2025-26 Norman Thomas Preseason Preview
The Norman Thomas Campus is a building in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan that previously housed the Norman Thomas High School. Today, the building at is shared by multiple high schools, including Unity High School. The name is also used by the Norman Thomas basketball team, which represents the schools in the building.
The Norman Thomas Tigers enter the 2025-2026 season looking to build off of a very successful 2024-2025 season where they won 14 games and lost to eventual PSAL runner up Graphics in the Round of 32. Coach Cecilio Gomez enters his 9th season at the helm for Norman Thomas and feels he has one of Manhattan’s most athletic rosters.
The team competes in the Manhattan I, #3 Division and their 2025-26 game schedule and results can be found by clicking here.
The Tigers will bring back 5 players from last season’s team led by Xavier Joaquin who becomes Coach Gomez/s first four year player. Joaquin is an undersized guard that plays with a lot of heart and passion on both ends of the floor.
Sharpshooter Abdullah Sylla should play a bigger role for the Tigers offensively and another undersized guard, Koffivi Atchanhouin, brings to the Tigers the type of hard-nosed defense that Coach Gomez craves on a nightly basis.
Melvin Conteh is a 6’4 forward/wing that is also returning and gives the Tigers some much needed size.
Newcomers to the program Micah Burgos Reodica, Mason Rosen, Souleyman Bah, Benigno Ramos Rodriguez, Marcus Quinones, and Diego Ciprian should allow the Tigers to have a very deep and productive roster capable of going 10 deep on any given night.
What is the downside for the Tigers? That would be their youth with nine new players on the roster. Can the Tigers find their rhythm and build their chemistry quickly to have a breakout season?