National Prep Showcase – Saturday Notes

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Day two of the National Prep Showcase featured the best game of the event to this point, along with a game that was better than many might have expected.  While a couple of blowouts were among the results, overall the games were quite competitive.  With that, here’s a look back at the second day.  Six more games are on tap to close it out on Sunday.

Saturday Scoreboard

Lee (ME) Academy 91, Woodstock (VA) Massanutten Military Academy 74

Oakdale (CT) St. Thomas More 78, Fork Union (VA) Military Academy 67

Chatham (VA) Hargrave Military Academy 80, North Bridgton (ME) Bridgton Academy 57

Winchendon (MA) School 79, Charlotte (NC) Mack Academy 77

New Hampton (NH) Prep 79, Newark (NJ) NIA School 70

Fitchburg (MA) Notre Dame Prep 75, Montreal (Que.) Champlain St. Lambert 67

Wolfeboro (NH) Brewster Academy 84, Worcester (MA) Academy 79

Pittsfield (ME) Maine Central Institute 81, Kiski (PA) School 44

Honor Roll

Vaughn Allen, Lee Academy: 16 points, 11 rebounds

Billy Baron, Worcester Academy: 22 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals

Khem Birch, Winchendon: 15 points on 6-8 shooting, 9 rebounds, 3 blocked shots

Thomas Bropleh, New Hampton Prep: 14 points, 12 rebounds

Yann Charles, Champlain St. Lambert: 23 points, 9 rebounds

Colton Christian, Hargrave Military Academy: 13 points, 12 rebounds

C.J. Fair, Brewster Academy: 15 points on 7-10 shooting, 10 rebounds

Ron Giplaye, Notre Dame Prep: 16 points on 7-11 shooting, 12 rebounds

Calvin Newell, Mack Academy: 37 points, 5 assists, 4 steals

Steve Roundtree, Maine Central Institute: 27 points on 11-16 shooting

Chance Rucker, Massanutten Military Academy: 25 points including 5-7 on three-pointers

Best Game Thus Far Goes to Winchendon

The best game of the event to this point has to be Winchendon’s 79-77 win over Mack Academy on Saturday afternoon.  It was a game whose second half was a dandy, and also featured some individual matchups and performances worth noting.

Winchendon led by 10 at halftime, but Mack Academy came alive early in the second half and turned it into a back-and-forth game.  It remained that way right up to the end, where Mack Academy had two free throws with one second left and both were missed with the rebound tipping away from everyone.

Mack Academy’s Calvin Newell (6′1″ Sr. PG, Wallingford (PA)) had the best individual performance to this point, going for 37 points on 13-20 shooting, including 5-9 from long range.  He made numerous big baskets, some of which came with off-balance shots like a deep three-pointer with the shot clock about to expire, a fade-away three-pointer, and never stopped competing.  There was plenty of buzz about him in the gym and a mystery about his recruitment.  With his body, competitiveness and ability, he’s a high-major prospect.

Winchendon’s own tough point guard, Anthony Ireland, had a fine game and took his turn guarding him, but couldn’t stop him.  On a few plays, another with a great competitive streak, Devon Saddler (6′2″ Sr. SG, Aberdeen (MD)), guarded him with a little more success.  Saddler tied for team-high scoring honors with 15 points.

But as much as the guard matchups grabbed attention, several key plays came from a big man, as Khem Birch (6′9″ So. PF-C, Pierrefonds (Que.)) had several stickbacks in the final minutes.  Seven of Birch’s nine rebounds were on the offensive end, and he had 15 points on 6-8 shooting to go along with three blocked shots.  His body is starting to develop more, so he’s barely begun to scratch the surface of his potential.

Winchendon once again had good balance as five players were in double figures and none scored more than 15 points.  It helped them win over a team that had just two players in double figures, but also a team that grabbed some attention.  Mack Academy was a mystery to many coming in, but acquitted themselves well despite going 0-2.  And they, along with Winchendon, gave observers the best game of the event thus far.

Role Player Shines in New Hampton’s Win

New Hampton Prep has a few players that most figure will lead the way.  There’s Michigan-bound Evan Smotrcyz (6′9″ Sr. SF, Reading (MA)), who has improved greatly since coming to the school over a year ago, along with recent Rhode Island signee Kyle Cain (6′7″ Sr. SF-PF, Chicago (IL)) and Jordan Laguerre (6′1″ Jr. SG, Manchester (NH)), who entered the school fresh off a solid spring and summer.  Brady Heslip (6′1″ Sr. PG-SG, Burlington (Ont.)), who is headed to Boston College and had 19 points but was just 6-17 from the field, also comes up in conversation.  But in their 79-70 win over NIA Prep, it was an unknown from the Mountain time zone who had perhaps the best stat line.

Thomas Bropleh (6′5″ Sr. SF-PF, Denver (CO)) has some things going for him.  He has a solid, mature body and is athletic, and effort isn’t a concern.  There is always a place for such a player no matter who surrounds him.  But he’s not the most polished basketball player, so a good statistical game doesn’t figure to be his forte.

Bropleh had a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds, constantly around the ball at both ends and playing bigger, which he is capable of.  He also went 1-3 from behind the arc, a good sign considering his ideal position at the next level is the small forward spot.

Short-Handed Worcester Academy Gives Brewster a Game

Already without injured forward Tyler Olander (6′9″ Jr. PF, Mansfield (CT)), Worcester Academy also had to hold out Robert Gilchrist (6′8″ Sr. SF-PF, London (England)), who impressed during open gyms in recent months.  That wasn’t a good sign as they prepared to go up against a loaded Brewster Academy team, but the Hilltoppers gave them all they could handle before succumbing.

Several players helped the Hilltoppers hang around.  Billy Baron (6′2″ Sr. PG-SG, East Greenwich (RI)) had a game-high 22 points and nine rebounds, making several key shots although it wasn’t his best night shooting the ball (10-22 from the field).  Canaan Severin (6′3″ So. SG-SF, Marlboro (MA)) had 16 points and nine rebounds, competing as he usually does and knocking down two three-point shots.  Severin is continuing to get better at the offensive end.  Pat Ackerman (6′10″ Jr. C, Rutland (MA)) played well with 12 points on 6-9 shooting before his lack of stamina caught up with him, then he later picked up a dumb technical foul that landed him on the bench for the rest of the night.

Brewster got a well-balanced attack from its five starters, who were all in double figures.  Syracuse signee C.J. Fair (6′7″ Sr. SF, Baltimore (MD)) had the only double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Iowa State-bound Melvin Ejim (6′6″ Sr. SF, Brampton (Ont.)) had 17 points and nine rebounds and Will Barton (6′6″ Sr. SG, Baltimore (MD)) had 14 points and four assists.

Other Notes

• Quinnipiac-bound Dominique Langston (6′3″ Sr. SG) had a fine game for St. Thomas More in their victory, going for 16 points and four steals. Langston was dangerous in transition all game long and finished well.

• Although the numbers weren’t gaudy like they were on Friday, North Carolina State signee Lorenzo Brown (6′5″ Sr. PG-SG, Roswell (GA)) impressed with his all-around game. He had 10 points and five assists with one turnover, and was a key cog in Hargrave’s easy win over Bridgton Academy.

• Alexander Harris (6′1″ Sr. PG-SG) looked good for Bridgton Academy with what he can do, but it’s admittedly hard to get past part of his stat line for the day: he had 11 points but on 4-16 shooting.

• Steve Roundtree (6′7″ Sr. SF, Jacksonville (FL)), who played at The Patterson School last year and was in this event, rode a big second half to his 27-point total on Saturday night. He scored in several ways, including a three-pointer and putting back his own miss in addition to some transition baskets.