SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The 2008 National Prep Showcase is in the books. It consisted of 21 games in three days, two-thirds of which were decided by more than 10 points. Six of those contests were decided by 25 points or more.
But amidst the blowouts, we saw great games as well. Three games were decided by one or two points, and the best game of the tournament had a deceptive six-point margin as it felt even closer.
With that, we take a look at the scores, then some notes from the event.
Friday Scoreboard
Woodstock (VA) Massanutten Military Academy 74, Oakdale (CT) St. Thomas More 64
Lenoir (NC) Patterson School 81, Fitchburg (MA) Notre Dame Prep 56
Chatham (VA) Hargrave Military Academy 76, North Bridgton (ME) Bridgton Academy 74
Winchendon (MA) School 64, Simi Valley (CA) Stoneridge Prep 34
Northfield (MA) Mount Hermon 91, Fork Union (VA) Military Academy 63
Henderson (NV) Findlay College Prep 81, Barrington (RI) St. Andrew’s 50
Saturday Scoreboard
Lee (ME) Academy 67, Oakdale (CT) St. Thomas More 61
Lenoir (NC) Patterson School 62, Pittsfield (ME) Maine Central Institute 50
Chatham (VA) Hargrave Military Academy 77, Winchendon (MA) School 60
Fitchburg (MA) Notre Dame Prep 78, Woodstock (VA) Massanutten Military Academy 57
Fork Union (VA) Military Academy 64, Wolfeboro (NH) Brewster Academy 45
South Kent (CT) School 62, Simi Valley (CA) Stoneridge Prep 37
North Bridgton (ME) Bridgton Academy 65, Champlain (Quebec) St. Lambert 46
Henderson (NV) Findlay College Prep 82, Southborough (MA) St. Mark’s 76
Blairstown (NJ) Blair Academy 86, New Hampton (NH) Prep 85
Sunday Scoreboard
Wolfeboro (NH) Brewster Academy 71, Simi Valley (CA) Stoneridge Prep 66
Lenoir (NC) Patterson School 53, South Kent (CT) School 36
Northfield (MA) Mount Hermon 78, Champlain (Quebec) St. Lambert 50
Lee (ME) Academy 72, New Hampton (NH) Prep 71
Tilton (NH) School 75, Pittsfield (ME) Maine Central Institute 62
Blairstown (NJ) Blair Academy 78, Barrington (RI) St. Andrew’s School 74
Fork Union Manhandles Brewster
If there was one result here that should grab someone’s attention, it was Fork Union Military Academy’s easy handling of Brewster Academy on Saturday. Fork Union was in control throughout the game, although Brewster made a run in the second half to get within single digits.
Brewster was ranked No. 2 in the preseason National Prep Poll with another team loaded with talent. (Full disclosure: I am one of the poll voters.) On Saturday, the Bobcats shot just 16 percent from the field, a major reason they lost despite forcing 22 turnovers.
The list of players who struggled is large, and it was certainly a collective effort. Of note, Kansas signee Thomas Robinson (6’8″ Sr. PF, Washington (DC)) tried to do too much and had just two points on 0-9 shooting, though he did haul down 12 rebounds. Point guard Reggie Moore (6’1″ Sr. PG, Everett (WA)) was 3-15 from the field and had three turnovers to go with one assist.
But give Fork Union credit, because they simply out-played the Bobcats in this one. Andre Ervin (6’3″ Sr. SG, Richmond (VA)) didn’t shoot exceedingly well, in part because of shot selection, but the lefty led the way with 16 points. He’s athletic and should get better with added strength and better shot selection, and could be a nice snag for a mid-major. They also got a nice effort in both of their games from Kevin Laue (6’10” Sr. C, Pleasanton (CA)), who does not have his left forearm. Laue is hoping to play Division I basketball, possibly in the Ivy League, and on Saturday he had 11 points.
Simply the Best Player Here
It’s not often one player stands out as the best player at an event like this, which is one reason the oft-asked, “Who’s the best player there?” rarely has an answer. But this weekend definitely had that, and Findlay’s Avery Bradley (6’3″ Sr. SG, Tacoma (WA)) is the player.
Bradley isn’t likely to be a one-and-done player at Texas, as he doesn’t have a clear NBA position. But there aren’t many players more fun to watch, and it was especially on display Saturday night as his team held off St. Mark’s in the best game of the weekend. Bradley did everything in the game, scoring 28 points on 12-17 shooting and seemingly making every right decision at both ends of the floor. He found an open man, took the right shot, handled the ball, scored in several ways (including nailing the only two three-pointers he attempted), and impressed just about everyone there.
For good measure, he even guarded big men inside like Erik Murphy (6’10” Sr. PF-C, Wakefield (RI)), who he gives up seven inches to. Murphy had a quiet 21 points, but wasn’t a huge factor in part because of foul trouble.
Bradley has a rather unassuming demeanor, so he could be described as a silent assassin of sorts. But don’t let the look fool you: he’s very athletic, well-built and smooth, and has a tremendous feel for the game.
Lubick Battles in Losing Effort
On the other side of that game was Georgetown commit Nate Lubick (6’8″ Jr. SF-PF, Southborough (MA)). Although he didn’t shine at the outset, Lubick played the best game I have seen him play in the losing effort, and it goes beyond the 27 points (12-19 shooting) and nine rebounds he had.
If you never saw Lubick play before this game, you would come away thinking he’s a warrior. He scored a number of baskets on stickbacks, loose balls, and with strong finishes near the basket, often contested. When he worked inside, he was at his best, as he struggled shooting (and took a couple of questionable shots) but never stopped battling. There was no doubt he wanted to win that game.
This continues a trend for Lubick, who got a lot of buzz as a rising sophomore. He improved in the last year largely by being more effective without the ball, and that continues. While he hasn’t had much physical gain, he’s becoming a better basketball player all the time.
Hargrave Just Keeps Winning
With two more wins this weekend, Hargrave Military Academy ran its winning streak to 37 games. They are now 8-0 this season after going 29-0 last season with a national championship included. The streak almost came to a close at 35 on Friday, however.
Bridgton Academy had a 74-73 lead in the final seconds of what was a back-and-forth game, courtesy of a clutch three-pointer by Malik Stith (5’10” Sr. PG, Long Island (NY)). But Hargrave got the ball to UMass-bound Freddie Riley (6’5″ Sr. SG-SF, Ocala (FL)), who knocked in a fade-away three-pointer to give the Tigers the win.
Riley had a big second half in their win on Saturday, riding his play there to a 19-point effort although it took 21 shots to get there. UMass head coach Derek Kellogg and two assistants were on hand for the effort and were no doubt happy with what they saw.
Also noteworthy was the play of Charlotte-bound forward Chris Braswell (6’8″ Sr. PF, Washington (DC)). While he has often looked soft over the years, he looked anything but that as he did most of his work inside this weekend, a welcome change despite the good abilities he has shown facing the basket over the years. He went for 21 points on 9-15 shooting and had six rebounds on Friday, then just missed a double-double on Saturday with 10 points and nine rebounds.
Patterson Has Plenty of Players
If you haven’t seen any of Patterson’s players before, it can be hard to get a read on them from here because Chris Chaney will play everyone. It helps that his team is full of capable players, so they don’t really lose much when they go past 10 deep. In fact, their depth was a big factor in knocking off South Kent on Sunday despite falling behind early and being clearly out-played in that time. They took over the game and wore South Kent down.
Vincent Council (6’2″ Sr. PG, Brooklyn (NY)) had a quietly good spring and summer playing with the Juice All-Stars, and looks to be carrying that over into his post-graduate season. He had 16 assists in the three games and also had 12 points on Sunday.
Fellow guard Hunter McClintock (6’2″ Sr. PG-SG, Durham (NC)) impressed with his constantly running motor. He doesn’t look like a true point and appeared a little turnover-prone this weekend, but the lefty can play fast and has a good body, and he’s enough of a threat from long range that his shot must be respected.
Rice signee Arsaian Kazemi (6’8″ Sr. SF, Iran) was noteworthy given his home country, but his play was worth watching. He has a live body and some skills that can be improved, and his body isn’t there yet as well. Ben Braun appears to have found a nice prospect.
Rashanti Harris (6’8″ Sr. PF, Columbus (MS)) is a well-built post player with good mobility inside. Most importantly, he battles and gets plenty of rebounds, and all of that will help him be a high impact player at Georgia State next year.
Steven Roundtree (6’7″ Sr. SF, Jacksonville (FL)) is a baby physically with plus athleticism. He didn’t play a big role, but he’s clearly a prospect and could certainly help a college team down the road.
McCarthy Helps Key Northfield Wins
It’s been a long road back for Andrew McCarthy (6’7″ Sr. SF-PF, Sudbury (MA)). He basically missed the last two high school seasons with a bad back, and didn’t play much travel team ball in 2007. This spring, even as he at times impressed, it was clear he wasn’t the player that was getting a lot of college interest two years ago as an active forward with a lot of energy.
Now McCarthy, a Brown commit, is back on the court regularly at Northfield Mount Hermon and is showing signs of being the player he once was, and perhaps better later on. Don’t look at the numbers for proof, although he did have 13 points and five rebounds on Friday and led the team with seven rebounds on Sunday. Instead, watch him play and see how he’s seeking the ball out again when it goes up and making plays happen.
He had plenty of help in both games, as Northfield is well-balanced and plays well within the team concept. Playing in his backyard, Louisville signee Mike Marra (6’4″ Sr. SG, Smithfield (RI)) had 25 points on 6-12 shooting from long range, but it was a quiet 25 as he didn’t look like the best player on the floor. That nod would go to Hector Harold (6’7″ Jr. SF, Pasadena (CA)), who had 18 points and was 3-6 from long range and looks like a nice prospect once he gets stronger. On Sunday, Laurent Rivard (6’4″ Jr. SG-SF, Saint-Bruno (Quebec)) was the star with 19 points on 7-13 shooting.
New Hampton Loses Two Tough Ones
No team had a tougher weekend than New Hampton Prep, which lost two games by one point each. They led for much of Saturday night’s loss to Blair Academy, and the game was still tied before a questionable loose ball foul with less then one second left. On Saturday, they were right there for the entire game against Lee Academy before a stickback in the final seconds sunk them.
Fordham-bound Chris Gaston (6’6″ Sr. SF-PF, Palisades Park (NJ)) had a big game on Sunday with 20 points and 20 rebounds, following up a sub-par effort the night before. Gaston is a garbage man inside and is very active, and while he won’t blow you away with his skills, he’s a solid player.
Teammate Jordan Callahan (5’11” Sr. PG, Roswell (GA)) might not pass the “look test” as a point guard, but he impressed in both games. He went for 20 points on 8-13 shooting and handed out six assists with just one turnover on Saturday night, while matched up against a good junior in Blair’s Hakeem Harris (6’1″ Jr. PG-SG, Bergenfield (NJ)). He’s deceptively quick and showed he can run a team and get his own offense, including a touch from long range.
The player who might not initially stand out, but had two good games, is Nevada-bound Mark McLaughlin (6’5″ Sr. SG-SF, Kenmore (WA)). He had 21 points on Saturday, generally scoring off the dribble, in transition and being in the right place. You might not notice him out there very easily, but when you look up at the end of the game you find that he probably scored 15 points and might have had a few rebounds or assists (he had three with just one turnover on Saturday).
Behind Johnson, Blair Pulls Out Two Close Ones
One of New Hampton’s two losses came at the hands of Blair Academy, which followed up by pulling out another close one the next night over a young St. Andrew’s squad. In both games, Austin Johnson (6’8″ Sr. SF-PF, Elkins Park (PA)) carried them.
The Rutgers-bound forward did everything, scoring 24 points and hauling down eight rebounds on Saturday, and following that up with 30 points and 10 rebounds on Sunday. For good measure, he added four assists on Saturday, showing great skill both on the post and facing the basket. His body is better as he’s eliminated some of the baby fat, and it shows as he’s even more mobile than before and now able to score on opponents inside with quickness as well as strength.
Among his support cast, a notably impressive player is Nathan Healy (6’7″ Sr. SF, New Bern (NC)). Also a stud left-handed pitcher who is getting recruited highly for baseball, Healy made a number of key plays in both games and shows solid fundamentals and a nice feel for the game. He had 13 points in Saturday night’s win, and while he only had six points on Sunday, he also had six rebounds. He showed a touch from mid-range and also used some good up-fakes to score inside a couple of times.
The aforementioned Hakeem Harris capably ran the team in both games, handing out seven assists with just two turnovers in the two games. He also had 14 points on Sunday to aid in the victory.
The most intriguing prospect on the team is Lionel Gomis (6’8″ So. SF-PF, Senegal), who just began playing the game. He’s long and has some athleticism, but most impressive is that despite being new to the game he showed a touch from mid-range, set screens and doesn’t look soft. The stats won’t jump out at you, but he did have six rebounds on Sunday and will be worth keeping an eye on.
Lee Quietly Wins Two
They aren’t the most talented team that played this weekend, but Lee Academy came away with two wins over quality opponents. They play well within the team concept and show good balance, and that was the winning formula.
Lee opened Saturday morning by knocking off St. Thomas More, with UMass commit Maxie Esho (6’7″ Jr. SF, Upper Marlboro (MD)) being the only player in double figures with 13 points. Among those who helped were Timothy Johnson (6’4″ Sr. SG-SF, Markham (IL)), who had a nice weekend, and intriguing prospect Samer Jasser (6’9″ Sr. PF, Jatt (Israel)), who had six points and a team-high seven rebounds.
On Sunday, Lee held off New Hampton with Esho again leading them in scoring with 14 points. Also helping out and showing progress were guards Winston Graham (6’2″ Jr. SG, Bronx (NY)) and Jonathan Marsh (5’10” Sr. PG, Buffalo (NY)). Graham can shoot, but scored a few on drives here, while Marsh is showing some improvement with the decisions he makes with the ball, which is the big key for him since he’s shown he can score.
Big man Steve Sun (7’2″ Jr. C, Dongguan (China)) surely caught the eye of many coaches and observers. He didn’t fill the stat sheet, but looks to have some potential once he gets stronger. He’s able to block shots solely on his wingspan, but also came up short on some close shots.
Tilton’s Big Three Shines As Expected
In Tilton’s win over Maine Central Institute, all eyes were on their big three of Connecticut-bound forwards Alex Oriakhi (6’9″ Sr. PF, Lowell (MA)) and Jamal Coombs (6’6″ Sr. SF, Dorchester (MA)) and fast-rising junior Gerard Coleman (6’3″ Jr. SG, West Roxbury (MA)).
Coleman was the best player on the floor, showing off his great quickness and ability to finish in scoring 21 points on 10-18 shooting. He’s still very left-handed and doesn’t show much range on the jumper, but a large part of the latter is that he’s so good at getting to the basket that he doesn’t take a lot of jumpers in the first place.
Oriakhi had the quietest 20 points and 16 rebounds imaginable. While he had some moments where he made strong plays, there were other times, as has been the case before, where an observer might think, “He’s going to UConn?”
Coombs led the way with 22 points and had nine rebounds, putting forth another solid, productive outing. This was vintage Coombs, as he didn’t blow anyone away with athleticism or skills, but simply made plays throughout the game. He goes out on the court and plays the game, and when you look up at the end, he’s filled out a stat sheet.
St. Andrew’s Looks Every Bit a Young Team
This year’s St. Andrew’s team has a decidedly young look to it. Although they have five seniors, Mike Hart is trying to reload behind several underclassmen who are new to the team, and the youth showed in the Saints’ two losses this weekend.
In Friday’s loss to powerful Findlay, the most impressive player was junior Youri Dascy (6’7″ Jr. PF, Fall River (MA)), who was one of just two Saints in double figures with 10 points and seven rebounds. The other one was another newcomer, shooter Michael Carter-Williams (6’3″ So. SG, Hamilton (MA)), who also had 10 points and followed it up with a team-high 15 points in their loss to Blair Academy on Sunday. Although fellow sophomore Michael Laplante (6’5″ So. SG-SF, Woonsocket (RI)) had 12 points on Sunday, he didn’t look nearly as good as he did in the spring and summer.
Dascy has a big body but could stand to get in better shape, as he showed good fundamentals in scoring on the post. With better mobility, he could become a nice post scorer against many other defenders. Carter-Williams has a ways to go physically but showed off his stroke from long range and mid-range. Laplante is very athletic, but you would never know it watching him this weekend as he often settled for jumpers and then got down too low with his dribble, basically throwing his athleticism out the window.
Among their seniors, Mike Accaoui (Sr. PG-SG, Lincoln (RI)) uncharacteristically struggled shooting the ball, but has improved off the dribble. Nyheem Sanders (6’2″ Sr. PG-SG, Pawtucket (RI)) once again looked much more effective when he drove the ball instead of shooting it.
Other Notes
In Brewster’s bounce-back win on Sunday, the big star was Oklahoma-bound forward Andrew Fitzgerald (6’6″ Sr. PF, Baltimore (MD)). The much-improved post player had 27 points and 14 rebounds and did a lot of his damage in the second half, with several clutch baskets. His body can still get better with some work, so his best basketball is probably still ahead of him.
St. Mark’s was 1-18 on three-pointers in their loss to Findlay. The one shot from behind the arc that went came from, of all players, Quinnipiac-bound Dave Johnson (5’9″ Sr. PG, Jackson (NJ)). At times, Johnson was the best player on the floor as he had a double-double with 10 points and 12 assists, but at other times his lack of strength was glaringly obvious against a team full of players with mature bodies.
Just days after signing with nearby Providence, Johnnie Lacy (5’10” Sr. PG, Milwaukee (WI)) didn’t play his best ball with some on hand surely there to check out their future point guard. Lacy is very quick and can score and run a team, and while his body has a ways to go that will come in time. He had just seven points and four assists with eight turnovers, and was out-played by Massanutten guard Rashadd Lucas (6’2″ Sr. PG-SG, Lees Summit (MO)), who had 15 points and five steals, one of them coming in the backcourt when he picked Lacy’s pocket and had an easy layup. Rest easy, Friar fans: this was an aberration.
Like his older brother, Nick Checovich (6’3″ Sr. SG, Hampton (NH)) can certainly shoot it. He was a sniper all weekend long, including a 4-4 showing from long range on Saturday night, and he also hit in the clutch. Brother Todd played at Colgate earlier in the decade, and Nick could wind up there as well.
Winchendon isn’t quite as loaded talent-wise as in years past, but Mike Byrnes’ team played like one that won’t be an easy out. The best player in their first game might have been Hofstra commit David Imes, Jr. (6’6″ Sr. PF, Brooklyn (NY)), who was active with nine points and six rebounds, while fellow Hofstra commit Yves Jules (6’1″ Sr. PG, Brooklyn (NY)) led them in the loss to Hargrave. UMass-bound Sampson Carter (6’8″ Sr. SF, Memphis (TN)) and unsigned forward Eric Ferguson (6’8″ Sr. SF, Statesboro (GA)) are also nice athletes on the perimeter, with Carter being very thin.
Stoneridge Prep has a very promising big man in Youssoupha Mbao (7’2″ Sr. C, Dakar (Senegal)). His body has a ways to go, and he’s mechanical with the ball, but he has very long arms and blocks shots well, rebounded better than a lot of big men with bodies like his, and uses fakes well in trying to score. All of his shortcomings are things that can be either corrected or improved with more experience and coaching, and it’s no surprise that he’s getting interest from the highest levels.
Stoneridge also has a wing nice wing in Amath Mbaye (6’7″ Sr. SF, Paris (France)), and Hoop Scoop reported that he signed with Wyoming. It’s a nice addition for the Cowboys, as Mbaye isn’t the most athletic player, but he’s active and showed a good touch from long range.
