THOMPSON, Conn. – The second stop of Monday was north of the first one, as Marianapolis Prep went later on Monday. They’re not loaded with talent, but the Golden Knights have enough to be dangerous and collectively had a good workout on the day. They will also have plenty of competition for minutes at each position, which never hurts. That may prove to be just the right formula for this season.
The first place where there will be competition will be the point guard spot. One possibility is Eric Murdock, Jr. (6’0″ Sr. PG, Bridgewater (NJ)), who has name recognition as the son of the former NBA guard. A plus athlete, his body isn’t there yet although he’s not a baby physically, and he showed some range on his jumper. He finished with contact and on a couple of occasions rebounded and was a one-man fast break. The other possibility is Ryan Bernstein (Sr. PG, New York (NY)), who doesn’t pass the “look” test but is tough and can shoot. He has a very slight frame, but knocked down several three-pointers and on another play drove and spun to get a layup.
Among those who will play off the ball, Travis Descoteaux (6’0″ Sr. SG, Manchester (NH)) won the toughness award for the day. He stepped off the court after a finger on his left hand was hurt on one play, but returned a little later and hit a three-pointer on the first possession back. Now returning for his second season, Descoteaux shot better as the workout went on and looks better shooting off the catch than trying to do something off the bounce.
Chiamaka Browne (6’3″ Sr. SG-SF, Syracuse (NY)) is an intriguing prospect on the wing. A very good student, he showed some offensive skills like a hesitation move for a layup, a baseline drive for one and some range on his jumper. What stood out was that he’s also a willing defender on the ball and will use his left (off) hand often. On the down side, his ball skills need some work as he nearly carried the ball several times.
The player who best fit the description of getting better as the workout went along was Eric D’Aguanno (6’4″ So. SG, Narragansett (RI)). He wasn’t a factor early, but as the workout went on he got hot from long range, including one from well behind the line. While not the most fluid with the ball and at times showing questionable body language, he was also active and his shooting stood out more as the day went on. Joining him on the wing is Devin Springfield (6’4″ Sr. SG-SF, Jaffrey (NH)), a lefty guard who can shoot, although he didn’t stand out in that respect on this day, and Isiah King (6’5″ Sr. SF, Carmichael (CA)), who hit a couple of corner three-pointers on the day.
The frontcourt features their most experienced player and arguably their top prospect. The former is Bobby Ahearn (6’6″ Sr. PF, Marshfield (MA)), who has been in a lot of big games playing with BABC on the travel circuit. The recent Binghamton commit has a good frame and is active, and while his jumper wasn’t falling early on he started to hit from long range later. Highlights included a nice long outlet pass and a drive for a layup that ended with him laying the ball in from the baseline almost behind the backboard.
The top prospect may be Eric Long (6’6″ Sr. SF-PF, Bronx (NY)), also a very good student. While he puts the ball on the floor unnecessarily inside, putting him at risk of turning the ball over to a guard, he also has a good frame and is a plus athlete willing to work inside.
Marianapolis Prep will be in the Hoop Mountain Prep Classic, playing Notre Dame Prep and Mount Zion, as well as the BABC Prep Classic and National Prep School Invitational. They also play New Hampton, Northfield and South Kent, with the last of those three coming at home.
Last season, Marianapolis lost in the quarterfinals of the NEPSAC Class AA Tournament. That league is always highly competitive and more even than ever, so repeating or improving on it is always a challenge. But head coach Andrew Vitale, last season’s Class AA Coach of the Year, has a group that could surprise some people, and for them, the competition will begin right in their own gym.
do you have this years visit written up yet? I can not find anything about them anywhere. thank you steve