Founder of Rise Above Basketball, is now heading into his 10th season since founding the RAB program. Most recently, Carter served as Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at Salem State University under Head Coach Chris Harvey. Before entering Salem, Carter was the Associate Head Coach at Framingham State University where he was staffed for two seasons. Carter’s career began at Boston College High School where he played two years of varsity basketball under Coach William Loughnane. From there he went on to play at Framingham State University for Coach’s Don Spellman & Paul Wholey. Carter was selected Captain in his junior season and helped lead the Rams to a 9-3 conference record before falling in the MASCAC conference championship. During his career the Rams appeared in the conference tournament four times and made a pair of appearances in the ECAC Division III New England Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament. Carrying over as captain, in his senior season Brendan led the team in rebounds, blocks and minutes. He has played in 95 collegiate games and brings much experience and knowledge to the RAB program. Brendan has volunteered with a number of different enrichment programs and camps throughout his basketball career. Carter graduated from Framingham State University with a Bachelors Degree in Communications.
Michael is heading into his third season as the Girls Head Varsity Coach at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School and has been appointed as Girls Director for us here at RAB. In 2018, Mike was awarded MBCA Assistant Coach of the Year! Previously, Costa served as an Assistant at East Bridgewater High School for one season. Mike’s career began at Boston College High School where he played two years of varsity basketball under Head Coach Jerry Morelli. While Michael was at BC High, he was a two time Catholic Conference Champion in both the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 seasons. During the 2003-2004 season, Mike was the starting point guard for the Eagles who went 19-5 that season and was named a Catholic Conference All-Star. From there, Michael went on to play four years of college basketball at Framingham State College. He was a three year starter and a two time captain during his junior and senior seasons. During his career at Framingham State, Michael helped lead the Rams to two MASCAC conference championship appearances as well as two ECAC Division III New England Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament appearances. During his sophomore year at Framingham State, Michael was #4 in the nation for Division III in steals. In each of his last two seasons, he finished with over 200 points 100 rebounds and 100 assists. Michael graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and he now works as a Special Education Teacher.
Coach McCabe played his high school basketball at Canton High School, where he was a three-year letter winner. McCabe was elected a captain as a junior and senior during his time at CHS. He also was elected a Hockomock League All- Star and a first team all-conference selection as a senior as well as a 2-time Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic selection. Following his time at CHS, McCabe played four years at Framingham State University. During college, McCabe was a 2-time captain and was named to the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference All-Academic Team 3 times during his career. Coach McCabe has played significant minutes in over 95 College games and recognizes the hard work, dedication, and commitment it takes to take your game to the next level. After his playing days, McCabe accepted a coaching position at Canton High School. Coach McCabe was an integral part of the coaching staff that helped lead the Bulldogs win their first Hockomock League championship since 1992 and their most successful season in 26 years. His main responsibility was player development, where he would focus on specific skill development of players. He was also responsible for implementing practice plans, and scouting other opponents.
Tommy Keyes is in his inaugural year as High School director while also coaching the 10th and Varsity teams alongside Founder/CEO Brendan Carter. Keyes serves as an Assistant Coach at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where he is in his 6th season. The Corsairs have played in back to back Little East Conference Championships, and in 2020-2021 they were Regular Season and Tournament Champions. He joined the staff after being named Captain his Junior and Senior campaign and would have been named a 3rd time had he returned to the team as a player. Keyes played at UMass Dartmouth for 3 semesters after spending 3 semesters at Salve Regina, totaling 59 games. His college career was cut short after he played his Junior season with a torn meniscus and missed out on immediate medical attention following the season. His teams were able to make appearances in the CCC Semifinals, ECAC Tournament, as well as the Little East Semifinal and Championship games. High school playing days were the most successful for Keyes; he spent his Freshman year at Bishop Stang where he saw action in 12 regular season games and both playoff games before transferring. Keyes transferred to Bishop Connolly in Fall River, Ma where he finished 2nd All Time in scoring with 1,351 points in 3 years. The Cougars won a State Championship in his Senior season in which he was also named the winner of the prestigious Dave Cowens Achievement Award, which is presented to the best basketball player in the area; it also includes academics and community outreach. He was named conference MVP all 3 seasons at Bishop Connolly. Keyes is now a teacher in the New Bedford Public Schools system while also being involved in many local basketball camps and community outreach programs. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Over the summer, Keyes is also a basketball trainer at Next Level Factory in South Dartmouth, Ma. He takes pride in developing young athletes’ skills on the court while teaching life lessons through the game. Keyes has worked with athletes of all ages: from instructional to middle school and high school to college athletes of both genders to NCAA Division I and pro athletes.
Dan Gould
Youth Director
CoachGouldplayed high school basketball at North Quincy High School where he was a four year letter winner. In his time at North Quincy, Gouldwas elected a 3 time Patriot League All-Star as well as a 3 time Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic selection. During his senior season, Gouldhelped lead North Quincy High School to the Division 1 South Sectional Final for the first time since 1972. After the historic runGouldwas selected to the Boston Herald Dream team. After graduating North Quincy, Gouldwent onto play for four years at Framingham State University. During his time at Framingham State, Gouldwas a two time captain and played over 90 games in his college career. After his career at Framingham State, Gould accepted a position at North Quincy High School as the Freshman basketball coach where he is currently still coaching. His duties include helping develop the Freshman players in the program as well as assisting the varsity by scouting other opponents as well as teaching defensive principles.
Rico was most recently an Assistant Coach at Stonehill College for two seasons. Prior to Stonehill, DePaolis worked as an Assistant at Wheelock College under Head Coach Matt LeVangie. Rico played his collegiate ball at Framingham State University, where he was both a teammate and player of Brendan Carter. Rico walked onto the Varsity basketball program at FSU, and ended his career as a two-year captain of the team. During his junior season DePaolis lead the MASCAC in three-point percentage shooting an oustanding 42%. In his tenure DePaolis appeared in over 80+ collegiate games and started in 50. Prior to FSU, Rico played his high school basketball at Watertown High School where he was apart of a State Championship team during his junior season. Rico began with RAB’s 3rd Grade AAU team in 2013 and did a great job being a mentor to our young players! Most recently, Rico is the COO as well as Head Coach for our Varsity “Carter/DePaolis” team. Rico brings valuable experience as well as a notable work ethic to the Rise Above family and we are very happy to have him on board.
Joe Busacca
Coach
Coach
Busacca is entering his first season as an Assistant Coach for Amherst College. Prior to that, he served as the Head Coach of the Curry College men’s basketball program in 2018-19. He took over the reigns of the program after two years as an assistant coach at Manhattanville College in Purchase, N.Y. During his two-year stint on the staff at Manhattanville, he coordinated the development of student-athletes on and off the floor, counseling the squad to a 3.42 team cumulative grade point average. On the court, Busacca helped develop and recruit the 2017-18 Middle Athletic Conference (MAC) Freedom Rookie of the Year, among other All-Conference performers. Busacca has experience conducting clinics at the Hoop Group Top 100, PGC and OneBasketball while also serving as the assistant coach for the Staten Island Musketeers Association AAU Program and a junior varsity assistant coach at Moore Catholic High School. As a student-athlete at Misericordia University in Dallas, Pa., Busacca was a four-year member of the basketball team. He served as a captain during 2015 and captured many individual honors. Busacca was the Wendy’s Male Athlete of the Year in 2015, the MAC Conference Player of the Year, MAC First Team All-Conference, D3 Hoops All-Region First Team, NABC First Team All-Region, D3 News Honorable Mention All-American, Freedom Conference Championship MVP, ECAC Second Team All-Star, Misericordia Team MVP, and a 1,000 point scorer.
Corey Cuddihy
Coach
Coach
Corey is a graduate from Scituate High School where she played basketball for four years. After high school, she went on to play four years of college basketball at Bridgewater State University. While at Bridgewater State University, she was a three year starter and two time captain her junior and senior years. Within the four years, she helped lead her team to three MASCAC tournament championships. Corey holds a few records at BSU. She is the second all time leader for 3-point field goals made in a season with 58 total and second all time leader for 3-point field goals made for her whole career with 180 total. She is the third leader for highest career free throw percentage with 76%. Lastly, Corey holds the record for highest free throw percentage in a game with 100% (13 for 13), verse Westfield State University. After college, she coached at Scituate High School as the junior varsity coach and assistant varsity coach for 6 years. Corey graduated from BSU in 2012 with her bachelors in Criminal Justice and again in 2015 from American International College with her Masters in Education. Corey currently works full time as a special education teacher for Marshfield Middle School.
Stephen Murphy
Coach
Coach
Stephen is entering his third season as an Assistant Coach for the Braintree High School Varsity program. Coach Murphy has been with the RAB program since spring of 2019 and is the current 9th Grade Boys Coach. Coach Murphy Graduated from Framingham State University where he received his bachelor’s degree in criminology as well as played for the Framingham State Men’s Basketball team in 2014 and 2015. Stephen’s basketball career began at Braintree High School where he was a four-year Varsity player, three-year starter, and captain his senior year. In 2013, Stephen was selected as a first team Bay State Conference All Star, as well as a Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic.
Hakeem Barge
Coach
Coach
Hakeem is heading into his second year with the Rise Above program. Returning to the world of basketball Hakeem has been rebuilding the Belmont High School Football program over the past 5 years (2014-19) as an offensive positional coach, defensive backs coach and assistant defensive coordinator. In that time Belmont won its first game in 4 years (2010-14) as well as their first playoff berth in 10 years (2008-18) and graduated some of the first Division 1 recruits from the town in recent memory. Hakeem was an assistant Varsity Men’s Basketball Coach under Sam Doner (2015-16) at Natick High School. Prior to that Hakeem was an assistant coach under Dave Hoffman (2008-11) for the Bay State Jaguars. Hakeem tore his labrum walking on the MBB team at the University of Hartford (2008-09) where he then transferred to Framingham State and played football as a defensive back. Hakeem graduated with a degree in sociology and a minor in psychology. Before that, Hakeem played high school basketball at Natick High School.
Stephen Fabrizio
Coach
Coach
Stephen is entering into his third season as a coach for the RAB program. Steve has been a longtime member of the RAB program dating all the way back to 2014. Fabrizio is entering into his second season as a member of the Emerson College Men’s Basketball program where he is playing under former Boston College Hall of Famer & NBA alum Bill Curley. Prior to Emerson, Steve was a standout for the Duxbury High School program. Coach Fabrizio is currently a Head Coach in our 5th Grade boys program.
Melissa Daigle
Coach
Coach
Joe Carty
Coach
Jake Ashworth
Coach
Coach Ashworth is heading into his second season coaching with Rise Above. He is currently serving as an assistant coach at nationally ranked WPI. Ashworth played varsity basketball at Bourne High School for four seasons. He was a three-year captain, four-year conference all-star, and two-year Boston Herald/Globe All-Scholastic. Ashworth is Bourne High Schools’ career scoring leader as well as his conference’s all-time leading scorer. Ashworth played college basketball at UMass Dartmouth where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics. He was a three-year captain and his team made it to the sweet 16 in the 2021-2022 season. He finished his career as the 10th leading scorer at UMass Dartmouth with 1654 points. He is the all-time leading three-point shooter in school history and was selected to all-conference teams for 3 years. In his last season, he was selected to the All-Region D3 Basketball Team.
Ben Kistner
Coach
Ben Kistner is in his first year coaching with Rise Above Basketball. He coached a 10th team while alongside Brendan Carter (Founder/CEO) and Tommy Keyes (High School Director) with the other 2 teams (Varsity/10th). Coach Kistner first started his coaching career at Silver Lake Regional High School for 2 years starting in 2018 as varsity assistant. He then coached at Springfield College for 2 years starting in 2020 as a graduate assistant. He shortly joined the RAB staff once his time was done at Springfield College. Kistner will be assistant varsity with Xaverian Brothers High School this upcoming winter season. He also coached at Taunton High School as a baseball varsity assistant and contributed them winning the program’s first state championship in 2019. Kistner holds a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Master of Physical Education from Springfield College.
David Laine
Coach
Coach Laine is heading into his first season coaching with Rise Above. He is currently serving as a student assistant coach at Bridgewater State University while finishing his degree in Physical Education. Laine went to Bourne High School where he was a four-year starter as a point guard. He was a team captain and conference all-star senior year. He also played varsity soccer, baseball, and tennis for four years. Laine played college basketball for three seasons at Bridgewater State University while leading his team as a captain and recipient of the sportsmanship award his senior year where he led his team in 3pt%, assists per game, as well as steals per game.
