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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