08 Turns to 09

NewEnglandRecruitingReport.com | Monday, August 25th, 2008

The class of 2008 was certainly a talented one in New England.  The NEPSAC had its typical superstars with the likes of Devin Ebanks, Emmanuel Negedu, Terrence Jennings, Isaiah Thomas, and Mark Lyons.  But we also saw plenty of home grown stars like David Gibbs, Alan Chaney, and Stevie Mejia. 

But with that group about to begin their college basketball career, our focus turns to the classes of 2009 and 2010.  Local fans are in for a treat during the next two years as these groups are some of the best this region has seen in quite some time. 

Nonetheless, we will still miss players like Phil Pressey, Maurice Creek, and Candon Rusin who are all transferring to schools in different areas of the country.  However, we will also be gaining a new set of stars as the NEPSAC schools get ready to welcome their new student-athletes in the coming weeks. 

The new year will see quite a bit of movement within the region as well.  Here are some of the more notable moves:

•  Gerard Coleman will transfer to the Tilton School and reclassify to the class of 2010

•  Naadir Tharpe will transfer to Brewster Academy and reclassify to the class of 2011

•  Alex Murphy and Domonique Bull will repeat their freshmen seasons at St. Mark’s and Cushing Academy respectively

•  Mike Carter-Williams, Michael Laplante (reclassifying to the class of 2011), and Youri Dascy (reclassifying to the class of 2010) all head to St. Andrew’s

•  Evan Smotrycz will repeat his junior year at New Hampton

•  Will Tye (Xavier HS, CT) and Mario Monroe (North Cambridge Catholic HS, MA) will both re-do their junior seasons at their current schools and then attend a prep school in their senior year

•  Corey Wright Jr. will join the class of 2010 at Marianapolis Prep

•  Two of Springfield’s best will head elsewhere for their senior seasons at Preye Preboye goes to Winchendon and Rashad Wright to South Kent

•  Christian Heritage of Connecticut will add local products Braxton Gardner and Chris Corvese

•  Greg Newton (Phillips Exeter Academy), Akeem Williams (Winchendon), and Shabazz Napier (Lawrence Academy) will all repeat their junior seasons within the NEPSAC

•  Many players will do a post-graduate year in the region, including:  James Southerland (Notre Dame Prep); Tim McKinney, Brian Fitzpatrick and Andrew McCarthy (Northfield Mount Hermon); Sam Markle and Robert Harrigan (St. Thomas More); Scott Tavares (Tilton); Lee Suvlu (MCI); Michael Topercer (MCI); Pat Donnelly (Phillips Exeter Academy); Jeremi Johnson (Putnam Science Academy); D.J. Campbell (Vermont Academy); Ryan Boyle (Cushing Academy); Wouter Van Der Eng (Kimball Union); Tucker Esborn and Matt Stone (Avon Old Farms); C.J. Ruskay and Tom Piscina (Choate Rosemary Hall); Chris Flores (Marianapolis Prep); Sean McCarthy (Loomis Chaffee); and Cliff Desravines (Taft).