pts, Mouse Williams 13pts, and John Kelley with 12pts.
Lots of contributions in the scoring column for this contest vs Lakes Region rival Proctor Academy. Alumni Gym was full of energy for the first home game of the 2024-25 season. All 10 players available players made their way into this contest with 9 finding their way into the scoring column. High scorers were Zay Henderson and Mouse Williams both with 21 points apiece.