2018 Rankings - On the Cusp

by Zack Sandberg | Friday, February 10th, 2017

While new 2018 rankings are now complete, as we noted yesterday, there is plenty of parity in the current junior class. We ranked a total of 50 prospects in New England, but there were several others with the talent level to compete for a potential scholarship.

NERR contributor Zack Sandberg breaks down some of the prospects who were right on the cusp:

Zach Light, Northfield Mount Hermon - Light fits the mold of a typical Northfield guard as he is an aggressive defender with a very high basketball IQ. His best attribute though may be his toughness as he plays extremely hard at all times and understands what it means to compete. Holding an early offer from Colgate, Light has interest from just about every Ivy League school and should garner more interest and offers throughout the spring and summer.

Cam Sells, Commonwealth Academy – Sells is a very aggressive player who competes with a chip on his shoulder. While he may have more of a reputation as a shooter, he uses his athleticism to drive to the lane and finish over defenders. Right at the moment, he’s a victim to the team’s depth and experience on the perimeter, but look for him to have a breakout spring and summer.

Isaiah Gaiter, Sacred Heart – The 6-foot-4 guard is in his first season at Sacred Heart and has formed a dynamic one-two punch with Raheem Solomon since his arrival. A long lefty guard, Gaiter disrupts the passing lanes on the defensive end and is also an unselfish offensive player with great court vision, allowing him to play the point guard spot at times.

Tyler Thomas, Amity – While Thomas is relative unknown outside of the state of Connecticut, that is undoubtedly soon to change. Thomas has been putting up huge numbers this season including pouring in 35 points earlier in the week. He is extremely athletic but can also light it up from the outside to score in bunches.

Nate Hobbs, St. John’s Prep – Hobbs is a high level athlete capable of playing explosively above the rim. While those tools provide him with some obvious upside, he also owns a good feel for the game and the ability to slide over to the point guard position. He first appeared on the scene at the inaugural Academic Elite 75 Experience two years ago and has continued to make drastic improvements to his game ever since.