After a year of steady growth, Eastlake North boys’ basketball coach Nick Mayer believes the foundation is in place for a strong 2025-2026 campaign.
With three returning starters and seven more players bringing varsity experience, the Rangers are looking to turn last season’s 9-15 record into a winning one.
“With what I have seen in the offseason, our guys have been a motivated group,” Mayer said. “From the weight room to skills to open gyms, these guys have got after it once our required off period ended last spring. If they continue to bring the energy each practice and remain positive with one another, I don’t see why we can’t make a run in the conference and get wins in the postseason.”
Mayer, now in his second season at the helm, is counting on the team’s versatility and depth to play a key role.
“Strengths that we have as a team is the amount of guys that can be plug and play,” he said. “I believe we will be able to go deeper into our bench with the possibility of platooning guys. Because of the work in the offseason, our guys are stronger and faster. Hopefully, we can up the tempo and cause chaos defensively.”
Help Ohio Varsity Tell More Stories
Ohio Varsity is independently owned and provides local coverage of high school athletes, teams and communities throughout Northeast Ohio.
One-time and monthly donations available through PayPal.
That defensive identity will be crucial as the Rangers adjust to life without standout Nate Tadiello, who graduated after serving as the team’s top scorer and an all-around playmaker.
“Losing a player like Nate Tadiello can cause issues,” Mayer said. “He was able to score, rebound, dribble, and alter shots defensively. We will need some guys to step up and take on a leadership role. Ultimately, our mentality needs to be tough and gritty.”
Among those stepping into bigger roles is junior point guard Greyson Barney, who Mayer said has grown both physically and mentally since last season.
“Greyson has stepped into a leadership role. No longer is he the quiet sophomore. He has hit the weight room this offseason and has continued to work on his game.”
Senior guard Nate Sagendorph gives North a reliable two-way presence.
“Nate will be looking to build on his second-half resurgence from last year,” Mayer said. “A great quality that Nate has is that he doesn’t just look to score, but he really wants to defend.”
Senior Braylon Rolf returns as a versatile, do-it-all contributor.
“Bray is like a Swiss army knife,” Mayer said. “If you need a ballhandler, defender, shooter, rebounder, Bray is willing to do it. I’m looking forward to seeing how he impacts both ends of the court.”
Two more seniors, Vinny Marsico and Brand Bambrick, round out the projected starting five. Mayer praised both for their offseason improvement.
“Vinny is almost a completely different player than he was last year,” he said. “He is quicker, more athletic, and brings high energy. He’s a longer guard—he will be looking to cause havoc on both ends. Brand started getting some varsity minutes towards the end of last year. He will be used as a versatile big, being able to play on the perimeter and in the paint.”
The Rangers’ bench should also provide an energetic boost. Senior Mikey Lowrie is coming off a strong football season and has carried that confidence to the court.
“Mikey took a major jump in the offseason,” Mayer said. “He’s stronger and more confident, and he will be a great plug-and-play guy.”
Senior Cam Spicuzza brings hustle and heart every time he checks in.
“Cam might not light up the stat sheet, but he is like the Energizer Bunny—he is going to give you 100 percent of himself every time he is on the court.”
Fellow senior Ethan Grinstead will add size and physicality inside.
“Ethan can be really effective in his role,” Mayer said. “With more experience, he should gain more confidence. If he does that, he is going to be really important to the team.”
Sophomore Billy Gibson impressed late last season, even earning meaningful minutes in the district semifinals.
“Billy got a varsity jersey at the end of the year,” Mayer said. “He came in and made an impact quickly, playing crucial minutes in the district semifinals win against Cleveland Rhodes. Playing confident is key for him this season.”
With a deeper rotation and renewed energy, the Rangers have clear goals in mind.
“Our team goals for this 2025-2026 season are to compete for the conference and to get to a district championship again,” Mayer said.
And for North, everything starts with defense.
“Understanding that causing chaos on the defensive end needs to be our identity,” Mayer said. “If we buy into that, we have a shot of winning quite a bit of games.”
