PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Providence Jam Fest was another well-run tournament by the Hoop Group. It brought teams primarily from the northeast corridor for a good weekend of basketball, with a couple of teams from outside the area coming as well. Friday night’s action took us to Rhode Island College before two days of games at Providence College.
The 15-under championship game saw BABC take an early lead over New Jersey-based Hoop Heaven Heat and gradually build it to double digits late in the first half, going up 28-14 at the break. But Hoop Heaven Heat started the second half on a 12-2 run to make it a ballgame before BABC had an answer. After getting the lead back up near double digits, BABC had to hold on for a 61-57 win. Kamali Bey (6’2″ Fr. SG, Springfield (MA) Sabis Charter School) led BABC with 19 points, while Dominique Bull (Fr. SG, Worcester (MA) Cushing Academy) added 11, including a big three-point play in the final seconds. Alex Mitola (5’9″ Fr. PG, Gladstone (NJ) Gill St. Bernard’s HS) had a game-high 29 points, with seven three-pointers, in the losing effort.
The 16-under championship was a close battle for most of the first half between the Albany City Rocks and Expressions Elite. Albany had a lead for a while, but Expressions grabbed some momentum late in the half and had a 33-26 lead at the half. Down 44-38, the City Rocks rallied with a 9-2 run to take the lead, but it would be short-lived as Expressions scored the next eight points to take the lead for good in a 64-54 win. Alex Murphy (6’8″ Fr. SF, Wakefield (RI) St. Mark’s School) capped a solid playoff run with a game-high 22 points to lead Expressions, while Khem Birch (6’9″ Fr. C, South Kent (CT) School) added 14. Jerrell Scott (6’5″ So. SF, Albany (NY) Bishop Maginn HS) led the City Rocks with 15 points.
Some might have thought the 17-under championship game would be a bit anti-climactic, as the New Jersey Celtics and Boo Williams matched up in the semifinals as arguably the two most talented teams there. The Celtics pulled out a 72-66 win, and in the final they got a good battle from Mass Rivals before pulling away in the second half for a 79-68 win. As was the case all weekend, Kyrie Irving (6’1″ Jr. SG, Elizabeth (NJ) St. Patrick’s HS) and Mike Gilchrist (So. SF, Somerdale (NJ) St. Patrick’s HS) carried the Celtics, this time with 36 and 20 points, respectively. Evan Smotrcyz (6’8″ Jr. SF, Reading (MA) New Hampton Prep) capped off a fine weekend with 22 points to lead Mass Rivals, while Matt Brown (6’2″ Jr. SG, Northfield (MA) Mount Hermon) added 17 to cap a solid weekend as well.
Now, a look at some of the players.
Ike Azotam (6’7″ Sr. PF, Roxbury (MA) John D. O’Bryant HS) Although he has some skills away from the basket and again showed his ability to run the floor, he generally did his work close to the basket. He scored most of his points there, going for 15 points in one game and 16 in another. A mid-major prospect, he’s working hard to qualify for the fall, but prep school seems likely at this point.
Billy Baron (6’1″ Sr. PG-SG, Warwick (RI) Bishop Hendricken HS) Combo guard seems to have found a niche as simply a solid glue guy at either guard, often not really playing like one guard or the other. He doesn’t do anything exceedingly well, but he’s showing a better feel for the game all the time and scored 17 points in each of two games with a combination of jumpers and drives to the basket.
Dimitri Batton (6’2″ Jr. PG-SG, Newport News (VA) Heritage HS) This Old Dominion commit has good size for the point guard spot, although he also played a fair amount off the ball and was effective. He’s athletic and can finish at the basket, and on a team stacked with big-time talent he’s a solid fill-in off the bench.
Kamali Bey (6’3″ Fr. SG, Springfield (MA) Sabis Charter School) A thick power guard, he showed his scoring ability by going for 22 points in the semifinal, then 19 in the championship game. His conditioning will need some work, but the ability is there as he scored on drives, posted up and used the left hand a couple of times as well.
Khem Birch (6’9″ Fr. C, South Kent (CT) School) He’s a baby physically but clearly possesses plenty of potential, and he showed some of it this weekend. He runs the floor well and can be an excellent help-side shot-blocker, while also rebounding mostly from being active. At the offensive end, he’s raw but got a couple of post baskets, as he clearly doesn’t know the game yet. Besides that, he can box out better and also needs to learn to grab loose balls or rebounds more firmly with both hands.
Matthew Bodden (5’7″ Jr. PG, Fall River (MA) Durfee HS) Small point guard was erratic early on, but settled down and played better later. He did well with the drive and dish and has a good upper body, and while he’s not a big scorer he did score 12 in one game and can hit from long range enough that a defense needs to respect it.
Denzel Brito (6’2″ Jr. SG, Groton (MA) Lawrence Academy) With a good weekend here, he closed out a good month of basketball. He showed more of a variety of ways to score, which has been in development, and it showed as he had a couple of nice scoring games from the wing.
Matt Brown (6’2″ Jr. SG, Northfield (MA) Mount Hermon) This weekend was probably his best one, as he was able to string together several good games right in a row. The well-built guard has a mature body and generally let the game come to him, not trying to do too much as he has done on occasion. He made a number of mid-range shots and showed a nice in-between game, not settling for three-pointers or forcing drives that weren’t there, and the results showed that this worked: games of 13 points with three three-pointers, 24, 15, 15 in the semifinals and 17 in the championship.
Taran Buie (6’2″ Jr. SG, Albany (NY) Bishop Maginn HS) A solid athletic scorer, he put up the points again this weekend, posting an 18-point effort and two 22-point outings. While the recent Penn State commit scored in transition and continues to look more like a scorer than a shooter, he did knock down a couple from long range along the way.
Dominique Bull (6’2″ Fr. SG, Worcester (MA) Cushing Academy) Well-built guard came up big a couple of times for his team, scoring six of his 19 points in overtime in the semifinal game, then a big three-point play to seal the championship game.
Luke Cothron (6’8″ Jr. PF, Redspring (NC) Flora McDonald Academy) Active forward is long and capable of making a lot of plays as he has a nose for the ball. Whatever the reason, he didn’t show that consistently this weekend and wasn’t always a factor. He went for 19 points in his team’s tournament-ending loss, a game in which he was a factor and found the ball often.
Joey DeLaRosa (6’10” So. PF-C, Bronx (NY) St. Raymond’s HS) Still a “potential” player, his body has matured appreciably from a year ago. He showed signs of some good post scoring ability as he scored a couple of times when getting it inside, so there’s certainly been some good progress.
Carson Desrosiers (6’11” Jr. PF, Lawrence (MA) Central Catholic HS) Although this long forward showed a few new positives, it also served to raise questions about his reputation. He blocked a few jumpers and poked away a couple of entry passes, but he was far from dominant inside. As has been the case before, he often stayed on the perimeter, where he made enough shots to reach double figures a few times and look the part of a prospect, but his lack of athleticism won’t help, especially defensively.
Andrew Douby (6’3″ Jr. SG, Oakdale (CT) St. Thomas More) We saw his talent a month ago at another Hoop Group event, but here he didn’t look quite as good. He didn’t work to get the ball and then forced shots when he did get it, struggling in his team’s tournament-ending loss. He’s also fairly new to the game, which partly explains it.
Naofall Folahan (6’10” Jr. C, Fitchburg (MA) Notre Dame Prep) Very long post player had a limited role on his team but will get looks because of his body. He’s a baby physically and lacks any touch on close shots, but he blocked a couple of shots and can alter others.
Eric Ferguson (6’7″ Sr. SF, Winchendon (MA) School) Active athlete gave a valiant effort playing a lot of minutes inside, which isn’t where he’s best at. He showed a nice in-between game with some good ball skills, along with a couple of mid-range jump shots, and he’s good in transition with his athleticism. He went for 15 points in each of two games. Mid-major/mid-major plus prospect.
Alex Francis (6’5″ Jr. SF-PF, Plymouth (NH) Holderness Prep) Active forward plays more like an undersized power forward, but is athletic enough to play on the perimeter one day. His game is an in-between game with a lot of close baskets, while he also rebounds and will score in transition. He went for 21 points in his team’s last game.
Mike Gilchrist (6’7″ So. SF, Somerdale (NJ) St. Patrick’s HS) Probably the best sophomore in the country, he’s constantly around the ball and still isn’t very close to his full physical maturity. He’s deadly in transition, both leading and finishing the break, rebounds well at both ends, can hit from long range, and put up some big numbers this weekend that included 28 points in one game and 30 in another. Already a pretty complete player, he still can get better.
Allen Harris (6’4″ Sr. SG, West Roxbury (MA) Catholic Memorial HS) Still a baby physically, this scoring wing knows what he is and that’s what makes him so effective. His jump shot range is steadily expanding, as he’s now a more dangerous three-point shooter, and he’s also unselfish from the wing. He scored well, getting 19 points in one game that included three three-pointers, but his defense also looks like it needs some work. Prep school beckons, as he will be at Suffield Academy next year.
Kyrie Irving (6’1″ Jr. SG, Elizabeth (NJ) St. Patrick’s HS) If there’s a better pure scorer in the country than this guard, we haven’t seen him. All weekend long, he was practically unstoppable, primarily on drives but also from long range as he shot the ball better as the weekend went along. In the playoffs, the stakes were raised and so was his game, as he went for 31 in one game, 42 in another, 31 in the semifinals and 36 in the title game. He’s also not a ball hog, as he made a couple of nice passes on the move and a long pass for a basket on one play. Big-time prospect.
Jordan Laguerre (6’0″ Jr. PG-SG, Manchester (NH) Trinity HS) Until Sunday, there weren’t many better guards here than this well-built guard. He was shooting very well out to three-point range, especially in a big win Saturday night where he hit five from downtown. Then on Sunday, he had nothing left in the tank and struggled, coming up short on some jumpers. Still, he closed out a good month, and with a little better endurance he won’t have another Sunday like this one.
Danny Lawhorn (5’11” Jr. PG, Hartford (CT) Public HS) A recent Boston College commit, this quick point guard is a baby physically, but an unselfish pass-first player. He doesn’t look to score much, instead driving to try to find teammates, and he shows a good feel for the game.
Ricardo Ledo (6’3″ So. SG-SF, Warwick (RI) Bishop Hendricken HS) A baby physically, this athletic wing is an intriguing talent. At times, he rebounded very well from the wing and clearly thrives in the open court, and is more of a scorer than a shooter. He went for 16 points in a playoff game, and though he struggled early from long range he made a couple of shots in the championship game. More mental maturity will be one key to reaching his potential.
Christopher Loftus (6’6″ So. PF, Red Hook (NY) High) An undersized power forward, he has a good body that can still mature more and works inside. He rebounded well and scored some close baskets, and didn’t try to do too much.
Jefferson Lora (6’6″ Jr. PF, Wallingford (CT) Lyman Hall HS) Possessing a good post body, this undersized power forward was active on the glass and around the ball often. He didn’t put up big scoring numbers but was constantly involved in plays and a factor in games. He’s committed to Central Connecticut State.
Nate Lubick (6’8″ Jr. PF, Southborough (MA) St. Mark’s School) Continuing to show improvement, the Georgetown-bound forward had another solid weekend that included games of scoring 17, 23 and 21 points. He continues to be a tough inside player, and evidence of better conditioning came as he got fast break baskets after he was in the mix for a rebound and simply out-ran most of the other team.
Majok Majok (6’8″ Jr. PF, South Kent (CT) School) Well-built post player has a mature body and works inside. He’s aggressive at both ends and scored 20 points in a big win on Saturday night.
Allan Marshall (6’6″ Sr. PF, Brooklyn (NY) Progressive Christian Academy) An undersized power forward, he rebounded well and got some baskets in close. His ball skills leave something to be desired and make it clear he’s not a wing, and although he’ll get to the foul line his free throws left something to be desired as well.
Kendall Marshall (6’4″ Sr. PG, Dumfries (VA) Bishop O’Connell HS) Lefty point guard ran the show capably, occasionally getting his offense in the flow. Although he passes well on the move, he looked to be a little too reliant on the jump pass and got himself into trouble a couple of times when he left his feet to make a pass. Big-time prospect has committed to North Carolina.
Paris Massey (6’8″ Sr. PF-C, Boston (MA) English HS) A long post player, he’s flown very much under the radar but has some good ability. He boxes out well inside and rebounds at both ends, getting a few stickbacks, is active and doesn’t try to be what he isn’t. He made a few close shots and a short jumper, scoring nicely one time while being held. Foul trouble hurt him in one game. Low-major Division I prospect is qualified academically but may prep next year.
Luke Matarazzo (5’9″ Jr. PG, Farmington (CT) Choate Rosemary Hall) Small point guard helped his team advance in the playoff round with some good play, including off the bench. He didn’t shine, but was effective, and he also turned in what might have been the play of the tournament when he finished a fast break by putting up a difficult reverse layup with his body at an odd angle to ward off a potential shot-blocker.
James McAdoo (6’8″ So. SF, Norfolk (VA) Christian HS) Although he had a limited role on his stacked team, he showed big-time potential as he’s athletic with good size. He has a slight frame and his body will still mature more, and he reached double figures in a couple of games.
Samir McDaniel (6’3″ So. SG, Roxbury (MA) New Mission HS) Well-built guard has some talent but also needs work in several areas. He plays bigger than his size and will get his share of rebounds, and he’s not afraid to go inside to try to score against taller players. On the down side, he could stand to improve his dribble and learn to dribble right before finishing, as he looked awkward a couple of times when he caught the ball too far away to not dribble but went up without doing so.
Travis McKie (6’7″ Jr. SF, Richmond (VA) John Marshall HS) Active athlete finds a way to score, as he doesn’t do any one thing exceedingly well except play the game. A recent Wake Forest commit, he reached double figures at least three times and was constantly a factor while in the game.
Louis Montes (6’4″ Sr. SF, Brockton (MA) High) Arguably the best high school player in Massachusetts this year, he went up against some tougher competition and was exposed this weekend. He’s active and can rebound from the wing, and though his body isn’t there yet he’s not a baby physically, but he lost the ball too easily and foul trouble hurt him in a game on Saturday. Prep school beckons next year.
Nick Moore (6’5″ Jr. SF, Haddonfield (NJ) Paul VI HS) A wing with a good body and some athleticism, he had a couple of solid scoring games as he went for 16 in a pool play game and 20 in the playoffs. Although it didn’t look like his forte, he did show a little range on his jumper.
Alex Murphy (6’8″ Fr. SF, Wakefield (RI) St. Mark’s School) Simply put, there wasn’t a better player in the 16-under division. All day Sunday, he was deadly in transition whether leading or finishing the break as he ran the floor well, and he hit a variety of shots on the move either getting to the basket or the nice runner he hit in the semifinal game. At one point, he took over the semifinal game once he entered. He did show some issues boxing out, but he looks ready to blossom after having a limited role on a team stacked with upperclassmen during the season.
Shabazz Napier (5’9″ So. PG, Charlestown (MA) Lawrence Academy) This weekend didn’t bring about anything new from this undersized gunner, although there were some “what if” moments. He put up some scoring numbers from making shots, but he also took plenty of shots that didn’t go and were not in the flow of the offense, often without making a single pass. A few times, he made a very nice pass to a teammate, which would leave an observer thinking of the floor leader he could be if he could just do that a little more.
Nerlens Noel (6’9″ Fr. C, Everett (MA) High) Long post player is a baby physically with plenty of potential. As one might expect from looking at him, he can block and alter shots inside, but he also rebounded well. At the offensive end, he knocked down a couple of mid-range shots, but his post game is a ways away as he’ll travel with the ball when he gets it inside.
Joe O’Shea (6’4″ Jr. SG, Burlington (VT) High) Known primarily for his shooting, the lefty guard made a few nice scores off the bounce over the weekend. That’s not likely to become his forte, but if he can do that to complement his shooting, he’ll certainly be tougher to guard.
Tyler Olander (6’8″ Jr. PF, Storrs (CT) E.O. Smith HS) Lefty post player showed some improving range on his jump shot, which goes well with his post game. He went for 19 points in one game and 10 in another, scoring inside and including a nice stickback on one play. Next year, he will attend Worcester Academy.
Chase Plummer (6’6″ Jr. PF, Elizabeth (NJ) St. Patrick’s HS) A solid glue guy, he’s an undersized power forward with a good body. Capable of running the floor, he took contact and complemented the two studs on his team en route to a championship.
Preye Preboye (6’5″ Sr. SF, Springfield (MA) Winchendon School) A well-built athlete, he’s very aggressive and effort is never a question, but his game is very rough around the edges. The lefty doesn’t have the best ball skills and is limited with ways he can score, but he’ll get points from being active and finding the ball.
Will Regan (6’8″ Jr. PF, Buffalo (NY) Nichols School) You could hardly find a better player for much of Saturday than this warrior of a post player. Constantly battling inside, he knows what he is and does his work inside, although he did step out and hit a couple of three-pointers. But give him credit for not falling in love with that once he hit a couple. Besides putting up scoring efforts that included 26 and 24 points, he rebounded well and was never out-worked.
Mike Rivera (5’11” Sr. PG, Fall River (MA) Durfee HS) While his main position is the point, he played off the ball a fair amount and shot the ball well off the catch. He had four three-pointers en route to 18 points on Friday, but on Saturday he had a tougher time with the physical nature of the game against a stronger player. Prep school beckons next year.
Ryan Romich (6’5″ Jr. SF, West Groton (MA) Groton-Dunstable HS) He hasn’t fared as well in events like this as he did in the Massachusetts AAU last year, but he showed some signs of progress this weekend. An excellent student, his body is getting better and he let the game come to him more, and a highlight was a nice reverse layup he made on one play.
Lamont Samuels (6’3″ Jr. SG, Brooklyn (NY) Boys and Girls HS) In a pool play game we saw, he constantly drove to the basket to score with good success. In going for 17 points, he used his good body and above-average quickness to his advantage.
Jermaine Sanders (6’4″ So. SG-SF, New York (NY) Rice HS) Athletic wing has a good lower body and the tools to be a nice player. He’s very left-handed but has some range on his jump shot.
Jerrell Scott (6’5″ So. SF, Albany (NY) Bishop Maginn HS) Athletic wing has a thin upper body, but doesn’t let that stop him from going to the basket. He drove inside and scored even with contact, and as he gets stronger he’ll be even tougher to stop on the go.
Evan Smotrcyz (6’8″ Jr. SF, Reading (MA) New Hampton Prep) Continuing to let the game come to him, this recent Michigan commit had a solid weekend helping his team to the championship game. He knocked down shots all weekend long out to long range, including the game-winning three-pointer in the semifinal game, and was consistently in double digits in scoring. We also liked one play where he dove on the floor for a loose ball and then fed a teammate up the court for an easy basket.
Jaymie Spears (5’9″ So. PG, Georgetown (MA) High) Small point guard helped lead his team to the final, capably running the show. Also a good football player, he has a good motor and is not afraid to go inside where the trees are. He’s not known for his scoring, but reached double figures twice with 11 in one game and 12 in another. Next year, he will re-classify and attend St. Mark’s.
Tyler Strange (5’10” So. PG, (MA) Cushing Academy) Steady floor leader didn’t try to do too much, and that’s a big reason his team took home the 16-under title. He has a mature body, and besides running the show with good point guard instincts he made several big defensive plays in the title game.
Kaleb Tarczewski (6’10” So. C, Claremont (NH) Stevens HS) A baby physically, this big man’s game is currently rough around the edges. He can run the floor and got a few baskets inside, but at the defensive end he’ll need the most work as he’s too aggressive at times and had some foul trouble and also isn’t a good shot-blocker, as he takes swipes that might block some shots but will also get him called for fouls. He has a chance, and next year he will re-classify while attending St. Mark’s.
Jules Tavares (6’2″ So. SG, Wareham (MA) High) A nice athlete who showed some potential as a defender, he’s content being one of the glue guys and it fits the way he plays. Here, he did little things, as he didn’t reach double figures in scoring, but certainly helped his team win. Next season, he will re-classify and attend the Tilton School.
Naadir Tharpe (6’0″ So. PG, Worcester (MA) Brewster Academy) Wrapping up a good month of April, this quick guard continued to show an ability to get in the lane and find teammates. A couple of times, it was a nice wrap-around pass, while he also looked to score a couple of times as well. The latter point can’t be underestimated because he has looked a little too unselfish at times and turned the ball over.
Corey Wright, Jr. (5’10” Jr. PG, Pawtucket (RI) Marianapolis Prep) Lefty point guard did well with the drive and dish, and also finished a couple of times when he got in the lane. He’s able to go to his right, which he did a couple of times, and while he’s played better this wasn’t a bad showing.
Other players who caught our attention:
Macam Bak (6’8″ Fr. PF, Newton (MA) North HS)
Andre Dawkins (6’5″ Jr. SG-SF, Chesapeake (VA) Atlantic Shores HS)
Phil Gaetano (5’10” Jr. PG, Wallingford (CT) Mark T. Sheehan HS)
Nate Gause (6’3″ So. SG, Poughkeepsie (NY) High)
J.J. Moore (6’6″ Jr. SF, Brentwood (NY) High)
Isaiah Roberts (6’0″ Jr. SG, Woodbury (NJ) High)
Jared Roberts (6’0″ Jr. SG, Woodbury (NJ) High)
Anthony Taylor (6’2″ Jr. SG, Pennsauken (NJ) APEX Academy)
Davon Whitaker (5’8″ Jr. PG, Poughkeepsie (NY) High)
Joel Wright (6’6″ Jr. SF, Brooklyn (NY) Thomas Jefferson HS)
