WINCHENDON, Mass. – Matt Quinn’s first season leading the Winchendon School wasn’t exactly one for the books as far as the win-loss column was concerned. The team was not as stacked with talent as in previous years, in part because Quinn took over as head coach in July, by which point most prep-bound players have long chosen their destinations for the following year. They finished eighth in NEPSAC Class AAA and were promptly blown out in the quarterfinals by the top seed. But this season should be a little different at the school that has long been a NEPSAC powerhouse.
This time around, the team has some more talent, with an abundance of guards that right now don’t show a lot of difference amongst themselves. There should be some pretty intense competition for minutes in the times to come in the backcourt.
One player who won’t have trouble earning time is Akosa Maduegbunam (6’3″ Sr. SG, Hyde Park (MA)), who committed to Penn State during the summer. Always blessed with a good shooting stroke, Maduegbunam has worked hard on being faster and better with the ball and clearly demonstrated that on Thursday, as he had an extra gear heading up the floor with the ball. While he didn’t shoot the ball as well as he often does, he was better driving, got a good number of rebounds and is doing all of this as his body is filling out more.
Of the other guards, Tre Tipton (6’0″ Sr. PG-SG, Stamford (CT)) might be one most ready to contribute based on Thursday’s workout. The well-built guard has a good frame and can score, some of which he did via the long range jumper. The other guard who was at least mildly impressive was Gustave Koumare (5’11” Sr. PG, Harlem (NY)), like Tipton a well-built guard who has above-average quickness and a good frame. Koumare got better as the afternoon went along, scoring from mid-range off the dribble a couple of times and constantly being in the play.
Joseph Kiely (5’11” Sr. PG, Columbia (MD)) is a baby physically with some quickness. Glyne Straker (6’3″ Sr. SG, Brooklyn (NY)) is a well-built lefty who isn’t lacking athleticism and should get a good deal of time on the perimeter. Malik Brown (6’1″ Sr. SG, Brooklyn (NY)) is another lefty who had a shortened workout due to an injury. James Beard (5’9″ Sr. PG, New York (NY)) doesn’t have the most athletic body but made a few good plays, including a nice drive and dish one time.
One of the most impressive guards on the floor was the youngest player on the team, Malcolm Smith (6’3″ So. SG, Orchard Beach (ME)). An athletic guard, he’s not a baby physically but not mature yet, attacked often and made some shots from deep. Although the team is loaded with seniors and post-graduates, he may be too good to keep off the floor.
On the wing, Nicholas Victor (6’5″ Sr. SF, Lucas (TX)) looks like a solid and skilled offensive player. He shot the ball well from long range, including a couple of shots from the corner, and made good decisions with the ball facing the basket. Also in the mix will be Thomas Bajda (6’4″ Jr. SF, Stratford (CT)), who was up and down with his shooting and has a thin upper body that he’ll need to strengthen.
The only true frontcourt player is Tevin Falzon (6’7″ Sr. PF, Newton (MA)), who had a nice workout. Falzon was aggressive, finishing with dunks a few times, has a better body although he’ll always be battling conditioning concerns, and showed his solid intelligence for the game on several occasions. He’s always been able to pass and did that here, plus he made a nice read to steal a pass and set up a basket. As if that’s not enough, he boxed out and rebounded well, something he’ll have to do more of since he’s the tallest player on the team.
If Thursday’s open gym is any indication, there are more questions than answers right now with the glut of guards. But Quinn has something to hang his hat on with Maduegbunam and some promising pieces in Falzon and Victor, so if things sort themselves out with the guards this team should be ready to put forth a better season than what last season’s team did.
