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Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Rivals.com: Class of 2013 Top 150 Released

Eric Bossi and co.
9 NE Players in Rivals Class of 2013 Top 150
- This afternoon, the Rivals.com Class of 2013 Top 150 was released and nine New England players were included, four New England Natives and five New England Imports.  Would love liked to see Rene Castro somewhere in there as well, he definitely deserves to be in there.

#3  - Nerlens Noel

Monday, August 29, 2011

Welcome to New England: Austin Colbert

Native of Chesapeake, Virginia
 The CT/NJ Flip-Flop
- Over the course of the summer, 6'10 big man Mike Tobey transferred from Hotchkiss to Blair Academy (NJ) for his senior year.  If anyone was worried about how Hotchkiss was going replace Tobey (ESPN #78) down-low this season, it looks like you can stop worrying.  Earlier today, Adam Finkelstein of NERR broke the news that 6'9 athlete-supreme Austin Colbert will be transferring from St Patrick's (NJ) to the Hotchkiss School (CT) for the upcoming school year, where he will team with Clyde Smith and Makai Mason to form an intriguing inside-outside combination.  Colbert is ranked #41 in the ESPN Class of 2013 Rankings and according to Scout.com, AC is "one of the most highly recruited players in the Class of 2013."  Colbert heads to New England for his junior year with offers from Pittsburgh, Miami (FL), Seton Hall, and Xavier (Rivals.com) with interest from countless others.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Zach Auguste Cuts Down to Four Final Schools

- In the midst of Hurricane Irene, Zach Auguste cut his list down from 8 to 4 schools.  Out are Auburn, Providence, Notre Dame, and Clemson.  Final Four: Florida, Georgia Tech, Marquette, and West Virginia.  Auguste's plan is to visit all 4 schools this fall and make a decision prior to the start of the hoops season.  Stay Tuned.

Hurricane Irene 'Time-Out' Notebook

Umbrella &  Poncho
End of August Breakdown
- News of the Week: John Papale committed to BU and new Head Coach Joe Jones...Wayne Selden is on the mend and improving every day after having surgery to take care of a Compartment Syndrome problem with his leg...Kris Dunn committed to Providence and also announced he will remain at New London HS for his senior year rather than attend WMA...Andre Drummond announced he will head to UConn THIS YEAR and will not do a post-grad year at WMA...Kuran Iverson and Jake Layman both dropped Lists...Kuran's List...Layman List...Jared Terrell received an offer from Miami...Zach Auguste made his Nationals Rankings Debut as he came in at #94 in the recently updated Rivals.com Top 150....Crusader22.com drops three tight videos.

- KJ Baptiste will transfer from Wilbraham & Monson and he'll be attending Brimmer & May this year, where he'll team with John Powell, Jake, Fay, and Adrien Oliveira to form a nice nucleus for first year Brimmer-Boss Tom Nelson.

-  According to a tweet from the Expressions Elite Twitter Account, "Ricardo Ledo will announce his commitment (at 3pm) on Thursday 9/1, at Ladder 133 Bar & Grill."  That's this Thursday. 

By scheduling a press-conference style "announcement" at a popular Providence spot, you got to think Ledo is going to commit to Ed Cooley and Providence.  Otherwise, he'd have chosen a different platform from which to announce his decision.  Right?

- Another guy who impressed yesterday at the BC Prospect Camp was Jacquil Taylor.  He can be very effective at a high-level as a complimentary big man.  Great length, soft-lefty touch, athletic, and he runs the floor all day.  In watching him yesterday, it was apparent that Taylor's motor and his confidence have reached new levels.

- Nerlens Noel played in the Boost 24 'Dunkathon' last night in Venice Beach.  The start of the game was delayed about an hour when Brewster power forward Mitch McGary shattered the back-board in warm-ups.  He was treated for minor lacerations and watched the game from the bench, but he is just fine. Video of M&M's Vicious Dunk

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Boston College Prospect Camp Recap

Statement Performance
BC Prospect Camp Brings Out Talent
- The BC Prospect Clinic, (for rising juniors and below), went down today in the Power Gymnasium at the Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill.  The talent-level measured high on the Richter Scale, with players such as Noah Vonleh, Jacquil Taylor, Maurice Taylor, Jeff Spellman, Aaron Calixte, Patrick Benzan, Matt Cimino, EJ Rogers, Andrew Chrabascz, Adrien Oliveira, and more.  But in terms of the 'Things We Didn't Know Radar', the following five guys stood out today.

Jared Reuter - After an injury plagued year at St Marks, Reuter, in a lot of ways, played catch-up throughout the AAU Season.  Not only was he coming back from injury, he was also playing two years up against some of the best front-lines in the country.  Well, Reuter showed today that he has more than caught back up to the head of the pack.  Today, not only did he command the boards and finish around the basket, he also faced-up from the high-post and attacked with the dribble, finishing through contact and getting to the stripe.  Watch out...Reuter has that little burst back in his step which, combined with his frame and skills, makes him a big-time prospect who has three high-major offers headed into his freshman year of high school.

Kaleb Joseph - In the world of basketball, the life of any young guard is a life of who's hot and who's not.  After a Luke-warm Summer, today Kaleb Joseph turned the hot water on.  The first thing that strikes you about KJ is his length.  He stands 6'2 or 6'3, but he has long-loping arms which allow him to play much bigger.  Along with his length, he has a long, lean frame and wide-receiver speed.  In terms of his game, he can handle, shoot and possesses a nice elbow pull-up game.  But his real talents right now are his ability to explosively change directions and his ability to slash to the basket from the guard spot and attack the rim. Today, he changed directions and beat his man with the crossover dribble numerous times.  On a few other occasions, he beat his man with his dribble, drawing help, and then slipped the help with an explosive hop-step before finishing at the basket.  On another play, KJ brought the ball over the left-side of half-court on the secondary-break at 3/4 speed before blowing by his man at the hash with the right hand and fast-forwarding a two-dribble slash to the cup before drawing a defender and dropping an easy dime to a teammate for a cupcake.   Easy basketball.  On another play, Joseph caught an outlet pass and quickly advanced the ball up the floor to a teammate, who subsequently took the rock to the cup.  Kaleb trailed the play hard, and when his teammate's shot attempt popped up off the rim in front of the basket, KJ was there, his head near rim level, to grab the ball and throw down an emphatic two-hand put back dunk which many mistook for one of this afternoon's many rumbles of thunder.  In regard to his defensive ability, with his length, foot-speed, and athleticism, all you do is just not your head.  It's just a matter of matching his ability to his defensive attitude.  This kid is just learning the game.  As he develops his skills and gains an understanding of how to best match his package with his game, this rising sophomore is a sure-fire D1 Prospect.

Steven Cook - There was one guy from out of town who had everyone asking, "Who's that?"  THAT was 6'4 combo guard Steven Cook from New Trier HS outside of Chicago.  Cook has a tight handle and a picture-perfect 'Midwest shooting-stroke.  He attacks with the dribble and then uses his hops to go up and attack the basket, possessing the ability to go to the rim with two hands or wait out a shot-blocker in mid-air before finishing on the other side of the rim.  According to Mom, Cook has seen recruiting interest from schools like BC, Stanford, Harvard & Yale.

Jeremy Miller - Wing-span measurement on this guy.  He's 6'9 goin' on 6'10 and his arms are as long as the Nile.  He might have a 7'5 or 7'6 ft wing-span to go along with his soft touch, his agility, and his instincts.  Today, Miller also showed an extended range on his shot and is displaying more exlosion when gettin' up off of two feet.  New Hampton is going to have three or four 7-ft plus wing-span guys this year.
Cane Broome - In terms of a ball-handling guard, Broome took the award for the Performer of the Day.  He had people in this stands whispering about an aroma of a left-handed Shabbazz Napier in the air as he cut up the defense throughout the session with his flavorful stop-and-go/pull-back game.  He also showed his Damon Stoudamire-flavored lefty shooting stroke, knocking down long threes and putting to work his smooth fast-food pull-up game.  When you combine his skills with his court vision and basketball IQ, you have an exciting prospect on your hands.

Crusader22.com: New Andre Drummond Video

On to the Next Chapter

Final Chapter of Drummond HS Mixtapes
- The morning after Andre Drummond announced that he will be suiting up for the UConn Huskies this coming season,  Crusader22.com dropped "The Andre Drummond Official Mixtape Vol. 4."

Friday, August 26, 2011

Kuran Iverson Drops Six-School List

Boeheim - Miller - Donovan - Calipari - Calhoun - Pitino

Six Decent Programs
- According to Alex Kline of The Recruit Scoop, SF Kuran Iverson ('13) has recently trimmed the list of schools he's considering to six.
Schools: Florida, Arizona, UConn, Syracuse, Louisville & Kentucky.

UConn NOW for Andre Drummond

Summer of Mystery
Drummond & Oriakhi
- Andre Drummond has just announced that he is headed to UConn this year and will not be attending Wilbraham & Monson. Let the Repeat Talk begin. 

- Andre Drummond Tweet @ 7:36pm..."It's official I'm heading to the university of connecticut to be a husky this year! Do I hear

New Kahlil Dukes Video from Crusader22.Com

Kahlil Dukes
Crusader22 Drops New K-Dukes Video
- Kahlil Dukes made a name for himself this Summer on a National Stage.  Check out his video below and get on the bandwagon now.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Updated Rivals Class of 2012 Top 150 Released

Got to Feel Good
Rivals.com Releases Updated Class of 2012 Rankings
- The Rivals.com Class of 2012 Top 150 came out today, and New England fared very well, landing 14 players (7 from NE & 7 NE Imports) in the Top 150.  View Full Rivals Class of 2012 Top 150.

Top 150 Notes 
- After a year in which he really came into his own, Zach Auguste lands in the National Rankings for the first time, coming in at #94.

- The expected Notre Dame Prep Roster possesses two players in the Top 10 and four in the Top 150.

- The expected Brewster Roster possesses 3 players in the Top 75.

- After a few years under the National Radar, Jake Layman & Georges Niang end their Junior Years as players unanimously ranked by the 4-big National Recruiting Outlets: Scout, ESPN, Rivals, & CBS Sports.

NE Players in Rivals Top 150
#2  Andre Drummond - Wilbraham & Monson

#4  Mitch McGary - Brewster Academy

#5  Steven Adams - Notre Dame Prep

#9  Ricky Ledo - Notre Dame Prep

#11  Kris Dunn - New London HS

#21  Kaleb Tarczewski - St Marks

#24  TJ Warren - Brewster Academy

#73  Semaj Christon - Brewster Academy

#80  Nik Stauskas - St Marks

#94  Zach Auguste - New Hampton School

#99  Georges Niang - Tilton School

#111  Jake Layman - King Philip HS

#118  Adonis Filer - Notre Dame Prep

#141  Myles Davis - Notre Dame Prep
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Thursday Morning Notebook


Grabbin'  Some Shut-Eye

Buzz Naismith Thursday Brunch
-  Yesterday, we reported that incoming New Hampton post-grad Evan Maschmeyer had committed to St Joe's.  What we failed to report is that Maschmeyer is headed to St Joe's this year, so he will no longer be doing a post-grad year at New Hampton.

- According to a tweet from Adam Finkelstein this morning, Cushing Academy point guard Idris Taqqee ('14) is visiting St Joe's today and Tennessee tomorrow. - Adam Finkelstein Tweet, "2014 Idris Taqqee visiting St. Joe's today and Tennessee Friday per Cushing Academy coach Barry Connors."

- According to a tweet from Philips Exeter Head Coach Jay Tilton, shooting guard Chris Braley ('13) is visiting Dartmouth and UVM in the next two days. - Jay Tilton Tweet, "Chris Braley (Exeter '13) traveling North with visits to Vermont & Dartmouth in the next 48 hrs."
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John Papale Commits to Boston University

Huge Get for Joe Jones at BU
Papale Comin' to Beantown
- Sharpshooter John Papale ('12), of Wallingford, CT, Choate Academy, and the New England Playaz, this morning committed to Boston University.  The Spaceship is ecstatic that Papale will be a Boston Hoops Fixture for the next half-decade.  He will be tremendous at Boston University for Terrier Boss Joe Jones.
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Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Evan Maschmeyer Commits to St Joe's

Incoming New Hampton Guard
Maschmeyer Gives Pledge to St Joe's
- While we are on the subject of New Hampton, according to a story by Matt Koesters on NewsandTribune.Com, incoming New Hampton post-grad Evan Maschmeyer, from Jeffersonville, Indiana, today committed to Phil Martelli and St Joseph's University in Philly.
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Jeremy Miller to attend New Hampton

New Hampton-Bound
Jeremy Miller Joins New Hampton's Class of 2015
- According to Expressions Coach Ty Boswell, Class of 2015 big-man Jeremy Miller will be attending the New Hampton School this year.
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New Kris Dunn Video from Crusader22.com

Announced for Providence today

Attention Friar Nation: Kris Dunn Highlights
- A few hours after Kris Dunn officially committed to Providence, Crusader22.Com dropped a new K-Dunn Video from this July. 

Wednesday Morning Notebook

Buzz Never Rests
Dog Days of August: What's Goin' On?
- Very happy to hear that Wayne Selden is out of the hospital and feeling good after a scary situation in which he underwent surgery to take care of a compartment syndrome issue with his leg which was causing him a tremendous amount of pain. He will be out of action for a few weeks but when asked if he planned to come back stronger, Wayne simply replied, "that's a wrap." 

 Kris Dunn will announce for Providence today & Ricky Ledo will also be on Campus.  Could there be an eathquake two days in a row?

- The days of referring to Noah Vonleh as the 15-year old phenom are officially over.  Noah turns 16 today. 

- After participating in the Nike Global Games out in Oregon a few weeks back, Nerlens Noel today is headed back out to the West Coast again.  His destination is Los Angeles, where he will be playing in the prestigious Boost 24 All-American Game, which is played at an outdoor venue on Venice Beach.
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Tuesday, August 23, 2011

New Video from BallasTV of Powerade 16u Chip


Footage from the Reggie Lewis Center
- BallasTV drops a video from the 16u Championship Ball-Game at the Powerade Hardtop Challenge.

Kris Dunn to Remain at New London HS

College Decision due @ 1pm Tomorrow

Over before it Started: The J-Brant/Kris Dunn Backcourt
- The following excerpt is from an Article by Michael DiMauro on The Day.com..."All-state guard Kris Dunn is returning to New London High School for his senior year.Dunn's father, John Seldon, said Tuesday night that his son would not attend the Wilbraham & Monson prep school in Massachusetts and will finish his high school career at New London.  Seldon said Tuesday that his son will make his college choice at 1 p.m. Wednesday. Dunn has narrowed his list to UConn and Providence.  Dunn helped the Whalers to a 27-0 record, No. 1 ranking and Class L state title last year. He announced in August he would attend prep school.  

"Things were moving very fast this summer," Seldon said. "It's best for Kris right now at New London, graduating with his friends and getting his education.

"New London coach Craig Parker called Dunn "one of the best players in the country" Tuesday night."I'm very, very happy Kris is returning," Parker said."
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Ricky Ledo Drops Final Five-School List

Ledo Down to Five
'Cuse - UConn - PC - KY - WVU
- No, that wasn't an earthquake, it was just Ricky Ledo dropping his Final List of Schools on America.  The five institutions that made the cut were Providence, UConn, Syracuse, Kentucky, and West Virginia.  According to those in Ledo's Circle, there is no favorite amongst the five and there is also no timetable for a decision at this point.
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Kris Dunn down to Final 2-School List

Outstanding in the Open Floor
Most PG potential in '12
- According to multiple media sources, Kris Dunn now has a Final List of two Schools...and they are both in New England.  Kris Dunn reportedly will announce this week between UConn & Providence.  Stay tuned.
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Jared Terrell Offered by Miami (FL)

Offer #7 for Terrell
South Beach Comes Callin' on JT
- The day after being named the #10 ranked Class of 2014 shooting guard in America, Jared Terrell received a scholarship offer from Miami (FL).  Terrell now holds seven offers heading into his Sophomore year at New Hampton.  The field now consists of Miami, Cincinnati, Boston College, Rutgers, Providence, Temple, and UMass.
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Monday, August 22, 2011

New Ricky Ledo Video from 'Cuse Camp

Providence to Syracuse
New Ricky Ledo Video from Syracuse Elite Camp
- Syracuse Elite Camp went down this past weekend in Upstate New York on the Orangeman Campus.  Among those from New England who made the trip were Ricky Ledo, Nerlens Noel, Goodluck Okonoboh, and Jaylen Brantley.  Check out the video of 'Cuse Camp below.
 

Jake Layman Drops Five School List

King Philip's King Jake down to Five

Orange - Terps - Gators - Cardinals - Demon Deacons
- According to a tweet from the Boston Herald's Danny Ventura, Jake Layman of King Philip High School has declared a final list of five schools: Louisville, Florida, Maryland, Wake Forest & Syracuse.  - Danny Ventura's Tweet..."Herald Dream Team swingman Jake Layman of King Philip has narrowed his choices to Florida, Louisville, Maryland, Syracuse and WF".
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Scout.com Releases 2014 Rankings

#10 Ranked Shooting Guard

New England Again Rich in 2014
- This morning. Evan Daniels released Scout.com's Class of 2014 National Rankings.  Scout dropped a Top 25 overall and a Top 10 for each position.  In the Overall Top 25, Noah Vonleh came in at #6, Wayne Selden #9, and Chris McCullough #10.  In the shooting guard Rankings, Wayne Selden is #1 and Jared Terrell is #10, while in the power forward rankings, Noah Vonleh is #1 & Chris McCullough is #3.

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Sunday, August 21, 2011

A Dozen Rising College Freshmen from NE

Ballplayers Grow Up So Fast

New England-Born Class of 2011

Pat Connaughton
College: Notre Dame
High School: St John's Prep
AAU: Middlesex Magic




Alex Murphy
College: Duke
High School: St Marks
AAU: NE Playaz





Mike Carter-Williams
College: Syracuse
High School: St Andrews
AAU: BABC




Pat Ackerman
College: Penn St
High School: Worcester Academy
AAU: Middlesex Magic




Jordan Laguerre
College: UMass
High School: New Hampton
AAU: Rivals



Naadir Tharpe
College: Kansas
High School: Brewster Academy
AAU: NE Playaz




Brandon Sherrod
College: Yale
High School: Choate Academy
AAU: CBC




Dennis Clifford
College: Boston College
High School: Milton Academy
AAU: Bay State Magic




James Kennedy
College: Boston University
High School: Cushing Academy
AAU: BABC





Ryan Canty 
College: Fordham
High School: Brimmer & May
AAU: Rivals




Marco Banegas
College: Northeastern
High School: Brimmer & May
AAU: BABC/Expressions




Freddie Wilson 
College: Seton Hall
High School: Hillhouse HS (CT)
AAU: CBC




Where are the New England Post-Grads?


NE Post-Grads Move to 2012 Floor of Spaceship
- In an attempt to end all forms of Geographic Discrimination on the Spaceship, players from New England that are doing a post-grad year have been transferred from the New England Post-Grads page to the 2012 Player Watch page.  Please welcome them to the Neighborhood.
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Saturday, August 20, 2011

Boston Best 40 - August Player Landings

Geo Baker: Point Guard with Potential
 
The Next New England Wave
- The Boston Best 40, an event for some of the top incoming 7th, 8th, and 9th graders in New England, went down today out in Weston at the Rivers School.  There was plenty of young talent on-hand to work with an engaging staff which included Kyle Casey, Dwight Brewington, John Powell, Colin Richie, Carlin Haymon, and Kyle Reardon.  After going through a series of stations, the players squadded-up and got a chance to show what they could do playing full-court.  The overall talent level on the court was impressive and there were a lot of players out there with bright futures.  But on this August day, the following guys happened to stand out and catch the Spaceship's eye.

Geo Baker - '16 - 5'6 PG - Derry, NH - Highly-skilled point guard with great vision, speed to burn, and an advanced understanding of the game.  Terrific ball-handler who controls the ball with his fingertips and throws crisp, accurate passes.  Baker looks to push the basketball and explosively changes directions off the dribble, understanding how to change speeds to take advantage of his burst.  He also has a good-looking shooting-stroke and possesses a bag full of floaters and leaners which he uses to finish in the lane.  Defensively, Baker uses his quickness to pressure the ball and is always on high-alert for opportunities to dig out steals..  What's most impressive about Baker is his composure with the ball and his understanding as a point guard of how to establish ball movement and spacing on the floor.  With his combination of skills, athletiicism, and Basketball IQ, this kid Geo has a chance to be a very good player.  As with any young guard, we'll see how he develops physically and we'll see about his Hunger Level.

AJ Brodeur - '15 - 6'6 F - Algonquin, MA - Skilled big man with good length who rebounds, defends, and finishes around the basket.  Terrific motor, gets a lot of buckets from crashing the offensive boards, where he'll keep the ball up high and finish in an efficient manner.  Soft touch in the lane with a developing post game. Strong post defender who rotates to challenge shots.  Overall good feel for the game and consistently makes plays with his motor and length.  AJ is in the very beginning stages of his development and he could end up being very good.  He has the ability and the frame to eventually be a forward who handles the ball and plays the perimeter.  Entering his Freshman year, Brodeur will now go to work on his perimeter-skills - the younger the better, while his initial muscle memory is still forming.

JuQuan Mills - '16 - 5'5 PG - Rivers School -  Mills is another talented floor general who impressed with his understanding of how to run a team.  He has a tight handle and does a nice job of using his long arms to get his dribble out away from his body.  Very quick, looks to push the basketball and get his team in perpetual attack-mode, but if it's not there, Mills will keep his dribble on a leash and back it out before initiating his team's next offensive sequence. Good-looking shooting stroke which will get better as he gets stronger and the rotation on his shot gets crisper.  Under control at all times and understands how to space the floor.  Lot of potential.  As with any young guard, we'll see how he develops physically and we'll see about his Hunger Level.
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New England Trio Road Trippin' to Syracuse

Road Trip for Noel, Ledo & Okonoboh
- This morning, the trio of Nerlens Noel, Goodluck Okonoboh, and Ricky Ledo embarked on a road trip from Eastern New England.  They are headed West and then North, to Syracuse, New York, where they will be checking out Syracuse University and getting a feel for the Carrier Dome and the Nation of Orange.
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Friday, August 19, 2011

BABC: Five-Star's 2011 Program of the Year


 Five-Star Honors Leo Papile & BABC
- As a final wrap-up of the 2011 Summer AAU Season, this week BABC was named the Five-Star Basketball 'Program of the Year', a prestigious award which takes into account basketball programs as a whole.


In addition to naming his basketball club as the 2011 Program of the Year, Five-Star Basketball also this week recognized Leo Papile as the '2011 Coach of the Year.'

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Thursday, August 18, 2011

Kahari Beaufort #41 in CBS's 2014 Rankings

Beaufort listed offers from Florida, Missouri, Providence, Miami, Tulane & St John's on NorthStarBball.com.

Beaufort Makes 1st National Ranking Splash
- Within the last hour, CBS Sports released their Class of 2014 National Rankings.  Three New England players were Top Ten'd in Chris McCullough, Wayne Selden, and Noah Vonleh.  But they were not alone in the Top 50.  Also present at #41 was Harford's Kahari Beaufort, who this year will be transferring to East Hartford High School.  Check out the full CBS Sports 2014 Rankings  by clicking the link below.

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