New England Elite 75 Recap

Underclassmen Impress Among Top New Englanders

by Phil Kasiecki

BOSTON – The second annual New England Elite 75 Showcase was held at Boston University on Wednesday. While the game is often dominated by guards at this and the college level, it was an especially good day for several frontcourt players and for underclassmen. Even with the play of underclassmen, for sheer number the class of 2008 led the way.

The class of 2008 was especially well-represented by guards, with a pair of Atlantic 10 commits being the best of the bunch. Recent Saint Joseph’s commit Chris Prescott (6′2″ PG-SG, West Hartford (CT) Northwest Catholic HS) scored the ball well with a variety of drives and finished with both hands, while also knocking down several three-pointers. He’s clearly become quite a scorer in the last year, although he’s still very capable of running a team. Rhode Island commit Stevie Mejia (5′9″ PG, Hyde Park (MA) Lawrence Academy) was also among the best of the bunch. He played well here last year, and just continued to show his good progress as he’s still solid shooting off the dribble and more mature physically.

There were more point guards who showed well from this class. Janzy Cruz (5′8″ PG, Winchendon (MA) School) showed off his quickness, as the lefty does well playing at a high speed. Brett Tessler (5′10″ PG, IMG Academy) once again showed that he can really pass the ball well on the drive and dish, while also knocking down a shot from long range to show he can keep defenses honest. The question is if he can get by anyone, but there aren’t any doubts about his ability to run a team and involve his teammates. Raheem Singleton (5′11″ PG, Boston (MA) Notre Dame Prep) made it to the all-star game with his usual hard-nosed play, as he’s not a great scorer or shooter but finds a way and involves teammates. The late-bloomer did knock down a couple of shots from long range late, but that’s not his forte.

The wing was home to a couple of players who shot the ball well. Tim McKinney (6′5″ SG, Dorchester (MA) Boston College HS) got into a groove in the morning drills, while Maine commit Jon McAllian (6′5″ SG, Bangor (ME) High) showed a good stroke from long range and should keep getting better with added strength. UMass commit David Gibbs (6′4″ SG, West Simsbury (CT) Masters Prep) made the all-star team and showed his athleticism and scoring ability. Jerell Gomes (6′3″ SG, Providence (RI) Feinstein HS) shot the ball well and hasn’t fully matured yet, and looked more athletic than a year ago.

A pair of Connecticut wings played well by being active and making plays. Stanford Dulaire (6′5″ SF, Hartford (CT) Watkinson School) continues to play well, making the all-star game here. He’s athletic, plays bigger and makes a lot of plays, rebounding well from the wing and becoming a better offensive player all the time. Then there’s the versatile Mike Myers-Keitt (6′6″ SF, Fairfield (CT) Marianapolis Prep), who struggled making shots in his first game but seemed to never miss in the second. Through it all, he was the same player we’ve seen a few times before: active and running the floor while finding the ball to make plays and showing an occasional touch out to mid-range on his jumper.

It wasn’t just guards who shined here from the current senior crop. John Hegarty (6′11″ C, Winchendon (MA) School) had a big day at last year’s event, and while he wasn’t as good this time around, he still used his big body well at times to gain an edge inside. On the other hand, undersized power forward Chris Baskerville (6′5″ PF, Hartford (CT) Lee Academy) played like he always does, using his strong body inside to play bigger than his size and make plays. The Central Connecticut State commit is a max-effort player and will be a nice addition to the Blue Devils. An AAU teammate of his, Nick Greenbacker (6′9″ PF, Manchester (CT) East Catholic HS), is a solid role player that doesn’t stand out but does the little things to help a team. James Marcellus (6′8″ PF, Braintree (MA) Bridgton Academy) was at his best when he used his good body inside instead of floating on the perimeter as he has good post scoring ability and also rebounded well. Andrew Van Nest (6′10″ PF, Northfield (MA) Mount Hermon) is starting to fill out, which will only help as he already has solid face-up skills at the position.

The class of 2009 is where the real frontcourt riches are, with Tucker Halpern (6′8″ SF, Dedham (MA) Noble & Greenough School) having been arguably the best player at the event. He shot the ball very well from long range and showed solid ball skills while running the floor very well. It’s safe to say he picked up right where he left off when we last saw him shining at the Rumble in the Bronx in June. The best prospect in the group is Connecticut commit Alex Oriakhi (6′8″ PF, Tilton (NH) School), who had his moments and continues to show that he has all the fundamental tools to be a star. He can score inside with ease when he wants to, as he also has the good body and just needs to have the killer instinct on a consistent basis. Tevin Baskin (6′7″ SF-PF, Stamford (CT) Trinity Catholic HS) showed off his athleticism, exploding for a few big dunks along the way. He’ll need to improve his stroke shooting the ball, but there’s certainly good upside. Ben Crenca (6′9″ PF, Exeter (RI) Worcester Academy) is now healthy, and he showed what he can do en route to the all-star game. While he needs to improve his conditioning, the fundamental post moves are certainly there and he rebounded well and followed with a few nice outlet passes. He’s clearly at his best if he gets the ball where he can make a scoring move without putting the ball on the floor, but with some better conditioning he’ll be even more dangerous.

Jamal Coombs, (6′6″ SF, Tilton (NH) School), who like Oriakhi has committed to Connecticut, continued to show that he can do things other than score to help his team. Here, he rebounded well and made a few nice passes. He didn’t shoot it as well as he has before, which has been the case since the start of the spring, but give him credit for not letting it affect other parts of his game.

A couple of frontcourt players who opened some eyes with their play here were Matt Labove (6′9″ PF-C, Shrewsbury (MA) St. John’s HS) and Adrian Satchell (6′6″ SF-PF, Windsor (CT) High). Labove doesn’t stand out, but holds his own inside and at one point made a nice turnaround jumper, while Satchell has a good body and showed a touch from mid-range.

It wasn’t just the bigs who shined from this class, though. Mike Marra (6′5″ SG, Northfield (MA) Mount Hermon) was arguably the best shooter here, constantly hitting in the drills and continuing when he got looks from long range in the games. How he wasn’t selected for the all-star game is beyond this writer. Tyrone Gardner (6′0″ PG, Hartford (CT) Weaver HS) had a solid showing, scoring the ball well and also hitting shots from long range. He went for 26 points in one game. Steven Samuels (6′4″ SG, Windsor (CT) High) is one player who emerged, as he played bigger than his size with some stickbacks and going inside at times. His body still has some maturing to do, so he’s only begun to show what he can do. Gerard Coleman (6′3″ SG, West Roxbury (MA) High) showed his good finishing ability and didn’t shy away from contact. Once he matures and develops a good jumper, he’ll be a more dangerous scorer. Austin Carroll (6′2″ SG, Worcester (MA) Academy) shot the ball well from long range. Billy Baron (6′0″ PG-SG, Warwick (RI) Bishop Hendricken HS) showed no ill effects from a recent ankle injury, shooting the ball well most of the day. The top prospect in Vermont, Candon Rusin (6′3″ SG, Wilmington (VT) Twin Valley HS), shot the ball well from mid-range and long range.

A couple of guards in this class emerged over the course of the day, notably Mike Accaoui (5′10″ PG, Barrington (RI) St. Andrew’s School) and Chris Evans (6′1″ SG, Stamford (CT) High). Both showed that they’ll be worth keeping an eye on as they enter their junior year.

The class of 2010 might contain the best player of the day, as Nate Lubick (6′8″ SF-PF, Southborough (MA) St. Mark’s School) had a terrific showing. He ran the floor very well and showed his high skill level, especially as he shot the ball very well and didn’t miss often. When it’s all said and done, he could be the best player out of New England in this class.

A pair of point guards, Nadir Tharpe (5′11″ PG, Worcester (MA) St. Peter Marian HS) and Mike Rivera (5′10″ PG, Thompson (CT) Marianapolis Prep) impressed, with Tharpe constantly getting in the lane to make plays. Meanwhile, a trio of wings, Denzel Brito (6′1″ SG, Groton (MA) Lawrence Academy), Corey Andrews (6′5″ SF, Waterbury (CT) Sacred Heart HS) and Matt Brown (6′2″ SG, Northfield (MA) Mount Hermon), all showed that they have a bright future. Brito didn’t shoot it as well as we’ve seen him before, but we don’t have to be sold on his scoring ability. Andrews has some maturing to do physically but is athletic, while Brown wasn’t a big name before he shot the ball well in games to get himself noticed more.

Finishing it off, a couple of young players in the class of 2011 showed some promise that will make them worth watching during the next few years. Well-built wing Dominique Bull (6′3″ SG-SF, Ashburnham (MA) Cushing Academy) and combo guard Joe Sharkey (6′2″ PG-SG, Northfield (MA) Mount Hermon) will both start playing at a high level right away in the prep ranks, although Sharkey is a re-classified member of this class.