New England Elite 75 Frosh/Soph Player Notes

BOSTON – The second annual New England Elite 75 Frosh/Soph Edition gave us a look at much of the younger talent in the region.  An interesting note is that although guards often dominate an event like this, there were many wings and post players that caught our attention on the day.  The event was split up by class, with freshmen playing the first half of the day and sophomores coming in for the latter half of the day.

Without further adieu, here are notes on some of the players we saw.

Nathaniel Anderson (6′6″ Fr. SF-PF, Roxbury (MA) New Mission HS) A forward with good size, he at first looks like a post player but is athletic enough to play on the wing down the road.  He ran the floor and was active, getting after it at both ends and making himself a factor.  In a setting like this, that’s how the bigger players make an impact since guards tend to dominate the play.

Jahvaney Beckford (6′1″ So. SG, Manchester (CT) Cheney Tech) An athletic guard with a mature body for his age, he showed good potential as he was around the ball often.  While he looks like he’s more of a scorer, he also showed a little mid-range touch off the dribble.  A notable area for improvement is his dribble, especially since he looks like more of a scorer than a shooter.

Kamali Bey (6′3″ So. SG-SF, Springfield (MA) Sabis Charter School) The well-built wing showed once again what he’s shown before: he knows how to score and will put up points.  He looks more athletic and to be in better shape, although he could still improve in both areas, but he has a good frame and knows how to use his body.

Aaron Calixte (5′10″ Fr. PG, Stoughton (MA) High) A baby physically, he already has excellent physical gifts that should help him make an impact right away.  When he penetrates, he’s tough to deal with, as he can finish with both hands and passed well on the move.  Although he’s small, he didn’t look afraid to work inside as he also went in and got a stickback.

Kahlil Dukes (5′10″ Fr. PG, Hartford (CT) Capital Prep) A point guard with some quickness and the ability to score on drives, he showed promise save for a jumper that didn’t look good.  On the bright side there, he did come alive late from long range.

Stephen Edmonds (5′7″ So. PG, Hartford (CT) Capital Prep) A quick and aggressive guard, he competes every second of the game at both ends of the floor.  He was around the ball and fearlessly drove to the basket to try to make plays.  The big question is if he will grow more, as his size could be a hindrance down the road.

Adam Ek (5′9″ Fr. PG, Saco (ME) Thornton Academy) He flew a little under the radar for a lot of the day, but earned his way into the all-star game and showed he belonged there.  While he won’t bowl you over with physical gifts, he got to the basket and finished capably with both hands.

Matthew Ellis (5′10″ So. PG, Westford (MA) Academy) A plus athlete, he has some physical maturity but his body isn’t there yet.  He impressed with a nice spin move on a drive that led to a layup, and will be worth keeping an eye on.

Jake Fay (6′4″ Fr. SG, Lynn (MA) Brimmer & May School) A baby physically, he showed as he has before that he has a lot of upside and shot the ball well from long range, especially in the all-star game.

Dimitri Floras (6′0″ Fr. SG, Merrimack (NH) High) Early on, he wasn’t playing his best, but he got better as the day went along and got into the all-star game.  The thing he does best is shoot, but he looks more comfortable with the ball in his hands each time out and this day was no exception.

Ramon Gibbons (6′0″ Fr. SG, Charlestown (MA) High) His talent is undeniable, especially offensively, but there are some clear areas for development going forward – areas where he clearly is a freshman.  He scored often, including shooting the ball well out as far as the three-point line, and it looked almost effortless at times.  That’s also the problem, because he didn’t seem to play as hard as he could and seemed to be leaving something on the table.  He could have gone by a defender several times but didn’t, and there were a few times he didn’t get back on defense.  The talent is there, but will the desire for improvement and reaching his potential be there as well?

Egi Gjikondi (6′8″ Fr. PF, Malden (MA) Cushing Academy) It was a given that he can score, as he’s already established that he’ll put up points with a lot of close baskets.  But the big development here was that he showed signs of becoming a presence defensively and on the glass, which are the main areas for improvement.  He mad a few too many jump passes for our liking, but all in all his play on this day represented a step forward.

Braxton Gulley-Mabry (6′3″ Fr. PF, Arlington (MA) High) At first, his body will jump out at you as he has a big body for his size.  But once the game starts, his nose for the ball will be more noticeable, as he was constantly around the ball and made a number of plays.  He showed the ability to score on the post and get stickbacks, and he has some length.  Not all of his weight is good weight, but based on what he showed there’s plenty of potential if he improves his conditioning.

Dana Hines (6′7″ So. PF-C, Concord (MA) Concord-Carlisle HS) Well-built post player will grab attention with his body, although not all of his weight is good.  The lefty also doesn’t have much of a feel for the game and tended to force bad shots, but he ran the floor reasonably well for his size.

Tyrese Hoxter (6′3″ So. SG, Turner (ME) Leavitt Area HS) Lefty guard showed some nice ability to finish near the hoop, as he was able to score in transition and later showed that he can go to and finish with the right hand.  There was a lowlight, when he drove in on a fast break and made a foolish between-the-legs pass that missed a teammate badly instead of taking the easy layup he had.

Kuran Iverson (6′7″ Fr. SF-PF, Hartford (CT) Northwest Catholic HS) Arguably the best player in the gym, he has a world of potential.  He’s long and athletic, with long strides when running and even driving to the basket, and he scored both on drives and shooting from long range.  While he knocked down several three-pointers, he also tended to settle for jumpers and has a high dribble that he’ll need to improve.

Tim Jackson, Jr. (6′4″ So. SG-SF, Danbury (CT) High) Athletic wing is barely past being a baby physically, so there’s some good upside in that respect.  He has some length and finished well when he got to the basket, and the ball skills are good right now but will need some work.  Defensively, he reached in a lot instead of using his physical gifts and fundamentals.

Kaleb Joseph (6′1″ Fr. PG, Nashua (NH) South HS) Quick and shifty point guard continued to show a pass-first mentality and the ability to drive and dish to a teammate.  He has enough scoring ability to keep defenses honest right now and should get better since he’s not done growing yet.

Akosa Maduegbunam (6′3″ So. SG-SF, Charlestown (MA) High) Athletic wing is well-built and showed some good skills at the offensive end.  He knocked down jumpers without settling and also got a couple of field goals on drives, and defensively he boxed out well to rebound from the wing, which is always a plus.

Timmance McKinney (6′1″ Fr. SG, Milton (MA) High) A baby physically, he was one of the best guards among the freshmen here.  He’s skilled and athletic and was deadly when he drove to the basket as he scored on a big man and showed the ability to finish with his left (off) hand.

Georges Niang (6′7″ So. PF, Methuen (MA) Tilton School) A post player with a mature body, he didn’t put up big points but had some good moments.  He’ll be counted on for more with his school team this year, so plays like the pick and roll he finished nicely late in the day will be needed on a regular basis.

Elijah Okagbare (So. PF-C, Charlestown (MA) Boston Trinity Academy) His body and game both have a ways to go, but what he did here indicates that he has about as much upside as almost any player in the event.  He’s long and has a good motor, and will occasionally show something on offense like the baseline turnaround jumper in one game, but where he shined was running the floor and getting a number of stickbacks as a result.

Goodluck Okonboh (6′7″ Fr. PF, Boston (MA) Tilton School) The cousin of Connecticut freshman Alex Oriakhi, the comparisons will be inevitable over the next few years for more reasons than the family tie.  He’s long and has some good fundamentals, although he’s quite raw overall, and like Oriakhi there may even be a question as to whether he has a killer instinct.  While he played well more than just in spots, you get the feeling he could have dominated if he wanted to.

John Powell (6′5″ So. SF-PF, Ashland (MA) High) The lefty forward continues to look better every time out.  He earned his way to the all-star game by running the floor and being active.

Kamari Robinson (6′4″ Fr. SF, Springfield (MA) Central HS) Active wing had a nose for the ball and made himself a factor all day.  Athletic and with a good body, he has some length and can score, showing the ability to finish with his left hand along the way.

Wayne Selden (6′3″ Fr. PG-SG, Roxbury (MA) John D. O’Bryant HS) Built like a tank, there’s a lot of potential in this young man but also some questions.  He’s athletic and skilled enough to play any perimeter spot and his body can still get better physically.  He loved the no-look pass as he made a few of those and can handle the ball, but doesn’t always make the right decision and you get the feeling he’s leaving something on the table with how he plays.

Jacquille Taylor (6′8″ Fr. PF-C, Cambridge (MA) Rindge & Latin) Every time out, this long post player looks a little better, especially with his post offense although that figures to be a work in progress for a while.  He ran the floor better and showed a better jump hook along with a nice mid-range shot off the catch on one play, and he’s using his length better on defense.  Offensively, he could make a quick improvement by slowing down when he gets the ball, as he seems to try to make the move and put the shot up all in the same motion and thus looks awkward even though some shots go in.

Kevin Trotman (6′4″ So. SF, Watertown (CT) Taft School) A wing with a good body, he showed some good scoring ability with several options.  His ball skills could use improvement, but he was able to score close to the basket and on one play made a nice drive and reverse layup.

Johnnie Vassar (5′8″ Fr. PG, Marlborough (MA) Hillside School) A baby physically, this lefty guard clearly has some good upside.  He was effective when driving, finishing when he got to the basket and able to go to his right.

Rodell Whittington (6′3″ So. SG-SF, Hyde Park (MA) Boston Trinity Academy) If there was one highlight that stood out, it was probably his fast break dunk that got his entire team up out of their seats late in the day.  But that’s only the beginning; as was the case when we saw him with his team a week earlier, the athletic wing was active, ran the floor and showed a lot of potential if he continues to work on his skills.  He didn’t just score in transition, as he knocked down a three-pointer and scored posting up a defender.

Other players who caught our attention and we will want to see more of:

Riyadh Asad (Fr. PG, West Springfield (MA) High)

Aaron Bartley (Fr. G, Trumbull (CT) Christian Heritage)

Chris Braley (6′3″ So. SG, Newport (ME) Nokomis HS)

Cane Broome (5′8″ Fr. PG, East Hartford (CT) High)

Edson Dascy (6′1″ Fr. SG, Fall River (MA) Bishop Connolly HS)

Da’Quan Grant (6′0″ So. PG-SG, Oakdale (CT) St. Thomas More)

Zach Karalis (6′2″ So. SG, North Andover (MA) High)

Zachary Lewis (6′1″ So. SG, Hartford (CT) Northwest Catholic HS)

Tevin Montgomery (6′5″ Fr. SF-PF, Hyde Park (MA) Boston Trinity Academy)

Colin Richey (6′0″ Fr. PG, Whitinsville (MA) Christian School)

Cornelius Tyson (6′1″ Fr. PG, Springfield (MA) Central HS)