Governor's Teams
Athletics at The Governor’s Academy is about outstanding performance- as our championship titles, college NCAA scholarship players, and world competitors will attest- but it is also about character.
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Team Profile
Basketball - Boys Varsity
New England Championship Tournament Quarterfinals (Class B): 2020, 2022, 2023
With an emphasis on teamwork, communication, and confidence, Governor’s Boys Varsity Basketball team is eager to make their mark in Alumni Gymnasium. Approaching the winter season with a stonecutter mentality, the program hammers away daily to improve as individuals and as a collective group. Coaches and captains recognize the importance of building trust in order to be successful—trusting themselves, their skills, and their support system. The team strives to positively impact life at Govs through their performance on the court, in the classroom, and in the local community. Through this holistic approach to student-athlete development, coaches hope to set their players up for successful futures on the basketball court and beyond.
Boys Varsity Basketball practices and competes in Alumni Gymnasium, but also utilizes the three courts in the Pescosolido Field House for training. Competitive and high-energy, team practices last an hour and a half to two hours and intentionally build from individual skills to small team situations to live play. Team concepts include court spacing, grit, and applying a growth mindset to all situations. The Alfond Fitness Center & Weight Room is located just below Alumni Gymnasium and is staffed by a strength and conditioning coach who provides sport-specific programming. In addition, staffed by two full-time athletic trainers, the sports medicine facility provides personalized attention and rehabilitation for those who need attention to injuries.
Govs competes within the sixteen-school Independent School League (ISL) and as a Class B team in New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC). The ISL is widely known as one of the most competitive leagues in New England and consistently produces top-level collegiate talent across all three NCAA divisions. Rivers’ Christmas Tournament precedes Winter Break and features many fellow Class B contenders. Out-of-conference matchups against schools such as Proctor Academy, Pingree School, and Phillips Exeter round out the twenty-five-game schedule.
The program's success is visible in the numerous players that have gone on to compete at the collegiate, semi-professional, and professional levels. Six former players have represented Govs professionally in the NBA and the Euroleague. Duncan Robinson '12 currently plays for the Miami Heat, averaging over ten points per game. Recent The distinguished list of players doesn't stop there, Govs was the home of two former McDonald's All-American players, Steve Bucknall '85, and 11-year NBA veteran Dan Gadzuric '98 in addition to Andre LaFleur '83 who set the NCAA assist record as a four-year starter at Northeastern University, was inducted into the Hall of Fame at both The Governor's Academy and Northeastern University.
For more information, please reach out to Head Coach Sean McGonagill.
Alumni in Action
Ian Murray ‘23 – Middlebury College
Will Batchelder ‘22 – College of the Holy Cross
Marcus Bucknall ‘21 – Monmouth University
Liam Dunfee ‘21 – Bryant University
Drew Sachs ‘21 – Bates College
John Gorgol ‘20 – Babson College
Jason Mahoney ‘20 – Suffolk University
Joe Pridgen '19 – Northeastern University
D.J. Frechette '18 – Post University
Jalyn Hinton '17 – Florida Southern
Nick Osarenren '17 – Hamilton College
Shawn Backus '17 – Elmira College
Coaches
Coach Profiles
Head Coach: Sean McGonagill
The Academy’s high-caliber academics and high-level basketball provided a winning combination for Head Coach Sean McGonagill to trade New York City for the North Shore. Originally from the Midwest, McGonagill was introduced to New England while studying at Brown University. A four-year starter and three-year captain for the Bears, he earned Ivy League Rookie of the Year as a first year, Co-Rhode Island Player of the Year as a senior, and All-Ivy League First and Second Team as a sophomore, junior, and senior. After graduating, McGonagill played at the professional level for two years in Germany and England in addition to coaching with Breakaway Basketball. Outside of Alumni Gymnasium, he teaches in Mathematics and enjoys tennis, traveling, and spending time outdoors with his wife and dog.
Assistant Coach: Dominique Langston
Originally from Connecticut, Dominique Langston scored over 1,300 points in his high school basketball career. He earned All-State honors twice and represented southern Connecticut in the New England All-Star Challenge. Langston continued his career at Quinnipiac University and Southern Connecticut State University before moving to the Boston area to pursue coaching. He takes pride in competing with current players, especially during preseason pickup games, and fostering a high-energy atmosphere in Alumni Gymnasium.