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PUTNAM — Putnam Science Academy’s prep basketball team has rarely had much in-season turnover. Coach Tom Espinosa said the Mustangs have had one guy go and one come in on four or five occasions. Maybe. So it doesn’t happen often.
But a basketball season like this 2020-21 season doesn’t happen often either. And as a result, there are a lot of new names – eight, in fact – dotting the PSA roster as students made their way back to campus last week.
“This is all COVID-19 related,” Espinosa said. “Whether it’s schools are closing and kids have nowhere to go or they’re wanting to get more exposure because recruiting is all closed down so they come here … it’s just a year like no other. I don’t know if we’ve ever had two new kids come in. And now we’ve got eight.”
The first of those is Josh Bascoe, an experienced point guard who played last year at Vermont Academy and is battle-tested. The Bucknell commit will probably have the first crack at the starting point guard position left vacant by Bensely Joseph’s season-ending injury.
Nana Owusu-Anane was also at Vermont Academy last year and will provide the Mustangs with frontcourt help. The 6-foot, 8-inch Owusu-Anane, who has committed to Brown, is “the typical big man that we like,” Espinosa said.
Leon Williams also spent time at Vermont Academy, though just the first half of this school year. A 6-4 guard, Espinosa said Williams is a bit of late bloomer whose game is expanding and going to the next level.
PSA has also brought in Amadou Diallo, a smaller sized point guard at 5-10 but who is considered one of the toughest guards in New York City, and Mouhamed Dioubate, a Class of 2023 wing, who at 6-5 has loads of potential and the chance to be very special. Both are part of PSA’s connection into Queens, N.Y., which has brought in players in the past such as Hamadou Diallo and brothers Mamadou and Hassan Diarra (plus current Mustang Cherif Diarra).
Boris Mitkin, PSA’s third player from Russia in the last two seasons, is strong and skilled, and at 6-8 will provide depth in the frontcourt. Flavien Geoffroy, a postgrad from Paris, is a 6-6 forward who adds toughness.
And finally there is Miles Rose, from upstate New York. He’s young – a member of the Class of 2023 – but Espinosa said he has a lot of potential and “is the kind of kid who could be a top 50 player down the line.”
PSA has played just two games in this disjointed season (both wins, over Hoosac, Halloween weekend), but the intent is to play more as restrictions are lifted. These new eight players join holdovers CJ Anthony, Trent Coleman, Cherif Diarra, Bryce Harris, Elijah Hutchins-Everett, Edwin Linares, Alexis Reyes, Mohamed Sanogo, Viktor Shvets, and Darryl Simmons, as PSA chases down a second straight national title, and third overall.
The Mustangs will be without the aforementioned Joseph, plus Sean Durugordon (Missouri) and Zay Folkes (Charlotte), who enrolled early in college. Jao Ituka transferred out of PSA and Nic Louis-Jacques has decided to stay home for the time being but could return. “We have 16 uniforms,” Espinosa said. “There’s going to be a lot of competition. We’ll see who survives it.”
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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