Brimmer & May Preview

Adrian Oliveira: Ready to lead Gators

Tom Nelson on the HC Grind

- At Brimmer & May, first-year Head Coach Tom Nelson has a junior-laden ball-club featuring a rock-solid first-five. Running the show from the point will be junior Adrian Oliveira, a talented operator out of Rhode Island who's a mid-major recruit. The other guard spot will be manned by senior combo guard Justin Turner, a crafty player out of Worcester lookin' to make some noise in his final high school campaign. In the 3-hole will be Fordham-commit Jake Fay, a 6'4 junior jump-shooting sniper who can fill it from deep and is always a threat to go off for a big game.  Down-low, Brimmer will go with the combination of juniors John Powell and KJ Baptiste.  Powell is a long 6'7 run n' slash' n' jump four-man while Baptiste is a high-IQ wide-body forward who rebounds the ball hard and unselfishly facilitates on the offensive end.  The Gators get their season going tonight at Worcester Academy and they will also be in action this weekend at the Hoop Mountain Prep Classic and next weekend at the Scholar Roundball Classic at Babson.

New England Opening Night Preview

Yoda has come aboard the Spaceship

Hurricane Yoda has arrived

- From here on out, battles will be taking place in volume throughout New England on a daily basis.  Let's take a look at tonight's match-ups and later on today, we'll also take a peek at some of the top upcoming games at this weekend's Hoop Mountain Prep Classic at Marianapolis.

Tonight's Games

Kimball Union @ Northfield Mt Hermon (2-0) - 3pm

New Hampton (2-0) @ St Thomas More (2-0) - 5pm 

Cushing Academy @ St Andrews - 5pm 

Brimmer & May @ Worcester Academy - 5pm 

Putnam Science @ Masters School 

Holderness @ Brewster Academy (5-0) - 5pm

St Andrews Preview

Henry Bolton: Ready for the throne

Post-MCW Era begins tomorrow night

- Down in Barrington, Rhode Island, St Andrews Head Coach Mike Hart begins the post-MCW Era with a talented, hard-nosed ball-club which should be acutely dangerous.  Everything for the Saints will start in the middle with one of NE's best anchors in Cedric Kuakumensah, a 6'8 Brown-bound enforcer who seeks every rebound and shot-blocking opportunity like a starved lion on the hunt. Kuaku's partner in crime down-low will be fellow-senior Kalusha Ndoumbe-Ngollo, a 6'8 power athlete from Paris who can play inside or step out and shoot the mid-range J...At the forward spots will be a pair of sophomores in Bonzie Colson and Edson Dascy, along with a senior in Tyler Sabino. Colson is a long-armed 6'5+ wide-body who's poised to break out this winter while Dascy is an athletic 6'3+ energy player who defends the 1-4 and rebounds the basketball hard. And Sabino is a 6'6 bruiser from East Stroudsburg, PA who goes to work on the blocks with deft footwork and soft touch...In the back-court for St Andrews, dynamic sophomore lead-guard Henry Bolton appears ready to stake his claim as a big-time New England prospect. Playing the role of sniper alongside Bolton will be 6'3 Seekonk, Mass-native Tom Garrick.  Everything gets started for the Saints tonight at 5pm when they host Cushing Academy in a big-time opening-night match-up.  Stay tuned for a report tonight..

Putnam Science opens season with W

Dayshon Smith: 19 & 5 in New England debut

Lawton & Smith lead Mustangs

- Last night in Waterbury, Connecticut, Putnam Science Academy opened up its' season with a 90-72 victory over the Post School behind a statement performance from senior wing Shaun Lawton, who busted out for 19 points and 11 boards to lead the way for the Mustangs.  Another PSA ballplayer who made an impressive New England debut was junior guard Dayshon Smith, who treated for 19 points and 5 dimes.  Meanwhile, Oscar Assie threw in for 14 and 6 while Keon Scott pumped in 15. And finally, the freshmen duo of Jonathan Joseph and Tyree Robinson made an easy transition from rollin' together in the black n' gold to donnin' the Mustang red n' white...JJ went for 13 and 5 while Ty-Ro muscled up for 10 chips and 14 boards...PSA looks to move to 2-0 tomorrow night when they'll face the Masters School and then they'll really get their grind going this weekend at the HMPC.

The latest drop from City League Hoops

'Noah Vonleh Makes A Case for the #1 Spot in 2014 - #NPS'

City League Hoops TV

Putnam Science Academy Preview

Oscar Assie: On a mission for PSA

New England's biggest sleeper

- Under the radar, Under the Radar, Under the Radar...Tom Espinosa's dangerous squad at Putnam Science Academy opens up their season tonight!  The Mustangs will feature an interesting combination of an electric, lightning-quick back-court with a rugged, physically imposing front-line, an equation which reminds of the late 80s-early 90s Detroit Piston Bad Boy squads which had Isaiah Thomas and Joe Dumars ballin' with a bruising front-line of Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn, Buddha Edwards, John Salley, Dennis Rodman, and Mark Aguirre/Adrian Dantley...Playing the roles of Thomas and Dumars for PSA will be the tandem of Dayshon 'Scoochie' Smith and Johnathan Joseph, a pair who will form one of New England's fastest back-courts this winter.  Smith is a long, talented, crafty floor-general who plays with New York City flair, while Jonathan Joseph is a water-bug point professor who's exciting off the dribble and knows how to use his chess pieces out on the floor...At the forward spots will be the no-nonsense gladiator trio of Shaun Lawton, Tyree Robinson, and Oscar Assie.  Lawton a 6'3+ wing with good length who will be PSA's defensive stopper.  Robinson is a highly-athletic 6'5 enforcer who rebounds the stuffing out of the ball and attacks the rim like a pinata.  And Assie, at 6'5 with a chiseled frame, is an athletic player with the ability to bang with big boys on the interior or step out to the perimeter and shoot the long-ball...Speaking of gladiators, in the middle, PSA will go with Keon Scott, a 6'5 wide-body with long arms who specializes in hunting down taller players and outplaying them.  Keon really knows how to use his big frame to create space in the lane and finish at the cup...After playing the Post School tonight and the Masters School on Wednesday, PSA will head to Marianapolis on Thursday where they'll play three games in the Hoop Mountain Prep Invitational, including a big test on Friday night against high-powered Vermont Academy....Stay tuned for a report on the Putnam Science opener later tonight on the Ship.

#TOC Tilton vs Huntington Prep Highlights

@CityLeagueHoops quickly becoming New England favorite

City League Hoops TV

Tilton (4-0) wins Chip at Windy City #TOC

Wayne Selden: Back in his groove

Black n' Gold stay on march

- Last night out it Chicago, Tilton completed a three-game Windy City Sweep to win the Chip at the State Farms Tournament of Champions.  In yesterday's championship game, Tilton went up against a powerful Huntington Prep (WV) ball-club featuring West Virginia-bound Elijah Macon, the Missouri-bound tandem of Stefan Jankovic and Negus Webster-Chan, and sophomore sensation Andrew Wiggins...Tilton got a slow start out of the gates and trailed 14-9 after 1Q of play, but the Rams outscored Huntington 14-4 in Quarter #2 to take a 23-18 lead into the break.  The 3rd Quarter was more of the same, as Tilton won the frame 18-10 to take a 41-28 lead into final period. In the 4th, Huntington finally let the dogs loose and made a run at the Tilton lead, but it was not enough, and when the final buzzer sounded, Tilton won 53-48.

Notes

- If Wayne Selden was in a mini-slump comin' into the  #TOC championship game, he is certainly out of it now.  Last night, he went back to his bread & butter, attacking the basket with explosive slashes from the wing and looking to draw contact and/or finish in traffic on the top deck.  Selden also got out and went to work in transition, gettin' to the rim with ease after attacking space in the open floor like Cam Newton on the scramble.  Finished with 14 and was named to the #TOC All-Tournament Team...Georges Niang had 15 in this low-scoring affair and was named to the #TOC All-Tournament Team...Nerlens Noel put on a passing clinic from the high-post and out of the high-low, feeding Niang and Goodluck Okonoboh for cupcakes and donuts.  He also was his typical game-changing self on the defensive end and threw up 8 points, including a pair of loud two-hand crunch jobs.  Oh yeah, Nerlens was named Most Valuable Player of the #TOC....Goodluck Okonoboh had the play of the night when he grabbed an offensive board, then used a two-hand power dribble hop-step to create space in traffic and launch into a loud two-hand, roof-raisin' chin-up job...Dominique Bull continues to pass tests running the show from the point guard spot.  Last night, playing against his future Missouri teammates in Webster-Chan and Jankovic, D-Bull took care of business in engineering a grind-it-out W over one of the nation's most talented clubs...Kevin Crescenzi is no one-trick pony...Even though the Dartmouth-bound sniper didn't really get his long-range flow going last night, he was invaluable handling the ball against pressure, facilitating, and rebounding from the back-court...The Championship Game was watched on the Spaceship 100 yard flat-screen via High School Cube..The feed was amazingly crisp...Ohhh, imagine the possibilities if games 'r broadcasted live on the reg.  Spaceship brainstorm session..

NERR #NPS Books Report: Final Chapter

Dominic Woodson: Real Deal power forward

#NPS: The Final Chapter

- Winchendon went 1-1 last weekend at the NERR National Prep Showcase, losing to New Hope Academy (MD) on Friday night before earning their first victory of the season on Sunday evening against Wilbraham & Monson.  In the victory over WMA, Winchendon was led by a 27 point outburst from Penn State-bound Akosa Maduegbunam, who shot 9-12 from the floor and 4-4 from the 3-point range on the game.  Also in double figures for the Winch was Tre Tipton, who scored 14 on 6-9 shooting, and Glyne Straker, who had 12 on 5-9 shooting.  Also playing well in this one for Winchendon was Sacred Heart-bound big man Tevin Falzon.  Leading the way for WMA on the game was Jaylen Brantley, who led his team in both scoring and rebounding by going for 17 and 7 before having to leave the game with five minutes remaining due to leg cramps.  Next to Brantley in the back-court, Maodo Lo made his New England debut by scoring 12 and grabbin' 5 boards, while freshman big man Marcel Pettway was very impressive in his Prep debut, going for 14 points on 6-8 shooting from the field...In addition to WMA and Tilton, another team which played only one game at the #NPS was Vermont Academy, who went up against La Lumiere Prep out of Indiana in one of the mightiest clashes of the weekend.  LLP is absolutely loaded: with the likes of Indiana-bound Haner Perea, the Purdue-bound tandem of Jay Simpson and Raphael Davis, New Mexico-bound 7'1 center Obij Aget, Southern Illinois-bound combo-guard Antonio Drummond, and then three stud-sophomores in Damion Smith, Johnnie Vassar, and Johnathan Wilkins.  In the first half of the ballgame, Vermont Academy saw La Lu put it into high-gear as they opened a 52-39 lead going into halftime.  The second half was a different story, as Jesse Bopp's club won the frame 54-50.  In the end, th scoreboard said La Lu 102 and Vermont Academy 93.  Leading the way for La Lu in this one was Drummond with 25 pts and 8 rebounds from the guard spot, Davis, who had 23, and Aget, who looked good with 12 points, six boards, and a bunch of altered-shots...For Vermont Academy, UMASS-bound Trey Davis led the scoring with 23 on 7-12 shooting while junior Donelle Munda hit 5 treys on his way to 18 points.  Also for the Wildcats, Jack Mackey had 12 points, Daquein McNeil 7, and Jamel Artis had 9.  But the performance of the afternoon and also one of the top performances of the weekend came from Vermont Academy junior power forward Dominic Woodson, who with UConn Assistant Coach Kevin Ollie sittin' courtisde, dropped 19 points on 9-13 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds in a very impressive display playing as the only true big for Head Coach Jesse Bopp against the high-major La Lu front-line.  D-Woodson is for real...absolute beast...Despite losing this contest, by playing "even-up" with one of the nation's best teams, Vermont Academy looks like one of New England's top squads headin' into the Freeze.

Tilton moves to 3-0 with 2 Chi-Town wins

Georges Niang: Averaging 23ppg through 3 games

Tilton on the clock at #TOC

- While most of us here in New England have been treatin' ourselves to Thanksgiving Gluttony over the past few days, the Tilton Rams have been punched in on the clock out in Chicago at the State Farms Tournament of Champions.  In their first game on Turkey Night, Tilton busted down the door of Trent International Prep, blowing 'em out by a score of 76-52.  Georges Niang led the way with 30 while Nerlens Noel and Goodluck Okonoboh put on a rejection clinic, combining for 15+ swats like Seagal & Van Dam...In Game 2 today, the Tilt squared off against a dangerous ball-club in Sunrise Christian Academy out of Kansas, a team featuring Kansas-bound guard Buddy Hield.  Sunrise battled tooth and nail from the opening tip to the closing horn, but in the end, Tilton pulled out a 47-41 victory to move to 3-0 on the young season.  Niang dropped 18 to lead the scoring, while Noel had 10, Wayne Selden and Kevin Crescenzi each had 6, Okonoboh had 4 and Dominique Bull had 3....Tilton looks to move to 4-0 on the season when they play their third and final Tournament of Champions game tomorrow night in the Wind against Huntington Prep.

@Mr_UpperClass with a Friday Matinee

@Mr_UpperClass 

"Underclassmen That Got Next"

Tiblanc TV

NERR #NPS Book Report Chapter 8

St John's-bound Amir Garrett was impressive for Bridgton

#NPS: Bridgton - Lee - MCI

- Bridgton Academy split a pair last weekend at the NERR #NPS, pulling out a close one in their first game before dropping their second.  On Friday afternoon, Bridgton squared off against St John's Military Academy (WI) and came back in the final few minutes to pull out a 74-71 victory.  Leading the way for Bridgton was St John's-bound Amir Garrett, who finished with 17 points and 9 boards....In Game 2 on Saturday, the Bridg dropped a tight one, falling 90-86 to a powerful Hargrave Military Academy (VA) ball-club, with the first-five of Jarryn Skeete, Amir Garrett, Darrick Wood, Malik Nichols, and Markus Crider accounting for 81 of 86 Bridgton points.  Garrett again led the way with 20 points and he also grabbed 6 boards, while Markus Crider threw in 18 on 7-10 shooting.  Meanwhile, Wood and Nichols each had 17 while Skeete had 9 from the point....Another club who went 1-1 was Maine Central Institute, who defeated La Jolla Prep 106-86 on Saturday before falling to Northfield Mount Hermon on Sunday.  Leading the way for MCI in their win was Xavier-bound power forward James Farr, who went for 23 points and had 7 rebounds, while Joey Boyle chipped with 17, Sean James and Jared Brandon had 16, Tristan Thomas had 15, and Jean Pierre-Charles had 12...The NEPSAC AAA defending champs will be the cause of many headaches once again this winter in the New England Wood....The third Maine ball-club which split their pair was Lee Academy, who won their first game on Friday against Fork Union Military Academy (VA) before falling to La Lumiere Prep (IN) on Saturday.  Guards Drew Crudup and Kiefer Douse both looked good for Lee as did swing-man Roddell Wigginton.  Another NE Advil Club.

NERR #NPS Book Report Chapter 7

BALLAS TV

Notre Dame Prep: Snakes in the grass

- Notre Dame Prep went 1-1 on the weekend, falling to Hargrave Military Academy on Friday by a score of 115-91 before earning a 113-103 track-meet win over New Hope Academy (MD) on Saturday. In Friday's defeat, Myles Davis led the scoring by following up his 34 point performance against Brewster Academy the previous Saturday with a 26 point effort against Hargrave in which he shot 10-16 from the floor and 6-12 from deep. Also hitting double-figures in this one were Adonis Filer with 14, Sam Cassell Jr with 12, and Mandell Thomas also with 12...In their victory on Saturday, Myles Davis passed the torch to Cassell Jr, who accepted it right away to explode for 30 points (12-17 FG) with 5 treys and 5 rebounds. Meanwhile, Filer and Davis each had 23, with Filer shooting 7-9 from the floor with 2 treys and Davis shooting 8-13 with 3 treys. The three-headed backcourt monster of Cassell Jr, Filer, and Davis combined for 73 points on 27-39 (87%) shooting in this one...Also coming in off the bench and taking some shifts in the back-court were native-New Englanders Roger Paul and Jamie Holder, two talented guards who provide depth to the Notre Dame stable of guards...With this potent back-court already in place, Notre Dame Prep is poised for a big-time winter run with the pending arrival of Ryan Hurd's Christmas package from New Zealand.

NERR #NPS Book Report Chapter 6

Ky Howard: Monster rebounder from the back-court

St Thomas More streaks out at #NPS

- The final New England team that went undefeated last weekend at the NERR #NPS was St Thomas More, a squad that, this year, doesn't necessarily have the household names that some of the other New England AAA clubs have, but they have plenty of D1 guys, and in terms of playing crisp, balls to the wall team basketball, Jere Quinn's ballclub might have been the most impressive at the event as they tactically picked teams apart, already in mid-season form.  And what they lack in star power they more than make up for with qulaity depth, leaving no doubt that the Chancellors are one of New England's top half-dozen teams headin' into the pond freeze...In their first game on Friday afternoon, the Chancellors used a tenacious, well-balanced attack to blow out Fishburne Academy (VA) by a score of 83-56. (Fishburne, by the way, has ten players committed to D1 schools.) Leading the way was Barrington Stevens, who went 5-6 from the floor to finish with 12, and Ky Howard who dropped a hard-hat line of 6 points, 6 assists, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, and only 1 turnover...In game two, STM went to work against Fork Union Military Academy (VA) and after trailing at the half by a score of 40-33, the Chancellors pulled the alarm at halftime to outscore the Fork 50-31 in the 2nd half to win going away 83-71.  STM was led in this one by 6'9 Australian forward Stu McEwn, who went off for 22 (9-18 FG) with 4 treys.  Also, AJ English and Torin Childs-Harris each chipped in 11, while Ky Howard again led STM on the glass from the back-court with 9 rips and also had another 6 assists.  This guy just helps you win...Also playing good minutes for St Thomas More over the weekend were Manhattan-commit Curtis Jones, Rodney Taylor (13 pts against Fishburne), Denzell Gregg, and seven-foot+ center Chier Ajou, a former New Mexico State commit with good instincts who is in the beginning stages of his development...St Thomas returns to action next Wednesday, November 30th, when they'll host New Hampton for a 5pm game in Oakdale.

NERR #NPS Book Report Chapter 5

City League Hoops TV

Brewster Bobcats move to 5-0

- Brewster Academy came into the NERR National Prep Showcase 3-0 and ranked as the #1 team in the country in the Five-Star Rankings. They did not disapoint, going to 2-0 on the weekend to take a 5-0 record into Thanksgiving break. In their first game on Saturday, the Brew Crew squared up against Fishburne Military Academy (VA) and came away with 91-75 victory. TJ Warren led the scoring with 22 points on 10-12 shooting the field. Jakarr Sampson added 20 and 7 rebounds, while Semaj Christon again made statement from the point with 17 points on 6-8 shooting, with 7 dimes and 4 boards. Also for Brewster, Aaron Thomas had 11 points and 5 rebounds, Mitch McGary had 9 points, 8 boards, and 4 steals, and Jalen Reynolds had 10 points (4-5 fg), 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 19 minutes of play...In their second game on Sunday morning, Brewster threw down with Massanutten Military Academy (VA) in a ballgame in which Head Coach Jason Smith saw his throughbreds really hit their stride as they shot 61% (41-61 fg) from the floor to cruise to a 95-65 victory. Leading the scoring again was TJ Warren, who dropped 22 (11-18 fg) with 6 boards, while Semaj Christon threw another gem with 18 on 7-9 shooting from the field. Another impressive line came from Jakarr Sampson, who had 20 (8-10 fg) and 7 boards, while Jalen Reynolds had his best offensive effort to date at Brewster with a forceful 15.

Notes

- Through five games, Joe Bramanti has quickly proved himself a vital cog in the Brewster Machine. His significance isn't necessrily visible from the box score, but all the small intangibles that Bramanti brings to the table serve as the Elmers which glues together the most talented senior class in the nation. Bramanti is a quality control expert out there on the floor, specializing in guiding his team towards its' own unique potential...Aaron Thomas is gonna be one of the most explosive scorers in New England this season. He has a gorgeous long-rang shooting stroke and lets it go off the dribble or catch-and-shoot.  And keep a fire-extinguisher close by, 'cause this Florida State-bound Cincinnati operator can come to a boil in a hurry. But where Thomas really thrives is in transition, where his elite speed, astronaut body-control, and deft tact make him virtually unstoppable on the run..TJ Warren showed this weekend why he is regarded as one of the top scorers in America as he scored consistently and efficiently in both ballgames. What's most impressive about Warren is the patience he exhibits when pursuing scoring opportunities, adeptly resisting the temptation of forcing his lethal offensive game. Warren also had one of the most celebrated jams of the weekend when he drove baseline and launched off his left foot for a two-hand, rope-swing, and-one hammer-shake. (See video above)...After seeing Mitch McGary three times now, here is what is apparent...First of all, if Mitch eats turkey like he eats space in the paint, then the McGary's may want to think about gettin' a second bird for tomorrow. But here's the thing, in terms of eating space on the floor, McGary does not just sit down and gobble; instead, he violently attacks expensive real estate in the lane as if defending the Castle of Camelot, thwarting enemy territorial advances with his mobile monster frame...Now, on to his game...I don't think M&M has cracked double-figures in scoring in any of the 3 ballgames I've seen so far this year. How can that be? He is one of highest ranked players in America?...Here's why. McGary doesn't care about stats, he only cares about winning, and on this loaded Brewster team, he doesn't necessarily need to score for his team to win...so what does he do? He looks to set up his teammates for scoring opportunities, either with a Redwood screen,  or a feed from the post to cutter or relocating shooter, appearing to gain more satisfaction from seeing a teammate make a play than from making one himself. This, of course, is an admirable trait, but as the season really gets going, look for McGary to turn up the volume on his own offensive game...Semaj Christon is just terrific, plain and simple. He darts from place to place off the dribble like a squirrel scurrying for acorns in the forest, getting wherever he wants to go whenever he wants to go there. Where does he want to go? He mixes it up...He'll wake up the kids with a loud finish at th front-door.  Or he'll get into the mid-range and step into his crisp pull-up game. Or he'll slash into the lane for a game of Float n' Lean. Or maybe most often, he'll attack with the dribble and force the defense to rotate before dropping the ball off to one of the 747s on the runway for Brewster Airlines.  Xavier has a Isabel Gardner museum heist...Semaj is gonna be All-Conference in the A-10...Jalen Reynolds is a guy who, for a variety of reasons, has played far less organized basketball than his peers over the past few years, making him a player still very green in terms of his experience level and development.  That is why this kid is such a scary prospect, because he is already a beast and he hasn't even gotten on to the highway yet. With his raw talent and physical attributes, if he develops efficiently over the next half-decade, he is going to be usin' NBA socks as his Christmas Stockings...Speaking of NBA Christmas Stockings, Jakarr Sampson could likely throwin' those up above the fireplace as well. The more I see Jakarr play, the more he reminds of a longer version of Julian Wright. With his Akron swag, his huge smile, his head-band, his length, his athleticism, his leadership, and his intensity, Jakarr is a legitimate Star.

Jared Terrell takes flight at NERR #NPS

Derek Malloy 2EZ

NERR NPS Book Report Chapter 4

BALLAS TV

Huskies sled out to strong start

- The New Hampton Huskies streaked out to a 2-0 start on the season with victories over the Kiski School and Blair Academy.. Against Kiski on Saturday, New Hampton overcame a slow start and withstood a voluminous Kiski three-point-shooting attack to pull away in the 2nd half for a 2222 victory. Boston College-bound Olivier Hanlan led the scoring in this one with 20 while Zach Auguste had 12 points and 8 boards. Meanwhile, the sophomore duo of Noah Vonleh and Jared Terrell made its' much anticipated prep school debut with Terrell notching 12 while Vonleh dominated the glass with 21 rebounds and also threw in 15 points on 5-8 shooting...In their second contest, New Hampton faced adversity early after Hanlan rolled his ankle and came out in the first minute of the game. With his floor general on the shelf, Head Coach Pete Hutchins turned to guards Evan Manning and Terrell to take on the ball-handling chores and they did a terrific job of withstanding defensive pressure to get their club into its' sets. The Huskies didn't miss a beat and jumped all over Blair from the start to take home a 90-63 victory. It was in this game that Vonleh and Terrell really announced themselves on the march as America's top sophomore tandem as JT dropped 21 in spectacular fashion while Ooze had 19 pts, 14 rebs, and shot 4-5 from trey land...Also stepping up in this one was sharpshooter Aaron Hendricks, who had 15 on 5-7 shooting from the floor, and sophomore Mike Auger, who came in with tough minutes off the bench to post up 6 points and 8 boards.

Notes

- Towson-bound Barrington Alston is an impressive left-handed athlete. At 6'7, he gets vertical in a hurry to attack the rim or go after a shot-blocking opportunity. Alston had one of the loudest dunks of the weekend against Kiski on Saturday when he absolutely assaulted the rim with a thrashing two-hand thump, droppin' back down to the floor with a flair twist...Zach Auguste didn't have a great weekend scoring the ball and he also got into foul trouble, but he did show flashes of brilliance blocking shots and boardin' up on the defensive end and on several occasions, he broke out with rebounds to lead the break. Also had about a half-dozen loud two-hand swing dunks off the one foot stride leap...Noah Vonleh just rebounds the stuffing out of the rock, announcing himself as gubenatorial candidate for every carom off the glass or tin. Vonleh also showcased a new spin-move recipe and premiered a change of pace flavor to his dribble-drive game. And despite stitches in his right index finger, Noah dialed up and connected consistently from long-distance in both games. On the weekend, Vonleh's Husky debut was a resounding success and he picked up offers from UConn and Baylor...After a solid debut on Saturday, Jared Terrell was sensational on Sunday scoring the ball. He had several youtube finishes, including one off an alley, that had folks gaspin' for air. But we already knew he could do that. What we didn't know was that JT has the ability to handle the basketball against pressure and use the dribble to break down his defender to get into his sweet mid-range pull-up game. - According to New Hampton Head Coach Pete Hutchins, Terrell took an offer from Virginia Tech over the weekend. Expect many others to follow suit...Aaron Hendricks came in and flat out filled it up on Sunday for the Pete Hutchins Steam Engine Express. He really knows how to get out on the secondary break and spot up in the right place on the arc. Hendricks looks to have announced himself as New Hampton's black-belt long-range assasin, a role which is going to be very important for the Husky Heartbeat this season...Another guy who showed the ability to hit the long ball was step-out four-man Lew Evans, who ran the floor well to hit multiple trey balls running the trailer on the break. With his size and deft shooting stroke, Mr Evans will have his college meals on the house...After breaking the ice with some solid minutes in his prep debut on Saturday, sophomore Mike Auger came in on Saturday and announced himself on the scene by throwing his weight around on the glass and in the paint. Auger also stepped out to shoot 2-2 from three point range. Put a check mark in the box...Another guy who made his prep debut was freshman Jeremy Miller, who for a stretch on Sunday, matched up with Virginia-bound Blair Academy center Mike Tobey. Miller didn't necessarily win the duel, but at the least, he certainly battled Tobey to a draw. Also, Steve Keller of the National Recruiting Report and Hoop Group called Miller the top freshman prospect at the event...Although he didn't have his best weekend offensively, Evan Manning did a nice job of facilitating from the backcourt and also showed well on the defensive end. In terms of his own offensive game, not to worry, E-Manning will will get his groove goin' before the turkey is out of the oven...Olivier Hanlan started slowly on Saturday and had a quiet first half, but the second half was a different story as he scored the ball at will with a series of floaters in the lane, mid-range pull-ups, and slashes to the basket. As mentioned before, Hanlan rolled an ankle early in the ballgame on Sunday. The injury does not appear serious as Hanlan was walking around on it and was poised to give it a try going back into the game had it been close.

NERR #NPS Book Report Chapter 3

City League Hoops TV

Tilton opens haunted-house

- On Sunday afternoon, the Tilton School Rams arrived at the NERR National Prep Showcase to take on the Kiski School and from the time they came out for warm-ups, they flat-out transformed the gymnasium into a haunted house.  First, the Rams turned lay-up lines into the Royal Air Forces Waddington International Airshow and then, when the game began, the lights went out, the high-def, 3D big-screen was pulled down, glasses were passed out, and instead of a ball-game, Tilton dropped an 80's horror flick all over the #NPS.  From the get-go, Tilton, who started with an all-BABC starting five of Bull, Selden, Noel, Okonoboh, and Niang, sprinted away from Kiski like a prommer from a skunk.  When the 1st half buzzer sounded, the Rams took a 51-19 lead into the locker room.  Tilton was led in the first half by that familiar duo of Georges Niang, who had 21 points on 9/12 shooting and had 5 rebounds + 2 steals.  Typical.  Noel had 13 points on 6-7 shooting, and took 9 boards + 4 blocks.  With Tilton playing a lot of reserves, the second half was much more back and forth than the first, with Tilton outscoring Kiski 28-21 to take home a season-opening 79-40 victory.  For the game, Niang, who played only a few minutes in the second half, finished with 21 points and 9 boards.  Noel came away with a masterful double-double-and-a-half with 20 points (9-10 fg), 10 backboard swipes, and 5 blocks.  Also, Dartmouth-bound Kevin Crescenzi had 11 efficient points off the bench, shooting 4-5 from the floor and 3-4 from 3-point land.  KC is going to be an invaluable weapon this season as the captain of the Tilton Sniper Squad.

Notes

- Regardless of class, Nerlens Noel is flat-out the best player in America. First off, because of his unique game-changing defensive ability, the comparisons to Bill Russell will always be a fun and relevant conservation topic...but the similiraities don't end there.  The other trait that reminds of Russell is Noel's genuine unselfishness out there on the floor with his teammates.  In terms of his game, his perimeter skills have arrived.  He spent a large part of the game playing the 3-spot and looked more than comfortable handling the ball and facilitating offense for his teammates.  He also had one crazy move where he crossed over from right to left from the top of the key, explosively changing directions to get by his man before uncoiling his cobra frame into a George Gervin finger roll...Kentucky Head Coach John Calipari watched this one from the front row.  Seated behind him was AC Orlando Antigua while sitting beside him was the medium Dunkin Donuts hot he was treatin' himself to...Missouri-bound Nique Bull did a nice job for Tilton running the show from the point.  Curious to see him go up against some of the better point guards in New England this winter...Although Wayne Selden didn't have his best afternoon offensively, he looked 100% healthy and bouncier than ever.  In fact, on more than a few occasions, when attempting to finish at the basket, Selden appeared to surprise himself by the altitude attained off his hop.  As he gets his timing back and becomes more comfortable with his extended length, Wayne will get his sophomore assault goin' in a hurry...Freshman John Witkowski was one of the first guys off the bench and he came in and did a nice job as a glue-guy on the vaunted Tilton front-line...Goodluck keeps gettin' better and better as his skills and understanding of the game continue to develop.  He looked real good playin' the high-low game with Nerlens and he also had a sick breakaway dunk where he took off with 2 feet to throw down a 2 hand monster jam off a leap which would have allowed him to rock it through on a 12 ft rim.  As Goodluck's game continues to rise on the elevator towards his Cumulonimbus potential, the idea of a Noel/Okonoboh package deal to an institution of higher-learning seems more and more like the hottest ticket in 2013 Town.  Can you say Lennon & McCartney?...Georges had a nice and-one poster job on Kiski defender in the first half.  Place went nuts.

Noah Vonleh 2EZ Mixtape

Derek Malloy #2EZ

NERR #NPS Book Report Chapter 2

Ryan Oliver: 19 ppg

Chapter 2: NMH rolls out 2-0

- Northfield Mount Hermon was one of six New England ball-clubs to go undefeated this weekend at the NERR National Prep Showcase.  In their first game on Friday night, NMH clipped Massanutten Military Academy in a fast-paced game by a score of 97-93.  The lead story of this contest was the display put on by Vermont-bound power forward Ethan O'Day, who opened his senior season in fine fashion with 30 points on 14-15 shooting + 9 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2 steals.  Another senior who went to work was sharpshooting Cali-swing man Ryan Oliver, who went for 21 with 5 treys and 5 boards.  NMH also got production at the point, where senior Spike Albrecht engineered a line of 12 points, 7 dimes, 5 boards, and 2 swipes.  In addition, junior Anthony Dallier debuted for the Hoggers with 8 points, 6 boards, and 4 assists while classmate Skyler White premiered with a double-double, grabbin' 10 boards and 11 points....In their second game on Sunday morning, the Hoggers threw down with Maine Central Institute and grinded out a tactical 67-52 victory to move to 2-0 on the young season.  Floor General Spike Albrecht again took care of business at the point for Hogger Head Hoss John Carroll with 8 points, 4 dimes, 5 boards, and 5 steals.  In addition, Ethan O'Day double-doubled up with 15 points and 10 rips.  He shot 7-10 from the floor to make him 21-25 (84%) for the event. .Also, Ryan Oliver dropped 17, Sam Donahue sunk five treys to finish with 15, and Dallier had 11 points and 7 boards.

Notes

- Pittsburgh native Anthony Dallier '13 was very impressive this weekend with his ability to play an ultra-efficient floor game at a high-level.  According to the National Recruiting Report's  Steve Keller, AD was the top '13 prospect at the event through the first 2 days of play. Keller also tweeted, "6'6 '13 Anthony Dallier has Mid-Major interest. Good student may get interest from likes of Northwestern."

- NMH was without forwards Evan Cummins and Dakeeba Battee this weekend.  Cummins banged up his ankle and was in a walking cast while Battee was not with the team and was back on the NMH campus.  Also, after starting Friday night's ball-game, Dartmouth-bound Tommy Carpenter came out with an injury after only seven minutes on the floor and was out for the rest of the weekend.

- One vibe that was floating around the gym was that the University of Vermont may have pulled off a huge-heist with Ethan O'Day.  The kid could play in the majority of D1 conferences and he still has a lot of room left to improve.  Looks like a lock for a monster senior season.

NERR #NPS Book Report: Chapter 1

Laimonas Chatkevicius: 1/2 of South Kent Twin-Towers

South Kent breaks out to 2-0 start

- South Kent has fire-power galore.  They went 2-0 on the weekend, taking down La Jolla Prep (CA) on Friday night 94-74 and St John's Military Academy (WI) 84-76 on Saturday.  Ricky Ledo was an assassin on Friday, erupting for 37 in front of a press row loaded with the head honchos of college basketball recruiting.  Rolo knocked down 7 out of 12 from long-range and shot 13-22 overall from the floor, including three roof-raising hammer jobs.  Ledo also had five assists (could of had 8 or 9 except for several missed bunnies)...On Saturday, South Kent dominated the first half to take a 20 point lead into the break, then withstood a furious St John's 2nd half rally to take a 87-74 victory.  Junior guard Chris Thomas led the scoring with 17 points and also snaked 8 boards.  Ledo tossed in 15.  Kansas State-bound guard Zedric Sadler had 6 points and grabbed 13 boards from the back-court and his future KSU teammate Laimonas Chatkevicius  had 17 pts in only 13 minutes of play.  This dude is enormous, loud, and feisty...The Cardinal move to 3-0 on the season and will next take the floor on Friday, December 2nd in Worcester against Worcester Academy.

Notes
- Ike Freeman is legitimate 7'0 ft presence in the lane...He challenges shots, rebounds the ball hard on both ends, runs the floor with urgency, and can finish around the cup.  Freeman also has long, lanky arms, necessitating a wing-span check pronto on this Virginia big fella.

- Playing in between a loaded back-court stable and a pair of seven-foot towers, 6'7 Brooklyn forward Chris Ortiz went to work all weekend, rebounding the ball efficiently, running the floor hard, and finishing on numerous occasions with thunder-bolt pumpkin squashes.  Kent State may have themselves a steal in CO.

- Left-handed point guard Leron Fisher started both games at the point and immediately tossed his Baltimore grit into the brawl.  Fisher's gonna battle and confront you from buzzer to buzzer, and as we found out this weekend, young guards don't quite care much for that.

- Head Coach Kelvin Jefferson impressed running the show for South Kent from the sidelines.  Whether with his players, assistant coaches, or the officials, Jefferson keeps a spirited dialogue going all game long, aggressively defusing any situation which stands in the way of the South Kent wagon.

- Gun-slinger Riley Kirsch gave his squad a boost off the bench in both games with his dangerous left-hand stroke.

- Ricky Ledo had a total of 52 points in two games to finish the event averaging 26ppg.  Impressed with his weekend body-language and leadership effort.

- Interesting tidbit: Chris Thomas is the biological son of Michael Ray Richardson, one of the most talented players in hoops history.

 

NERR NPS Book Report Intro

Ethan O'Day: Shot 21-25 from the floor over 2 games

Best part of hoop is the people

- The 2011 NERR National Prep Showcase is in the books and the Spaceship is abuzz digesting everything that went down this weekend within the walls of the Albertus Magnus Athletic Center.  Of the 21 total games, two were between teams both from New England while 19 featured New England teams against non-New England teams.  In those 19, New England finished 14-5. Beginning tommorrow and throughout Turkey Week, stories will pour from the coffee pot like Calipari's medium Dunkin Donut's regular hot that he was treating himself to this afternoon sittin' front row watchin' Tilton blow out Kiski.

Derek Malloy with Ricky Ledo Video

2EZ y'all

NERR National Prep Showcase: Day One

Ricky Ledo dropped a scintillating 37

Eruption of Mount Ledo

- The first day of the NERR National Prep Showcase is in the books and the New England schools went 5-2 on the day.  Lee Academy beat Fork Union (VA) 70-63.  Hargrave (VA) downed Notre Dame Prep 115-91.  Bridgton came back from down 15 to clip St Johns (WI) 74-71.  St Thomas More blew out Fishburne 83-56.  South Kent bested La Jolla Prep 94-74.  Winchendon fell to New Hope (MD) 84-62..NMH outlasted Massanutten Prep 97-93.  More analysis on today's action in the next few days..Here's a brief breakdown of some of what went down.

- In South Kent's impressive 94-74 win over La Jolla Prep, Ricky Ledo erupted for 37 points, knocking down 7 out of 12 from long-range and shooting 13-22 overall from the floor, including three roof-raising hammer jobs.  Ledo also had five assists (could of had 8 or 9 except for several missed bunnies) to three turnovers.

- Myles Davis followed up his 34 point performance against Brewster by dropping 26 in a 115-91 defeat to Hargrave Military Acadmy, shooting 10-16 from the field and 6-12 from trey land.

- St Johns-bound Amir Garrett had 17 points and 9 rebounds in Bridgton's 74-71 comeback win over St Johns (WI).

- St Thomas More used a well-balanced, tenacious attack to blow out Fishburne Academy (VA) by a score of 83-56.  Fishburne, by the way, has ten players committed to D1 schools.  STM has an impressive group of guards with AJ English, Curtis Jones, Ky Howard, & Barrington Stephens.  Leading the way tonight were Stephens, who went 5-6 from the floor to finish with 12, & Ky Howard, who dropped a hard-hat line of 6 points, 6 assists, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, and only 1 turnover.

- Northfield Mt Hermon had the late game and earned a 97-93 win over Massanutten (VA) in their season opener.  Ethan O'Day had a monster-mash game.  More on this ballgame tomorrow.

New Myles Davis video.

- Notre Dame Prep shooting guard Myles Davis went off for 34 last Sunday against Brewster Academy.  Check out the video droppage by BALLAS TV and look out for this sniper this weekend at the Showcase.

Books closed on LShapiro Productions

Lucas Shapiro: Started a Revolution

Chapter 1: LShapiro Productions in the books

- Last night, the Spaceship quickly profiled rising hoops media star Derek Malloy.  Well, this afternoon, we need to take a moment to discuss the revolutionary who created the blue-print for talented young cats like Derek.  We're talkin' bout Lucas Shapiro, an MC who, over the last few years with LShapiro Productions, has taken New England by storm with a cinematic assault which has brought exposure not only to dozens upon dozens of New England  ballplayers, but the world of New England basketball itself.  But today we are here to spread the news that the opening chapter has come to an end, as last night, it was announced that LShapiro Productions is shutting down so that the next chapter in Shapiro's Epic can begin..  The statement released on Shapiro's Website can be found below...Good luck to Lucas in all his future endeavors...in terms of can't-miss-prospects, he is one of New England's best in the Class of 2012.

Lucas Shapiro - "Recently, I had to make a tough decision. As I looked at my winter schedule, I realized that I would not be able to balance everything going on in my life out. Between writing for Dime Magazine and ESPN Boston, playing for Milton High School’s basketball team, and spending time with friends and family, I have too much going on. As a senior in high school, this will be the last year that I get to live with my family and I want to spend as much time as possible with them.  My mission when starting LShapiro Productions was to become a master of editing video and giving New England basketball players exposure. I accomplished both of those goals. Fortunately, while I will not be making videos anymore, Adam Rubin, Derek Malloy, Sherwyn Cooper, and Ralph Tiblanc will be giving New England basketball players exposure with their respective YouTube channels.  I will leave the channel up if you ever want to look back and watch some of the videos. I may even put up another video or two during the winter. But the point is that if you are looking to watch basketball highlights, you might want to look elsewhere.  I also want to take this opportunity to wish everyone the best luck with their basketball season whether they are playing, coaching, filming, scouting, covering, or watching basketball. Whatever you are doing, remember: “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”"