NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The opening day of the National Prep Showcase is in the books. It featured some great shooting, a close game and several games that were close until one team pulled away in the second half. With that, here’s a look back at what happened on the day.
Friday Scoreboard
Lee (ME) Academy 70, Fork Union (VA) Military Academy 63
Chatham (VA) Hargrave Military Academy 115, Fitchburg (MA) Notre Dame Prep 91
North Bridgton (ME) Bridgton Academy 74, Delafield (WI) St. John’s NW Military Academy 71
Oakdale (CT) St. Thomas More 83, Waynesboro (VA) Fishburne Military School 56
South Kent (CT) School 94, La Jolla (CA) Prep 74
Landover Hills (MD) New Hope Academy 84, Winchendon (MA) School 62
Northfield (MA) Mount Hermon 97, Woodstock (VA) Massanutten Military Academy 93
Honor Roll
Corban Collins, Massanutten Military Academy: 28 points, 8 assists
Drew Crudup, Lee Academy: 20 points, 4 steals
Myles Davis, Notre Dame Prep: 26 points on 10-16 shooting, 6-12 three-pointers
Montrezl Harrell, Hargrave Military Academy: 27 points on 11-15 shooting, 7 rebounds
Darnell Harris, La Jolla Prep: 26 points, 8 rebounds
William Howard, New Hope Academy: 19 points, 11 rebounds
Ricardo Ledo, South Kent School: 37 points, 7-12 three-pointers, 5 assists
Brandon Neel, Fork Union Military Academy: 21 points, 13 rebounds
Ethan O’Day, Northfield Mount Hermon: 30 points on 14-15 shooting, 9 rebounds
Ryan Taylor, Hargrave Military Academy: 26 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists
Rodell Wigginton, Lee Academy: 12 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists
Davis, Mosley Put on a Show From Deep
Hargrave Military Academy’s 115-91 win over Notre Dame Prep was not a game that you would send a copy of the video to the Hall of Fame. Defense was lacking and shot selection by both teams wasn’t good for stretches, and it wasn’t a competitive game for most of it. But two shooters put on a show in the first half from long range that caught the attention of everyone in the gym.
Myles Davis (6’3″ Sr. SG, Plainfield (NJ)) has long been known for his shooting, so his outing that included six three-pointers in the first half wasn’t a surprise. Ambrose Mosley (6’3″ Sr. SG, Jacksonville (FL)), on the other hand, wasn’t quite as well-known for that before this game, but that didn’t stop him from matching Davis. The Xavier-bound Davis wasn’t a big factor in the second half, though, and some of that is because of Mosley as he guarded him ably at times. Davis finished with 26 points on 10-16 shooting, but didn’t make a three-pointer in the second half.
Mosley was part of a balanced attack that included two others who topped 20 points. Mosley had 22 on 8-16 shooting and an identical line on three-pointers. He got plenty of help from Virginia Tech-bound Montrezl Harrell (6’8″ Sr. PF, Tarboro (NC)) and Ryan Taylor (6’7″ Sr. SF, Indianapolis (IN)) the latter of whom did a little of everything and probably earned himself more scholarship offers.
Ledo Tops Both Shooters
It may not have been his intent, but Ricardo Ledo (6’6″ Sr. SG-SF, Providence (RI)) put on a show that topped both Davis and Mosley later in the day. The Providence native, who will play in his hometown next year, scored 37 points on 7-12 shooting from long range, with a lot of it coming early. That helped South Kent knock off a talented La Jolla team that made it a ballgame for a time in the second half.
Ledo also made the play most will remember from the game in the second half, as he came in all alone on a fast break, threw the ball off the backboard and dunked it. La Jolla would rally later, and get within striking distance, but South Kent had too much and pulled away.
La Jolla Shows Its Talent
Many on the east coast got their first look at the players at La Jolla Prep, and it’s likely that at least a couple left a very positive impression on observers despite their team losing.
One of the first players whose talent was apparent is Oklahoma commit Jarion Henry (6’9″ Sr. SF, Dallas (TX)). He has some length and good ball skills, and could play like a point forward at times. Henry had 20 points on 8-15 shooting and grabbed five boards, but like a few teammates didn’t do well in the assist and turnover columns as he had one and three, respectively.
The player who ultimately stood out the most is Darnell Harris (6’8″ Sr. SF, Milwauke (WI)), who is headed to Cleveland State. The well-built wing had 26 points and eight rebounds, including a 6-11 mark from long range. He was active, getting a couple of stickbacks, and battled throughout the game.
Darrell Bowie (6’7″ Sr. SF, Milwaukee (WI)) didn’t shoot well but showed that he could be a nice player for Northern Illinois. Big man Mike VanKirk (7’2″ Sr. C, Palmdale (CA)) showed some promise as well.
Bridgton Rides Its Stars to Pull One Out
Bridgton Academy has been known in recent years for winning with less talent than many other schools. They haven’t exactly been loaded with high-major prospects like some other schools in NEPSAC Class AAA. But this season, they have two players who have committed to St. John’s, as well as another who was supposed to go to Hofstra but didn’t qualify academically. The Wolverines rode their play on Friday to a close win.
Amir Garrett (6’6″ Sr. SF, Los Angeles (CA)) had the best game on the stat sheet with 17 points and nine rebounds, while fellow Red Storm commit Darrick Wood (6’5″ Sr. SG-SF, Alexandria (VA)) had his moments in a 14-point outing. Malik Nichols (6’6″ Sr. SF-PF, Brooklyn (NY)) had a nice game with 13 points, including the clinching basket late.
Garrett has said he would like to enroll at St. John’s for the second semester if he qualifies in time for it. If that happens, it will certainly be a setback for this team. They aren’t as deep as they have been in some other recent seasons, so relying on three players to carry them will be much tougher.
Best Game is the Last One
Although Bridgton’s win was a good game and came down to the end, the nod for the best game of the day goes to the last one, Northfield Mount Hermon’s 97-93 win over Massanutten Military Academy. It was a well-played game and close most of the way. It was also one where the victors sealed the win with big plays late in the game.
Massanutten had an early lead, but Northfield Mount Hermon steadily rallied and then led for much of the second half. Two shooters, Northfield’s Ryan Oliver (6’5″ Sr. SG, Inglewood (CA)) and Massanutten’s Zac Grossenbacher (6’8″ Sr. SF-PF, Parkersburg (WV)), had a big game from long range. But the player who shined the most on this stage is Ethan O’Day (6’8″ Sr. PF, Mansfield (CT)), who continues to steadily improve. O’Day was active as usual, moved well without the ball, remained aggressive and looks more and more like a terrific pickup for Vermont.
Last year, Northfield Mount Hermon opened up the three-day event. This year they closed out the first day with a win in the best game of the day.
Other Notes
- As usual, Hargrave Military Academy is quite loaded, and they have some prospects who don’t get as much buzz as others to keep an eye on. Corey Heyward (6’1″ Sr. PG, Suwanee (GA)) is built like a tank but is also athletic and had five assists. Charles Haigler (6’4″ Sr. SG, Charles Town (WV)) has a good body and played limited minutes, but in that time he made a nice push shot from over ten feet out.
- Andre Washington (7’0″ Sr. C, Rocky Mount (NC)) is generally effective on the floor, and Friday was no different. But he clearly lacks strength, and if he gains some by the time he gets to Wake Forest, he has a chance to be a very good inside presence.
- A prospect who opened some eyes is New Hope Academy’s William Howard (6’8″ Sr. SF-PF, Champdieu (France)). Although he has a thin upper body, he’s a plus athlete, showed the ability to drive to his left and score and shoot from long range, and finished while fouled.
- Another who would fit that description is St. John’s NW Military’s Logan Mortensen (6’7″ Sr. SF, Draper (UT)). Going 3-6 from long range, he had 12 points and nine rebounds and was constantly in plays.
- Mortensen had a couple of backcourt teammates with some talent. Jacoby Davis (6’1″ Sr. PG, Charlotte (NC)) is well-built and can score and shoot, evidenced by his 18 points on 3-5 shooting from long range. Quinn Williams (5’10” Sr. PG, Indianapolis (IN)) might be a poor man’s version of Davis as he’s similarly built and showed a little less scoring ability.
- Fishburne Military School’s Matt Gorski (7’0″ Sr. C, Chesterfield (VA)) is headed to Illinois-Chicago, and while he’ll bring them some good size, he’ll need some work to be much more than a space-eater. He has a good frame, but isn’t the swiftest inside with his post moves and looks to be a black hole at the offensive end.
- Gorski’s teammate, Virginia-bound Teven Jones (6’0″ Sr. PG, Kannapolis (NC)), had some good moments early but overall wasn’t much of a factor as he was 3-11 from the field and had four turnovers with just two assists.
- Fork Union’s most intriguing talent is Brandon Neel (6’4″ Sr. SG-SF, Cincinnati (OH)), a well-built wing who is athletic and looks like he can simply be a playmaker as evidenced by his double-double and one time where he led the break effectively.
- Neel’s teammate Kion Brown (6’8″ Sr. PF, Richmond (VA)) is a post player worth a look. The lefty is raw offensively, but he did show some ability and if he gets stronger and finishes better, could be a nice pickup for someone.
- Rodell Wigginton (6’4″ Sr. SF, Halifax (Nova Scotia)) had a nice game for Lee Academy and is the same active athlete he’s been since coming to the U.S. The trouble is figuring out a level for him; he has a mature body and lacks much of a skill package but can be a good factor and constantly puts up good numbers in the stat sheet.
