Albany Academy boys' basketball adjusting to life at the prep school level this season

ALBANY - The decision to shift the Albany Academy boys' basketball team from the New York State Association of Independent Schools to the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council for the 2025-26 season was made for the purpose of achieving long-term success for the program.

The shift in play and competition is one that veteran coach Jim Driggs understood would be a difficult transition.

Albany Academy dropped a 74-65 home decision Friday night against Northfield Mount Hermon and the Cadets now stand at 9-9 overall and 6-6 in the NEPSAC.

"I always wanted to play in a prep league," said Albany Academy senior shooting guard Jack Louridas, who is headed to play next at Yale University. "Coach Driggs told me at the beginning of the season that the NEPSAC was the real deal. I kind of believed that. I prepared myself well for it. I think some of the guys were startled by it at first. … This is a whole different beast."

"It is the closest thing to college we can get," Albany Academy senior center Jamar Macon said. "There are no off days. ... Last year, if we had an off game, we could still win. If you have an off day in the prep league, you will lose. It is a lot more competitive."

In prep basketball, competitors can add on an extra year of eligibility. That is something the 6-foot-8 Macon, who will play at Daemen University next year, has done, even though he was originally set to graduate in 2025.

"This is really what we needed. We have six seniors. All six are going to play college basketball," Louridas said. "We talked to each other about this. This is college before college. Coach Driggs always says it: 'You have to play 100 percent.'"

"Every game, you are playing against players going anywhere from Division III to Division I. It is definitely preparing you for what is to come next year," Macon said. "We have a great staff and they treat it like a college program, so I feel like I am really going to be prepared. The competition is a lot better."

Driggs says the NEPSAC reminds him of coaching at the collegiate level, something he did for 15 years. 

"Every team has six to eight college players, and most teams have at least one Division I player," he said. "The coaching in the league is phenomenal. The players and the talent level in the league are phenomenal. Our opponents' preparation is high-level. You had better be great to win. If you don't have it, you can get blown out. You can win close. You can lose close. We have been on both sides of everything. 

"It is a tremendous league and the right move for the school. I think our guys have benefited from this level of competition and exposure."

Louridas, who averaged 17.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game as a junior when he helped lead the Cadets to a 22-2 record and a NYSAIS state title, has elevated his production to 23.9 points per game this season. He poured in a career-best 49 points in a 72-66 victory over Brimmer and May on Dec. 20.

"Every year, he has gotten better. He has added different components to his game," Driggs said. "As a young kid, he just wanted to shoot. Now, he goes off the bounce. He can post you up. His foul shooting is better and much more importantly, he is a better rebounder and a great defender. He is definitely a Division I player and someone Yale is going to be very happy they got."

Two local players who transferred to Albany Academy are Niskayuna's Daniel Smalls and Canajoharie's Antonio Fairley. Smalls, a Class AA state first team selection in 2025, played in just his third game of the season Friday as he recently returned from a shoulder injury.

"He can make things happen," Driggs said of Smalls.

Both Smalls and Fairley added a year, meaning they will be playing for the Cadets in the 2026-27 season.

The Cadets still have six games remaining before the NEPSAC playoffs begin. Driggs believes that, all things considered, his squad has made a successful transition to its next level of competition.

"If you have a bad night, you are going to get exposed," Driggs said. "The grind from a preparation standpoint and a competitive standpoint, mentally and physically, every single day is different. All these guys want to play in college. This is more like college than anything else."

This article originally published at Albany Academy boys' basketball adjusting to life at the prep school level this season.