2024 Frosh/Soph #E75 North - The Guards pt. 1

Sunday, September 15th, 2024

The deepest position represented annually at the Frosh/Soph Elite 75 is the guard spot. The position simply has the largest amount of guys, and always sees a good amount of great players down the line. With that being said, there are just too many guys to lump into one article, so it will be broken down into smaller parts throughout the week. We kicked things off with some of the top performers from the Massachusetts edition of the event, take a look.

TJ Allen, St. Sebastian's - The Boston native has been playing at the varsity level since middle school, and it is evident in his game. He has a very high level feel for the game, IQ, and can really get around the court with his tight handle. In this setting he kept defenders on their heels, flying past them for layups and knocking down shots off the dribble. As the focal point of the St. Sebastian's offense he's primed for a big sophomore season.

Kyle Delves, Mt. Saint Charles - After putting the region on notice this past year as a freshman at Juanita Sanchez, Delves enters the class of 2028 at NEPSAC newcomer Mt. St. Charles. While standing around 6'2", he's got out of the gym bounce and flushes down dunks with tenacity. He gave opposing guards trouble when on defense, showed off his smooth pull-up game and playmaking ability. With a reported Fairfield offer to his name, Delves is a name to know as he goes through the ranks.

Josiah Adamson-Hardwick, CATS - Following the event, the incoming CATS guard picked up his first Division One offer from the University of Albany. He's a powerful slasher that uses his body to burrow through the defense and can finish overtop. His body is built for physicality and he exerts it on both ends. The 2027 did a great job bringing the pressure on defense, scoring from all over the court, and looks to be a big time prospect moving forward.

Reece Ayala, Milton Academy - Returning for a second appearance in the Elite 75, noticeable improvement was made in Ayala's game. His handle allowed him to get wherever he wanted on the court, but his overall confidence/presence was felt by those watching on. He limits turnovers with the ball in his hands showing off his advanced decision making, kept getting others involved throughout the night, and knocked down three's in bunches. Another key factor in a reloaded core at Milton Academy this season.

Xavier Sanchez, Newman - Joining the NEPSAC AAA at Newman, Sanchez put on a strong display last weekend. He showed off a great mix of finishes around the basket as he was able to use his speed and dribbling ability to get around the defense. His shot creation off the dribble caught our eye as he has a quick load up, and was also able to blow past defenders with a speedy first step. 

Raul Cruz, Nobles - The Nobles guard showed impressive improvement from his appearance in the showcase last fall. He plays with high IQ and has experience as a leader serving as a freshman team captain in Class A of the NEPSAC. He's cut down his frame a bit and developed into a strong shooting threat from outside. On defense he gave his assignment a tough time and crowded passing lanes.

Amyas Hall-Chiari,  Putnam Science - With some big time performances under his belt as an eighth grader playing for Putnam Science's varsity team, Hall-Chiari continues to standout at a young age. He served as a knockdown catch and shoot threat in this setting, and attacked the basket at will. As he works on his scoring ability off the dribble, keep an eye on his development at the Connecticut powerhouse program.

Naziel Hilario, St. Andrews - Recently announcing his move to St. Andrews and reclassing into 2029, Hilario made an early debut in the Frosh/Soph showcase. He's a head up guard that knows how to direct traffic and create good shot opportunities for his teammates. As a scorer, he brings a threat from outside, and will be a name of note moving forward with the renowned program in Barrington Rhode Island.

Max Maturah, Brooks - The incoming Brooks guard brings high upside entering the high school ranks. He's a three-level scoring threat with a smooth pull-up jumper off the dribble and converts floaters in bunches when attacking the basket. As a defender he reads the offense well, knowing when to jump passes and corral steals.

Ryan McLaughlin, Milton Academy - The son of Darmouth's Dave McLaughlin, Ryan's advanced skillset at a young age has shown time and time again. He's one of the best shooters in the class of 2027, putting on a clinic at the Elite 75 as he hit three's in a plethora of different ways. With the ball in his hands, he gets others good looks at shots and is known for making good decisions. Another guard entering into a promising Milton Academy group of underclassmen.

Drew Carlson, Rivers - The Weston native announced in the spring that he was taking his talents down the road to the Rivers School. He's got a tight crossover which allows him to get into his shot, which is one of the smoothest in the class of 2028. He operates as a head up guard, crashed the boards to rebound above his size and scored it in rhythm when off-ball.

Jackson Perri, Roxbury Latin - Another son of a college coach, Perri has been playing up since middle school with his Roxbury Latin squad. His IQ jumps off the charts as he constantly makes good decisions with the ball in his hands and limits mistakes. He's a polished scorer with a knack for hitting shots from outside and converting lay ups. Finally officially entering high school, his growth is one to continue to monitor as he plays a big role in Class B of the NEPSAC.

Jake Fortier, St. Mary's - A native of Northern Massachusetts, Fortier brings a very intriguing skillset to the floor. He made some impressive moves to the basket using his stop-and-go speed and changing pace with the ball. His finishing ability stood out, as well as his shot creation which allowed him to hit some fadeaway shots. Fortier already played a big role for St. Mary's as an eighth grader, and his “official” high school arrival will be worth watching. 

Ladanion Payne, Brimmer & May - Already playing a role on the AA runner-up Brimmer & May Gators, Payne put on a tough performance. He's one if not the fastest players on the court everytime he steps on it, and brings a controlled handle on the ball to go along with it. His growth over the past year is eyecatching, and his improved confidence was notable. With a big role on the horizon entering his sophomore year, he should continue to blossom at the guard spot.

Keyshon Joyner, MacDuffie - A true point guard with winning experience from this past year at Worcester North, Joyner joins Macduffie with a big role coming his way. He manuevers the floor smoothly and always has his eyes open to find open teammates. At the showcase, his ability to get downhill on screens set for him stood out, and once crashing the basket sprayed the ball out to open shooters or finished off the glass.

Jordan Torres, Trinity - The New Hampshire product put on a great performance the other night, showing off an impressive offensive skillset. He's got a pretty clean crossover move to create space and get shots off in rhythm. His mid-range game was notable, and stretches out past the three-point line. With an important role in sight at Trinity HS, he is definitely a player of note in the NHIAA.

Emmanuel Fosu, Proctor - The New Jersey native put on a very impressive night at the showcase. He's got some twitch to his game to get past opposing guards, and did so regularly. His stepback threemove is lethal and just another part of the shot creation skill he possesses. Directing traffic and leading the offense is another strength of his that caught our eye, and he makes for an intriguing prospect to monitor in New Hampshire's class of 2027.

KJ Hurd, Nobles - Coming into Nobles from Boston, Hurd was an under the radar name that took off at the event. He brings a compact handle to the court and keeps it on his hip while waiting to attack the defense. When slashing to the basket he was able to finish shots through contact and with defenders collapsing on him. With experience playing up in 17U as an incoming freshman, it will be exciting to see where his game can take him.

Christian Dalton, Mt. Saint Charles - A prospect that surely made a major jump in our eyes last weekend was this Mount Saint Charles underclassmen. He can finish around the basket with either hand, and has a deep bag of moves led by his smooth handle and change of direction. His shot creation off the dribble was notable as he knocked down three's, and his rebounding was notable as well. Catch him this year running with Coach Ladi and the Mounties.

BJ Dawan-Abdullah, Brimmer and May - With a year of experience playing with the NEPSAC-AA runner up Brimmer & May gators, the point guard has a head start on a lot of other 2028's. He plays with good pace and knows when to switch it up to get past his assignment. He's a strong finisher around the basket with playmaking feel to get others involved. As he continues to hone his skills keep an eye on the incoming freshman.

Jonathan White Jr, Buckingham Browne & Nichols - Starting to build his name up, the BB&N guard was a standout last weekend. He's got a smooth stroke from behind the three-point line and knocked them down throughout the night. The southpaw guard showed off his finishing ability too making a number of shots around the basket, and ran the offense well. A key cog in the young core for the NEPSAC Class A competitor, keep an eye on the guard moving forward.