NEW HAMPTON, N.H. – Monday was a busy day at the New Hampton School even before Pete Hutchins’ team had a very competitive workout in the evening. Earlier in the day, news broke that the top prospect on the team would re-classify back into his original graduating class, and that got a lot of attention and added some new urgency in the young man’s recruitment. The college coaches who gathered on Monday night, however, saw that he has a good supporting cast.
Earlier in the day came the news that Noah Vonleh (6’8″ Sr. SF-PF, Haverhill (MA)) will go back into the class of 2013 a year after re-classifying into the class of 2014. At times, he made it look easy on Monday night, including one play where he drove right by his man and finished with a lot of contact. The skill package is continuing to develop, he’s already fundamentally sound and there’s no doubt about the work ethic. His body is developing as well, with the lower body further along than the upper body. The end result is that he’ll be at a high-major program a year from now and being a McDonald’s All-American is certainly a possibility as well.
Vonleh’s help in the frontcourt will come first from Tory Miller (6’8″ Sr. PF, Lee’s Summit (MO)), who might have had his best night since coming to New Hampton. A well-built post player, he was very active on the glass at both ends, getting a couple of stickbacks along the way, and played physical basketball inside. His game looks to be a little rough around the edges, but he scored some close baskets and had a nice jump hook one time, and also ran the floor to score as well.
Jeremy Miller (6’10” So. PF-C, Milton (MA)) returns for his second season and has a body that’s developing, with more to come. He tended to hang on the perimeter too often and wasn’t a big factor, although he did knock down a shot from long range. With his length, he could be more of a factor inside if he wanted to. The other player who will see time in the post, Mike Auger (6’7″ Jr. PF, Hopkinton (NH)), is out of action for about another month with a torn labrum in his shoulder. Auger has a mature body and should get plenty of minutes once he returns.
The perimeter will be led by Missouri commit Travis Jorgenson (5’10” Sr. PG, Columbia (MO)), who missed Monday’s workout due to bronchitis. He bravely battled through it for several days, but it finally got the best of him on Monday. Behind him at that spot might be Anthony Pate (6’3″ Jr. PG-SG, Westbury (NY)), who brought the ball up often on Monday night and seemed more comfortable doing it as the night went along. The lefty has a good frame, finished with contact, shot reasonably well from mid-range including off the dribble, and managed to drive and dish effectively.
Off the ball, Fairfield commit Lincoln Davis (6’3″ Sr. SG, Pittsburgh (PA)) might be the incumbent. Very athletic, his body isn’t there yet and he doesn’t appear to be a very good shooter, but there is a lot to like and he wasn’t too bad in an early shooting drill. Besides the athleticism, he finished with contact, hit a nice mid-range turnaround jumper and had a left-handed dunk on a fast break.
On the wing, Mike Leblanc (6’6″ Jr. SF, Dover (NH)) had a nice workout on Monday as he was in a lot of plays. His body is more mature and he’s not a bad athlete, and there’s no question about his effort. He shot the ball well starting with an early drill before the scrimmages, and he kept that up, showing some deep range on his shot. He will at least be a solid glue guy for this team.
Behind those four is some good depth. Lefty Cole McConnell (6’5″ Sr. SG-SF, Atherton (CA)) can handle the ball a little and showed himself to be a heady player, including one time when he tipped a loose ball to a teammate to keep a possession alive. Dustin Triano (6’2″ Sr. SG, Delta (British Columbia)) is a plus athlete who hit a few shots from long range and looks like he can handle the ball a little. Peyton Prudhomme (6’3″ Jr. SG, Alamo (CA)), Garrett Dorfman (6’2″ Sr. SG, Durham (NC)) and Trevor Glassman (6’2″ Sr. SG, Bedford (NH)) are also available.
The Huskies aren’t as talented as last season, but they had a nice workout on Monday night even without their main floor leader. The supporting cast for Vonleh looks solid, as he has help up front and some perimeter players capable of making shots and playing off each other. Having a little less talent on paper may work well for this team if Monday night is any indication.
