2018 E75 Frosh/Soph Flashback

Owen Carlson | Wednesday, August 30th, 2023

We are now only a few weeks away from the 2023 Elite 75 Showcase: Frosh/Soph Edition, set for Friday, September 8th, at 6:00 PM in Hanover, MA at the Starland Sportsplex and the second installment on Sunday September 10th, at 12:30PM in Hamden, CT at Hamden Hall.

Space is still available. Interested prospects in the classes of 2026 and 2027 can use the link above to learn more or register. 

Today’s update is from 2018, when the ninth installment of the Elite 75 Frosh/Soph Showcase once again raised the bar for regional recruitment. Over the past few years, many alums from the 2018 showcase have continued their success at some of the highest levels. Here are just a handful of the biggest updates from recent years:

The Patrick School alum Adama Sanogo has had three great years at UConn, averaging as many as 17.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game, shooting 60.6% from the field. This past season, he led the Huskies to an NCAA Tournament Championship in a historically dominant run. This summer, he signed a two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls’ NBA G League squad, the Windy City Bulls.

Beaver Country Day wing Shy Odom was the big name heading into the event. He impressed with his early size, versatility, and mobility. He would end up transferring to Sierra Canyon to conclude his HS career. Odom had an excellent freshman year for Howard this past season, averaging 10.9 points and 4.6 rebounds, shooting 54.3% from the field, all in only 22.0 minutes of playing time on average. He was named 2022-23 MEAC Rookie of the Year for his performance throughout the season. 

There was a long ambidextrous wing named TJ Power, that was Odoms longtime AAU running mate. Power would go on to finish ranked first overall in both Massachusetts and the New England region as a whole on our class of 2023 rankings. He begins his college career at Duke this season after leading Worcester Academy to a NEPSAC Class-AA Championship this past season. 

Bishop Ludden forward Jai Smith made his New England debut, and would later compete at St. Thomas More for a few seasons before transferring to Word of God in North Carolina. He recently competed for the San Antonio Spurs’ Summer League Team. He signed with the Overtime Elite Pro League out of high school, where he averaged 18.4 points, 14.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.9 steals per 40 minutes. He has played for the Austin Spurs and Sioux Falls Skyforce in the NBA G League.

Brimmer & May alum Kyrell Luc was an undersized bouncy guard, who was set to transfer in from Scituate after an incredible freshman year. He had a successful season for St. Bonaventure this past year, averaging over 11 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals. As a freshman, he competed for Holy Cross, averaging 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. He earned 2020 NEPSAC Class-AA Player of the Year honors as a junior before having his senior year taken away by COVID. He has bounced back tremendously from an abrupt hiatus. 

Malden Catholic alum Tony Felder had a very impressive freshman year at VMI last season, averaging 10.5 points, 3.2 assists, and 2.1 rebounds. This summer, he announced his commitment to Stonehill for the 2023-24 season, bringing him back close to home. 

Rectory HS/Suffield Academy/Brewster Academy alum and 2020 Gatorade Connecticut Player of the Year Mac Etienne was ranked first overall in both New Hampshire and the New England region as a whole in our class of 2021 rankings. He has spent the past two seasons at UCLA before announcing his transfer to DePaul for this upcoming season.

Worcester Academy guard Dasonte Bowen was another one of the early standouts in New England. He would transfer to Brewster Academy during covid, and would end up competing for Iowa, where he will head into his sophomore year.  

Avon Old Farms guard Kyle Cuffe Jr. was a blur with the ball in his hands and could rise up over the defenders. He would ultimately leave New England and head to Blair Academy, befpre competing for Kansas this past year. Recently, he announced his commitment to Syracuse from the transfer portal.

Northfield Mount Hermon alum Kyle Squires had a nice early frame, soft shooting touch, and great size. He redshirted his freshman year at Lafayette. This summer, he announced his commitment to Northeastern from the transfer portal, set to compete in his first college season. 

 Once again, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to successful alums of the Elite 75 Frosh/Soph Showcases. Other players from 2018’s showcase who went on to play Division I (and some professional) include Desmond Claude (Xavier), Casey Simmons (Yale), Gus Larson (Penn),  Nate Santos (Dayton), Gianni Thompson (UMass), Matt McCool (Marist), Cam Tongue (Santa Clara), Ray Espinal-Guzman (Sacred Heart), Bube Momah/Tyler Whitney-Sidney (Lehigh), Jake Tavroff/Avery Brown (Columbia), Robbie Stankard (Columbia), Tyriek Weeks (Rider), Ethan Okwuosa (BU), Matt Curtis (Fairfield)