PUTNAM, Conn. – In a relatively short time, Tom Espinosa has built Putnam Science Academy into a program to be reckoned with. They have scored some significant wins and produced good players for the college level. There is reason to believe that will continue this season and that they are only just beginning their ascent.
As was the case last year, Putnam Science will be a guard-oriented team. And as was the case, there’s a good crop of guards to lead the way, and as important as guards are at this level that’s a good place to be strong.
The point guard spot is likely to fall first to Daniel Upchurch (5’11” Sr. PG, Bridgeport (CT)), who had a good workout on Thursday evening. Quick and capable of scoring, Upchurch has in the past looked like a volume shooter and scorer but may have turned a corner there. His stroke looks better from all over the court and he hit a large percentage of his shots on the evening in drills and game play, off the catch and off the bounce. He also had a nice long lead pass on one play and made several good reads on defense.
Dalique Mingo (6’2″ Sr. SG, Farmingdale (NY)) might get some occasional minutes at the point, but expect him to be among the key players off the ball. He has a good frame and body and is athletic, and looks like more of a scorer than a shooter. Anthony Durham (6’3″ Sr. SG, Philadelphia (PA)) sat out with a thigh injury suffered a day earlier, but has impressed up to this point and figures to play a significant role. Calvetti Nyabingi (6’1″ Sr. SG, New York (NY)) is a good student and plus athlete who had some good moments on Thursday, including a steal and quick dunk.
The wing was where the best player on the floor Thursday evening could be found. Kyle Menard (6’4″ Sr. SG-SF, Paramus (NJ)) is well-built with a good frame, and while he is more athletic than he looks, he stood out by being very active and shooting very well. He was in a lot of plays, finished with contact and alertly stole the ball once on a sleepy pass. In addition, he shot the ball well from long range, although at times he settled for those shots. As if that’s not enough, he did all of that on a bum ankle.
Jalen Terry (6’6″ Sr. SF, Anchorage (AK)) has a mature body and isn’t a great athlete, but he’ll be a factor as he can shoot and be in a lot of plays. He showed some shaky ball skills when he wasn’t putting up jumpers, something he will surely try to work on during the season.
There are only two true post players on the roster, and both have been travel teammates. Jordan Butler (6’6″ Sr. PF, Hartford (CT)) is a bulky post player with a mature body. He ran the floor well, finished with the off hand and scored a nice post basket on his counterpart, Chaise Daniels (6’8″ Sr. PF, Meriden (CT)). For his part, Daniels has a good frame and talked often on defense. While he stayed inside much of the evening, he did hit a mid-range shot and later got a dunk off a miss.
Also in the frontcourt mix is Berkan Tuilu (6’2″ Sr. SF, Turkey), who had a couple of good moments on Thursday night. He has a good frame and made a fast break layup as one highlight and got an offensive board that he turned into an assist.
For now, Putnam Science is an independent, which for a prep school often means playing in some in-season tournaments and showcases. As another sign of where the program has come, they can mention quite a few of those this season, as they will be in the National Prep Showcase, BallasTV Invitational, Doc Hurley Classic in Hartford, St. Andrew’s Holiday Classic and Spalding Hoophall Classic. As early as next year, they could join NEPSAC, as the school expects to finalize its accreditation later this academic year.
Espinosa has the program rising, and a look at this year’s team will do nothing to disabuse anyone of that notion. If anything, one is likely to figure that the Mustangs are on the radar to stay.
