Teammates Auger and LeBlanc Will Be Rivals at Penn and Princeton

They share a first name, Husky pride, and a home state, but two New Hampton School basketball teammates will be rivals next year in the Ivy League. Mike LeBlanc '14 of Dover, New Hampshire, and Mike Auger '14 of Hopkinton, New Hampshire, recently made their college destinations official when they signed their enrollment agreements with their respective college destinations (Ivy League schools do not offer athletic scholarships and do not require an NCAA letter of intent). LeBlanc, a 6-foot-6 wing, will attend Princeton University, which he chose over a handful of other schools. Auger, a 6-6 forward, will attend the University of Pennsylvania. He selected Penn over Holy Cross and Dartmouth.

Penn beat Princeton 77-74 on Saturday night while Auger and LeBlanc were helping New Hampton School to an 87-69 victory over South Kent. The Huskies are 8-3 this season.

“I look forward to watching these two guys compete against each other for great programs and universities,” New Hampton School Men’s Coach Pete Hutchins ’01 said. “They are wonderful teammates who embody what it means to be a student-athlete at New Hampton.”

A former Dover High standout, LeBlanc has spent the last two years attending New Hampton School, where he is a member of the Men's Varsity A Basketball team, a candidate for the International Baccalaureate Diploma, and a residential house proctor. LeBlanc, who stands 6-foot-6 and is known for his combination of athleticism and three-point shooting range, chose Princeton for the combination of academics and basketball at the university. He follows former Husky forward and New Hampshire native Pat Saunders ’08, who also took his game from NHS to Princeton. Former NHS women's lacrosse standout Anna Menke ’12 is a sophomore on the Princeton women's lacrosse team.

"The biggest part of my decision was I loved the atmosphere there," said LeBlanc, who will play for former Princeton standout Mitch Henderson. "I visited three times before making my decision and had really good relationships with the coaching staff and felt like I could fit into their system. I am excited about the academics and want to study some combination of business and pre-med.

"I like the way they play. I like the Princeton offense. I met they guys on the team and they are a really tight group, and that's a reflection of the coaching staff and how they interact with the players. They've been watching me for two years now and always kept in contact."

 
LeBlanc believes his New Hampton School experience has prepared him in a variety of ways for the college classroom and Division I basketball.

 
"As far as academics, the International Baccalaureate Program has been a big help," said LeBlanc, who is in his second year of the rigorous academic curriculum that balances classwork, service, and an extended essay over two years. "It's difficult. It pushes you to manage your time. The class size and interaction with teachers here makes it so much better, and the teachers are always around for help."

Hutchins ’01, who is in his seventh season leading the program, was pleased to see LeBlanc find a school that seems to be an ideal fit for his basketball ambitions and intellectual curiosity.

“I'm very happy for Mike earning the opportunity to attend an exceptional school like Princeton," Hutchins said. "He's been a contributing member of this community in all aspects, and I expect him to be a significant contributor on the floor for Princeton and a leader in the locker room.”

A former member of the Mass Rivals and Rhode Island Hawks AAU teams during his high school career, LeBlanc credited his parents, Hutchins, Dover High coach Mike Romps, AAU coach Vin Pastore, and his trainer Ryan George for helping to develop as a player. The competition he faced the last two years in workouts, practices, and games was a difference-maker as well.

"I've played against the best competition in the country the last two years and you have no choice but to get better," LeBlanc said. "You have access to a gym that's a five-minute walk away and it makes it easy to work hard and get better."

A former Hopkinton High player, Auger has spent the last three years attending New Hampton School, where he is a member of the Men's Varsity A Basketball team and a residential house proctor. Auger, a 6-foot-7 athletic forward, has overcome multiple shoulder injuries over the last four years to emerge as an emotional leader and inside presence for the Huskies. He scored 19 points in a victory over league foe Bridgton Academy before the Holiday break. Auger chose Penn over Holy Cross and Dartmouth.

"I am looking forward to playing for Coach (Jerome) Allen and the coaching staff there and playing in the The Palestra and being a part of the rich basketball tradition," said Auger. "I want to be able to make a difference right off the bat. I liked the feel of the university, the people, and Philly is a great city. I didn't necessarily get that at other schools."

Auger will enroll in the College of Arts and Sciences but has a desire to move into the Wharton School of Business. He believes his New Hampton School experience has prepared him in a variety of ways for the college classroom and Division I basketball.

"Taking high level International Baccalaureate classes has prepared me for college  and I don't know if I would be able to go to an Ivy League school if I didn't have those classes," Auger explained. "From a basketball standpoint, playing with high-major Division I players every day since I was a sophomore prepared me for the level of the competition. Working with Coach (Pete) Hutchins so much and being in this basketball environment gave me opportunities that I couldn't get at my local high school or even other prep schools.

"I was able to develop as a player because of the access to the gym here and also having a coach who is willing to get in the gym with you anytime, in the summer and in the mornings. The way he models his program is after a college program with a lot of film work and scouting reports. Our practices are like college practices."

Auger credited his parents and his coaches for providing the necessary resources and opportunities to become one of the few New Hampshire products who get the opportunity to play Division I basketball.

"They always pushed me academically, allowed me to travel around the country playing AAU, and helped me go to New Hampton, which was huge considering the investment," Auger said. "My AAU coach Vin Pastore also has been a big influence. He took me under his wing and really helped me develop."

A three-year veteran of the NHS program, Hutchins believes Auger will make an impact at Penn quickly because of his style of play.

“Mike Auger represents a new approach to recruiting for our basketball program in that he spent three years here whereas many of our players in the past were postgraduates," Hutchins said. "I admire his perseverance and maturity as well as his ability to improve given the two major setbacks with shoulder injuries that kept him off the floor for more than a year. I could tell from the moment Mike visited Penn that it was the place he wanted to be. Penn fans will love Mike's effort and toughness.”

Penn Coach Jerome Allen is a graduate of the university and a former NBA standout.

"The biggest thing I see in Coach Allen is that he is a really straightforward person and cares about his players as people not just basketball players," Auger said. "He's a real straight up guy."