TILTON, N.H. – The halcyon days where Tilton was the unquestioned powerhouse of its domain in NEPSAC are in the past, but times are hardly bad there. You won’t find several high-major players with a possible McDonald’s All-American mixed in, but there is good talent. And if the Rams are in the winner’s circle come March once again, it won’t be a surprise for a few reasons.
The Rams have a lot of bodies and will have plenty of competitive practices, let alone games. The point guard spot is most symbolic of that, as they have two solid floor leaders who will probably play together at times in Gonzalo Santana (5’10” Sr. PG, Las Palmas de G.C., Spain) and Jonathan Joseph (5’7″ Jr. PG, Brockton (MA)). While Joseph has long been a sparkplug floor leader who showed a developing body and a good jumper on Tuesday in addition to his quickness, Santana looks like he could be the team’s emotional leader. The well-built guard was hot from long range on the day and will guard you all the way. A play that was symbolic of how he plays was when he was back on defense in transition and almost tied up a player trying to drive by him.
They aren’t alone at that spot, as Sarju Patel (5’11” So. PG) shot the ball very well from long range and is a baby physically, thus he’s likely to be a bit player right now given the veterans they have. But he looks like he’ll be a player down the road for this program. Patrick Witkowski (6’1″ So. PG-SG, Melrose (MA)), a lanky guard who can shoot, could also see minutes there, and Tim Ferraro (6’0″ Sr. PG, Pawcatuck (CT)) will be in the mix as well.
Off the ball, the Rams have a number of options. The best player on the floor on Tuesday might have been Lee Messier (6’3″ Sr. SG, Narragansett (RI)), who seemingly didn’t miss from long range. Though not the most athletic, he has a good frame and release, and finished the day the way it started: with a game-clinching three-pointer. Steven Bush (6’2″ Sr. SG, East Orange (NJ)) got better as the day went along, heating up from long range while defending throughout the day and driving for a few baskets. He looks like he’ll be a significant contributor. Franklin Porter (6’4″ Jr. SG, Portland (OR)) has a good frame and could be a nice complement, as could Marcus Willingham (6’4″ Sr. SG-SF, Burlington (VT)), a well-built wing with a relatively mature body. Joe Farma (6’2″ Jr. SG-SF) is also in the mix.
The player who might have as much potential as anyone on the team is Terance Mann (6’5″ Jr. SG-SF, Lowell (MA)), who had his moments on the day. He showed a complete skill package offensively and his athleticism, with a lot of that encapsulated on one play late in the day when he drove right through defenders to finish with a dunk. Perhaps what best summed him up, though, was when he went up high to turn an errant long pass into an assist. He won’t wow you or dominate the game, but he also doesn’t make killer mistakes.
John Witkowski (6’5″ Jr. SG-SF, Melrose (MA)) could be a nice complement on the wing, as he moved well without the ball to score and hit a few jumpers. Chris Stowell (6’7″ Sr. SF, Exeter (NH)) has a good frame and a body that has a ways to go, but also some talent as he hit several jumpers on the go. Jared Lucas (6’4″ Sr. SF), a college lacrosse prospect, gives them more depth.
The Rams don’t have a lot of size, and had less on Tuesday than they will have during the season since Nemanja Krtolica (6’8″ Sr. PF, Banja Luka (Bosnia)) has not yet made it to campus. Head coach Marcus O’Neil is high on him, noting that he’s a skilled forward who will probably face the basket more than he will go inside, and he should be on campus soon. In the meantime, Cameron Durley (6’6″ Jr. PF, Saudi Arabia) will be the true post player on the team. The burly post player has some post moves and uses his body well but needs to improve his touch on his jump hook to be a more effective scorer.
Tilton will play several games against Class AAA schools, as they usually do, so this team is sure to be battle-tested by the time the NEPSAC Tournament comes around. Class AA looks to be quite even, as has been the case for a couple of years now, so while Tilton no longer enters the season as a prohibitive favorite, they are still a dangerous team and one that has enough talent and depth on the perimeter to be a factor in March.
