A Great Field For Hoop Mountain Super Week II
EASTON, Mass. – The month of July is upon us, and that means camps are in full swing at first. Team tournaments follow, but we start with camps, and that included Hoop Mountain’s Super Week II, held at Stonehill College.
The event this year had some of the best talent it has seen in a long time. Composed primarily of New England players, it was also host to some talent from Canada, and was full of prospects who will one day play college ball, including at the scholarship level. Helping is that the class of 2009, while fairly non-descript nationally, looks good in New England, and the younger talent at this event caught the attention of coaches and observers as well.
Among the college coaches, there were several Division I coaches, including head coaches from some Ivy and Patriot League schools. Some are sure to be back soon for Hoop Mountain’s next event, their Academic All-American Camp.
Here is a look at some notable players observed at the event. Note that as of press time, we did not have complete information on a few players.
Luke Apfeld (6’7″ Sr. SF, Wolfeboro (NH) Brewster Academy) There was nothing new here, and that’s fine: as usual, his motor was always running at full speed. His game is still rough around the edges, but there’s no doubt about his effort and athleticism.
Kevin Barr (6’6″ Sr. PF, Ashburnham (MA) Cushing Academy) He didn’t play on Tuesday night, and this wasn’t his best couple of days. While he’s always been thick, his weight doesn’t look good now as it looks to be more bad weight than before and he doesn’t look as mobile as he used to be.
Paul Junior Barreau (6’4″ So. SG-SF, St. Laurent (Que.) LaurenHill Academy) One of several impressive Canadians, he has a good body and smooth stroke when he catches and goes up to shoot. He wasn’t lights-out from long range, but made enough shots to look like a prospect worth keeping an eye on.
Khem Birch (6’8″ So. PF-C, Ottawa (Ont.) St. Thomas Aquinas) Many were intrigued by this 15-year-old post player, who’s athletic and not yet physically mature. He held his own against a nice post player he gives up two inches to in Carson Desrosiers, and if he keeps developing his game as he matures, he’ll have his share of Division I suitors.
Michael Carter-Williams (6’2″ So. SG, Hamilton (MA) St. Andrew’s School) He struggled to shoot the ball here, but we know he’s capable and he instead found ways to score on drives. That’s something he’s capable of doing, and as he matures physically, he should only get better in that aspect of his game.
Gerard Coleman (6’3″ Jr. SG, West Roxbury (MA) Tilton School) There wasn’t a more talented player at the camp than this lanky wing, who actually turned down an invite to the Reebok All-American Camp. Here, he was aggressive and drove to the basket at will, and looking like more than just the smooth finisher he has been.
Ben Crenca (6’9″ Sr. PF, Exeter (RI) Worcester Academy) Monday night, this wide-bodied post player had a solid game, scoring at will, making nice passes and even running the floor several times in a row. He wasn’t as good the next night, but had a good few days.
Carson Desrosiers (6’10” Jr. PF-C, Lawrence (MA) Central Catholic HS) His body isn’t there yet, but he has a strong lower body and needs to especially develop the upper body. He works inside, with good fundamentals, and has enough skills facing the basket to step away and make plays at the offensive end. Additionally, we saw him run the floor well, so he won’t slow a team down.
Malik Duada (6’4″ Sr. SG-SF) Not the most athletic wing, he has a good upper body and used it on some of his drives to the basket, one of which he finished with a nice left-handed layup. He got better as the camp went along, showing a touch from long range along the way as well.
Elvis Gale (6’4″ Sr. SF) One of the most athletic players at the camp, he had a couple of highlight-film dunks in the all-star game. He has a good body and uses his athleticism well.
Tucker Halpern (6’8″ Sr. SF, Needham (MA) Noble & Greenough School) During the spring, he started getting out of the rut he was in as he had become just a shooter. Here, he continued that in a big way, excelling in just about every facet of the offense and shining all in all. He made several nice passes, rebounded and still made shots, and even drove to score a few times.
James Kennedy (6’5″ So. SF-PF, Dorchester (MA) Cushing Academy) Probably the best player on his team, he played some assertive ball on Monday, which is important for him. With his body, he should be able to more than hold his own as long as he plays with assertiveness, and he did just that.
Michael LaPlante (6’4″ So. SG-SF, Woonsocket (RI) St. Andrew’s School) Very athletic wing is still a baby physically, and while he didn’t shine, he had his moments. He did knock down a three-pointer, a good sign since his jumper isn’t what he’s best at.
Jordan Laguerre (6’0″ Jr. PG-SG, (NH) Trinity HS) Lefty guard impressed on Tuesday, combining with Gerard Coleman to form a dynamic backcourt. He has a good body and showed a nice touch on mid-range jumpers.
Luke Matarazzo (5’8″ Jr. PG, Wallingford (CT) Choate Rosemary Hall) Small point guard has a mature body and always seems to be running. A few times, we saw him get the ball and head straight up the court without hesitation, as he gets up and down the floor well and has some quickness.
Alex Murphy (6’8″ Fr. SF-PF, Wakefield (RI) St. Mark’s School) After showing plenty of promise during the spring, he continued to do it here. He’s a baby physically, but he ran the floor well and got in some transition plays, while also showing what we’ve seen thus far – his perimeter game is more advanced than his post game right now.
Tyler Olander (6’7″ Jr. PF, Storrs (CT) E.O. Smith HS) Active lefty played well without scoring a lot, as he was around the ball and made his presence felt. He’s also likely not done growing, and if you add that to his continued improvement, the end result is a player to keep an eye on.
Kevin Polanco (6’3″ Sr. SG, Andover (MA) High) An all-star selection, he’s a nice scoring wing whose body isn’t there yet. He’s a plus athlete and more of a scorer than a shooter.
Clancy Rugg (6’7″ Sr. PF, Burlington (VT) High) Active inside, he was around the ball often and made his share of plays. He wasn’t a major impact player, but he worked inside at both ends of the floor.
Evan Smotrycz (6’9″ Jr. SF, Reading (MA) New Hampton Prep) Previous viewings of this big guard-type were decidedly unimpressive, but this time around it was better. Very skilled, he can handle and shoot, especially from mid-range, and he runs the floor well though he’s not the most athletic player. Tuesday, he got to the line often. Overall, he looks better when he lets the game come to him.
Allen Williamson (6’3″ Sr. SG-SF, (MA) Pingree HS) Mature-bodied wing is an undersized swingman who’s very active. His ball skills are just okay, and they’ll need some upgrading, and he also didn’t look very aggressive in trying to score. Borderline Division I prospect.
Other players who caught our attention:
Domonique Bull (6’2″ So. SG, Ashburnham (MA) Cushing Academy)
Egi Gjikondi (6’8″ So. PF, Malden (MA) High)
Daniel O’Keefe (6’5″ Sr. SF, Lexington (MA) High)
Derek Retos (5’9″ Jr. PG, Chestnut Hill (MA) Brimmer & May School)
Hippolyte Tsafack (6’8″ Jr. PF, Charlottesville (VA) Miller School)
