MANSFIELD, Mass. – Boston Trinity Academy has been on a roll the past two years. In that time, Rick Linet’s team has posted a 55-6 record playing in Class D of NEPSAC. This season’s team, which has four players from outside the United States to go with mostly Boston kids, will look to keep that going, and they have the personnel to do it.
Native Serbian Velkjo Lukic (6’6″ Sr. SF) looks to be this team’s vocal leader. He has good intangibles and a good motor, and he’s not lacking in the skill department. His body isn’t there yet and he has a slight frame, and his feel for the game can get better. The biggest area for improvement is shooting, and it’s not his stroke as that looks fine, but so many shots he took at Saturday’s workout, as has been the case before, were ones he settled for, and his percentage suffers for it. He has some upside, especially if he ever improves his shot selection.
The other senior on the team, Kadeem Wint (6’8″ Sr. C), has shown a nice improvement since the end of last season. Blessed with a college-ready body, he lacked a motor and didn’t get much done on the court, but that is no longer the case. At Saturday’s workout, he showed more life and battled more inside, and was much more of a factor than he had been. His post moves could still use improvement and he’s not the quickest making a move, and he put the ball on the floor unnecessarily a couple of times, but those can come in time.
A newcomer in the frontcourt is Elijah Okagbare (6’7″ So. PF), who was at Charlestown High last season. Long and blessed with a seven-foot wingspan, he’s very raw with a jump shot that starts with him bringing the ball almost behind his head. While not the most fluid athlete yet, he is above average athletically and is far from mature physically. He can score in close, although he doesn’t appear ready to be a double-digit scorer just yet.
Tevin Montgomery (6’5″ Fr. PF) is also on the roster, but did not work out on Saturday due to injury.
The wealth of guards starts with Lutheurson Bonheur (6’0″ Jr. PG), the clear floor leader. His body isn’t there yet, but he’s tough and will take contact all game long. Since the spring, he has made nice strides, and while his jumper is still an area for improvement, he did knock down a long two-point shot on Saturday.
The best prospect on the team might be Canadian import Rodell Wigginton (6’3″ So. SG-SF). While in Nova Scotia, Wigginton often played inside, and it’s not hard to tell when you see how active on the glass he can be. He’s athletic with a good body and competes all day, as he was constantly around the ball at both ends and might have been the leading rebounder on the day. He also got a nice block on a fast break and got out in transition a few times. While his jumper looked shaky, that got overshadowed by how much he made happen while on the court.
Another Canadian import, Kayon Mayers (6’1″ Jr. SG), has some physical gifts but his body isn’t there yet. Like Wigginton, he played a little out of position before, and Linet is hoping to work him over to being more natural at the shooting guard spot.
Keylin Haye (6’0″ Jr. PG-SG) had some good moments on the day, and classmate Kadeem Thompson (6’0″ Jr. PG-SG) is the other Canadian import who will be in the mix. They also have Ricky Smith (5’11” So. PG) and a pair of freshmen, Bumi Muhammed (5’10” Fr. PG) and Zach Petion (5’9″ Fr. PG), on the roster.
Boston Trinity has another strong team, and one that has experience playing with one another. The holdovers have made strides and a couple of newcomers seem poised to make an impact right away. Add in the wealth of guards, always important at this level, and they look ready to have another big year.
