As the regular season comes to a close and the playoffs begin, the boys varsity basketball team is looking to keep their momentum and continue rolling all the way to a city championship.
Led by head coach Steve Podias, the team has become one of the most successful Baruch sports teams in recent history and are currently coming off back-to-back semifinals appearances. The team is looking to continue this legendary streak and their talented roster gives them a good position to do so.
Let’s take a look into the landscape of our boys varsity basketball team’s historic season, what has been the key to their continued success and what they are hoping for that will allow them to get over the hump and into the finals.
Following the team’s crushing defeat in the semifinals of the 2025 PSAL city playoffs against Summit Academy Charter School, the team lost five key players, three of whom being starters. Although it looked like the team would get significantly worse as a result of the many farewells, quite the opposite has happened.
When Maksim Stefanovic, who was a starter on last year’s roster, was asked how they were able to rebuild so quickly following these departures, he attributed it primarily to the team’s strong chemistry.
Stefanovic said, “Everyone is a lot closer this year, which helps us get an upper hand over what we lost from last year.”
The blue devils finished the season with a strong conference record of 12-2, giving them second place in a tough Manhattan II division. Some notable victories include a decisive 47-45 win against 13-1 Eleanor Roosevelt High School and a 46-42 win over NEST+M. They have also notched non-league wins against Spring Creek Campus (13-1), Inwood Campus (10-4) and the Clinton School (9-1).
This strong resume makes it very likely that they will receive a single digit seed and a bye in the first round of the playoffs.
These monumental victories have been made possible primarily by junior phenom Maksim Stefanovic, who is currently averaging an absurd 22 points per game. Some of his most impressive performances have been a 27 point game against High School for Leadership & Public Service, 27 points against School of the Future, and a whopping 28 points against West End Secondary School.
Senior captain Luca Timoll, who is an elite playmaker, three-level scorer, and defensive prowess. He holds averages of 12 points, three assists, and three rebounds per game. Best known for his defensive capabilities, Timoll has had some of the most memorable moments this season, such as his game-winning block in the season opener.
In addition to their starpower, the team has a very deep roster, getting vital usage from sophomore point guard Brodie Schwartz, senior center Aidan McNary, senior forward Josef Farhat, sophomore center Evan May, and many others. The team even has impactful freshmen, including Harry Auth who has started multiple games at center, and Robert Munoz.
Only two starters are seniors, making the team unusually young for its level of success.
It is the first time in Coach Podias’ tenure as head coach that a sophomore is starting at the point guard position. The future is also looking bright for the Blue Devils. With six out of the 16 players graduating this school year there will be a lot of roster continuity next season, allowing us to pick up where we left off.
However, even after an extremely strong start to the season, the players on this team are not content, and are looking forward towards a deep playoff run.
When asked about the team’s goals for the 2025-2026 season, Stefanovic said, “Our main goal is obviously to go to the championship and win.” With every passing day, it seems like this dream becomes closer to reality, as the team just continues to roll through the competition. Falling just short last season was especially demoralizing, but Stefanovic has full confidence in the current team’s abilities to take care of unfinished business.
If the boys want a chance at hoisting their first ever city championship trophy, they will need to stay motivated and determined throughout the multiple weeks that now lie between their final game of the regular season and their first game of the postseason. These next one to two months are imperative for the Blue Devils as they attempt to make history by breaking their curse of losing in the semifinals and only time will tell how far this team can go.
