2024-25 Prep Profiles Series: South Kent

Thursday, November 7th, 2024

The South Kent School welcomes a new head coach, Craig Carter, following Coach Raphael Chillious’s departure to join the Memphis Grizzlies. Although Carter is a familiar presence with the team, he steps into the leadership role with a fresh roster that includes only four returners: Badara Diakite, Adam Chiacchia, Rashawn Tibby, and Jaryn Aguiar. Here’s a closer look at the updated lineup and what we can expect for the coming season.

The Frontcourt and Wings

Bloomfield Connecticut’s Badara Diakite leads the way at 6’10” with a fluid game to him. He’s been a notable player in the New England region for half a decade now, and brings size/shooting to the court along with some versatility on the wing. He’s picked up a couple high major offers over the years, and will be a name to watch this year as he looks to build on his first year with the program.

Adam Chiacchia enters his third season at South Kent and will likely see an expanded role. Known for his strong court awareness and smooth shooting, Chiacchia is a player who can score both from mid-range and beyond the arc.

Rashawn Tibby’s another returner of note who’s expected to play a lot of minutes for the team. He’s a 6’9” “swiss-army knife” type of player with some versatility to switch onto players at different positions, rebounds the ball and offers some outside shooting on the wing.

Newcomers in the frontcourt and on the wing include Diallo Long, Alexander Bryant, Kai Settles, Jonas deKrassel, Chris Birden Jr, and Dapo Kruyswijk

Birden Jr stands at 6’10 and joins the team from Louisiana and is a name to know. He picked up early scholarship looks with his impressive blend of size and athleticism, and is a name to watch as he enters the region. Kai Settles, a postgrad from the country’s capital, has some defensive versatility to guard multiple positions and stretches the floor from outside.

Alexander Bryant impressed throughout his time at Iona Prep, and joins the team as a postgrad this season. He’s a 6’8 forward that plays with a motor on the glass and does a good job of hovering in the paint on defense to block shots.

Jonas deKrassel returned to the court after missing some time in his senior year with a lower leg injury, and joins South Kent as a postgrad. He’s shown the ability to put the ball on the floor and knock down pull-up jumpers.

Dapo Kruyswijk hails from the Netherlands and has some intrigue to him as a 6’9” wing/forward with some inside/out skill. 

Diallo Long has built a reputation for himself as a scorer on the wing with a pretty impressive handle and shot creation skills. He can be a tough shotmaker for the squad down the line this year.

The Backcourt

Jaryn Aguiar leads the pack as the sole returner at the guard position. He’s got pop to his game that complements his speed through open lanes, and can finish above the rim. He does a good job of breaking down defenders with his handle, plays tough on-ball defense, and has some playmaking chops. 

Outside of Aguiar, the backcourt is full of a hoard of new names including Tim Walker, Shawn Spencer, Nathan Brazil, and Tres Luzey.

Walker headlines this group having made a name for himself in the DMV, picking up three division one offers in the month of May. He’s a 6’3” combo guard that packs a quick punch in the open court. He’s got vision to find cutting teammates, hits the three particularly well off the catch, and uses his handle to get to his spots. Expect him to play a sizeable role this season. 

Luzey is an 6’2” guard out of The Woodlands Texas and brings an elusive handle to the position that he uses to get around defenders and to the rim. 

Shawn Spencer enters New England from New Jersey, and has impressed thus far in high school as a contributor in many facets of the game. He does well as a rebounder at the guard position, gets his teammates involved, and scores it well inside.

Brazil joins the team from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania with some upside. He’s impressed for some time now with his scoring skills, as he shoots it from outside in different ways, and can make his way inside to finish around the basket.

Two names definitely worth a shoutout from the developmental team include Ezayi Mauristhene and Jackson Southerland. Both juniors will form a daunting backcourt as Mauristhene brings a quick and shifty game, while Southerland’s got size to power his way inside, and knocks down pull-ups.

South Kent kicks off their season next weekend at the NEBL, before heading to the National Prep Showcase the following weekend!