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Thursday, September 29, 2011

BABC Prospect Camp Approaching

BABC Prospects Camp 
"BABC Press Release" - Fresh off a summer that saw its Freshmen, Sophomore and Junior teams all win National Championships, the Boston Amateur Basketball Club (BABC) is promoting basketball development locally with its own camp. 

The inaugural BABC Prospects Camp will be held Saturday and Sunday, October 15-16, on the Rhode Island College campus in Providence.  The regional camp welcomes players in grades 7 through 12 for a weekend of games, skill development and evaluation.  Also, guest speakers and coaches will be on and to provide insight and instruction for player development. 

“BABC is proud to have represented New England on the national basketball stage and now we are looking forward to working with the region’s talented players on improving their individual game,”  said Leo Papile, the program’s long-time coach. “We feel that Prospects Camp will be a great way to bring together talented players to share competition and experiences.”

BABC Prospects Camp will be led by the club’s National Championship coaching staff as well as guest coaches who will run campers through advanced drills. BABC staff will impart to campers the importance of hard work and dedication in achieving success, and BABC players will take part in the competition.

 The registration fee is $85.00 for all players who register by October 1st and there is also the one day-option (Saturday or Sunday) for $60.  The camp fee includes an official camp jersey. Registration forms may be obtained by emailing BABCprospects@gmail.com or by visiting the club’s website at www.thebabc.com.

More HG Fall Jamfest Highlights

Anthony Dallier
 Dallier - White - Donahue
- Another video from the Hoop Group Fall Jamfest...this one from Derek Malloy featuring the Northfield Mount Hermon trio of Anthony Dallier, Skylar White, and Sam Donahue playing for the RI Hawks, who went 4-0 on the weekend and finished as the 17u co-champs.

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NEW Vonleh Video - Hoop Group Fall Jam Fest

The Hoop Group drops a video of Noah Vonleh last weekend at the Fall Jamfest in Neptune.

@TheHoopGroup

Hoop Mountain Showcase Report

Kade Kager broke out last Friday on Hoop Mountain
 Hoop Mountain Fall Showcase
- Last Friday night at the Mass Premier Courts in Mansfield, more than 50 college coaches gathered to watch a group of more than 175 high school players compete in the Hoop Mountain Fall Classic.

Player Landings 
Kade Kager - '13 - 6'3 G - Taft School (CT) - Slashing guard with hops who had the dunk of the night when he flew in from the wing and slammed home a one-hand put-back dunk in traffic.  Terrific rebounder from the back-court.  Although naturally a wing player, Kager spent a good portion of the night running the point for his squad and did a very nice job of setting up his teammates for easy scores in transition, specifically, his Taft School teammate Matt Daley '12, an athletic 6'8 forward who runs the floor hard and attacks the rim aggressively with two hands.  On more than several occasions, Kager grabbed a rebound and busted out on the break before feeding Daley for a dunk to finish.

Colby Smith - '11 - 6'0 G - North Andover HS
- Hard-nosed, high IQ, play-making combo guard with good speed and terrific instincts.  Strong on-ball defender & a versatile offensive game.

Nizar Kapic - '12 - 6'5 SF- Hyde Prep School (CT)
- Strong-bodied wing who fills it up from behind the arc and attacks the basket hard with his rugged frame.  Crashes the boards with an attitude and plays physically on defense.

Tyler Delorey - '12 - 6'2 SG - Holy Name HS (MA)
- Strong athletic scoring guard who attacks the cup with urgency and thrives in transition.

Sam Casey - '14 - 5'11 G - Lincoln-Sudbury HS (MA)
- Skilled combo-guard who plays a clever game and consistently fills it up from long range.

Player Notes
- Tabor power forward Jarred Reuter '15 stood out as the best overall prospect at the event while his Tabor Academy teammate Dimitri Coronel was in a class of his own as an athletic high-flyer.

- Newton North guard Mike Thorpe teamed with Rivers swing-man Kyle Reardon to form one of the most impressive duos of the night.

- Harry Raftery is a smart left-handed trigger-man with a smooth stroke and a crafty pull-back game off the dribble.

- Among the premier players at the event was Steve Haladyna, who scored the ball from the in-between all night.  He really pursues the ball with a purpose.

- Joey Flannery built on his breakout performance at the Beantown Fall Classic a few weeks back and had another strong showing.

Tweet from @HoopRootz on Saturday 9/18..."Colin Richey displayed his athleticism last night..threw down with two hands easily off 2 feet...Richey is a high IQ guard who is just in the beginning phases of learning how to use his emerging athleticism and length."

Others who impressed: Myles Penniman, Zashawn Duncan, Curtis Howe, Kevin Ruys, Billy McDonald, Tieb Cyrus

NEW Semaj Christon Highlight Mix

Semaj Christon - Brewster Academy - With all the hoopla surrounding the recruitment of the trio of Mitch McGary, TJ Warren, and Jakarr Sampson, let's remember who will be running the show from the point for Jason Smith's ball-club this winter.  Xavier-bound Semaj Christon.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Red Sox Vigil Notebook

Back from Europe
Wednesday Notebook
- Since de-committing from St Johns and returning to Brewster Academy, small forward Jakarr Sampson has been visited by Providence Head Coach Ed Cooley, Kansas Assistant Coach Joe Dooley, and coaches from Pittsburgh, Baylor, and St Johns.  Also, according to Garrett Tucker of BlueGrassHoops.com, Kentucky has called Brewster Head Coach Jason Smith to express interest.  Lastly, earlier today, it was announced that Sampson would be taking a visit this weekend.  According to Paul Seaver of The Arena Pulse, "Prior to choosing St. John's, Jakarr Sampson had been heavily considering Baylor. Now he will be in Waco this weekend for a visit."

- According to The Recruit Scoop, "2013 stars & AAU teammates Nerlens Noel & Jaylen Brantley will attend Syracuse Midnight Madness in October."

- Also according to The Recruit Scoop, "Texas & Kentucky watched 2013 SF Kuran Iverson of Northwest Catholic (CT) workout today."

- According to Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports, St Marks center "Kaleb Tarczewski will take official visits to Kansas on Oct. 14 and Arizona the following weekend - per his coach John Carroll."

- According to Head Coach Jay Tilton, Phillip Exeter shooting guard Chris Braley today received an offer from Colgate, while forward Connor Green took an invite from Assumption.

- According to Head Coach Jeff Depelteau, Suffield Academy big man Ben Freeland was offered today by Maine and Lafayette after watching him work out..

- Cushing Academy guard Kaleb Joseph threw Western Kentucky into his offer stack last night while Dayshon Smith from Putnam Science added Robert Morris.

- Point guard Mike Rodriguez is going prep, headed for Redemption Christian Academy in Troy, NY on Friday.  He should fit in very well there running the show for a fast and athletic squad with some size.  They played a high-energy, up-tempo style of ball when we saw them play last weekend in New Jersey.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Hoop Group Fall Jamfest NE Report

Skylar White exploded in Neptune for RI Hawks
New England Squads in Jersey
- The Hoop Group Fall Jamfest took place this weekend at the Hoop Group Headquarters in Neptune, New Jersey and a number of New England squads made the trip down.  Let us take a look.

RI Hawks 17s - The Hawks came away with the team-performance of the weekend.  On Saturday, they cruised through two pool-play games to advance to Sunday's gold bracket, where they made a serious statement with a 20 point drubbing of the NJ Playaz in the quarterfinals and another double-digit victory in the semi-finals over a run n' gun Maryland Riders team which had given teams fits all weekend.  Throughout the event, Jay Elliot's squad put on a snarling display of hard-nosed, fundamental team basketball, wearing down opponents with their disciplined and physical style of play.  With a long trip back to New England and a roster full of prep school guys who had Sunday curfews to make, the Hawks hit the road after their semi-final win as co-champions of the 17u division with a 4-0 record. 

Mass Rivals 17s - The Rivals rolled down to Jersey with 5 sophomores (Noah Vonleh, Kaleb Joseph, Dimitry Floras, Mike Auger, Matt Cimino) and 2 frosh (Ben Judson, Sultan Oleskun) and competed up in the 17u division.  They were outstanding in coasting through their two pool games on Saturday to advance to the gold bracket, where they went up against the NJ Roadrunners in a contest which featured the player match-up of the weekend in Noah Vonleh against Tyler Roberson.  The biggest crowd of the weekend gathered for this one and the match-up did not disappoint, as both players were very impressive...as Adam Finkelstein noted in game via-Twitter, "Roberson owning mid-range, Vonleh controlling paint."  In terms of the game, the Rivals kept it close in the first half, but in the 2nd, the Roadrunners pulled away with their combination of a stud forward in Roberson and a loaded-stable of experienced, strong, athletic, tenacious guards.

NE Playaz 16s - The Playaz 16s began the weekend with a six man roster of Jeff Spellman, Kahari Beaufort, Jacquil Taylor, Colin McManus, Djery Baptiste, and Malcolm Martin; however, with Martin hobbled by a bad heel, they played with only five for basically the entire weekend.  Despite this hindrance, the Playaz reeled off four straight wins in impressive fashion to advance to the 16u final, where they dropped a tough one to DC Assault.  The fellas were definitely worn out by game #5, and the Spaceship feels safe in saying that they'd have defeated DC Assault in this one with a few extra bodies.


Player Landings
Skylar White - Highly skilled 6'7 wide-body from NMH who mixes it up with an attitude in the paint.  Gorgeous shooting stroke with range out near the NBA three point line.  Gets out and fills the lane hard on the break...finished with several thunderous two hand crushes over the course of the weekend.  Handles the ball well and showed the ability to bust out with a rebound and lead the break, where he can create or take it down the teeth of the of th court and pull up over a retreating defense for a foul line kiss.  White's post-game is old school...he'll look to power up and get defenders on his hip before transitioning to his ambidextrous jump hook game in the lane.  Then he'll counter with a Dirk Nowitzki-style fade-away off one foot.  Defensively, White eats up space in the paint challenges shot attempts above the rim.  With his blue collar style in the lane, White got into scuffles all weekend, frustrating opponents into losing their composure and then calmly standing his ground as they threw tantrums.  White never lost his cool...these are the the type of scuffles that coaches like to see.  As a long as a player keeps his head, there's nothing wrong with pursuing a little confrontation out on the floor.  Pencil in Skylar White as a typical Ivy League plus prospect for NMH.

Anthony Dallier - RI Hawks - Versatile turn-back-the-clock, high IQ big-guard from Pittsburgh & NMH whose game is more production than flash.  At 6'6, Dallier can play the 1,2 or 3 at a high level.  He handles the ball in a slight crouch. ready to explode, with his hips at a slight angle away from the hips of the defender so that his body is between the ball and the defender.  In terms of his game, Dallier shoots the 3, attacks with the dribble, finishes above the rim, and really sees the floor.

Peter Weston -  Strong combo-guard from Choate Academy who plays physically and does a little bit of everything.  Had a big second half for the Hawks in their semifinal win over the MD Riders, scoring the ball in transition and breaking down the defense with hard slashes to the cup.

 
KJ and Vonleh pre-gamin'
Player Updates
 - It was an interesting weekend for Noah Vonleh.  Although he did ooze his usual slime in unleashing his one-of-a-kind combination of skill, length, strength, and IQ, on this weekend, what stood out to the kinkos-eye is the way he defended and rebounded.  Noah challenged and clipped shots in high volume all weekend and with his 7'4 wingspan, he is quickly becoming one of the best shot-blockers in the country not named Nerlens.  Although he's long had the ability to challenge a shot high above the rim, Noah has really undergone an Enlightenment in terms of understanding where to position himself off the ball to maximize his shot-blocking opportunities.  Also enlightened is his footwork in defensively rotating to challenge shots.  This footwork has also helped Noah as a rebounder.  Again, he has long had the ability to contend for high-level rebounds, but in the past, he mainly was content to contend for rebounds in his own area.  Noah is now using improved footwork, a maturing motor, and a developing attitude to invade the personal area of other players and contend for rebounds in a much larger vicinity.  And here's the thing, out all of his crazy traits as a player, the least mentioned one is how strong he is from the forearms down.  He displays this strength with his follow-through handle in which he follows through with his wrist like a shooter after each dribble, and this weekend, Noah also showed this strength in securing a very high percentage of the balls he got his hands on.  Stay tuned. Note - Vonleh got offered by Gonzaga yesterday.

Sam Donahue - Scored the ball in bunches throughout the weekend and also combined with NMH teammate Anthony Dallier to facilitate the scoring attack of the Hawks.  Deadly shooting stroke from all over the floor and always seems to be in the right place at the right time.  Scrappy to the core, makes minimal mistakes, nice handle.

Jarred Reuter - After standing out as the best player at the Hoop Mountain Fall Classic on Friday night, the freshman power forward was probably best player on the floor for the New England Playaz 17s this weekend too.  Where Reuter really stands out right now is as a rebounder and passer.  His ability to start the fast-break is special...he rebounds the ball, turns his head, and instantly becomes a quarterback, uncoiling accurate left-handed crazy-angled passes all over the floor to streaking guards breaking out.  Also, at any pre-college level, if you don't have the appropriate length to bother J.R. in the post, then good luck to you.  He really knows how us his big body to get his soft touch great looks at the hoop from the block.

Two very impressive 2014 New England back-courts this weekend were Jeff Spellman/Kahari Beaufort for the Playaz and Dimitri Floras/Kaleb Joseph for the Rivals..All four appear to be progressing nicely in their basketball development and appear on track in their pursuit of enviable opportunities.


With his strong 6'5 frame and his explosive athleticism, Mike Auger could end up being a beast of a niche small forward as he learns to attack space with more violence in terms of his filling of the lanes, his off-ball cuts to the basket, and his slashes and charges to the offensive glass. Auger's going to get meaner, and he'll learn to get his hands up and ready like a fighter as he pursues rebounds and loose ball so that they are ready to attack when the instant comes to make a bid for the rock.  Auger rebounded and finished around the basket all weekend and pleased the crowd with a handful of loud bang jobs.


Djery Baptiste -   Improving quickly, specifically in his ability to challenge shots and rebound.  Basketball body deluxe.  Works his tail off, great attitude, still very raw.  As he continues to develop and learns to how to utilize his athleticism and length, Baptise will find his niche. 


Jacquil Taylor - Continues to look more fluid athletically and is learning how to tailor his game to his specific ability, which has made him an increasingly efficient player in recent months.  He is a guy who gets better as his teammates get better.  High level piece-player.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Friday Hoops Notebook

Notre Dame Bound
September 23 Notebook
- According to multiple sources, New Hampton and Mass Rivals forward Zach Auguste committed to Notre Dame while on his official visit.  Jeff Goodman, senior recruiting writer at CBS Sports stated, "I honestly cannot imagine a better fit than Zach Auguste and Notre Dame."... Another recent New England commitment came in the form of Northfield Mount Hermon power forward Ethan O'Day pledging to Vermont during the Patriot's tail-gate hours last Sunday.  He will be outstanding for the Catamounts...According to a tweet from New Hampton Head Coach Pete Hutchins, Virginia Tech, Duke, Syracuse, Kansas, Wisconsin, Franklin Pierce, Rutgers, Gonzaga, Boston College, and Maryland were all on hand at Wednesday night's work out...Tweet by Adam Finkelstein, "Clemson & Maryland have been in to Notre Dame Prep this week to see 2012 6-4 G Sam Cassell Jr."...The Speceship is headed to the Hoop Mountain Fall Classic at Mass Premier Courts tonight and then will be taking off tomorrow morning for the Hoop Group Fall Jamfest at the Hoop Groop Headquarters in Neptune, New Jersey.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

John Powell gets two Wednesday offers

- According to a source close to the Brimmer & May basketball program, both Northeastern and Delaware offered a scholarship to '13 forward John Powell today after watching him work out.  Powell now has 3 offers after receiving his 1st offer from Towson this summer while running with the New England Playaz.  He has improved by leaps and bounds over the past year & still has just barely scratched the surface of his potential.

Wednesday Afternoon Notebook

New England teams headin' to Jersey this weekend
September 21 Notebook
- Schools to visit Brewster Academy today, according to a tweet from AC Josh Lee: Michigan, Florida, Maryland, Duke, Xavier, Kansas, Rutgers, and Dartmouth.  Meanwhile, according to a tweet from HC Jason Smith, Marquette HC Buzz Williams and Georgetown HC John Thompson were on campus last night to watch the squad work out. 

- Last night, Fordham joined UNH, BC, Delaware, and St Bonaventure as schools to offer '14 Cushing Academy combo guard Kaleb Joseph.

- The Hoop Group Fall Jamfest is set for this weekend down at the Hoop Group Headquarters in Neptune, NJ.  Among the New England squads heading down are the Mass Rivals 17s, the New England Playas 17s + 16s, the Rhode Island Hawks 17s + 16s, the CT Select 16s + 17s, the Maine Nation 16s and the Shooting Stars 15s.  Check out the full schedule here 

- According to a tweet from Adam Finkelstein, yesterday, Illinois extended an offer to '13 Vermont Academy power forward Dominic Woodson.  Meanwhile, according to a tweet from Alex Kline of The Recruit Scoop, Florida, Maryland, Gonzaga, and Rutgers watched the Vermont Academy squad work out this morning.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Rainy Tuesday Notebook

September 20 Notebook
- The NE Ballas hosted a one day tournament at the Reggie Lewis Center this past Sunday and Team LOX won the Chip with wins over Brimmer & May, New Mission, and West Roxbury.  They were led all day by the strong play of '15 point guard Juwan Gooding.  Also with strong performances were small forward Kenny Ramos, combo-forward Zach Gattereau, shooting guard Omar Orriols, and four-man Troy Dacosta.

- After being declared ineligible to compete at St Johns this season, Jakarr Sampson, who attended Brewster Academy last year, will return to Brewster for a post-grad year.  The addition of Sampson, ESPN #32 in the Class of 2011, might push the talent meter on the Brewster roster to the ridiculous level.

- The Ricky Ledo situation has finally resolved itself as he has re-landed at South Kent, where he began last year as a junior before leaving for Notre Dame Prep mid-year..  The addition of Ledo gives Head Coach Kelvin Jefferson's already-talented roster a shot in the arm which makes them a contender for the top spot in New England.

- According to Alex Kline of The Recruit Scoop, Syracuse, Rutgers & Xavier watched '14 Salisbury School forward Chris McCullough workout last night..

- According to Brewster Head Coach Jason Smith, Kentucky Head Coach John Calipari and Assistant Coach Orlando Antigua visited small forward TJ Warren on Saturday.

-  As it was pointed out to me by @FriarFrenzy on Twitter, at the time that he announced a final list of four schools, Zach Auguste also threw in the possibility that a 5th school could also enter the mix.  Many assumed that 5th school to be Providence, however, when it was reported last week that Notre Dame was at New Hampton to watch Auguste work out, it was evident that either a 6th school had entered the race or that Notre Dame, and not Providence, was that 5th school.  Well today, we found out that Notre Dame has indeed successfully invaded the Final 4 City of West Virginia, Florida, Marquette, and Georgia Tech, (although in the defense of their armies, a road into the city was purposely left unguarded after Auguste announced for the possibility of a 5th contender for the crown) as earlier this afternoon, Dave Telep of ESPN reported that Auguste will visit Notre Dame this week and could be in South Bend as early as tomorrow.

Monday, September 19, 2011

NERR Elite 75 Showcase Report


BALLASTV.com

New England Hoops Prospects Flood M-Plex
- There was a flood warning in Mansfield throughout much of yesterday as freshmen and sophomore basketball prospects from all over New England descended upon the M-Plex en masse.  When evaluating prospects, the Spaceship usually settles in at about 25mph to get as long and as detailed a look as possible, but yesterday, with so much talent in the house, the Spaceship shifted into autopilot in an attempt to capture glimpses of as many prospects as possible.  The mission was undoubtedly a success, although with only one set of pearls, mathematics would suggest that there were surely numerous legitimate prospects who escaped the eye on this day..  But enough of the tissue talk, here's the initial report.  More analysis will be posted throughout the coming week.

Stories of the Day
- Since both were late additions to the Elite 75 Roster, the New Hampton duo of Noah Vonleh and Jared Terrell ended up playing on the same squad for the afternoon session.  They dominated.  Playing alongside two speedy guards in Jaylen Blakely and Mike Rodriguez, the squad just spread the floor and played a wide-open fun & run style of game.  Each time they played, a huge crowd surrounded the court for a broadway show in which Rodriguez and Blakely facilitiated an attacking aerial rim-rocking assault by Vonleh and Terrell.  There was one player who used this stage as an opportunity to challenge the highly touted New Hampton duo.  That was Tyree Robinson of Putnam Science Academy and BABC.  He didn't necessarily shoot down the aerial assault, but he certainly slowed it down and made them earn every bucket they got.  But what really impressed was Tyree's audacity to step on stage and theatrically launch his own aerial assault right back at the New Hampton cats, throwing down a few vicious traffic-jam dunks of his own during their run....Speaking of aerial assaults, one which came out of nowhere was from Beaver Country Day lead-guard Jeff Spellman, who on several occasions attacked the basket hard off the dribble before exploding up above the rim to finish.  Also, in an impromptu dunk-off in the moments after the completion of official activities, Spellman hopped into the middle of the dance-circle like Michael J Fox in Teen Wolf.  He took two dribbles from a few steps beyond the three-point line and rose up, getting his elbows to rim level before cuffing the ball Nique Wilkins style and slamming it home over the front of the rim.  In the blink of an eye, there was a flash of Rex Chapman.  Spellman has always been very athletic and he's always had serious rise.  But over the past few months, Spellman has put on some weight and gotten much stronger, and he is now exploding off the floor with power rather than just high-jumping.  Improved strength has also given Spellman the abiltiy to play through more contact.  As he continues to get stronger, it will be interesting to see how high he can take his game....In terms of the best pure point guard of the day, got to go with Dimitry Floras.  He looks to have earned a legit 6'2 and the training program at Kimball Union has him looking strong and well-conditioned.  D-Flo isn't necessarily the fastest or most athletic point guard, and when he's driving a Chevy pick-up like he was today, he doesn't necessarily stand out to the naked eye.  But with his tight handle, shooting stoke, and his high IQ, change-of-pace game, Floras is at his best behind the wheel of a luxury ride...Although he is coming off a quieter year than some of his peers, Jared Wilson-Frame is a high-major talent with a vaulted ceiling upside.  He has grown to 6'4 and he looks noticeably stronger than he did in the spring...JWF Airlines is poised to explode like a pinata in 2011-'12...Joshua Sharma, a stretchy 6'9 big-man from Lexington.  With his long, lean frame and fluid athletic body movement, Sharma had coaches throughout the gym scrambling for #127 on the player roster. Chance to be very good....With 7.5 ft plus wingspans, athleticism, and intriguing motors, Pascual Chukwu '14 and Djery Baptiste '15 are two center prospects who spit long-term potential.  Baptiste already improved significantly since we saw him at BC Prospect camp three weeks ago, and the kid works real hard, so even though he is very raw, you have to like his upside going forward.  Chukwu is also in the beginning stages of his development, but he is already a game changer with his premium length and solid instincts.

Class of 2015
Jonathan Joseph  -  Rock steady point guard who has proven he can consistently engineer wins at a high level.

Ikenna Ndugba -  Got just a glimpse of this fluid young floor leader.  He can scoot and is definitely one to watch.

Greg Bridges - Super athletic, mighty-mouse lead guard who impressed last week at the Beantown Fall Shootout.  Showed a little stop-and-go action today.  He has cult potential.

Kobe Ancrum - Big strong lead guard from Bridgeprt, CT who attacks off the dribble with a purpose and imposes his game upon the opposition.

Randy Glenn  - Long slashing lefty guard from New Mission who was the fastest freshman with the basketball and had coaching types scrambling for info.

Jashanti Allen - '15 -  Another player who we caught just a glimpse of...Anxious to get a closer look at an upcoming workout at Northfield Mount Hermon..

Tim Preston - High IQ point guard who plays angles to attack the basket and create.

Jack Simonds - '15 - Cape Cod point guard with a hop in his step who could materialize into a nice point guard prospect down at Sandwich HS.

Ian Sistaire - '15 - Sniper from the Live Free or Die State knocked down treys throughout the morning session

Bruce Brown   -  Long, aggressive athletic wing has posterization potential.

Ben Judson  -  Has the skills and the size to be a handful in the back-court down the line as he learns and develops.

Aaron Falzon -  He's currently 15.33 years old.  Will be a big year of physical and athletic development ahead.

Jordan Scurry - Big-bodied young forward has a great hardwood portfolio going forward.

Jared Reuter - Currently the most dominant player in the Class of 2015.  In addition to all his physical tools, Reuter is a terrific passer.

AJ Brodeur -  Continues to impress each time we see him play.  Goin on record early as heavy supporter.

Kabongo - Extraordinarily long athletic guard who will look to put it all together in '11'-'12.

Class of 2014
Mike Rodriguez  -  It was interesting to see Rodriquez play the role of facilitator beside two throughbreds like Vonleh and Terrell.  Dont even think he realizes how well his game translates to this role.  With his speed, vision, and handle, he certainly has a lot of potential in this capacity.  Mikey also caught a two hand bang during the session...to tell you what type of athlete he is at 5'10.

Patrick Benzan -  Cerebral point guard who understands he's at his best playing low to the floor.  Gets better as the kelly blue book value of his squad goes up.

Jackson Donahue - This kid is a gamer who makes any team he plays on better.  Big supporter.

Levy Gillespie  -  Bob Hurley Sr on Kyle Anderson, "Basketball players today play too fast. I have a player at St. Anthony’s who plays slow and no one in the country can stop him.”  On a smaller scale, the same can be said about Levy Gillespie.

Mike Auger -  Strong bodied athletic wing keeps improving rapidly.  He is a junk-yard-dog type of player who is invaluable in the trenches.  When Auger learns to really let loose and go full speed, he is gonna be a real pain in the neck to play against.

Kahari Beaufort - Long, highly-talented scoring guard who loves to perform. 

Bonzie Colson - Big Bonzie continues to develop, improve, and grow.  Yesterday, the big fella even showed the ability to handle the ball in the open floor.  When it's all said and done, he should end up as a mid or high major.

Matt Cimino -  At his best, Cimino is a Bill Laimbeer style big who will bang and rebound in the paint and break your heart with his shooting stroke from the perimeter.

Chase Daniels - 6'8 grizzly bear who runs the floor and has quick feet, nice hands, and a soft touch.  Anxious to get another look.

Jalen Adams - Keeps getting bigger, stronger, more explosive.  Caught a noise-violation bang in traffic which eyebrows raising throughout the gym.  Chance to be very good.  Still a young player, wont be 16 until December.

Additional Eye-Catchers:  Bobby Ahearn, Obi Momah, Liam Bruno, Phil Caleb-Levine, Leon Tambue, Winston Morgan, Mike LeBlanc, Kealan Ives, Markus Neale, Andrew Cartwright

Friday, September 16, 2011

Friday Notebook


September 16 Notebook
- According to a tweet from the Putnam Science Academy basketball twitter account, in the last week, campus visitors have included coaches from Assumption, Siena, Robert Morris, St Francis, Merrimack and Fairfield.
-  According to a source close to the Beaver Country Day program, coaches from Boston College, Robert Morriss, and Merrimack attended this afternoon's workout in Chestnut Hill.

-  "Zach Auguste currently on campus at Marquette. Olivier Hanlan is at Virginia Tech," tweet by New Hampton Head Coach Pete Hutchins.
-  In addition to watching the Beaver squad workout, earlier this afternoon, Robert Morris also visited the Brimmer and May gym to watch Adrian Oliveira work out, according to a tweet from Brimmer and May Head Coach Tom Nelson.

- Tough news for Braeden Anderson, who spent last year at Wilbraham & MonsonView CBS Sports Article by Jeff Goodman

-  According to NMH Head Coach John Carroll, visitors to the Northfield Mount Hermon campus for Wednesday's workout were Vermont Head Coach John Becker, Bryant Head Coach Tim O'Shea, and Assistant Coaches from Vermont and Lehigh.

- According to a tweet from Phillips Exeter Head Coach Jay Tilton, coaches from Dartmouth, Colby, Tufts, and Holy Cross attended Thursday night's workout session on the Exeter campus.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Mid-September Notebook

Pumped for the 75

September 15 Notebook
- Another day, another offer for Cushing Academy combo guard Kaleb Joseph as St Bonaventure offered today to join Delaware and BC.

- According to tweets from Head Coach Jason Smith, Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski, assistants Steve Wojciehowski and Jeff Capel, visited Mitch McGary at Brewster Academy today.

- The NERR Elite 75 is about 36 hours away...There's gonna be a lot of action on Wall Street.

- The three schools on the final list of both Mitch McGary and TJ Warren?  Florida, North Carolina, and Kentucky

- This summer, Mikey Rodriguez and Freddy Oliveira each announced that they intended to transfer from West Roxbury HS to Boston English HS.  As it turned out, several administrative issues led to both of them changing their mind and choosing to return to Westie instead.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Kaleb Joseph Offered by Boston College

BC Extends Offer
Exploded at BC Prospect Camp
- According to Rivals Coach Vin Pastore, Kaleb Joseph tonight received his first high-major offer from Boston College.  More later on the Cushing combo-guard.

Live-Fall Notebook #6

September 14 Notebook
- Yesterday afternoon on the Brewster Academy Campus, Georgetown visited TJ Warren and Maryland Head Coach Mark Turgeon, along with two assistants, dropped in on Mitch McGary.  Today, North Carolina Head Coach Roy Williams will visit both McGary and Warren and Michigan Coach John Beilein will also visit McGary.  Tomorrow, Duke Head Coach Mike Kryzewski will visit McGary and on Saturday, Kentucky Head Coach John Calipari will visit both Warren and McGary. 

-  Davidson Head Coach Bob McKillop, Marist Head Coach Chuck Martin, Maine Head Coach Ted Woodward, and assissant coaches from Penn and Delaware were on hand last night to watch John Carroll's squad work out at Northfield Mount Hermon.

- Add Virginia Tech and Notre Dame to the list of schools to have visited New Hampton so far this fall.  They join Syracuse, Marquette, and NC State.

- Holy Cross was at Brimmer & May yesterday to watch Adrian Oliveira and John Powell.

- Due to visit Vermont Academy today are Louisville, UCONN, and West Virginia.

- Last night, Dartmouth, Lafayette, Trinity, and WPI checked out Jeff Depelteau's squad work out at Suffield Academy.  Due to attend tonight's workout are Elon, Yale, Fordham, and Assumption. 

- Today, Adam Finkelstein (ESPN & NERR), Paul Biancardi (ESPN), and Jeff Goodman (CBS Sports) are all slated to hit all three stops on the Triangle of Fire Express.  Brewster Academy will work out at 1:00pm, Tilton at 3:30pm, and New Hampton at 6:00pm.  It will be interesting to see what college coaches join the Crawl.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Live-Fall Notebook #5

Back on the Hunt
September 13 Notebook
- According to tweets from New Hampton Head Coach Pete Hutchins, since Saturday, visitors on campus have included Syracuse Head Coach Jim Boeheim, Marquette Head Coach Buzz Williams, Florida Head Coach Billy Donovan, North Carolina State Head Coach Mark Gottfried, Florida Assistant Coach Norm Roberts, Syracuse Assistant Coach Mike Hopkins, Marquette Assistant Coach Aki Collins, and Baylor Assistant Coach Grant McCasland.

- In addition to visiting Brewster Academy and New Hampton over the last few days, North Carolina State Head Coach Mark Gottfried also visited the Tilton School.  He will not be the last coach to visit all three schools in the Triangle of Fire.  Remember...it's an Isosocles Job.

- According to multiple media outlets, St Marks big-man Kaleb Tarczewski has chopped down his list from 4 to 2 schools.  Eliminated were North Carolina & Kentucky.  Final 2: Arizona & Kansas.

- Staying on the topic of St Marks, today, Michigan Head Coach John Beilein and Assistant Bacari Alexander dropped in to have lunch with Wolverine-commit Nick Stauskas.

- According to a tweet from Vermont Academy Head Coach Jesse Bopp, "Marquette, Baylor, Pitt were on hand last night to take in open gym."

Monday, September 12, 2011

Live-Fall Notebook #4

This Saturday at the M-Plex in Mansfield, MA
Monday Night Notebook
- According to tweets by Vermont Academy Head Coach Jesse Bopp, visitors to campus in recent days include UMass Head Coach Derek Kellogg (to see UMass commit Trey Davis), Loyola Head Coach Jimmy Pastos, Adam Finkelstein from the New England Recruiting Report, and assistant coaches from Providence, Siena, and Farleigh Dickinson.


- Although Brewster students only arrived back on campus over the weekend, according to tweets from Brewster Academy Head Coach Jason Smith, the campus today was already bustling with visitors.  This morning, Florida Head Coach Billy Donovan and Assistant Norm Roberts were on campus to meet with Mitch McGary and TJ Warren.  Then later, in the day, NC State Boss Mark Gottfried rolled in deep with two assistants in tow, to pay a visit to TJ Warren.  Also today, Florida St Assistant Coach Dennis Gates was scheduled to check in on FSU commit Aaron Thomas, who, according to Jason Smith, was the first one in the Brewster gym at 5:45 this morning.

- Coaches who visited Northfield Mount Hermon over the weekend were Brown Head Coach Jesse Agel, Dartmouth Head Coach Paul Cormier, and assistant coaches from Northeastern, BU, Siena, American, Dartmouth, Harvard, Holy Cross, UVM, UNH, Quinnipiac, and Yale.  In addition, Adam Finkelstein dropped by on his tour to watch John Carroll's squad work out.


- After spending last year at Boston Trinity, Roxbury-native Timmance McKinney will be attending Avon Old Farms this year.  The sophomore wing has heard from numerous D1 programs and is looking forward to the opportunity to take his game to the next level at AOF.

- The NERR Elite 75 Showcase is coming up this Saturday.
Who will break-out?  Who will blow up?  Who will be exposed?

Sunday, September 11, 2011

BHFS Player Landings

Isshiah Coleman - New Mission HS
Beantown Hoops Fall Shootout - Player Landings

Joey Flannery - '12 - 6'3 G/F - Acton-Boxborough HS
-  A complete unknown coming in, Flannery is a strong-bodied wing with a good-looking, old-school, high-release set-shot where he gets up just a few inches off the ground.  Yesterday, he scorch the nets with trey balls all afternoon.  More impressive was that once defenders started closing out on him hard, Flannery looked to attack the close-out and make a play.  On one occasion, an A-B guard penetrated and kicked the ball out to Flannery on the left wing.  As he caught the ball, a defender closed-out hard.  After holding the catch and looking at the basket for a fraction of a second, he went by the defender with two hard left handed dribbles baseline, then smoothly rose up and dunked the ball hard with one hand over the front of the rim, drawing oohs and ahhs from all over the gym. 

Isshiah Coleman - '13 - 6'3 F - New Mission HS
- Not too often that a 6'3 player is referred to as a 'shot-blocker', but in the case of Isshiah Coleman, that's what he is...a 6'3 shot-blocker.  With his long arms and freakish athleticism, Coleman is a player who can play high above the rim, challenging high-arcing shot attempts and contending for rebounds at the very beginning of their descent.  And as everyone found out yesterday, Coleman goes to the rim hard with two hands and finishes with force in traffic.

Malcolm Martin - '14 - 6'5 PF - New Mission HS
- Simply put, Martin might be the biggest cat that I've ever seen effectively play the game.  He is an absolute monster wide-body who eats up space and serves as an immoveable wall which the opposition must circumvent on their quest for the cup.  In terms of his game, Martin runs the floor very well and has soft hands and quick feet.  Yesterday, he did a nice of job of using his body to finish around the basket consistently.  Right now, his post-game is raw, but with his tools and his frame, the potential is there without question.  No matter what happens on the hardwood, if this kid decides to actively pursue a gridiron career, Malcolm will have big-time college football coaches drooling from the mouth.

Matt Mobley - '12 - 6'2 G - St Peter Marian HS
- Long athletic guard with a nice upside.  Attacks hard going one way with his speed and then changes directions explosively with the hop step to get to the basket.  Has the tools to be a terrific rebounding guard and a defender who can guard both back-court positions.  Lot of talent here.  He needs to an establish an identity as a player and decide what his plan of attack is going to be when he takes the floor.

Kevin LaFrancis - '12 - 6'6 PF - Acton-Boxborough HS
- Left-handed big man who was effective all day facing up from the mid-range and knocking down shots.  He goes hard to the boards and is a solid post defender who definitely has next-level potential.

Connor Merrinder - '15 - 6'5 PF - Andover
- Young freshman big man who stretched out to 6'5 over the summer.  He enters high school with a strong body which he uses well to finish around the basket.  Also has the ability to step out and shoot it efficiently from the mid-range.  He is already pretty good on offense, but he is even better on the glass and defensively, where he'll rotate to challenge shots or look to step in to take a charge.

Ben Judson - '15 - 6'3 G - St Johns Prep
- Long left-handed guard from St Johns Prep who attacks with the dribble and looks to create.  Lots of potential.

Marcos Echavvaria - '15 - 5'7 PG - St Johns Prep
- Excellent quickness and a tight handle, he will be valuable for SJP this winter as he adjusts his game to the varsity level.

Randy Glenn - '15 - 5'10 G - New Mission
- Speedy left-handed guard with an explosive first step.  It's already very difficult for defenders to stay in front of this youngster.