WORCESTER, Mass. – The pattern at Worcester Academy of late has been simple: high-quality kids who won’t bowl you over with talent, will probably win a game or two they shouldn’t but also lose a game or two they shouldn’t. You can add in that effort won’t be a question and usually the players have a solid basketball I.Q.
The 2009-10 edition doesn’t appear to deviate much from it, although it is a younger group. While there are five post-graduates on the team, there is not a true senior, four juniors and a sophomore. Another similarity is the concentration of players from nearby: five from Massachusetts, one from Rhode Island and one from Connecticut.
At Sunday’s open gym, the seating area had plenty of college coaches, several of whom were paying close attention to Tyler Olander (6’9″ Jr. SF-PF, Mansfield (CT)), who also had several family members present. A big summer saw his recruitment go up a notch, and the move to Worcester doesn’t hurt since he will repeat his junior year. It’s clear he has worked on going to his right (off) hand, as on several occasions he drove to the basket and finished with the right hand. There’s still room for improvement on his dribble, as well as shot selection, the latter of which was a prime reason he didn’t make a lot of his three-point shots. He’s continuing to be aggressive, and once he learns not to settle for some of the jumpers he takes, he’ll make a higher percentage from long range.
Another impressive frontcourt player is London native Robert Gilchrist (6’8″ Sr. SF-PF). Possessing a good body that can still get better, he’s athletic and shot the ball very well early on, seemingly never missing from long range until later in the day. Active and around the ball often, he’s athletic and has a lot of tools at his disposal at the offensive end as he can also post up. He will take contact and continue playing, and right now his in-between game leaves something to be desired, but he’s an intriguing talent.
Another frontcourt player who returns this season is Pat Ackerman (6’11” Jr. C, Rutland (MA)). After playing limited minutes on a senior-laden team last year, he should get more minutes, and not just because he’s a year older and the team is younger. During the spring and summer, he showed more signs of coming along as a player, and although Sunday wasn’t his finest outing, he had some good moments and was better when he stayed inside at the offensive end.
Russell Deremer (6’6″ Sr. SF, Wrentham (MA)) comes to the school for a post-grad year after playing at St. Andrew’s in Rhode Island. The lefty had a tough go of it on Sunday as he struggled shooting the ball at the offensive end. He has a mature body and is getting some Division I interest.
The backcourt will be led by Billy Baron (6’2″ Sr. PG-SG, Warwick (RI)), although they will be without him for a while as he’s sidelined with a broken hand. While that’s never a development to wish on anyone, it’s especially tough because Baron was really on a roll in the spring and summer. When he comes back, he should be the team leader as he appears ready to have a big year, much like his brother had at the school several years ago.
The guard who caught the attention of many on Sunday is Christophe Varidel (6’2″ Sr. SG, Geneva (Switzerland)), who put on a show from long range. On a couple of occasions, he made a four-point play as he was fouled on a three-pointer, and he also knocked down a mid-range shot off the dribble. He isn’t 100 percent, as a hamstring injury from a couple of months ago is still bothering him, but he’s a lot closer and certainly looked it; he admitted it was frustrating that he had difficulty running well at times. He has a good body that can still mature more, and as the injury heals more fully he’ll be able to run better.
The other import on this team is Olivier Paul Betu (6’1″ Jr. PG, Montreal (Quebec)). A quick point guard with a small body, he had a tough day as he couldn’t finish a few times when he got to the basket. Late in the workout, however, he opened a few eyes when he came in alone and dunked, and at times he was a pest at the defensive end. There’s no question the physical gifts are there, and he got out in transition a good deal as well.
One key player isn’t going far from home to attend the school, and he’s a big-time competitor. Canaan Severin (6’3″ So. SF, Marlborough (MA)) thought long and hard about whether to come this year or do one more year at Marlborough before making the jump, ultimately deciding to go this year. It’s appropriate to say he’s built like a football player, as he’s also a wide receiver and cornerback on the football team. While he did what he normally does in keeping his motor running the entire time, he also got out in transition often and finished several times, including one time where he went coast to coast for a layup.
Adam Smith-Butts (6’3″ Sr. SG-SF, Woodbridge (VA)) is similar to Severin although not as good a basketball player. He’s a well-built athlete and competes hard all the time, as he rebounded well on the day and generally plays bigger. Offensively, he had a tough go of it on the day, although he did knock down a three-pointer among the limited shots he took.
Two hometown kids, Josh Peter (5’10” Jr. PG, Worcester (MA)) and Sean Collins-Sullivan (5’10” Sr. PG, Worcester (MA)), are also available in the backcourt mix.
With the youth on the team, this year’s Hilltoppers will look more like the team of two years ago than last season. Since that team managed to make the NEPSAC Class A Tournament, this year’s team should be viewed as one that can sneak up on teams.
