2024 National Prep Showcase Preview

Dylan Thayer | Wednesday, November 20th, 2024

The wait is almost over. 

The annual National Prep Showcase is just two days away, and Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Connecticut, will once again transform into the epicenter of prep school basketball. 

The Showcase is one of the most highly anticipated events of the year, serving as an unofficial kickoff for the prep school season. Over the next weekend, the gym will be packed with college scouts, passionate fans, and some of the nation’s top basketball prospects.

For over a decade, this event has set the tone for the season on the weekend before Thanksgiving, introducing players who go on to achieve greatness at the college and professional levels. 

The Showcase isn’t just about the games—it’s a conglomerate of talent, and the opportunity to play in front of numerous college coaches, creating an atmosphere that’s simply unmatched.

Beyond the scouts and coaches, the Showcase has become a staple in the local New Haven community. Every year, local residents come the gym, circling the week before Thanksgiving as a must-attend event. 

With the New England Recruiting Report staff at the helm for over a decade, the event has grown into one of the premier stages for prep basketball.

Let’s dive into what makes this year’s Showcase so special, and the players to keep an eye on.

A Launchpad for National Breakouts

The National Prep Showcase has long been a proving ground for future stars, and last year was no exception. Players from both New England and beyond made national names for themselves with standout performances that left the gym buzzing.

Max Pikaar, now at Saint Louis, put on a masterclass as a new prospect from the Netherlands. The athletic forward posted a dominant 12-point, 13-rebound, and 4-block performance, punctuated by a chasedown block on the perimeter, that he grabbed for a fast-break dunk. 

The matchup between Fork Union and Bridgton was another highlight. Jaden Johnson, who now plays at Old Dominion, erupted for 33 points in a thrilling overtime win. His scoring prowess and ability to rise to the moment helped Fork Union edge Bridgton by just one point. 

Meanwhile, Warren Yeh, now at Alabama A&M, broke out as a top Taiwanese prospect, draining a game-tying three at the end of the second half to force overtime.

Beyond these breakout performances, people were also introduced to players like Chris Jeffrey (Maryland), Jinup Doboul (Portland), Ralph Akuta (Drexel), Jayden Harris (Eastern Kentucky), and Keenan Emmanuel (Stephen F. Austin). These prospects used the event as a springboard for their recruitment and eventual commitments to the next level.

New England Stars Who Shined

Keyshuan Tillery, now committed to Cincinnati, turned heads with a near triple-double, tallying 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists in a thrilling six-point victory over Mount Zion. 

Tillery’s ability to contribute in all facets, demonstrated why he was one of the region’s most sought-after recruits. A Big Ten program's entire coaching staff was in the house to watch Tillery in that contest.

Kur Teng, now at Michigan State, delivered what fans have come to expect—consistent scoring. The sharpshooter dropped multiple 20-point games, reminding everyone why he was considered one of New England’s premier players for years. 

His former teammate, Brayson Green (now at Putnam Science), complemented his efforts with a strong 16-point, 9-rebound performance in his National Prep Showcase debut.

Ben Ahmed, a walking double-double now committed to Miami, lived up to his reputation by dominating in the paint throughout the weekend. 

Similarly, Luka Toews and Ryan Mela of Newman School continued their consistent production, helping lead Newman in some big games.

Other New England standouts included Justin Johnson (Arkansas State), Daniel Johnson (Hampton), Nate Guerengomba (UMass), Kelvin Odih (SoCal Academy/West Virginia), London Jemison (Alabama), Izaiah Pasha (Delaware), Joson Sanon (Arizona State), Darius Lopes (Maine), and Andre Mills (Texas A&M) to name a handful.

Local Connecticut talents Walt Andrews (NJIT) and Troy McKoy (Chicago State) also made strong impressions while playing for Virginia-based programs.

Players to Know This Year - National

Anthony Thompson is the first name worth mentioning as he brings a growing reputation as one of the top college prospects in the class of 2026 to the event. He’s a 6’8” wing hailing from Lebanon Ohio, who joins the reigning National Prep Champions at Western Reserve with high major recruitment in his bag.

If you haven’t heard the name already, Deron Rippey Jr has built quite a name for himself as a 2026 guard. He too brings high major recruitment to the table, touted as a five star by most media outlets. While he’s not necessarily a new name to the event, as he enters his third season at Blair, he’s a very impressive guard to know and who has tons of experience in this specific showcase.

IMG Academy has a very dynamic duo committed to Temple and VCU in Cam Miles and Jordan Tillery. The two Florida natives form a high octane combo of scoring that will most certainly power coach Jim Carr’s squad this weekend and beyond.

Shane Pendergrass will make his National Prep Showcase debut with Hargrave. The 6’8” forward is a top 100 prospect in the 247Sports rankings who’s really worked on his physique and has a ton of tools worth monitoring as he progresses.

Some more names to know include Gabe Grant (Central Florida), Bhan Boum (Link Year), Nyce Bakare (Phelps), Dylan Homenick (Perkiomen), Isaiah Vick (Fork Union), Ruey Ruey (Massanutten), Jaen Chatman (Blair), Alhasan Jallow (OSL Prep), and Jalen Haynes (Sunrise Christian), and Chris Eldrege (Knox).

Leo Curtis is the first name that comes to mind for New England names to know in the event. The big man from Iceland will be making his NPS debut with CATS Academy with presumably a ton of schools in the mix for him coming out to check in. He’s recently picked up offers from Creighton, Indiana and West Virginia amongst others. His teammate Jaxson Terry is another new name to know with some Big East programs looking at him, as well as Jaylin Williams-Crawford.

The four time National Prep Champions at Putnam Science have once again reloaded this year. Jamell Hatchett has jumped onto the scene as a big time college prospect at the point guard position, joining the team from Michigan. Adama Tambedou’s picked up a plethora of high major offers after a standout summer with RI Elite, while Abdou Yadd, Jaymen Townsend, and Rauan Rodrigues look to be more new names to know for the squad moving forward.

Cushing Academy’s Ryan Moesch has built a big reputation in the northeast over the past calendar year, and is a can’t miss talent. The quick point guard packs a scoring jolt at the position. His teammate Frederik Jellum is another name to know as a 6’9” forward with mid-major looks out of Denmark. You can’t mention Cushing without mentioning their big man Theo Edema, who we’ve spent a lot of time praising this fall for his tremendous upward trend in the class of 2027.

The Newman School has truly reloaded and showed that this past weekend with a win over Putnam Science at the NEBL kick off event. Lucas Morillo, Louis O’Keefe, and Jalen Harper are three names to know from outside of the region who will play big minutes for the team. Other guys like Carson McDonald, Chase Geremia, Collins Chidera Onyejiaka, and Quinn Costello have continued to build names for themselves in the recruiting world.

Darrow makes it’s National Prep Showcase debut with a newfound investment into it’s basketball program headed by Antonio Anderson. Haisi Maybe and Ibrahim Gati are two names to know with division one offers to their names already, while guys like Hunter Te Ratana, Derek Delgardo, Danny Delgardo, and Teshaun Steele have big seasons in sight.

Greg Brooks and Jaylen Hunter-Coleman are two impressive point guards running with the Northfield Mount Hermon School. Kieran Mullen has a ton of high to mid major interest for St. Thomas More, Tim Walker at South Kent makes his way up from Virginia with offers in his bag, Amir Jenkins just won a 3x3 gold medal playing for Team USA and joins Worcester Academy, the list goes on.

This year’s Showcase will feature an incredible 42 Division I commits, including: Jack Bailey (Boston College), Jaylen Harrell (Providence), Jay Jones (Penn), Brooklyn Vick (North Carolina A&T), Cedric Horton (Texas A&M - CC), Jordan Tillery (VCU), Cam Miles (Temple), Jacob Hammond (Princeton), Josh Ojuri (Maine), Bobby Montgomery (UTEP), Chris Jeffrey (Maryland), Emmanuel Kanga (George Mason), Riley Dering (Air Force), Reggie Grodin (Fordham), Keyshuan Tillery (Cincinnati), Mason Blackwood (Penn State), Naz Meyer (Wyoming), Vincent Chaudhri (George Washington), Andrew Urosevic (Lehigh), Nasir Rodriguez (Fairfield), Gabe Tanner (Florida Gulf Coast), Jordan Gabriel (Marist), KJ Cochran (Santa Clara), Onyx Nnani (Arkansas State), Justin Houser (Penn State), Beckett Currie (Lafayette), Tony Williams (Fairfield), Jamias Ferere (Gardner Webb), Ben Ahmed (Miami), Badara Diakite (Iowa), Shuto Sakihama (Merrimack), London Jemison (Alabama), Christian Humphrey-Rembert (Brown), Bryce Goldman (UC Irvine), Isaiah Kalala (Longwood), Simm-Martin Saadi (Drake), Trey Cady (North Florida), Torr Sorenson (Liberty), Chris Leman (Mercyhurst), Connor Swider (Youngstown State), and Jake Blackburn (Binghamton).

The 2024 National Prep Showcase tips off this Friday, and tickets will be available at the door for fans eager to witness the action. Whether you’re a scout, a coach, or simply a basketball enthusiast, this event is a must-see.

Join us at Albertus Magnus College for a weekend filled with elite competition, unforgettable performances, and the future stars of basketball. At the National Prep Showcase, history is made, and legends are born.