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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
